WIRRAL LIFE TALK TO RICK ASTLEY AHEAD OF HIS NEW ' ARE THERE YET ?' TOUR
W L INTERVIEW
WIRRAL LIFE TALK TO RICK ASTLEY AHEAD OF HIS NEW ' ARE THERE YET ?' TOUR
Rick Astley is a singer , songwriter and radio personality . Famous for his 1987 song " Never Gonna Give You Up " which was a number 1 hit single in 25 countries and won the 1988 Brit Award for Best British Single . By 1993 , Astley had sold approximately 40 million records worldwide . He is performing at M & S Bank Arena Liverpool on 7th March 2024 . Here he talks to Wirral Life in an exclusive interview .
You previously played Haydock Park in 2019 , how does it feel to be returning to Liverpool to play live again ?
Haydock is a stone ’ s throw from where I grew up so it ’ s always special to play back . I had my Mum on stage playing piano there once so I have great memories from past gigs there .
What can fans that have never seen you play live before expect from the show ? Any surprises in store ?
I obviously play my old hits and have fun doing it . The last couple of years have been amazing because of having some success with new material , so we play new songs and people don ’ t all go to the loo ! I always like to do a cover or two because it reminds me of how I got started and it keeps the band on their toes .
You had an amazing reception at Glastonbury this summer - playing 2 sets including the excellent bunch of Smiths covers with Blossoms , are you excited to get back on the festival scene ?
Festivals are great , always fun to see how eclectic they are today . I did one in Japan a few years back that went from K Pop to Foo Fighters ! Bonkers !
Do you take different approaches to one off event shows compared to tour preparation ?
I treat performing the same way every time , I enjoy myself and I see it as my job to try and get any audience to enjoy it too . When you are on tour the hotels and travel can get a bit ‘ Groundhog Day ’ but we never take that on stage with us , every show is a challenge to me to get people on side .
‘ Never Gonna Give You Up ’ is such a great track that has really stood the test of time . How does it feel to have a song that is so universally recognised and loved , even in 2023 ? Has the song ’ s success continued to surpass your initial expectations for the track ?
No one could have seen what that song has become . It ’ s strange to have a 30 odd year old tune still be my biggest song but I am grateful for it and it has become part of my DNA . It ’ s like a suit of armour , I know where-ever we are in the world , people know that tune . I think everyone on the Internet has been “ Rick Rolled ” at least once in their life .
Having reached such a large achievement in your career , what inspires you to keep making music and keeps you motivated for live shows ?
I am lucky to be still singing to any audience so I never take it for granted . The fact that I have had new music on the radio and in the charts is amazing , it feels great to sing new songs and I have the old songs to thank for giving me that chance again . Motivation for me is simple , I like doing it !
Do you prefer these big shows in arenas / sports grounds , or do you prefer the more intimate shows ?
I like doing both small and big shows . You can have moments in a small show where the interaction can even be one on one . The big shows have interaction on a different level but it ’ s great to have both kinds of shows in my calendar and mix it up a little . wirrallife . com 27