Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear is set to miss several of the band’s upcoming shows after suffering a “bizarre gardening accident.”
The Germs founder and former Nirvana touring guitarist, 66, has been a member of the Foo Fighters since 2010.
In a statement posted to Instagram, the band wrote: “BREAKING NEWS! In the classic tradition of rockstars having bizarre gardening accidents, Pat Smear has apparently rung in the new year by smashing the s*** out of his left foot.
“This means he’ll unfortunately be missing a few shows while the multiple broken bones in his foot heal. We’ll miss our beloved Pat as much as you will, but we want him fully healed and back on his feet as soon as possible.”
The post was accompanied by a mock tabloid front page featuring a photo of a smiling Smear sat on an ambulance stretcher.
The band added that Jason Falkner, a guitarist known for his work with Beck and St. Vincent, “will be filling in for Pat while he’s on the mend.”
In response to the news, many fans joked about the throne that frontman Dave Grohl used to continue performing after breaking his leg over a decade ago.
At a Foo Fighters show in Gothenburg, Sweden, on June 12, 2015, Grohl fell heavily from the stage and broke his leg. The band were subsequently forced to cancel their performance at Glastonbury festival but eventually resumed their tour with Grohl playing and singing while sitting in what was described as a “Game of Thrones-style throne.”
In comments on the post about Smear’s injury, fans wrote: “Give Pat the Throne!”, “PUT HIM ON THE THRONE!” and “Pretty sure Dave has a throne he can borrow.”
Foo Fighters are next scheduled to perform at Feria Estatal De Leon in Guanajuato, Mexico, on January 10. They will then play a benefit show for the Los Angeles Mission at the Kia Forum on Grohl’s birthday, January 14, and on January 24 will perform at Utas Stadium in Launceston, Tasmania on January 24.
After that, the band have a break in their live dates before headlining the Welcome to Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida on May 8 and then commencing a European and North American tour in June. It has not yet been announced whether Smear will be fit enough to rejoin the band for those shows, which include two nights at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium.
