Shane Hawkins becomes the driving force behind his father Taylor's loud legacy with Chevy Metal

In the backstage location workplace near down by his father, Shane Hawkins is hitting the drums hard. The teen down the kit is locked into “Driven to Tears,” the Police’s reggae-charged protestation song, channeling its sharp, syncopated beats with controlled fury.

His agelong blond hairsbreadth swings crossed his look arsenic Hawkins loses himself successful the moment, tapping into a brisk echo of ’80s rock. He past shifts into the thundering blues of Black Sabbath’s “The Wizard,” driving into the heavier groove portion surrounded by the instruments, cogwheel and treasured memorabilia of his precocious father, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died successful 2022.

Joining him successful this rehearsal are bassist Wiley Hodgden and guitarist Brent Woods, who played hard-rocking screen songs successful Taylor’s broadside task Chevy Metal for much than 2 decades. After Taylor’s death, the Foo Fighters carried on, but Chevy Metal were definite they could not. Shane changed that.

“Wiley and I were successful agreement, like, it’s done,” says Woods. “Shane was the 1 that said, ‘I privation to bash Chevy.’”

For Taylor’s son, the set was 1 much happening helium didn’t privation to fto go.

“It was a portion of my puerility and it’s like, my dada was gone and these radical that I’ve watched my full childhood, they’re inactive there,” says Shane, 19. “Why not support thing going? And it’s conscionable honoring my dad, you know?”

Most of the euphony satellite archetypal saw Shane down the drums during Foo Fighters’ show of “My Hero” astatine the Taylor Hawkins tribute performance astatine Wembley Stadium connected Sept. 3, 2022. He was 16 and already obsessed with drums, but helium says it wasn’t until that infinitesimal that helium knew helium wanted to give his beingness making music.

“It was a gnarly time,” Shane recalls. “You had to propulsion that off. You can’t truly f— that up.

“I played for a batch of people, and there’s lone 1 feeling similar that — particularly playing the drums. Once you bash that, you ne'er privation to bash thing else.”

With Chevy Metal, Shane is successful a set committed to playing songs mostly created earlier helium was born, with a emblematic setlist including songs by Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Queen, the Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, Rush and the Doors. His beingness present means leaning much often into classical punk rock. During their unrecorded sets, Shane volition usually instrumentality the mic to growl done the Bad Brains’ speedy “Big Takeover,” pacing the signifier and banging his head.

“We’re playing the Germs now,” says Woods. “We’re playing Black Flag, which we ne'er did before.”

Shane Hawkins plays drums with Chevy Metal astatine the Viper Room.

(Steve Appleford)

Chevy Metal shows routinely diagnostic astonishment guests. Dave Grohl and different Foos person often appeared. So person Mick Jagger and players from Queen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns ‘N Roses and more. Even tennis prima John McEnroe erstwhile joined the set connected guitar astatine a Malibu gig, alongside his wife, vocalist Patty Smyth.

One regular impermanent is Lee Ving, vocalist for the pioneering L.A. punk set Fear. “Lee is similar the elder statesman, and past we got Shane, who is truthful young,” Hodgden says of the property range. “You ne'er spot that unless it’s possibly a religion set oregon something.”

Another regular is Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, a household person whose lad Revel besides plays euphony with Shane.

“He’s a large dude and helium is simply a monster drummer,” Scott says of Shane. “I beryllium and I ticker him and Revel play together. It’s truthful large to see, particularly successful a satellite wherever a batch of younger kids don’t prime up instruments anymore. They live, eat, sleep, breathe, bleed, stone music.”

Until this month, the resurrected Chevy Metal could lone execute during Shane’s breaks from his boarding schoolhouse connected the East Coast, but helium is recently graduated and acceptable to play. The trio performs Saturday astatine Alex’s Bar successful Long Beach arsenic portion of a bid of shows that volition instrumentality the set to the U.K. Shane is besides moving with different young players connected caller material.

“He’s already jamming with kids his ain property and friends that he’s had for years, and starting his ain project,” says Woods. “But this is bully for him to learn, conscionable to play successful antithetic venues and question astir and get his feet bedewed playing covers.”

Chevy Metal erstwhile served a akin intent for Taylor, a favourite pastime alongside his Foo Fighters work. Hodgden has been portion of the Foo Fighters unit for 24 years, some connected the roadworthy and astatine their workplace 606, starting arsenic Taylor’s drum tech. Before that, helium was a bartender recently arrived from Oklahoma that the drummer befriended.

In 2002, Hodgden and archetypal guitarist Achim “Dange” St. Dangerfield started the set arsenic an acoustic duo doing screen songs. Taylor was a regular, Hodgden says, turning to Shane. “There’d beryllium 2 drunks astatine the bar, and past your dada sitting determination heckling us,” Hodgden says with a laugh. “We spell into ‘Hotel California,’ and he’s like, ‘Oh, large opus choice, guys.’”

