Josh Freese Does Not Fit In? Foo Fighters Fans Already Upset Because of New Drummer

Foo Fighters' new drummer Josh Freese is not getting all the love from fans after he was announced as the band's new touring member.

After Taylor Hawkins' death, Foo Fighters had two people filled in the seat: Dave Grohl in the new album's drum parts and Freese as the new touring drummer. Fans praised Grohl as his style perfectly harmonized with the band; however, they also felt upset after hearing Hawkins' replacement play in recent shows.

Foo Fighters Fans Complain About Josh Freese's Drumming

On Foo Fighters' Reddit page (per Loudwire), a fan started a thread titled "Does Freese" on May 31 in which the other supporters voiced out their concerns due to Freese being "unfit" to become part of the band.

The Reddit user explained that Freese is a great drummer but "rushes the beat" compared to Hawkins.

"Taylor was a very "in the pocket" drummer so to speak. Freese plays like a machine, but you can hear the rest of the band struggling to keep up with him," the post read. "'Everlong' was so so fast. It just makes the loss of Taylor hit home even more. He was the perfect drummer from FF. This is just my opinion and of course ymmv."

The post received more replies from fans who think the same way, with most of them noting that the new touring drummer is definitely rushing. They shared a recent livestream's part where Freese reportedly played "super fast" that it even led Pat Smear to say that the drummer followed Shane Hakins' tempo.

On the other hand, other Redditors defended Freese and expressed their desire to hear Foo Fighters' more hardcore songs.

Freese served as Foo Fighters' third official drummer since they debuted, following Sunny Day Real Estate's William Goldsmith, who was eventually replaced by Hawkins in 1997.

About Josh Freese

Amid the criticisms, Freese officially began touring with Foo Fighters in their 2023 tour on May 24 at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion. The leg will end with a two-day show at Austin City Limits on Oct. 7 and Oct. 14. See the remaining schedule below:

June 04 - Nürnberg, DE at Rock im Park

June 14 - Rogers, AR at Walmart AMP

June 16 - Pelham, AL at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre

June 18 - Manchester, TN at Bonnaroo Music Festival

July 08 - Quebec City, QC at Festival D'ete De Quebec

July 12 - Ottawa, ON at Ottawa Bluesfest

July 15 - Milwaukee, WI at Harley Davidson Homecoming

July 29 - Naeba, JP at Fuji Rock

Aug. 04 - Spokane, WA at Spokane Arena

Aug. 08 - Salt Lake City, UT at USANA Amphitheatre

Aug. 10 - Stateline, NV at Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey's

Aug. 11-13 - San Francisco, CA at Outside Lands Festival

Sep. 03 - Aspen, CO at Aspen Snowmass

Sep. 09 - Sao Paulo, BR at The Town

Sep. 15 - Chicago, IL at Riot Fest

Sep. 17 - Asbury Park, NJ at Sear.Hear.Now Festival

Sep. 19 - Virgina Beach, VA at Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

Sep. 21 - Louisville, KY at Louder Than Life Festival

Oct. 01 - Dana Point, CA at Ohana Festival

Oct. 03 - Phoenix, AZ at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater

Oct. 05 - El Paso, TX at Don Haskins Center

Oct. 07 - Austin, TX at Austin City Limits

Oct. 14 - Austin, TX at Austin City Limits

Before becoming part of Foo Fighters, Freese played with different bands and music acts since 1989 including Paramore, Replacements to Sting, Guns N' Roses, Vandals, and the Offspring. He sparked rumors he would replace Hawkins when he joined the band during its tribute concerts for its late drummer in 2022.