Foo Fighters And Rick Astley Stun The Crowd With A Live Performance Of “Never Gonna Give You Up”

Foo Fighters are known for having a great time during their shows, and their London O2 concert was no exception. The band surprised the audience by bringing Rick Astley on stage to perform his iconic song “Never Gonna Give You Up.” This unexpected collaboration featured a creative mashup of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” with the chords of Astley’s hit. Adding a rock edge to his usual smooth vocals, Astley impressed both the band and the audience.

The combination worked surprisingly well, and the stadium erupted with excitement. Fans online were equally thrilled, with the video of the performance amassing 9.1 million views. You can watch the viral moment here:

At 52, Astley had already retired from music once, but his voice was still in top form during this performance. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl couldn’t hide his delight, smiling throughout the set as he shared the stage with Astley.

Interestingly, Foo Fighters and Rick Astley have a bit of history together. Grohl has invited Astley on stage several times, including an impromptu performance in Tokyo where they played “Never Gonna Give You Up” live. Astley, in return, covered Foo Fighters’ song “Everlong,” which also became a hit online with 5.3 million views. Check out his cover here:

In his rendition of “Everlong,” Astley accompanied himself on acoustic guitar, staying true to the original while adding his own vocal flair. The result was a beautiful and dynamic cover that resonated with fans.

During an interview with Virgin Radio UK, Astley shared the story of his first performance with Foo Fighters in Japan, revealing that it was completely spontaneous and unrehearsed. He was at the same festival as the band and was invited on stage by Dave Grohl’s roadie. Astley, though jet-lagged and a bit tipsy, jumped at the opportunity.

Astley mentioned that the Foo Fighters had somehow learned “Never Gonna Give You Up” and jammed it in preparation for potentially performing it together. He described the experience of singing to 50,000 people alongside Foo Fighters as “proper nuts.”

In closing, Astley humorously warned anyone looking up the video on YouTube about the colorful language at the beginning, as he got caught up in the excitement of the moment.