Foo Fighters’ fill-in drummer Josh Freese has reportedly been let go by the band, two years after he was hired to replace the late Taylor Hawkins.
Freese posted the news on his Instagram page, which the Foo Fighters are yet to confirm or comment on, with a representive declining to comment to enquiries from Rolling Stone US.
The surprise news comes after the Foo Fighters were confirmed earlier this week to perform at the Singapore F1 Grand Prix on October 4th. It’s their first new show they’ve announced since details of frontman Dave Grohl’s extramarital affair emerged in September.
Freese posted early this morning (AEST) saying the band called him on Monday night “to let me know they’ve go in a different direction with their drummer.” He added that “no reason was given” and for fans to “Stay tuned for my ‘Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from the Foo Fighters’ list.”
“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,” Freese said later in the post. “Regardless, I enjoyed the past two years with them, both on and off stage, and I support whatever they feel is best for the band.”
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Freese has been known as a session or fill-in drummer, having previously played with everyone from Guns N’ Roses to Nine Inch Nails, and is currently touring with A Perfect Circle. “Most of you know I’ve always worked freelance and bounced between bands so, I’m fine,” he said later in the post.
Freese joined the band in mid-2023, about a year after Hawkins’ tragic death in Columbia. He was hired for the band’s world tour for their latest album But Here We Are, which Grohl had played drums on along with guitar and vocals. The tour included a visit to Australia in December for rescheduled dates after Hawkins’ death, with Freese adding “a new energy” to the band’s performances and proving a crowd favourite.
