It’s good to know that the future of music is bright, and we’re also thankful for the bands that are there to foster that. During a recent visit to Glasgow in the U.K., the members of Evanescence met and spent time with aspiring 8-year-old drummer Caleb Hayes and the kid showed them what he’s got as they ran through “Take Cover” during soundcheck ahead of their Thursday (Nov. 17) show at the OVO Hydro.
Hayes has previously garnered media attention for his playing, performing a cover of Slipknot’s “Sulfur” on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He’s also cited Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Joey Jordison and yes, Evanescence’s Will Hunt as early influences, so it’s no surprise that he sparked up an immediate bond with Hunt after being invited to Evanescence’s show.
Hunt shared a photo of himself with Caleb on Instagram, stating, “What an incredible experience meeting this amazing young man and his family (he just turned 8!!). @calebhdrummer4 came with his parents and his awesome sister Isabella to our show in Glasgow at The Hydro. I’ve seen Caleb do a drum cover of our song ‘Take Cover’ on Instagram. So, when he and the fam came for soundcheck we asked if he would like to play the song with us.”
“With absolutely ZERO fear or trepidation he smiled real big, shook his head, and said YES!! He absolutely KILLED it, and with his smile and playing proceeded to put smiles on everyone’s faces in the entire arena,” the drummer continued. “His smile and joy when he plays are infectious and reminds me why I started playing in the first place. Thank you Caleb!! Keep rippin’ and I look forward to seeing you again soon!!!”
Not long after his initial post, Hunt was able to post video footage of Hayes behind the kit, rocking out “Take Cover,” which you can see below. “Okay- here it is!! @calebhdrummer4 absolutely SLAMMIN’ on our song ‘Take Cover,’ live, without a net, in Glasgow at The Hydro arena,” says Hunt. “Just incredible to watch and see. You’ll see me standing on the monitor loving every second of it.”
As the 8-year-old plays, the appreciation from the band is visible, with Hunt at his side often raising his arms as Hayes plays. At the end of the performance, Caleb is met with cheers from Amy Lee and other band members as well. And the appreciation has since gone beyond Evanescence, with Korn’s Ray Luzier commenting, “Amazing, love that kid” and Pop Evil’s Hayley Cramer posting, “Best thing I’ve seen in months! @calebhdrummer4 WOW! Precision and style! I’m blown away.”
Caleb’s family also shared their response to their day with Evanescence. “Caleb had his mind absolutely BLOWN when he was invited to play ‘Take Cover’ with Evanescence in soundcheck! He wasn’t expecting it & even though Will’s Monster kit is huge in comparison to Caleb (4ft tall) he was still determined to crush it & give it his all! Enjoy Thank you Will for making this happen. Precious memories with an absolutely Awesome band,” wrote Caleb’s family on the YouTube posting of the performance below.
Evanescence continue to tour, with dates booked into December. They’ll also be hitting the road with Muse in 2023. Be sure to catch them on the road and get your tickets here.
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