Still maintaining his familiar northern English accent, Rick Astley remains humble and down-to-earth. He sure seemed to be having a ball on stage with his nine-member band, performing on a cloudy Monday evening in Belfast. This man is hard not to like.
Astley, a surprise hit from last year’s Glastonbury, who’s lined up to perform at the 3Arena in Dublin on Tuesday, is truly making the most of his rejuvenated fame. He even managed to give his forthcoming book some publicity on gigantic screens before his show (The book’s titled Never and is due to be published in October for those who might be keen). I suppose it’s wise to act while the situation’s favourable.
Though he’s moved away from the cheesy 80s pop of his first two releases, adopting a more gospel-inspired Motown vibe which underscores his latest work – Are We There Yet?, it’s obvious that the almost full house has come for the old school Astley hits.
Astley, at 58 and still sporting his iconic hairdo, may not blow you away with his vocals, but he continues to sing beautifully. The crowd that filled the SSE Arena was divided in two – older couples in their late 50s and early 60s on one end and young teenagers on the other. This was not a show of amp smashing or foul language. Simply good, pure pop, with a dash of soul.
The nostalgic Stock Aitken & Waterman tunes such as Together Forever and She Wants to Dance With Me felt more like sing-alongs than retro pop, hinting that Astley might be performing them more for crowd satisfaction than desire. However, the new songs showcased, like Beautiful Life, Dippin My Feet and Forever and More, seemed to truly fit Astley’s style. These tracks have an undeniable credibility and are quite enjoyable.
In an interesting tidbit, one number, Driving Me Crazy, was penned about Astley’s wife, movie producer Lene Bausager, influenced by their experience during a storm in the middle of the United States, taking cover in the unlikely safety of a tin-roofed petrol station. The remarkable 1991 hit, Cry for Help, put the stunning vocal capabilities of backup singers Dawn Joseph and Andrea Grant on full display.
Fans at the event greatly favoured Glastonbury’s iconic renditions of ‘As it Was’ by Harry Styles and AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’. Indeed, Astley’s prowess on the drums was patently evident that night.
Before concluding with the timeless hit ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, Astley warmly addressed the Belfast crowd, saying that they had transformed his usual Monday evening into an exhilarating Friday nightlife atmosphere. He fondly reminisced about his interview experience in rainy Belfast back in 1987 with Eamonn Holmes, during which a local youth cheekily stole his raincoat. Indeed, those were memorable moments.
Admittedly, confessing in 2024 that you’ve recently attended a Rick Astley’s concert might not win you any coolness points. However, for the moment at least, it’s no longer considered a total faux pas.