The speculation is over: Josh Freese is the new drummer for the Foo Fighters — at least for the band’s upcoming world tour.
It’s official: The Foo Fighters have announced who will be on drums for the band’s upcoming tour. The answer came during their live stream, Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts, on May 21, 2023 — and it reads: Josh Freese.
Grohl & Co. wrapped the announcement in a hilarious scene in which a slew of celebrity drummers — Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Motley Crüe’s Tommy Lee and Tool’s Danny Carey — knocked on the band’s door. Then Freese, already sitting behind the drum kit, asks, slightly annoyed: “Excuse me! Can we maybe play a song? Or two?”. Grohl’s response: “Yes, man. Sure Josh.” The band then moves on to the song “All My Life” (from the 2002 album One By One). In addition to well-known pieces, the live stream also featured new songs such as “Rescued”, “Under You” and “Nothing At All”, reports “Spin”.
The clip can be seen here:
Josh Freese — definitely a sought-after drummer
Of course, Freese is anything but an unknown. The 50-year-old is one of the most sought-after session drummers in the rock world, can be heard on hundreds of studio productions and has worked with Guns N’ Roses, Nine Inch Nails, The Offspring, Avril Lavigne, Suicidal Tendencies and many more. He is also a regular member of The Vandals and A Perfect Circle. Freese also released four solo albums. He also played at the tribute concerts for Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died in 2022, in London and Los Angeles. It is not yet known whether Freese will become a permanent member or will only be part of the upcoming tour.
Taylor Hawkins passed away unexpectedly on March 25, 2022 in Colombia, where the band was touring at the time. The future of the group seemed open, and there was much speculation about a successor. In January 2023, the band announced they wanted to continue. A new album was announced in April 2023 — “But Here We Are” will be released on June 2, 2023.