A new Foo direction...

I have a set routine for putting this podcast together.

It usually ends with me telling myself: “This is fine, but it’d be great if we had some band news to talk about.”

Well, I got my wish. And then some.

No sooner had the ‘publish’ button been pressed on last week’s episode, we had an official Foo Fighters announcement.

A first live date of 2025 is in the books – an October concert in Singapore as part of the F1 Grand Prix weekend.

The Foo community mobilised. Tickets were booked, travel plans shared. A welcome fillip after a dormant start to the band’s 30^th anniversary year.

And then Josh Freese posted on Instagram…

News of the live comeback was tempered by the revelation that Josh is no longer at the cockpit of the Foos’ rhythm section.

A shock? Absolutely.

Disappointment? Very much so.

After all, Josh not only took on the impossible job of succeeding Taylor Hawkins, but did so with class, honour and flair.

So, what happens next? Well, we’ve been here before, folks.

With a live return imminent – momentum is also gathering for a date in Jakarta, Indonesia - one would assume the engine has already started for the next incarnation of Foo Fighters (sorry, I had to get a motor racing pun in somewhere).

Until then, the gossip and speculation will be exhausting – not helped, of course, by the manner in which Josh’s news became public.

Alas, the optics are far from ideal.

But, much like when your favourite sports team makes a ruthless decision about a revered player or coach, it’s hard to stay downbeat for too long.

Because a world with a busy and active Foo Fighters is still immeasurably better than one without.

The world keeps turning, as Tom Waits said...

Back to this week’s podcast. Cutting through all the noise and speculation, it’s a chance for the Foo fans to say ‘thank-you’ to Josh.

No judgement or criticism on his departure. Just a show of appreciation for his contribution to the band (we’ve had plenty of touching messages which do exactly that).

Oh, and the Singapore excitement is far from lost amidst the shifting news agenda - we’ll be ramping it up with the help of our globetrotting Foo friend Kim Hearn.

Beggars can’t be choosers but perhaps the next week will be a little quieter!

Dan