Foo Fighters And Rick Astley Surprise Fans By Performing “Never Gonna Give You Up” Together On Stage

The Foo Fighters have always embraced having fun during their performances, and their show at London’s O2 Arena was a prime example. The band surprised their fans by bringing Rick Astley on stage to perform his iconic song “Never Gonna Give You Up.” What made the moment even more memorable was the mashup they created, blending Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” with the chords of Astley’s hit, while Rick added a rock ‘n’ roll twist to his usual smooth vocals.

The unexpected collaboration was a huge success, with the stadium crowd going wild as the band and Astley clearly enjoyed every moment. The performance didn’t just impress those in attendance; it also became a viral sensation online, racking up 9.1 million views on YouTube.

At 52, Rick Astley might have already retired from music once, but his voice remained as strong as ever during the performance. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl was visibly thrilled throughout, grinning from ear to ear as he delighted fans with this unique rock-pop fusion.

Interestingly, the Foo Fighters and Rick Astley share a history that goes beyond this single performance. Grohl and Astley have performed together several times, including a spontaneous live rendition of “Never Gonna Give You Up” in Tokyo. Astley, in turn, honored the band by covering their hit song “Everlong” in a studio session, a cover that also became popular online, with 5.3 million views.

During his “Everlong” cover, Astley played the acoustic guitar and stayed true to the original version while adding his own vocal intensity, resulting in a beautifully dynamic performance.

In an interview with Virgin Radio UK, Astley recounted that his first performance with the Foo Fighters in Japan was completely unplanned. He explained that they were performing at the same festival, and being a fan of Grohl and Taylor Hawkins, he watched their set from the side of the stage.

Astley revealed that a Foo Fighters roadie approached him with a microphone, saying, “Dave wants you onstage.” Despite being jet-lagged and having had a few beers, Astley seized the opportunity. He was amazed to find that the band had already learned “Never Gonna Give You Up” and had been jamming it, considering asking him to join them on stage.

Astley described the surreal experience of singing “Never Gonna Give You Up” with the Foo Fighters in front of 50,000 people as “proper nuts.” He humorously warned those looking up the video on YouTube to expect some strong language at the start, as he got caught up in the moment’s excitement.