Foo Fighters close out Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony with Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney and the Foo Fighters perform together at the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Induction ceremony in Cleveland.

Paul McCartney and the Foo Fighters perform together at the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Induction ceremony in Cleveland. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Having a band very much still near its prime always makes for a great performance at a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony (Think recent years featuring Green Day and Pearl Jam). Foo Fighters continued that trend Saturday.

The band’s induction began with a speech by Sir Paul McCartney. He’s never been the most eloquent speaker. But what McCartney lacked in poetic words, he made up for in presence alone. He is one of two living Beatles after all.

“I feel super privileged to be here tonight inducting these guys,” said McCartney who paralleled his own story joining The Beatles and Dave Grohl’s path to rock stardom through Nirvana.

McCartney went on to form Wings after The Beatles, while Grohl formed Foo Fighters. The two have become close friends over the past decade and a half.

“I was just saying to the guys in the dressing room,” McCartney said. “Guys, this is it. You’re here in Cleveland, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It’s not just any Hall of Fame. It’s the f***ing Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”

Foo Fighters seemed surely aware of the night’s magnitude, ripping into a live performance of three songs that featured a singalong to “My Hero” and a hard-hitting rendition of “Everlong.”

“First, I’d like to thank Dave,” drummer Taylor Hawkins said during his induction speech. “Because none of this s*** would have happened if it wasn’t for Dave. Thanks for having me in your band.”

The biggest ovation was, of course, for Grohl, who was earning induction into the Rock Hall for the second time. The first came with Nirvana, which was very much Kurt Cobain’s band. Foo Fighters was Grohl’s baby.”

“What’s up Ohio?” Grohl, a native of Warren said. “I was born here!”

“The best thing about being here tonight is being surrounded by our family,” Grohl continued. “And when I say that, if anybody knows how the Foo Fighters work, the people we’ve been with...we stick together like a family. Then you’re doing it together not just because it’s work. But because you love each other.”

The night wasn’t over as Foo Fighters hopped back on their instruments to play alongside Paul McCartney on “Get Back.”

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