Josh Freese is the new official Foo Fighters drummer. Session drummer Freese just joined the Offspring, filling the void left by the passing of Taylor Hawkins, the band's cherished percussionist and founding member.
On Sunday (May 21), the band announced the tour during a live stream of their 606 studios in Northridge, California, titled Foo Fighters: Preparing Music for Concerts. After Taylor Hawkins and William Goldsmith, Freese is the third drummer to play for the Foo Fighters (Dave Grohl is the only original member).
The broadcast began with a lengthy segment in which Foo Fighters hinted at the appearance of certain well-known drummers. Chad Smith, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a friend of Hawkins's, showed up to report that another vehicle was blocking his entrance to the studio.
The takeout order for Mötley Crüe was delivered by Tommy Lee of the band. Danny Carey, of Tool, showed up with a pack of puppies that he had reportedly groomed. Finally, the camera went across to Freese, who voiced his displeasure that rehearsals hadn't begun sooner.
Freese has played on countless albums and tours as a drummer. He has lately been on the newest albums by M83 and 100 Gecs as a studio musician. He has worked with a wide variety of artists over the past decade, including Lana Del Rey, Rob Zombie, Bruce Springsteen, A Perfect Circle, Sting (with Shaggy), and many more on new albums.
He has performed and recorded with Danny Elfman, played in the most current touring incarnation of Devo, and has previously played with GNR, NIN, the Vandals, Weezer, and SWR.
Among the songs he has contributed to are “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence, “Bitch” by Meredith Brooks, “The Anthem” by Good Charlotte, and “She Hates Me” by Puddle of Mudd.
Freese told Grohl during the broadcast that he played Top 40 singles in a band at Disneyland when he was 12 years old. Hawkins, who was 50 years old, passed away last year in Bogotá, Colombia, while on tour with the Foo Fighters.
The rest of their performances were canceled. Two all-star tribute gigs to Hawkins were performed by the band at the end of 2022. Freese played drums with the band during those performances, and he later revealed in a social media post that he had asked to use Hawkins' kit in particular.
Unhesitatingly, he stated, “Taylor's drums need to be up there, and I want to play on his exact setup.” I'd love to see THAT enthusiasm on THAT stage. I want to perspire heavily on the identical drums he was using night after night, so please don't alter them.
Although they didn't know one other as children, Freese and Hawkins shared a common relationship as fellow Orange County men: “We always had that funny little bond and he'd always remind me that he was tired of hearing about ‘that other young guy from OC who was already making records and touring' when he was a teenager.”
Then I'd joke about switching bank accounts with him. The situation is terrible, guy. However, he would have enjoyed that program more than anyone else.
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