Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl welcomed Alanis Morissette to the band’s stage this weekend at the 2023 Fuji Rock Festival at Japan’s Naeba Ski Resort. Together, they honored the late Sinead O’Connor with a live cover of “Mandinka,” which was an early single of O’Connor’s from her debut album, The Lion and the Cobra.
“Tonight we’re gonna do something that we’ve never done before with someone that we love very much,” Grohl told the crowd. “We want an old friend to come up and sing with us tonight for a very special reason.”
He introduced Morissette — who was also on the July 28-30 fest’s lineup — and gave her a hug when she joined the band on stage.
Morissette then dedicated their version of “Mandinka” to “a beautiful woman with high intelligence and deep empathy, way ahead of her time, who is no longer with us. This is for her.”
O’Connor died at age 56. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinead. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time,” her family said in a statement to the BBC on July 26.
Morissette was one of countless music artists to post condolences and share memories of the singer upon hearing the news of her death.
“Sinead was a profound inspiration to many,” she wrote in an Instagram Story. “And to me. Her passion, poetry, and unapologetic expression raised the bar on artistry and female empowerment. Her questioning of societal norms deeply influenced culture’s appreciation of female complexity. Her ability to vulnerably dwell on the small part of the bell-shaped curve was thought provoking, stirring and inspiring. I’m feeling empathy for Ireland, for the world, and for all of us who are saddened by this news.”
Watch a fan-captured clip of Morissette’s performance of “Mandinka” with the Foo Fighters below.
