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Foo Fighters: Girl, 12, drums at Taylor Hawkins memorial gig

carlet Page/MBC/PA Wire Nandi Bushell performs at Wembley in concert for Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkinscarlet Page/MBC/PA Wire
Nandi Bushell, 12, said Taylor Hawkins was one of her role models and called his death "a tragedy"

A 12-year-old drummer said she had mixed emotions performing at Wembley Stadium as part of a memorial concert for Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.

Nandi Bushell, from Ipswich, joined the band onstage and took Hawkins' place on the drum stool for Learn To Fly.

Hawkins died earlier this year while the band were in South America.

Nandi said: "It was amazing to play Wembley, but at the same time it was really sad."

She was one of many musicians to fill Hawkins' seat on Saturday in London, including Blink-182's Travis Barker, Foo Fighters' bandleader Dave Grohl and Hawkins' 16-year-old son, Shane.

Fairfax Media / Getty Images Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters performs on stage at GHMBA Stadium March 4, 2022 in Geelong, Australia.Fairfax Media / Getty Images
Taylor Hawkins, who died aged 50 in March, had drummed with the Foo Fighters since 1997
Sean Cox Foo Fighters take a bowSean Cox
All the performers took a bow as the show ended, shortly before 22:30 BST

The young drummer, who goes to school in Ipswich, went viral after challenging Dave Grohl to a drum battle during lockdown.

Grohl introduced her as "one of the most badass drummers I've ever met in my life".

She met Hawkins last year, and performed the song at Wembley with a set of drumsticks he had given her.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Monday, she said: "It was an incredible experience and so fun and exciting, but it was a tragedy that Taylor died because he was an amazing musician," she said.

"He was really warm and friendly and it's such a tragedy he died because he was just the nicest person.

"It was so much fun. He was a role model ever since I was eight years old because I absolutely love the Foo Fighters.

"He was an amazing drummer."

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Nandi Bushell jammed with Lenny Kravitz when she was nine years old

Justin Hawkins from Lowestoft band The Darkness was at Wembley alongside Wolfgang Van Halen and Grohl to sing Van Halen's Hot For Teacher.

And the frontman also joined Queen to sing Under Pressure, which featured Darkness drummer Rufus Taylor, who is the son of Queen drummer Roger Taylor.

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Eurovision runner-up Sam Ryder, from Maldon in Essex, also performed during the Queen section. He sang Somebody To Love - 30 years after George Michael sang it at the old Wembley for the 1992 Freddie Mercury tribute concert.

Ryder praised the audience for their participation - writing "when the crowd understands the assignment" on an Instagram post.

"What a beautiful and moving celebration of such a wonderful human. Thank you for everything, Taylor," he wrote, ahead of announcing the release date for his debut album.

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