Little by little, the Drumpocalypse is being mitigated. Following Josh Freese's firing in May, Foo Fighters will be replacing him with drummer Ilan Rubin, and Freese will return the favor by filling in for him on Nine Inch Nails’ tour.
It's unclear whether Rubin — who's been a touring member for Nine Inch Nails since 2009 — will be permanent or just for Foo Fighters' forthcoming gigs that start in October. Freese was a permanent drummer for Nine Inch Nails from 2005 to 2008, and has performed with Weezer, Sublime With Rome, Sting, and more. According to The Hollywood Reporter he told Trent Reznor he’d “accepted a job with another band” last week.
In his original statement about his firing, Freese wrote:
The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they’ve decided “to go in a different direction with their drummer.” reason was given. 🙁 Regardless, I enjoyed the past two years with them, both on and off stage, and I support whatever they feel is best for the band. In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I’ve never been let go from a band, so while I’m not angry-just a bit shocked and disappointed. But as most of you know I’ve always worked freelance and bounced between bands so, I’m fine. Stay tuned for my “Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from the Foo Fighters” list.
Nine Inch Nails recently completed the European leg of their tour, and next week they'll be in North America. Earlier this month they released the song “As Alive As You Need Me To Be.”
This is the biggest change-up in musical stools since Slipknot, Suicidal Tendencies, and Sepultura all traded drummers last year.
UPDATE: Josh freese has released a statement about rejoining Nine Inch Nails.
Leaving Nine Inch Nails at the end of 2008 was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. My wife and I were expecting our third child, and I knew I needed to step away from life on the road to be home with my family.
NIN was a band that left me walking off stage every single night thinking, "That was incredible. We absolutely crushed it." And it wasn't just a feeling, it was a certainty. That level of intensity, pride, and satisfaction after each show is something I've rarely experienced anywhere else.
Now, being back on tour with Trent and the crew-helping them do what they do best night after night-is something I'm incredibly excited about. To be part of that energy again feels amazing.
If you get a chance to catch one of these shows over the next six weeks, I promise, they're going to be absolutely unforgettable.
Hope to see you out there.
-Josh
