Foo Fighters Guitarist Pat Smear Out Of Immediate Shows Following ‘Bizarre Gardening Accident’

Foo Fighters will hit the stage for their next few shows without guitarist Pat Smear, who recently injured his left foot. Smear, a longtime Nirvana and Foo Fighters alum alongside frontman Dave Grohl, is sidelined while he recovers. Filling in on guitar will be Jason Falkner, known for his work with Beck and St. Vincent.

The band shared a statement about the situation:

“In the classic tradition of rockstars having bizarre gardening accidents, Pat Smear has apparently rung in the new year by smashing the shit 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.

Beck and St. Vincent guitar wizard Jason Falkner will be filling in for Pat while he’s on the mend.”

Whether the injury truly happened in a gardening mishap or is a playful nod to Spinal Tap remains unclear. Either way, rock history has seen its fair share of odd garden-related injuries, from Ronnie James Dio severing a thumb in 2003 to Queen’s Brian May tearing his glute in 2000.

Smear’s absence should be brief, as Foo Fighters only have three immediate shows scheduled:

01/10 Guanajuato, MEX – Feria Estatal de León
01/14 Los Angeles, CA – KIA Forum (feat. XCOMM)
01/24 Launceston, TAS – UTAS Stadium (feat. Full Blower, Moon Band & Spooky Eyes)

This isn’t the first time the band has dealt with touring setbacks due to injury. Fans may recall 2015, when Dave Grohl broke his leg mid-tour and finished shows from a custom throne—a contraption later borrowed by Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose after his own broken foot in 2016.

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