Josh Freese theorises why he was booted from Foo Fighters: “Once whistled ‘My Hero’ for a week solid”

Josh Freese has shared a list jokingly theorising why he was booted from Foo Fighters – see his list of reasons below.

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Freese joined the Foos as their touring drummer in 2023, following the sudden passing of their drummer Taylor Hawkins in March 2022. Prior to that, he had played for Guns N’ Roses, Nine Inch Nails, Paramore, Devo and more.

Over the weekend, Freese took to social media to share that he received a call earlier last week informing him that he would no longer be part of Foo Fighters. He shared at the time that the band had “decided ‘to go in a different direction with their drummer’”, and that “no reason was given”. He went on to share that he had “never been let go from a band” in his four-decade career and that he wasn’t “angry – just a bit shocked and disappointed”.

At the time, he also teased a “Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted form the Foo Fighters” list. Last night (May 19), he finally published the list, detailing some of the reasons he believed he was let go, though it all seems to be in jest.

The reasons are as follows: Once whistled ‘My Hero’ for a week solid on tour; Could only name one Fugazi song; Two words: polyrhythms; Metronome-like precision behind the kit deemed “soulless”; Demanded starting every rehearsal with a 20 minute cowbell sound bath; Never once tried growing a beard; Didn’t show up to studio because mercury was in retrograde; Promised [The Offspring’s] Noodles he could be 4th guitarist; Refused to perform unless he was guaranteed a Ouija board and nunchucks after every show; The whole poodle thing was getting to be a bit much”.

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Foo Fighters haven’t yet commented on Freese’s statement. NME has reached out to their representatives for comment.

Last year saw Freese give an interview on how he came to be sticksman for Foos. He said: “I’d had time to think about it and all that […] There’s some times when you go, ‘You know you’ve gotta do this, right?’ It couldn’t have gone down any other way after being asked, and being asked by someone that I’ve respected forever – not just as a songwriter and a singer/guitarist, but as a drummer.”

Freese then called Grohl “such a bad motherfucker” who possesses something that “can’t be taught”.

Freese’s booting from the band comes shortly after it was announced recently that Foo Fighters would make their live return this October to headline the Singapore F1 Grand Prix concerts.

The October 4 show will mark the band’s first show since August 2024. It is their first show of 2025, and according to their website is currently their only gig of the year. It will also mark the band’s first appearance together since Grohl courted controversy in September when he revealed that he had fathered a daughter outside of his marriage.

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