The fallout from Josh Freese being quietly let go from Foo Fighters continues to stir up the scene, and now William Goldsmith, the band’s original drummer, has entered the conversation with some sharp words—and a lot of history behind them.
Freese, who joined Foo Fighters in 2023 following the death of Taylor Hawkins, announced via Instagram that he was dismissed without warning. “No reason was given,” he wrote, adding that while he wasn’t angry, he was “shocked and disappointed” after two years of working with the band both on and off stage.
In the comments, Goldsmith didn’t hold back:
“Say what? Why for playing everything not only perfectly but going above and beyond what most are remotely capable of? I apologise but respectfully this makes absolutely no sense to me.”
He later doubled down in an Instagram Story, writing:
“I don’t see anything wrong with being such a profoundly great musician, a total professional, reliable in every sense of the word from what I can tell and going above and beyond what most drummers are even capable of. Baffles my mind.”
Goldsmith’s opinion carries weight. Back in the late ’90s, he quit the band after learning that Dave Grohl had re-recorded his drum parts on The Colour and the Shape without telling him. That tension was never fully resolved, and he’s remained vocal about his treatment ever since.
The timing of Freese’s firing has raised eyebrows not just for how sudden it seemed, but also because it follows a stretch of public silence from Foo Fighters. In late 2024, the band cancelled a headline slot at Soundside Music Festival following reports that Grohl had fathered a child outside his marriage. While there was no official link between the scandal and the cancellation, it marked a rare disruption in the band’s usually tight ship and now, with Freese gone, fans are once again asking questions.
As we reported yesterday, New Zealand drummer Stan Bicknell claimed on Instagram that he had been “informed they are going with Shane”. Referring to Shane Hawkins, the teenage son of Taylor Hawkins. Shane has performed with the band multiple times, including a well-received turn at London Stadium in 2024.
If true, it would be a poignant passing of the sticks. But the way this has all played out—quiet exits, cryptic hints, and no official statement—has left many wondering what’s really going on behind the scenes.
Watch: Foo Fighters ft. Shane Hawkins Drumming on “My Hero”
RELATED
MORE IN Music
