The last time Taylor played his favourite song

Exciting things are happening in the Republic of Foo right now.

A new record looms. A tour glints on the horizon. The great content engine hums reassuringly.

Yet, when 17th February rolls around, we pause…

This Tuesday would have been Taylor Hawkins’ 54^th birthday.

The band may well have dropped new material by then. They are also booked for a performance on BBC TV’s Graham Norton Show two days later.

But, for 24 hours at least, the mood will feel less “forward march” and more “everyone take a minute”.

In this week’s Foos Files, we bring you a story from Mexican fan Cristian Macouzet that lands with the heavier resonance of hindsight.

To Cristian, hearing ‘Aurora’ – the shimmering, melancholic slow-burner from the band’s third album ‘There Is Nothing Left to Lose’ – had become the holy grail.

Before it quietly grew into one of the band’s most emotionally resonant songs, ‘Aurora’ had hovered on the edges of Foo Fighters’ live repertoire.

Like others around the world, Cristian had travelled for shows before, crossed borders, clocked the setlists and developed the mild psychosis of wanting the song that isn’t being played.

In early 2022, before a colossal Mexico City gig which saw the Foos play to 80,000 people, he half-jokingly asked the support band Kills Birds to pass a message to Dave Grohl – “please play ‘Aurora’”.

Now, in most universes, that request disappears into the backstage ether.

But this is the ‘chaotic good’, occasionally miraculous Foo Fighters world.

Late in the set, after the approved bangers had detonated, Dave announced a song for the “old-school” fans.

He proceeded to play those opening notes and Cristian sobbed tears of joy and disbelief.

Then history intervened…

Ten days later, Taylor was gone.

Only afterwards did Cristian discover that ‘Aurora’ had been the much-loved drummer’s favourite Foo Fighters song.

It’s either an unbearable coincidence or proof that the universe occasionally leans in to pay attention.

Nevertheless, Cristian’s story demonstrates the fragile, irrational magic of a song landing exactly where it’s needed.

Happy birthday, Taylor.

This one’s for you…