“London is a notorious crowd for not being in the mood,” Rick Astley bravely told a packed Apollo last night after his warm opening ballad Try.
“Maybe we can get you in the mood by playing something from the Eighties,” he bellowed, before the opening synths of Together Forever took the audience back to 1987 and the peak of his famous Stock, Aitken and Waterman days. Few stars have gone through as many transformations, from Eighties pop prince to #AccidentalPartridge punchline.
But in 2016 Rick rolled his way to a number-one album — his first in 29 years — and achieved a cult following, appearing on stage with everyone from Foo Fighters to former label-mate Kylie. Somewhere along the line, being a Rick Astley fan became cool again.
This wasn’t just a nostalgia set: Astley’s new material proved his strength. Older songs, such as the excellent Cry For Help, were thoughtfully arranged and renewed. “I’d sit down if I were you,” he deadpanned when his acoustic guitar strumming signalled a ballad. “Come on, let’s face it: we’re of an age. I’ve paced the set around you.”
The fun neon stage backdrop came to life as Astley covered unlikely classics such as Daft Punk’s Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger and Paul Simon’s You Can Call Me Al. “We’re going to butcher, nay murder, a song by George Ezra,” he threatened before performing Shotgun. He didn’t butcher it by an any means, but his afterthought — “it’s gone a bit Butlins” — was worryingly apt.
The variety club chat he’s known for between songs was kept to a minimum, the pace buoyant. Set closer Never Gonna Give You Up was typically joyous, Astley’s warmth shining throughout.
