Foo Fighters have officially named the drummer who will be joining the band in the wake of Taylor Hawkins’ death.
As many had speculated, in-demand session heavyweight Josh Freese – whose resume boasts stints on the stool with Guns N’ Roses, Nine Inch Nails, Devo and many others – will be linking up with Dave Grohl and co full-time, and will be joining the group for their forthcoming tour.
Freese’s appointment was announced during Foo Fighters’ 'Preparing Music for Concerts' livestream over the weekend, as part of a comical confirmation sketch that saw the likes of Chad Smith, Tommy Lee and Danny Carey all approach the band for the gig prior to Freese’s reveal.
Despite the slew of cameos, the camera then eventually cut to Freese – seated behind the drum kit – who then helped the band through a short set of old classics and yet-to-be-released originals. That set is currently available to watch on Veep.
Fans had began to anticipate official word on Freese’s recruitment after the drummer – who has also held down the backline for A Perfect Circle, Sublime with Rome and The Vandals – canceled his involvement in upcoming Offspring and Danny Elfman shows.
Freese was also among the pool of drummers who featured at last year’s Taylor Hawkins tribute shows, notably starring alongside Wolfgang Van Halen for a cover of Van Halen’s Hot For Teacher and On Fire.
During those shows, Freese – who was playing Hawkins' own kit – also showcased his Foo Fighters credentials by helping them perform some original songs, including Times Like These and All My Life.
Back in January, Foo Fighters confirmed their intentions to continue following the sudden passing of Hawkins, writing in a statement, ”Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were – and without Taylor, we know that we’re going to be a different band going forward.”
The band recently started “the first chapter of the band’s new life” by announcing studio album number 11, But Here We Are. Two singles – Rescued and Under You – have so far previewed the LP, which is due June 2.
Freese will first be in action with Foo Fighters later this week, on May 24, when the group kickstarts their global tour in New Hampshire, Gilford.
For a full list of dates, head over to Foo Fighters’ website.
