The Foo Fighters have reportedly found their new drummer in Ilan Rubin, a celebrated multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Rubin, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Nine Inch Nails in 2020 at age 32 — making him the youngest-ever inductee at the time — is stepping in just months after the Foo Fighters parted ways with Josh Freese.
Freese had joined the band in 2023 following the tragic death of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022. In May of this year, Freese confirmed his departure, sharing that the band had chosen “to go in a different direction” and while he wasn’t angry, he was “a bit shocked and disappointed.”
Rubin, a long-running live drummer for Nine Inch Nails since 2009 and a frequent collaborator with Danny Elfman, reportedly informed Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor last week that he had accepted “a job with another band.” While it remains unclear whether Rubin is joining the Foo Fighters as a full-time member or in a touring capacity, sources say his move coincides with Freese rejoining Nine Inch Nails, where he previously served as live drummer from 2005 to 2008. Nine Inch Nails themselves confirmed the reunion on Instagram, posting a picture of Freese with the caption, “let’s fucking go.”
This drummer shuffle happens just ahead of Nine Inch Nails‘ Peel It Back North American tour kickoff on August 6 in Oakland, and shortly before the Foo Fighters‘ own return to the stage, beginning October 2 in Jakarta, Indonesia, with additional stops in Singapore, Tokyo, Osaka, and Mexico City.
The Foo Fighters recently released “Today’s Song”, their first new music since 2023, to celebrate their 30th anniversary. In a heartfelt letter, frontman Dave Grohl acknowledged both the highs and lows of the band’s journey, paying tribute to Hawkins and thanking Freese, stating, “Without the thunderous wizardry of Josh Freese, this story would be incomplete.”
As for Rubin, his future with the Foo Fighters may still be taking shape — but with his pedigree, versatility, and long history of genre-defining performances, fans can expect the next chapter of the band’s legacy to be loud, seasoned, and full of purpose. Both bands are also on tour, all of whose dates you can find below.
Nine Inch Nails Tour Dates
8/6 Oakland, CA Oakland Arena
8/8 Portland, OR Moda Center
8/10 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
8/12 Seattle, WA Climate Pledge Arena
8/14 Salt Lake City, UT Maverik Center
8/15 Denver, CO Ball Arena
8/17 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
8/19 Chicago, IL United Center
8/20 Chicago, IL United Center
8/22 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena
8/23 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
8/26 Baltimore, MD CFG Bank Arena
8/27 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
8/29 Boston, MA TD Garden
8/31 Cleveland, OH R.M. Fieldhouse
9/2 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center
9/3 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center
9/5 Raleigh, NC Lenovo Center
9/6 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
9/9 Duluth, GA Gas South Arena
9/10 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
9/12 Houston, TX Toyota Center
9/13 Fort Worth, TX Dickies Arena
9/16 Phoenix, AZ PHX Arena
9/18 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum
9/19 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum
Foo Fighters Tour Dates
10/2 Jakarta, Indonesia Carnaval Ancol
10/4 Singapore, Singapore F1
10/7 Tokyo, Japan Saitama Super Arena
10/8 Tokyo, Japan Saitama Super Arena
10/10 Osaka, Japan Glion Arena Kobe
11/14 Mexico City, Mexico Corona Capital
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