Rick Astley still has no idea why Dave Grohl invited him on stage

Foo Fighters invited 'Never Gonna Give You Up' singer on stage in Japan, as well as at the O2 Arena in London

Roisin O'Connor
Music Correspondent
Monday 09 April 2018 09:05 BST
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Rick Astley has said he has "no idea" why Foo Fighters invited him on stage to cover his hit song "Never Gonna Give You Up".

In an appearance on Kyle Meredith With... the singer said "it all just went nuts", explaining he had settled backstage to watch the band's set when "Dave Grohl came over and said hello, gave me a hug, and then half an hour later he's inviting me onto the stage".

He continued: "I'd never met them [before], I have no idea why he'd invite me onstage. I didn't know what that was all about. And then he just kind of whispered and said, 'We're doing your tune, but we're gonna do it like 'Teen Spirit' and that was it. And off we went."

Astley made a similar appearance at the O2 Arena in London last year where Foo Fighters played to a sold-out crowd, after the release of their 10th top 10 album Concrete and Gold.

Referring to the infamous Rick Roll meme that uses "Never Gonna Give You Up", he said: "It's been great to me, so I can't really have any negative thoughts about it."

Foo Fighters used the meme to Rick Roll Westboro Baptist Church in 2015 after they protested one of their shows in Missouri. Video showed a pickup truck nearby, playing Green Day's "American Idiot" - used to protest everything from Foo Fighters concerts to military funerals.

As the pickup truck approaches, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins can be seen holding a poster that reads: "You got Rick Roll'd (again) as Astley's 1987 single begins to play. Hawkins' bandmates Grohl, Pat Smear and Nate Mendel were also on board.

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