Just months after letting Josh Freese go, Foo Fighters have reportedly tapped Ilan Rubin to take over on drums.
A source told Variety that Rubin, who’s toured with Nine Inch Nails since 2009, will fill in, as first reported by the Hollywood Reporter, but it’s not clear if he’s in for good or just for upcoming shows in Jakarta, Singapore, and Mexico City. So far, neither Foo Fighters nor Rubin have commented.
In an unusual twist, Freese will be the touring drummer for Nine Inch Nails on their upcoming ‘Peel It Back’ tour. Freese was Nine Inch Nails’ drummer from 2005 to 2008. Rubin was originally expected to join that tour but reportedly declined, telling Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor he had taken a job elsewhere.
Rubin has played with Nine Inch Nails, Angels & Airwaves, and Paramore. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as the youngest member ever, for his work with Nine Inch Nails.
Freese is a seasoned drummer who has worked with bands like Devo, A Perfect Circle, and Guns N’ Roses. In May, he announced on social media that he had been fired from Foo Fighters after filling in for the late Taylor Hawkins.
Freese wrote, “I enjoyed the past two years with them, both on and off stage, and I support whatever they feel is best for the band,” he wrote. “In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I’ve never been let go from a band, so while I’m not angry—just a bit shocked and disappointed. But as most of you know I’ve always worked freelance and bounced between bands so, I’m fine. Stay tuned for my ‘Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from the Foo Fighters’ list.”
He later posted a humorous list of “Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from the Foo Fighters,” including “once whistled [the Foo Fighters’ hit] ‘My Hero’ for a week solid on tour” and “never even once tried growing a beard.”
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