Foo Fighters announce new drummer Josh Freese

May 22 (UPI) -- The Foo Fighters have a new member. The group announced that drummer Josh Freese would be joining the band after the untimely death of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins.

Hawkins recorded eight albums with the group over 25 years and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with them. In March 2022, he died of an accidental overdose. He was 50.

Freese was announced as the new drummer during the band's Foo Fighters: Preparing the Music for Concerts live stream. The band is heading out on tour Wednesday in support of their new album But Here We Are.

Freese is a longtime session drummer and friend of the band. Before he makes his appearance there are cameos from famous drummers -- Chad Smith of the Hot Chili Peppers, Motley Crue's Tommy Lee and Danny Carey from Tool, all joking around.

"Um, excuse me? Guys, could we just like, I don't know, play a song? Or two, something," Freese asked, when he was revealed on camera.

He then joined the Foo Fighters on some selections from their new album.

Freese, 50. has played with over 300 bands, including Danny Elfman, Guns N' Roses, Nine Inch Nails, Paramore, A Perfect Circle, Puddle of Mudd, Replacements, Sting, the Vandals, Weezer and 100 Gecs.

The band did not reveal whether Freese would become a permanent member or is just playing with them for the tour, which ends in November.

Foo Fighters: Preparing Music for Concerts is a streaming event on Live Nation's Veeps platform that aired live from the band's 606 Studios. It included behind-the-scenes footage and music from their new album, But Here We Are, out June 2.

The entire show can be viewed online through Wednesday.

Freese played at a tribute show for Hawkins that the Foo Fighters did last September, using Hawkins' drums and setup.

In a statement last year, the band said, "The Foo Fighters were formed 27 years ago to represent the healing power of music and a continuation of life. And for the past 27 years, our fans have built a worldwide community, a devoted support system that has helped us all get through the darkest of times together. A place to share our joy and our pain, our hopes and fears, and to join in a chorus of life together through music."

They continued, "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."

The Foo Fighters start their tour on Wednesday at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford, N.H.