May Is National Fire Your Drummer Month

Loud cymbal crash: Two kick ass-rock drummers, Josh Freese and Zak Starkey, have been fired by their respective bands within days of each other. Freese, who was chosen by Foo Fighters to replace Taylor Hawkins after his tragic death, had been serving behind the kit for the band since 2023. Freese — a wildly versatile drummer who’s served time with Devo, Nine Inch Nails, and Guns N’ Roses — appeared to be caught off guard by the decision. “The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they’ve decided ‘to go in a different direction’ with their drummer. No reason was given,” he wrote on May 16. Freese stressed that he enjoyed the past two years with his fellow Foos and supports what they feel is best. “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,” he added. “Stay tuned for my ‘Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from the Foo Fighters’ list.” Our reason: He was simply too good and Dave Grohl is working through some stuff.

The Starkey saga, meanwhile, is a surprising end to a recent volley of updates about his involvement with the Who. Last month, Starkey — who had been the band’s official drummer for nearly three decades, in both a studio and touring capacity — claimed he was unceremoniously fired due to “overperforming” at recent gigs, in addition to alleged tension with Roger Daltrey. (As an additional layer, Starkey is the son of Ringo Starr.) Pete Townshend soon course-corrected and announced Starkey was rehired after “communication issues, personal and private on all sides” were addressed. Now, however, the song is really over. Townshend wrote in a May 18 social-media post that Starkey is out of the Who. “After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,” the guitarist stated. “A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.”

Starkey confirmed the news in a separate Instagram post. “I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the Who to pursue my other musical endeavors, this would be a lie,” he wrote. “I love the Who and would never had quit. So I didn’t make the statement … quitting the Who would also have let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me thank you all a million times over and more through the weeks of mayhem of me going ‘in an out an in an out an in an out’ like a bleedin’ squeezebox.” (For those hoping he’ll now join Oasis for their reunion tour, stay in line.) Scott Devours, who plays the drums for Daltrey’s solo shows, will be replacing Starkey for the band’s upcoming American tour. The May drummer exodus comes after Guns N’ Roses, too, laid off Frank Ferrer as their kitman in March after 19 years on the job, with Ferrer noting his “disappointment that this chapter has come to an end.” We only hope, for all three of these gentlemen, that they won’t get fooled again.

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