Foo Fighters Play Surprise Glastonbury Set as the Churnups

Dave Grohl had hinted at the performance in a letter to fans earlier in June

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Jun 23, 2023

Glastonbury was one of few major seasonal stops Foo Fighters didn't have on their summer tour itinerary — until they appeared onstage at the storied UK festival today, where they were billed as the Churnups.

Weeks ahead of the festival, attendees wondered who the Churnups were, billed to play the Pyramid stage for around an hour before sets by Royal Blood and the headlining Arctic Monkeys. 

As it happens, Dave Grohl and co. dropped a hint ahead of time in a handwritten note to fans shared earlier this month to mark their return to the live stage following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, which made special mention of "churning up" emotions.

"Every night, when I see you singing, it makes me sing harder. When I see you screaming, it makes me scream louder. When I see your tears, it brings me to tears. When I see your joy, it brings me joy. But, I see you. And it feels good to see you, churning up these emotions together," the note read in part.

Soon enough, a photo of Grohl backstage at Glastonbury circulated online. While the secret eventually got out, the moment Foo Fighters' logo appeared on the stage's video board, inviting the band to the stage to launch into "All My Life," remained no less impactful.

Fan account Foo Fighters Archive has clipped a number of neat moments from a broadcast of the set via BBC's iPlayer, spotting Paul McCartney and Duff McKagan among the side-stage audience. You can find those highlights and more below.

Foo Fighters previously headlined Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage in 2017, while Grohl was a special guest during McCartney's own headlining set last year. The band delivered new album But Here We Are earlier this year.





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