The Foos drummer soon wanted in.

“Taylor was trying to travel up with names and he’s like, ‘How astir Chevy Metal?’ And I said, ‘Well, you can’t truly sanction the band. You’re not successful it,’” Hodgden adds. “But we jammed each the clip up astatine his house, and past 1 time we’re playing and it sounded good. And Taylor stood up and said, ‘I’m gonna beryllium your drummer and we’re gonna telephone it Chevy Metal.’ And I was like, that’s a rad name.”

“He got to beryllium the brag successful this set and steer the vessel and bash immoderate helium wanted,” says Hodgden. “But besides it was debased unit and it was each astir fun.”

Taylor filled overmuch of his downtime making much music. Aside from Chevy Metal, helium recorded caller songs with the Coattail Riders (which included Woods) and, earlier, the Birds of Satan (including Hodgden).

“He ne'er stopped,” Woods recalls. “He would telephone maine astatine 7 a.m. and go, ‘What are you doin? Get up here!’ He’d spell to furniture astir apt astatine midnight, 1 o’clock, and he’s up taking the kids to school, he’s upland biking, and he’s acceptable to roll. I was inactive sleeping, but helium would beryllium up each time wanting to make and work.”

Woods saw Chevy Metal’s archetypal amusement with Taylor astatine Abuelitas successful Topanga Canyon successful 2002. After Dange moved up northbound to enactment arsenic a teacher, Woods yet became Chevy Metal’s caller guitarist. Woods grew up successful Burbank and took guitar lessons from Randy Rhoads, champion known for his enactment connected Ozzy Osbourne’s aboriginal solo albums.

“He was specified a large pb player, but helium was adamant that if you can’t play rhythm, it doesn’t substance however large of a pb subordinate you are,” Woods says of Rhoads, who emphasized “rhythm and feel.”

“I wouldn’t beryllium sitting present close present if it wasn’t for Randy teaching me.”

Growing up initially successful Topanga Canyon, the archetypal bushed Shane learned to play was the thunderous drum capable from Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” Then came Deep Purple’s “Smoke connected the Water” and the Rolling Stones’ “Miss You.” By 13, helium was spending hours each time practicing unsocial successful the basement astatine his boarding school.

“There were nary different kids that truly played astatine the school, truthful I’d conscionable beryllium down and play,” helium says.

Shane grew up watching some Foo Fighters and Chevy Metal shows. “I’d beryllium down my dada and ticker him play and ticker radical conscionable spell crazy,” says Shane. “And arsenic a kid, you deliberation that’s the coolest happening successful the world, due to the fact that it is. It’s the champion feeling.”

The set Chevy Metal — bassist Wiley Hodgden, left, drummer Shane Hawkins and guitarist Brent Woods — gestures downstairs astatine the Viper Room connected the Sunset Strip.

(Steve Appleford)

Taylor’s location workplace was built successful a impermanent location down his family’s location successful Hidden Hills, a gated assemblage connected the bluish borderline of the San Fernando Valley. Inside, the walls are inactive covered with his guitars, posters, photographs and different relics from his favourite artists: Aerosmith, Rush, Bowie, Jane’s Addiction and Soundgarden.

The reborn Chevy Metal inactive rehearses successful what Woods describes arsenic Taylor’s “man cave.”

“He enactment a batch of enactment into making this country what it is close now,” says Shane. “I retrieve him precisely making definite each representation was hung up successful the nonstop place. And each banner was hung perfectly and each talker was placed perfectly for your ear.”

The set recorded a batch of songs present with Taylor, and they anticipation to merchandise immoderate of that worldly from the vault. They program connected much signaling with his son.

Before Shane graduated precocious school, the past clip Chevy Metal played a hometown amusement was astatine the Viper Room connected New Year’s Eve. It was besides a gathering of stone ’n’ rotation families, arsenic second-generation musicians took turns onstage with Chevy Metal, representing the offspring of Guns ‘N Roses, Jane’s Addiction and Anthrax.

During the dependable check, the set ran done songs by U2 and Foreigner, and Shane hammered the drums astatine afloat volume. Afterward, helium was chatting with Scott Ian, who advised him: “You ne'er privation to beryllium large astatine formal rehearsal. You privation to beryllium bully astatine formal rehearsal, and past beryllium large astatine the show.”

Shane nodded, but for now, helium says helium tin lone play astatine 1 level: loud.

As Shane sat successful the dressing country earlier Chevy Metal’s set, Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins walked in, asking, “Where’s the drummer?” Then helium spotted Shane, smiled, grabbed his manus and said, “There helium is!”