US rock band the Foo Fighters have unveiled a surprise collaboration with 1980s pop singer Rick Astley, bringing him out on stage at a festival in Japan to play his infamous single.
Astley's hit 'Never Gonna Give You Up' in 1988 has been embedded in internet culture for more than a decade - with the song the subject of a widespread bait-and-switch prank called 'rickrolling'.
While the prank tricks internet users into clicking on a link that redirects them to the music video for 'Never Gonna Give You Up', it has seen Astley return to the public spotlight and made the song's clip one of the most-watched YouTube videos ever.
And it appeared as though the Japanese audience knew who he was - his presence warmly received when Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl introduced him as his "new best friend".
"This is f**kin' crazy - I just met him two minutes ago," Grohl told the crowd.
"Come on you mother**kers!" Astley then shouted loudly into his microphone, putting drummer Taylor Hawkins into fits of laughter.
The band then went into a cover of the song, tricking fans into thinking they were playing Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' before segueing into a much rockier version of Astley's hit.
The band later shared an image of Grohl and Astley together on their Twitter.
Newshub.
