State Champ Radio Rock
Page: 186
KISS‘ farewell End of the Road tour has hit a snag. The greasepaint rockers were slated to kick off the U.K. portion of the outing on June 3 at Home Park Stadium in Plymouth, but on Tuesday the venue announced that the show has been canceled. “Sadly, KISS and Robomagic, the show’s promoter, have today announced that they […]
Now more than a year removed from the tragic death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, the Foo Fighters return this summer with a heap of headlining festival gigs spanning four continents. Bonnaroo, Boston Calling and Riot Fest are all on the stateside docket, as are Japan’s Fuji Rock, Germany’s Rock AM Ring and a pair of […]
In the midst of a week off from Metallica‘s recently launched European leg of their M72 world tour, singer/guitarist James Hetfield took some time to visit an injured Ukrainian soldier who is receiving treatment at Vail Health Hospital in the singer’s Colorado hometown. As reported by the Vail Daily, Ukrainian serviceman Roman Denysiuk was brought […]
Three months after a shocking physical attack following a Def Leppard show in Florida, the band’s drummer, Rick Allen, has finally spoken out about the bizarre incident. In an interview with Good Morning America, Allen, 59, said he was “totally blindsided” by the alleged attack by 19-year-old Ohio resident Max Hartley. “I heard a couple […]
A classic piece of Kurt Cobain memorabilia went under the gavel this weekend at Julien’s Auctions and raked in huge bucks. The Fender Stratocaster signed by the late Nirvana singer and former bandmates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic — which had been smashed to bits by the singer and reassembled — sold for nearly $600,000 […]
Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan is not afraid to make a bold statement on stage. And at the Welcome to Rockville Festival on Sunday night (May 21) in Daytona Beach, Florida, the singer who often dons elaborate costumes during his band’s sets slipped into something that seemed aimed at making Florida Gov. and likely Republican […]
After months of speculation and radio silence, the Foo Fighters introduced their new drummer on Sunday (May 21) during the “Foo Fighters: Preparing Music for Concerts” livestream event.
The intimate studio show, presented in black and white, previewing the veteran group’s upcoming 11th studio album, But Here We Are (June 2), featured the live debut of Josh Freese, who is stepping into the formidable shoes of late Foos drummer Taylor Hawkins; the band’s time-keeper died at age 50 of undisclosed causes in March 2022 while on tour in South America.
Freese, a veteran studio/touring drummer, has played with acts including Guns N’ Roses, A Perfect Circle, and Nine Inch Nails. He was revealed as the drummer during the livestream after comedic cameos by Flea, Tommy Lee and Danny Carey of Tool.
Hawkins joined the Foos in 1997, taking over from the band’s first drummer, Sunny Day Real Estate’s William Goldsmith, who originally had the unenviable task of playing drums for the group fronted by Dave Grohl, one of rock’s most formidable bashers. Goldsmith’s tenure lasted from 1995 to 1997.
Just as Grohl’s drum stool was nearly impossible to take over thanks to the former Nirvana drummer’s formidable, crashing style, Freese will have a monumental task ahead following Hawkins, a beloved, blissful beat machine whose smile, good cheer and California cool became an enduring part of the Foos’ live appeal.
The livestream concert was the band’s first full set since a pair of Hawkins tribute concerts that took place in London and Los Angeles last fall. Those gigs feature a rotating group of drummers sitting in with the Foos, including Hawkins’ teenage son, Shane, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, tween viral sensation Nandi Bushell, The Darkness’ Rufus Taylor, Omar Hakim, Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, Weezer drummer Pat Wilson, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, the Police’s Stewart Copeland and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith.
Prior to Sunday’s show, both Pearl Jam’s Matt Cameron and the Darkness’ Taylor had publicly denied they were in the running for the FF drum seat amid unconfirmed reports that Freese — whose long resume includes stints performing with Guns N’ Roses, Devo, Nine Inch Nails, the Vandals, Sting, A Perfect Circle, the Replacements and Paramore, among others — would be taking over.
Last week, the band dropped “Under You,” the second single from the upcoming album, and Brooklyn-based graphic arts studio Morning Breath Inc. revealed the stark white-on-white package design for But Here We Are, which is dedicated to Hawkins and Grohl’s late mother, Virginia, who also died in 2022.
With the livestream under their belts, the Foos are slated to make their road return on Wednesday (May 24) at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford, N.H. They have a very full summer planned, including more than a dozen festival appearances at Boston Calling, Sonic Temple, Rock Am Ring, Bonnaroo, Ottawa Bluesfest, Harley-Davidson Homecoming, Fuji Rock, Wildlands, Outside Lands, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, Riot Fest, Sea.Hear.Now, Louder Than Life, Ohana and ACL, as well as a number of North American and international headlining dates.
For the 11th time in their lengthy career – and the first time since early 2015 – Foo Fighters are No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart. “Rescued,” the band’s latest single, lifts from No. 2 to No. 1 on the ranking dated May 27.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The Dave Grohl-led rockers first ruled Alternative Airplay with one-week leader “Learn to Fly” in November 1999 and had last led with “Something From Nothing” for eight weeks beginning in December 2014. In between “Something From Nothing” and “Rescued,” Foo Fighters scored seven top 10s, charting highest with the No. 5-peaking “Congregation” in May 2015.
“Rescued” previously became Foo Fighters’ record 29th Alternative Airplay top 10.
The band first reached Alternative Airplay with the No. 2-peaking “This Is a Call” (August 1995) and prior to “Rescued” had last appeared with “Love Dies Young” (No. 6, March 2022).
With 11 No. 1s, the band moves into sole possession of the fourth-most rulers since Alternative Airplay began in 1988. Red Hot Chili Peppers lead all acts with 15.
Most No. 1s, Alternative Airplay:15, Red Hot Chili Peppers12, Green Day12, Linkin Park11, Foo Fighters10, Cage the Elephant10, twenty one pilots8, U28, Weezer7, Imagine Dragons
A week earlier, “Rescued” rose to No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay and all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay charts, with it retaining the top spot on the May 27 surveys. The song accumulated 10.4 million audience impressions, up 5%, May 12-18 on the latter chart’s reporting panel, according to Luminate.
Concurrently Rock & Alternative Airplay, the band’s latest release, “Under You,” debuts at No. 48 with 683,000 impressions following its release on May 17.
On the most recently published, May 20-dated multi-metric Hot Hard Rock Songs tally, “Rescued” ranked at No. 4, with 810,000 official U.S. streams in addition to its radio airplay.
“Rescued” is the lead single from But Here We Are, Foo Fighters’ 11th studio album and first since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, due June 2.
All May 27-dated Billboard charts will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, May 23.
Despite tensions caused by a royalties battle that for a period split the former members of The Smiths into two warring camps, the band’s singer, Morrissey, penned a predictably lyrical, poetic tribute to the band’s late bassist, Andy Rourke. In a message posted on his official site on Friday (May 19) entitled “Beam of Light,” […]
Jimmy Buffett canceled his planned concert in Charleston, S.C., on Saturday (May 20) with his Coral Reefer Band after telling fans on Thursday (May 18) that he is dealing with some undisclosed health issues. In a Facebook message to his Parrothead nation, Buffett, 76, said the show at Credit One Stadium would be rescheduled with […]
