Apparently, 2025 is the year of drummer news!
Halfway through this year, the rock world has seen many drummer shake-ups in some of the biggest bands in the world. The latest came via Pearl Jam when it was announced yesterday (July 7) that Matt Cameron would be stepping away from the band after 27 years. , “Much love and respect to Jeff, Ed, Mike, and Stone for inviting me into the band in 1998 and for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, filled with friendships, artistry, challenges, and laughter. I am forever grateful to the crew, staff, and fans the world over. It’s been an incredible journey. More to follow.”
Pearl Jam added, in part, in their own statement, “He has propelled the last 27 years of Pearl Jam live shows and studio recordings. It was a deeply important chapter for our group and we wish him well always. He will be deeply missed and is forever our friend in art and music. We love you, Matt.”
What’s next for Cameron is anyone’s guess. It doesn’t sound like he’s retiring from music, so some new plans could be afoot. Time will tell what those will be, because he seems to have a lot left in the tank.
With the big Cameron/PJ news in mind, here’s a recap of the other major drummer shake-ups in 2025. (Fortunately, none of them involve a “.”)
Josh Freese (Foo Fighters)
Josh Freese shared the surprising news that he was let go from the Foo Fighters after serving as their drummer for two years.
Freese shared in a statement via , “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. : ( 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.”
He added, “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.”
Freese whimsically concluded, “Stay tuned for my ‘Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from Foo Fighters’ list.”
Freese was announced as the Foo Fighters drummer . He was preceded by Taylor Hawkins, . (As of publishing, a successor to Freese has not been announced.)
Frank Ferrer (Guns N’ Roses)
In March, GN’R announced the “” of Frank Ferrer. The band’s statement read, in part, “The band thanks Frank for his friendship, creativity, and sturdy presence over the past 19 years, and wish him success in the next chapter of his musical journey.” About 24 hours after that statement, the band announced Isaac Carpenter as their new drummer.
Around the same time of the announcement of Carpenter, , “The outpouring of love I have felt from the incredible fans of Guns N’ Roses and my peers over the past 24 hours has been tremendous. I will have immense gratitude and love always for Axl and the band while at the same time, disappointment that this chapter came to an end.”
He continued, “It has been an incredible 19 years. Guns N’ Roses has given me life-changing memories and experiences. A huge thanks to management, the crew, and fans for giving me memories that I will cherish for my lifetime.”
Ferrer concluded, “I hope I see you all again soon!”
Zak Starkey (The Who)
We saved the strangest drummer situation for last! Since April, Zak Starkey, the longtime touring drummer for The Who, was , then , and then he was . (Starkey later said he was ‘‘ from The Who.)
Reportedly, Roger Daltrey was unsatisfied with Starkey’s performance during a recent set from The Who. However, Pete Townshend refuted those claims in an interview with .
Townshend said of Starkey’s performance in question, “I couldn’t see anything wrong. What you see is a band who haven’t played together for a long time. But I think it was probably to do with the sound. I’ve lost my sound man as a result.”
He added, “I think Roger just got lost. Roger’s finding it difficult. I have to be careful what I say about Roger because he gets angry if I say anything about him at all. He’ll be sacking me next. But that’s not to say that he sacked Zak. It’s a decision Roger and I tried to make together, but it kind of got out of hand.”
Townshend also noted of Starkey that he’s “another Keith Moon,” and that comes “with real, real bonuses and real, real difficulties.” He also said he “will miss Zak terribly.”
