The Darkness singer Justin Hawkins recently opened up about his experience performing AC/DC’s “Back In Black” with Brian Johnson at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert. He revealed his frustration with the unexpected collaboration in an interview with Professor of Rock.
Hawkins explained that he was caught completely off guard by the AC/DC performance. He had prepared extensively for other songs throughout the tribute show.
“I had no idea that was going to happen as well. I hated it. I’ve got to say I hated it, ‘cuz the other things I did on that day I’d prepared for. And I was like I’d learned this stuff. The Van Halen stuff was important to me. Singing with Queen was obviously amazing. I was geared up to play whatever they wanted me to do,” Hawkins said.
The singer revealed that Dave Grohl had specifically chosen him for challenging performances. AC/DC was never mentioned in advance.
“And I think when Dave Grohl was putting that thing together, I think he was like, ‘Okay, if there’s anything that’s difficult to sing or difficult to play, we’ll get Justin to do it.’ And that’s literally what he said to our drummer Rufus. So I was like, ‘Yeah, okay. I’m down for anything.’ I was kind of dreading the phone call cuz it was like I didn’t know how much I’d have to do. But at no point was AC/DC mentioned. No point,” he continued.
Despite his initial frustration, Hawkins acknowledged that the spontaneous moment created a memorable photograph and experience.
“And then just before they went and did that bit, Brian [Johnson] came over and said, ‘Justin, Justin, you got to help me sing the,’ you know, I was like, ‘I don’t know the words. Someone get me the words.’ You know, I had no idea what I was doing. But it actually yielded an amazing photograph of me and Brian singing at Wembley Stadium. How many people can say that?” Hawkins said. “If you can just distill it to the photograph, then it’s an amazing moment. But I was a bit I was I was annoyed myself for not hiding. I should have hidden cuz I’d given a great account of myself for the rest of the day. But the picture was great.”
The unexpected collaboration was part of a star-studded lineup that made the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert one of the most memorable rock events of 2022.
Ultimate Classic Rock reported that the AC/DC performance featured Metallica’s Lars Ulrich on drums. This created an unprecedented supergroup moment as he backed the Foo Fighters alongside Johnson and Hawkins. The collaboration brought together members from three of rock’s biggest acts for a single electrifying performance.
The performance captured on video showed the intensity of the moment. Louder Sound noted that Hawkins appeared to grab the microphone from Johnson during the high-energy rendition of “Back In Black.” This moment, which initially seemed like an awkward interruption, was actually Hawkins stepping in to help with the vocals as Johnson had requested.
The AC/DC segment didn’t end with “Back In Black.” WROR documented that the performance transitioned into “Let There Be Rock.” Johnson dedicated the song by yelling, “Taylor, this one’s for you!” The tribute concert at Wembley Stadium lasted six hours and featured an epic setlist of rock classics performed by various combinations of legendary musicians.
The Taylor Hawkins tribute concert represented a unique moment in rock history. It brought together artists from different generations and bands to honor the late Foo Fighters drummer. While Hawkins may have felt unprepared for his AC/DC moment, the spontaneous nature of the collaboration embodied the spirit of rock and roll that Taylor Hawkins himself championed throughout his career.
