Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl opens Taylor Hawkins tribute show

Dave Grohl has paid tribute to his "dear friend, bandmate and brother" Taylor Hawkins at a tribute concert for the drummer, who died earlier this year.

The Foo Fighters star received a standing ovation as he took to the stage at the opening of the six-hour show at Wembley Stadium, which is due to see performances from Queen, Josh Homme and Nile Rodgers.

"For those of you who knew Taylor personally you'll know that no-one else could make you smile or laugh or dance or sing like he could," said Grohl.

"And for those of you that admired him from afar, I'm sure you've all felt the same thing.

"So sing and dance and laugh and cry and scream and make some noise so he can hear us right now."

Grohl then introduced Liam Gallagher to open the show with the Oasis classic Rock and Roll Star.

No cause of death was announced, although a toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in his body, including opioids, marijuana and anti-depressants.

The Texas-born, California-raised musician joined Foo Fighters in 1997, as they rose through the ranks of rock to became one of the world's biggest bands.

An easy-going character off stage, he was a beast behind the kit, making him more than an equal match for frontman Dave Grohl - widely considered to be one of the best drummers of his generation.

In his autobiography, Grohl called their partnership "a kind of love at first sight".

"Upon first meeting, our bond was immediate and we grew closer with every day, every song, every note that we ever played together," he wrote.

Hawkins was also a co-writer on songs like Best Of You, Learn To Fly and All My Life, helping Foo Fighters win 15 Grammy Awards - three of which were awarded posthumously this year.

The tribute concert is being streamed live on YouTube and Pluto TV, with highlights due to be shown on CBS, Paramount+ and MTV later this weekend.