Josh Freese has shared a humorous list of the top 10 possible reasons he believes he might have been fired from the Foo Fighters, following his surprise dismissal from the band last week.
The veteran drummer, who joined the lineup in May 2023 following Taylor Hawkins’ death, had previously revealed his departure in a statement where he mentioned that the band told him they’d decided “to go in a different direction with their drummer.” At that time, he promised fans a comedic “Top 10” list of possible reasons for his firing.
True to his word, Freese delivered the list via Instagram on Monday (May 19th), featuring a collection of absurd and self-deprecating reasons.
Among the highlights, Freese joked that he “once whistled ‘My Hero’ for a week solid on tour,” “could only name one Fugazi song,” and “never even once tried growing a beard.”
The drummer also poked fun at his own playing style, suggesting his “metronome-like precision behind the kit [was] deemed ‘soulless'” and that he had demanded every rehearsal begin “with a 20 minute cowbell sound bath.” Another potential issue was simply: “Polyrhythms.”
Further entries on the list included missing a studio session “because Mercury was in retrograde,” refusing “to perform unless he was guaranteed an Ouija board and nunchucks after every show,” and promising The Offspring’s Noodles that he could be the Foo Fighters’ fourth guitarist – a claim Noodles himself jokingly confirmed in the comments section.
The number one reason on Freese’s comedic list? “The whole poodle thing was getting to be a bit much,’ a reference to his well-documented love for his numerous poodles, which are frequently featured on his social media accounts.
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Check out Freese’s full top 10 here.
Freese spent approximately two years with the Foo Fighters after stepping in following Hawkins’ unexpected passing in 2022.
The band have yet to make any official statement regarding their decision to part ways with Freese, nor have they announced who will replace him. Speculation is rife, however, that his replacement could be Shane Hawkins.
Currently, the Foo Fighters have just one concert scheduled for 2025 – a performance at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix on October 4th.
