Foo Fighters' Josh Freese comments on what it's like playing drums behind Dave Grohl
He reflects on his first few months with the Foos
Foo Fighters’ new drummer Josh Freese says it’s a “TOTAL trip” performing with “one of the world’s greatest drummers”, Dave Grohl.
Following months of intense speculation with The Darkness’ Rufus Taylor among the names in the rumour mill, Josh Freese was officially unveiled as Foo Fighters’ new drummer on 21st May during the band’s livestream event Preparing Music for Concerts.
Since then, Freese has performed at 11 North American and European shows with Foo Fighters including their surprise slot at Glastonbury last month as The Churnups.
Freese, who has drummed with The Offspring, Sting, Paramore, Lana Del Rey, Rob Zombie, Bruce Springsteen, A Perfect Circle, Guns N’ Roses, Nine Inch Nails, the Vandals and Weezer to name but a few, has taken to Instagram to reflect on his month-and-a-half tenure with Foo Fighters so far.
Sharing a clip of him performing ‘Breakout’ with Dave Grohl looking on at Sonic Temple festival in Ohio, Freese wrote: "Middle section of 'Breakout' on my 3rd @foofighters show about a month ago Columbus, Ohio.
“Out of nowhere, I decided to reference the NIN song ‘You Know What You Are’ that I used to play every night on tour, but Dave recorded it on the record (Nine Inch Nails’ 2005 album ‘With Teeth).
“I love when he hears it and lights up. At the end, you can see me making sure he caught it. Yes, he caught it. Duh.”
Freese added: “BTW, playing drums behind one of the world’s greatest drummers is a TOTAL trip. Surprisingly not nerve wracking but really just inspiring and fun. And that's the truth Ruth.”
Foo Fighters next live show takes place at Festival d'été de Québec in Canada on Saturday night (8th July).
Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee and Josh Freese will perform sold-out UK stadium shows in Manchester, Glasgow, London, Cardiff and Birmingham in June 2024.
The sextet are currently touring their “emotionally raw” 11th studio album ‘But Here We Are’, which debuted at Number 1 in the UK on 9th June just ahead of Noel Gallagher’s ‘Council Skies.’
Watch Foo Fighters perform 'All My Life' at Glastonbury:
The real names of famous rock stars:
Cozy Powell’s real name: Colin Trevor Flooks
Alex Lifeson’s real name: Alexandar Živojinović
'Lifeson' is a semi-literal English translation of the Yugoslavian surname Živojinović, which means 'son of life'
Ginger Baker's real name: Peter Edward Baker
John 5’s real name: John William Lowery
Yngwie Malmsteen’s real name: Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback
Rudy Sarzo’s real name: Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont
Eric Carr's real name: Paul Charles Caravello
Vinnie Vincent’s real name: Vincent John Cusano
Tina Turner’s real name: Anna Mae Bullock
King Diamond’s real name: Kim Bendix Petersen
Joey Tempest's real name: Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson
Michael Monroe’s real name: Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm
Mikkey Dee’s real name: Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou
Jonathan Cain’s real name: Jonathan Leonard Friga
Nikki Sixx's real name: Frank Ferrano
Steven Adler’s real name: Michael Coletti
Axl Rose's real name: William Bruce Rose
Bon Scott's real name: Ronald Belford Scott
Fish’s real name: Derek William Dick
Eddie Vedder's real name: Edward Louis Severson III
Peter Criss’ real name: George Peter John Criscuola
Freddie Mercury's real name: Farrokh Bulsara
Flea's real name: Michael Peter Balzary
Perry Farrell's real name: Perry Bernstein
Geddy Lee’s real name: Gary Lee Weinrib
Mick Mars' real name: Robert Deal
Tré Cool's real name: Frank Edwin Wright III
Courtney Love's real name: Courtney Michelle Harrison
Pat Smear's real name: Georg Albert Ruthenberg
Gene Simmons' real name: Chaim Klein Witz
Spike’s real name: Jonathan Gray
Iggy Pop's real name: James Newell Osterberg, JR.
Alice Cooper's real name: Vincent Damon Furnier
Slash's real name: Saul Hudson
Mike Dirnt's real name: Michael Ryan Pritchard
Ronnie James Dio's real name: Ronald James Padavona
Brody Dalle's real name: Bree Joanna Alice Robinson
Skin's real name: Deborah Anne Dyer
Nicky Wire's real name: Nicholas Jones
Amy Lee's real name: Amy Lynn Hartzler
Bill Wyman's real name: William Perks
Izzy Stradlin's real name: Jeffrey Isbell
Paul Stanley's real name: Stanley Eisen
Vince Neil's real name: Vincent Neil Wharton
Duff McKagan's real name: Michael McKagan
Jack Black’s real name: Thomas Jacob Black
Lemmy's real name: Ian Fraser Kilmister
John Paul Jones' real name: John Baldwin
Joan Jett's real name: Joan Larkin
Eric Clapton's real name: Eric Patrick Clapp
Siouxsie Sioux's real name: Susan Janet Ballion
Rachel Bolan’s real name: James Richard Southworth
David Bowie's real name: David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones
Little Richard's real name: Richard Wayne Penniman
Sid Vicious' real name: John Simon Ritchie
Ace Frehley's real name: Paul Daniel Frehley
Lou Reed's real name: Louis Firbank
Joe Strummer's real name: John Graham Mellor
Marc Bolan's real name: Mark Feld
The Edge's real name: David Howell Evans
Meat Loaf's real name: Marvin Lee Aday
Steven Tyler's real name: Steven Victor Tallarico
Ozzy Osbourne's real name: John Michael Osbourne
Jon Bon Jovi's real name: John Francis Bongiovi
Joey Belladonna’s real name: Joseph Bellardini
Jack White's real name: John Anthony Gillis
Bono's real name: Paul David Hewson
Sting's real name: Gordon Sumner
Billy Idol’s real name: William Michael Albert Broad
Geezer Butler’s real name: Terence Butler
Pat Benatar’s real name: Patricia Mae Giraldo
Bo Diddley’s real name: Ellas McDaniel
Muddy Waters’ real name: McKinley Morganfield
Stevie Nicks’ real name: Stephanie Lynn Nicks
Doro’s real name: Dorothee Pesch
Sebastian Bach’s real name: Sebastian Philip Bierk
Joe Perry’s real name: Joseph Pereira
Jimi Hendrix’s real name: James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix)
Zakk Wylde’s real name: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt
Maynard James Keenan’s real name: James Herbert Keenan
Blaze Bayley’s real name: Bayley Alexander Cooke
Biff Byford's real name: Peter Rodney Byford
M. Shadows' real name: Matthew Charles Sanders
Syd Barrett's real name: Roger Keith Barrett
Chris Jericho's real name: Christopher Keith Irvine
Ginger Wildheart's real name: David Leslie Walls
Paul Di'Anno's real name: Paul Andrews
Phil X’s real name: Theofilos Xenidis
Peter Green’s real name: Peter Allen Greenbaum
Nicko McBrain’s real name: Michael Henry McBrain
Noddy Holder’s real name: Neville John Holder
Steel Panther’s real names
Michael Starr: Ralph Michael Saenz, Satchel: Russell John Parrish, Stix Zadinia: Darren Leader, Spyder: Joe Lester.