Foo Fighters Play Surprise Glastonbury Set Under Fake Band Name

Foo Fighters, under the pseudonym band name The Churnups, played a surprise set at England's Glastonbury Festival on Friday (June 23).

Concertgoers on hand have already started sharing photos and reactions from the festival site.

British outlet NME was on the case when the Foos took the stage as The Churnups, with the Dave Grohl-led band's unannounced performance thereby confirming earlier rumors around the festival that The Churnups were indeed Foo Fighters. Talk about a summer surprise from the Foos!

See fan reactions down below.

Reportedly, Grohl was spotted backstage at Glastonbury earlier in the day, giving indication that something Foo Fighters-related was afoot.

Foo Fighters then played the same Glastonbury main stage where Arctic Monkeys will headline later in the night. Elton John headlines Sunday (June 25). Guns N' Roses close out Saturday (June 24), despite what Noel Gallagher had to say about it.

The Churnups — er, Foo Fighters — opened their surprise gig with "All My Life." Per NME, Grohl told the crowd, "All right motherfuckers, let's dance!" He also said, "We only have one hour, so we're going to try fit in as many songs as we can."

Grohl onstage with The Churnups (Leon Neal, Getty Images)

Grohl further marveled, "Last time we played here was 2017. I don't know how many of you were there but we sang that shit loud back then." Referring to The Churnups band name, he said, "You guys fuckin' knew it was us this whole time — you knew it was us, right? … We're not good at secrets."

New Foo Fighters Music

Earlier this month, Foo Fighters released But Here We Are, their first studio album since the death of their drummer Taylor Hawkins. Session drummer Josh Freese subsequently took up the drum throne for Foo Fighters' live dates around the world, though Grohl himself played the drums on the album.

Last year, Foo Fighters held star-studded tributes for Hawkins in Los Angeles and London. Hawkins is survived by his wife, Alison, and their children, Oliver Shane, Annabelle and Everleigh.

At the start of the year, Foo Fighters made good on a promise to fans, announcing gigs after releasing a statement last year saying they'd move forward after the drummer's March 2022 death at age 50.

Foo Fighters on Taylor Hawkins

"Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were — and without Taylor, we know that we're going to be a different band going forward," the band wrote. "We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you. And we know that when we see you again — and we will soon — he'll be there in spirit with all of us."

Under the tweets, see Foo Fighters' 2023 tour dates. Below those, find a list of other rock and metal bands touring in 2023. Sign up for Loudwire's newsletter and download the Loudwire app for more.

The Churnups Foo Fighters Reactions

Foo Fighters (Not Churnups) 2023 Dates

July 8 - Quebec City, Quebec @ Festival Quebec
July 12 – Ottawa, Ontario @ Bluesfest
July 15 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Harley-Davidson Fest
July 29 – Niigata Prefecture, Japan @ FujiRock
Aug. 4 – Spokane, Wash. @ Spokane Arena
Aug. 6 – Big Sky, Mont. @ Willdands
Aug. 8 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ USANA Amp.
Aug. 10 – Stateline, Nev. @ Tahoe Outdoor
Aug. 12 – San Francisco, Calif. @ OutsideLands
Sept. 3 – Aspen, Colo. @ Jazz Aspen
Sept. 7 – Curitiba, Brazil @ Couto Pereira
Sept. 9 – Sao Paulo, Brazil @ The Town
Sept. 15 – Chicago, Ill. @ Riot Fest
Sept. 17 – Asbury Park, N.J. @ SeaHearNow
Sept. 19 – Virginia Beach, Va. @ Veterans Amp.
Sept. 21 - Louisville, Ky. @ Louder Than Life
Sept. 23 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ iHeart Festival
Oct. 1 - Dana Point, Calif. @ Ohana Festival
Oct. 3 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Talking Stick
Oct. 5 – El Paso, Texas @ Haskins Ctr
Oct. 7 – Austin, Texas @ ACL
Oct. 14 – Austin, Texas @ ACL
Nov. 26 – Abu Dhabi, UAE @ Grand Prix
Nov. 29 – Perth, Australia @ HBF Park
Dec. 2 – Adelaide, Australia @ Coopers Stad.
Dec. 4 – Melbourne, Australia @ AAMI Park
Dec. 6 – Melbourne, Australia @ AAMI Park
Dec. 9 – Sydney, Australia @ Accor Stad.
Dec. 12 – Brisbane, Australia @ Suncorp Stad.