New Foo Fighters Drummer Ilan Rubin Raves About First Gig With Band: ‘Excited For All the Volume and Sweat That Lies Ahead’
The former NIN time keeper made his public debut over the weekend with a club show in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Starting a new gig is always a bit nerve-wracking. But imagine walking into the office in front of 900 people who are freaking out to see how the “new guy” is going to do his job. That was the situation drummer Ilan Rubin faced on Saturday night (Sept. 13) when he made his live debut as the new Foo Fighters timekeeper at a way-underplay, all-ages gig at the 900-capacity Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
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Rubin, who, until recently, was the live drummer for Nine Inch Nails, joined the band for their first live show of 2025, taking over for studio and live veteran Josh Freese, who kept the seat warm for two years following the death of beloved Foos drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022; in an unusual bit of rock portal transfer action, Freese is now keeping time in NIN. While Rubin didn’t say much in advance of the show, he took to Instagram on Monday (Sept. 15) to rave about his new gig.
“Last night with @foofighters could not have been a better time,” Rubin wrote in the post that featured some pics from the sweaty, tight-quarters concert that was way more intimate than the arenas and stadiums the Foos are used to. “After keeping my head down for a couple wild months and throwing myself into the material, that first show was such an incredible release of energy.”
In addition to live shots, the carousel also featured a snap of the band’s new lineup, with Rubin pictured hanging out backstage with singer/guitarist Dave Grohl, guitarists Pat Smear and Chris Shiflett, bassist Nate Mendel and keyboard player Rami Jaffee.
“I’ve been taken aback by all the positivity and support, and I just wanted to say thanks! Excited for all the volume and sweat that lies ahead,” Rubin added.
During the show, Grohl introduced the band’s drummer to the crowd by saying, “Everybody else has said it, I finally get the opportunity to say, ladies and gentlemen, will you please welcome, the most badass motherf–ker, Ilan Rubin, is playing drums in the Foo Fighters. It’s official.” The Foos also officially invited Rubin into the fold in an Instagram carousel featuring pics from their first show together with the caption, “THAT WAS FUN!!! Welcome @ilanrubin.”
The band played another club show on Monday night at the Observatory in Santa Ana, Calif. The Foos released their 11th studio album, But Here We Are album in 2023, a year after Hawkins’ shock death, and in July they celebrated their 30th anniversary with the new single, “Today’s Song.”
The band that’s been off the road since September 2024 is set to return to the stage with upcoming shows in Indonesia (Oct. 2), Singapore (Oct. 4), Japan (Oct. 7, 8, 10) and Mexico City (Nov. 14).
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