I'm a drummer, and maybe I'm just unlucky (I doubt it...), but most modern pop songs are very, very uninteresting as such for a drummer to play (think Rolling Stones...). There is little in many cover band repertoires for personal expression for the drummer; it's mostly 'four on the floor', straight beat with occasional fills, and even more rare 'hooks'. All that to say that, if that style of performance is not accepted, 'covers' drumming is not the right genre for the drummer, and a covers band not the right environment. For my part, I find interest in just about any drum part, and treat it as a challenge to play 'simple' stuff cleanly and regularly, in the same way as I approach my 'rudiments' exercises at home, which can involved an hour or so of 'disco' beat on the hi-hat, for instance, or even longer on snare patterns. Some songs (SOAD, Muse, Bowie...) may have a particular 'drum style' which can be technically pleasing to perform correctly, but one would rarely have opportunity for such in a whole evening's repertoire in a typical pub band playing chart pop.
Either the bloke is in the wrong band, or the band is aiming at the wrong 'market'. I'd suggest the former, and look to either changing drummer or changing bands.
Just my tuppence-worth.