Decorated drummer Josh Freese announced on Friday that he has been let go by Foo Fighters.
In a social media post captioned, “Well, there it is,” Freese explained, “The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they’ve decided ‘to go in a different direction with their drummer.’ No reason was given. 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.”
“In my 40 years of drumming professionally,” he went on, “I’ve never been let go from a band, so … 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 added.
Freese had been the drummer for the Dave Grohl-led rock juggernaut since May 2023, when he was revealed as the replacement for the late Taylor Hawkins. His first show came on May 24th, 2023 in Gilford, NH. He went on to perform with Foo Fighters through the end of its 2024 stadium tour. His last full show with Foo Fighters came on August 14th, 2024 in Seattle, while his final gig—a brief private show at L.A.’s House of Blues for Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli’s birthday party—came the following month.
Josh Freese is among the most prolific touring and session drummers in the rock and roll world, with credits including the Vandals, Devo, Guns N’ Roses, A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, Sublime with Rome, Sting, and more.
During Freese’s tenure with Foo Fighters, Grohl would often introduce him onstage by covering snippets of the various famous songs and artists on his CV including Devo’s “Whip It”, Nine Inch Nails’ “March of the Pigs”, and even Michael Buble’s “Haven’t Met You Yet”.
Foo Fighters – Josh Freese Introduction Medley – June 2023
Freese had been the drummer for the Dave Grohl-led rock juggernaut since May 2023, when he was revealed as the replacement for the late Taylor Hawkins. His first show came on May 24th, 2023 in Gilford, NH. He went on to perform with Foo Fighters through the end of its 2024 stadium tour. His last full show with Foo Fighters came on August 14th, 2024 in Seattle, while his final gig—a brief private show at L.A.’s House of Blues for Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli’s birthday party—came the following month.
Foo Fighters have not performed live since Dave Grohl in early September 2024 broke the news that he had fathered a daughter outside of his marriage. While the band has remained unusually quiet since then, the announcement of an October Foo Fighters show in Singapore and the dismissal of Freese this week seem to indicate that the band is ramping back up.
Read the post from Josh Freese on his dismissal from Foo Fighters below.
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