Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins shockingly passed away at the age of 50. The band was due to play on the same day of his death. They were scheduled to play at the Festival Estereo Picnic in Bogota, Colombia. This led to the band reportedly canceling the rest of their South American tour. Previously, they were replaced for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and now it turns out they are replaced for Osheaga 2022 show as well.
Arcade Fire to replace Foo Fighters
Arcade Fire have been announced as the replacement for Foo Fighters at the Osheaga Music And Arts Festival. The three-day event is due to take place in Montréal, Canada between July 29 and August 1, with A$AP Rocky and Dua Lipa headlining the Saturday and Sunday nights respectively. It’ll mark the festival’s 15th anniversary.
On April 14, Osheaga organizers took to social media to confirm that Arcade Fire will now headline instead. The group, which was founded in Montréal, previously headlined the festival back in 2010.
“A milestone deserves to be celebrated as a family, so for our 15th anniversary, it only made sense for us to invite the group that has had the most profound impact in the heart of our city over the past decades,” the announcement read.
ANNONCE🔥🕹️
@ArcadeFire sera des nôtres cet été !
Une étape importante mérite d'être célébrée en famille, alors pour notre 15e anniversaire, il nous était logique d’inviter le groupe qui a eu le plus profond impact au coeur de notre ville au cours des dernières décennies. pic.twitter.com/5fN7pZSJwq— OSHEAGA (@osheaga) April 14, 2022
Taking to their official Instagram account, Arcade Fire shared the news while telling fans that they’ll be dedicating their forthcoming Osheaga set to Taylor Hawkins.
“I considered Taylor from the Foo Fighters a friend,” said frontman Win Butler. “He was always so sweet and so musical, and we’re gonna be dedicating our performance at Osheaga to him. And we can’t wait to see all of you, take care of each other.”
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The cause of Hawkins’ death is still not officially confirmed, but there are reports. ‘According to those close to him, the death could be related to the consumption of drugs.’ The Daily Mail reported this alleged statement. He had a history of drug abuse.
White powder ‘similar to cocaine’, and hallucinogens, were allegedly found in the five-star Casa Medina hotel room of Hawkins. Highly respected Colombian journalist Luis Carlos Velez, the Bogota-based director of radio station FM recently claimed that a police officer who entered Hawkins’ room had told prosecutors he saw a ‘cocaine-like’ white powder. Foo Fighters have canceled their 2022 tour dates.