29 November 2014 (gig)
01 December 2014
It's been over two decades since I last saw Rick Astley as a young teenager and I must say, he still has it! Opening with Together Forever at the Palais Theatre in St Kilda, l was suddenly thrown back to 80's the moment Astley stepped onto the stage in a suit and tie.
Performing favourites such as, Whenever You Need Somebody, When I Fall In Love, She Wants To Dance With Me and Cry For Help, Astley's voice is as deep and as powerful as it was back in 1989. Selling over 40 million records, Astley's first 8 singles made the UK top 10 and Never Gonna Give You Up was number 1 in 25 countries.
Astley clearly loves crowd interaction and periodically stopped to chat with the audience. The talented musician also demonstrated his playful side by stating he still looks good for his 48 years - and yes, this reviewer completely agrees. "I've still got it, drink me in ladies". After prefacing that he has a jacuzzi in his dressing room, Astley looked out at the women in the crowd and stated, " I'm calculating how big that jacuzzi is ladies…….maybe we have to take it in turns".
The banter with the audience was engaging and the tone between the band and Astley was relaxed and light-hearted as they enjoyed champagne and birthday cake for their band member Paul.
After a brief encore, Astley returned to the stage and this time he was on the drums, where he began as a musician. To further shake things up, Astley invited the promotors, (the Lennard brothers) out to the stage to perform, making for a memorable moment. Next up was Highway to Hell, followed by the long awaited Never Never Gonna Give You Up.
A sensational performance by all and one that took me back to when I was just 15-years-old - a time when you could only buy Rick Astley albums on vinyl and cassette. Although times have changed and we've all gotten a little older, Astley still knows how to make a girl swoon.
