The Struts lead singer Luke Spiller will perform “a couple of Queen songs with Queen” at the upcoming Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts in London and Los Angeles, the artist told SPIN‘s Lipps Service podcast for an episode debuting Sept. 5.
“I owe so much of where I am right now to him, from getting the opportunity to open up for the Foos … even coming to L.A., and sort of laying roots down here, which, again, was life-changing, and probably something that I wouldn’t have done if he hadn’t encouraged it,” Spiller said of Hawkins, who died suddenly in Bogota, Colombia, in March.
“So I owe him a great amount, and I kind of still do, with these shows that are coming up. I still kind of find it a bit ludicrous that I’m even considered to be on that bill, considering the lineup,” he continued. “It’s going to be a really bittersweet experience. In many ways I wish I wasn’t doing it, but I kind of know in my heart of hearts, and I can actually see Taylor jumping with excitement, if I was to have called him up and be like, hey, I’m going to be singing a couple of Queen songs with Queen, he’d be like, oh my god! I know that he’d be super excited for me.”
As previously reported, the first Hawkins tribute is happening Saturday at London’s Wembley Stadium. Beyond the Foos, who will be making their first on-stage appearance since Hawkins’ passing, the lineup includes Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, The Police’s Stewart Copeland, Rush’s Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee, Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde and comedians Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock. The show will be broadcast via a variety of Paramount channels, including MTV and CBS.
A second event will be held Sept. 27 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles with many of the same performers. As for The Struts, they begin a North American tour Sept. 8 in Hampton Beach, N.H.
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