Drummer Josh Freese recently shared his humorous theories on why his two-year stint with the Foo Fighters came to an end. Freese, 52, announced his departure from the band on Friday, May 16, just days before posting a playful “Top 10 possible reasons Freese got booted from the Foos” list on Instagram on May 19.
Among the lighthearted reasons, Freese joked that his “metronome-like precision behind the kit [was] deemed ‘soulless’” and that he once “whistled ‘My Hero’ for a solid week on tour.” He also quipped about only knowing one Fugazi song and never attempting to grow a beard. Other reasons included his supposed demand for a “20-minute cowbell sound bath” before every rehearsal and skipping studio sessions due to Mercury being in retrograde.
Freese also playfully suggested that his promise to The Offspring’s Noodles that he “could be fourth guitarist” might have contributed, with Noodles, 62, humorously commenting, “But you PROMISED.” He further teased that he “refused to perform unless he was guaranteed a Ouija board and nun chucks after every show.” The list concluded with the most “egregious” reason: “the whole poodle thing was getting to be a bit much,” referencing his well-known love for his poodles.
Freese, who joined the Foo Fighters in May 2023 following Taylor Hawkins’ death, initially stated in an Instagram post that the band informed him they had “decided ‘to go in a different direction with their drummer.’ No reason was given. :(”
