Foo Fighters: Josh Freese joins as drummer after Taylor Hawkins' death

Josh Freese will join the band on their new tour, which starts on Wednesday

US rock band the Foo Fighters have unveiled their new drummer following the death of Taylor Hawkins last year.

In a live stream on Sunday, the band announced that Josh Freese, a longtime friend of singer Dave Grohl, will join them on their forthcoming world tour.

Freese has played for a variety of top acts around the world including Devo, Guns N' Roses, Sting and The Vandals.

The band previously said they would continue performing after Hawkins died in March 2022 at the age of 50.

Freese's first show with Foo Fighters will take place in New Hampshire on Wednesday, the opening leg of a global tour that will run until the autumn.

It will be the first time the band have performed live since their two memorial concerts for Hawkins last September.

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Freese himself performed with Foo Fighters at those concerts, playing on Hawkins' drums.

"I was asked what drums I'd like to use," he wrote on Instagram at the time. "Without hesitation I said, 'Taylor's drums need to be up there and I want to play on his exact set-up.'"

Taylor Hawkins played with Foo Fighters for nearly two decades

Other musicians including Sir Paul McCartney, Queen and Mark Ronson also paid tribute to the late drummer at the concerts.

At the end of 2022, the band said: "Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were. And without Taylor, we know that we're going to be a different band going forward."

No cause of death for Hawkins has been announced. A toxicology report showed traces of 10 substances in his body, including opioids, marijuana and antidepressants.