Foo Fighters have announced they will continue as a band after the death of their drummer Taylor Hawkins in March last year. In an Instagram post, the rock group said as they reflected on 2022 “the most difficult and tragic year that our band has ever known” they were reminded of how thankful they are for “the people that we love and cherish most, and for the loved ones who are no longer with us”. They said they would see fans “soon”, but were “going to be a different band going forward” without Hawkins. The post read: “Foo Fighters were formed 27 years ago to represent the healing power of music and a continuation of life. “And for the past 27 years our fans have built a worldwide community, a devoted support system that helped us all get through the darkest of times together. “A place to share our joy and our pain, our hopes and fears, and to join in a chorus of life together through music.” They also paid tribute to Hawkins, who recorded eight studio albums with the band, as a vital member of Foo Fighters and its evolution. “Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were – and without Taylor, we know that we’re going to be a different band going forward,” they said. “We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you. And we know that when we see you again – and we will soon – he’ll be there in spirit with all of us every night.” Hawkins, who had previously been a touring drummer for Sass Jordan and Alanis Morissette, as well as the drummer of the band Sylvia, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 as a member of Foo Fighters. In 2005 he was voted “Best Rock Drummer” by the British drumming magazine Rhythm. His death aged 50 in Bogotá, Colombia in 2022 shocked the music world with tributes coming from among others Sir Mick Jagger, Sir Elton John, Queen drummer Roger Taylor, Miley Cyrus and Liam Gallagher. In a statement, after the drummer’s death, the band said: “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us for ever.” On the night Hawkins died, Foo Fighters had been scheduled to perform at the Estéreo Picnic festival in Bogotá as part of their South American tour. Instead, the stage turned into a candlelit vigil for Hawkins. No cause of death was announced, but a toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in Hawkins’s body, including opioids, marijuana and antidepressants. In September last year, two concerts were held in tribute to Hawkins: one at Wembley Stadium in London and another at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. Among those who performed alongside Foo Fighters were Sir Paul McCartney, Nile Rodgers, Queen, Alanis Morissette and Mark Ronson.