Taylor Hawkins' untimely death leaves a massive hole not only in theFoo Fighters’lineup but also in the hearts of fans all over the world and in the modern rock scene. While not exactly a founding member of the band, his playing can be heard on most of their albums and his on-stage presence was felt until his very last show in Argentina’s Lollapalooza festival.
Since his passing, Hawkins’s expressive drumming and traits as a person have been honored by his bandmates, musicians and fellow artists, something that was recognized during this year’s Grammys with a brief tribute in a night where the Foo Fighters took home three more bittersweet awards. Nevertheless, Hawkins’ legacy extends past his playing, because beyond his sweet voice in “Cold Day in the Sun” or the band’s viral covers Queen’s “Somebody to Love”, the Foo Fighters' prolific creativity also leaves behind an enviable collection ofdocumentaryfilms where a whole new side of Dave Grohl, Pat Smear, Nate Mendel and Hawkins is revealed.
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Foo Fighters: Back and Forth(2011)
Might as well start with the very first as James Molls rockumentary film is what opened the doors for the kind of projects that Grohl and the band would later take on in their creative pursuit to tell their own stories.Back and Forthowes its name to an eponymous song from the band’s seventh studio album,Wasting Light, a record that’s still consistently among the most appreciated in the second part of the Foo Fighters’ career.
Not only that, it tells the band’s story from the very beginning up to that point, featuring exclusive interviews and footage of Hawkins, and even past members like the man who sat at the backplaying drums inGran Turismo 2’ssoundtrackbefore him, William Goldsmith. Ironically, Hawkins was quoted at the time saying he’d prefer the film wouldn’t see the light of day, seeing as its mentions that time he “almost died” from the very drug problems that likely caused his death.
Wasting Lightis a special album because the sound and style the band is searching for inBack and Forthended up heavily influencing their last three records, so far from being a must for any Foo Fighters fan, it’s something any rock enthusiast will enjoy.
Sound City(2013)
Grohl and the rest of the band must have loved the experience of filmingBack and Forth, because just one year later the Foo Fighter frontman decided to make his directorial debut by making a film about the famed Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, Los Angeles. The site is almost of religious importance for rock enthusiasts as it’s the same studio where Nirvana recordedNevermindand other bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fleetwood Mac, Rage Against the Machine and Slipknot when on to make some of their best music as well.
More than being a documentary about a studio, it does a great job at chronicling these band’s moments in them. As a bonus, this rockumentary lit the creative fire in many music legends to produce an accompanying album,Sound City: Reel to Reel, where Hawkins’ playing is featured in three tracks, along with Stevie Nicks and Rick Springfield, plus other legendary guests like Paul McCartney, Trent Reznor, Corey Taylor and Josh Homme.
Sonic Highways(2014)
By 2014 Grohl had already gotten used to working behind the camera, thus he was ready to take matters into his own hands when it was time to film the making of the 2014’s docuseriesSonic Highways,which aired on HBO. This is also the Foo Fighters’ only concept album a joyride across the United States to write eight songs that represent cities like Chicago, Washington, D.C., Nashville, Austin, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle and New York.
It’s quite different from the previous two, but the traveling musician vibes it gives off provide yet another angle from which to look at the band and Hawkins too, naturally.
What Drives Us(2021)
Grohl’s most recent documentary, and one produced by the entire Foo Fighters, is a symbol for the power and status the band had attained in the music industry.What Drives Usis a “love letter to every musician that has ever jumped in an old van with their friends and left it all behind for the simple reward of playing music”, it just so happens to be that Grohl has some very famous friends.
Slash, St. Vincent, Steven Tyler, Lars Ulrich, the Edge andRingo Starr (so that’s both living Beatles)all show up to share their favorite and wildest stories from the road. Most importantly, it even features old tapes from the Foo Fighters early days, longbefore they were inForza Horizon 5.
Bonus:Studio 666(2022)
It’s not a documentary, but the Foo Fighters making their owncomedy horror filmis testament to the band’s greatness, perhaps even bigger than getting theirsongs in franchises likeMLB: The ShoworMaddenin its better days.Studio 666is a silly and slightly gruesome movie that sees the band move to a haunted mansion to record their next album.
The premise should outline everything there is to know about thiscookie-cutter horror movie, but unlike the documentaries, Hawkins and the whole band get tons of screen time. More importantly, it seems like they had an absolute blast as friends making it.
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