Pearl Jam Drummer Matt Cameron Denies Rumours About Joining Foo Fighters

Matt Cameron, the drummer for Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, has denied reports that he’ll be taking the seat that belonged to Taylor Hawkins in Foo Fighters.

The report came from the British newspaper The Sun, which reported earlier this month that Cameron and Angels & Airwaves drummer Atom Willard were to join the mighty Foos on a US tour this May.

A source close to the band reportedly told The Sun, “The Foos have been working with a number of musicians close to Taylor and the band over the past few months. Matt and Atom are front runners to drum at the gigs, the first of which is in May.

“Primarily it will be Matt but Atom will be on rotation with him. They have both been rehearsing at Studio 606, the Foos’ studio.”

Over the weekend, Cameron put a stop to those rumours, posting on social media: “FYI the internet rumors [sic] are false, I haven’t joined the Foos”.

Willard hasn’t commented on the reports yet.

#MattCameron Instagram Story pic.twitter.com/GuNpKFfvj2

— Jeffgarden.com (@ijeffgarden) March 26, 2023

Matt Cameron was one of many friends and fellow musicians to perform at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts last May. 

There were contributions from many of Hawkins's childhood idols including Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Metallica's Lars Ulrich, The Pretenders and even The Beatles' Sir Paul McCartney, with each showcasing just how respected Hawkins's role in rock had become. 

Performances from fellow modern rock titans, such as Oasis's Liam Gallagher, Queens Of The Stone Age's Josh Homme, blink-182's Travis Barker, Supergrass, and of course, the remaining Foo Fighters themselves, underlined the influence of Hawkins's work amongst his contemporaries, while nods from the likes of Billie Eilish and The Struts, as well as 12-year-old YouTube start Nandi Bushell, reinforced his continued cultural relevancy. 

Check out The Music’s top moments from the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at Wembley Stadium here.

On New Year’s Eve, Foo Fighters announced that they would continue on after the tragedy of losing their beloved bandmate.