RICK ASTLEY // OVO HYDRO, GLASGOW
RICK ASTLEY LIVE AT GLASGOW’S OVO HYDRO
★★★★★ (5/5)
RICK ASTLEY PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S OVO HYDRO
PHOTOCREDIT: KENDALL WILSON
The Rick Astley revival which has been gaining momentum for a number of years now arrived in Glasgow last night for its latest instalment. Ably supported by The Lottery Winners and Belinda Carlise not to mention a very tight backing band and some excellent backing singers who were allowed to showcase their voices (plus the whole crew which supported the team and the venue security staff all of whom Rick made a point of thanking) wandered into a very large crowd for a Tuesday night.
I was unfortunate as I missed the Lottery Winners due to work commitments. Having seen them before I know just good they are and I’ve no doubt that they were that good again. They are a band very much on an upward trajectory and are lovely people as well. My friend who did manage to see them said they were great but the crowd at that point was a bit disappointing. That’s a shame for those who didn’t get to see them, like me, as we all missed out.
By the time the second support act arrived on stage the crowd had swollen considerably, that may have had something to do with just how many great songs Belinda Carlise has and that she’s still a big pull in her own right. The lady herself was looking great as ever but her mobility was a bit restricted due to a recent knee replacement. Her voice, however, is as strong as ever and she led the audience through a selection of her best songs. There was plenty of interaction and she even broke out a shimmy at one point, something I’m sure her doctor will be having words with her about. When you can call on Circle In The Sand, We Want The Same Thing, Live Your Life Be Free and finish with Heaven Is A Place On Earth you’re already on a winner. The Audience loved it and rightly so. I’ve been planning to see Belinda play for a number of years and always not managed it. I’ve now had the opportunity and I won’t leave it so long to see her again.
There was a brief break between Belinda and Rick arriving on stage. The man himself arrived in a very understated way, wandering on to the stage with the rest of the band but with no spotlight on him until, all of a sudden, there he was. The love in the room for him was palpable and it was easy to understand why. He is a showman, but he also retains an amazing voice. His humour is very much in the self-deprecating style most of the time, but he is a very funny man who comes across as someone who can’t quite believe the turn his life has taken these last few years but is clearly incredibly grateful it has.
This wasn’t the first time I’d seen Rick recently, I was lucky enough to see him playing Kendal Calling last year so I had an idea of what to expect. I wasn’t disappointed. His recent album has seen him lay a strong claim to be a mix of a crooner, a blue-eyed soul boy and very much a part of the pop universe.
He started with Never Gonna Stop followed closely by one of his well-known hits Together Forever. What he did well however was make this a show, his engagement with the crowd throughout, the in-between song banter. Laughing at himself for changing his suit but being clear it was for dry cleaning purposes, explaining he felt his posterior was a bit on the large side and that he’d gained a few pounds all served to endear him to everyone present.
What worked for even better was when he told everyone that nearly all of his songs are written about his wife, it introduced a romantic element which endeared him even more to the audience. He then sealed the deal by telling everyone that his daughter was about to marry a Glaswegian, embarrassing both Paul (the Glaswegian) and his own sister who was there. In addition, he is very generous with his praise to his band and gave all of them, especially his backing singers, a chance to shine.
He ran through his repertoire of songs during the night, playing a mix of old favourites and new songs. He was unapologetic about the latter and rightly so. He has very strong new material which deserves to be heard. Highlights before the encore include, She Wants To Dance With Me/Juice, Cry For Help, As It Was (the Harry Styles Cover) and Whenever You Need Somebody/Good Times. There was even a brief bit of Wet Wet Wet with an explanation that they’d been one of the nicest bands he’d met and that they always treated him with respect. My only disappointment was that there were no Smiths songs.
After a brief break there was a three-song encore, Maria Love, Highway to Hell and finally, the biggie, Never Gonna Give You Up. All three were excellent, with some serious head banging to Highway To Hell from the audience, some of whom, should have known better!
Never Gonna Give You Up started as an acapella singalong with the crowd before quite quickly developing into a party song that was perfect to finish the night off. Going off to Mr Blue Sky with an extended attempted can can was a stroke of genius as it kept the whole crowd up and singing and dancing to the end.
If you want to see a consummate showman, who is at the height of his powers but who can also belt out a tune and get an audience going there is currently no one better than Sir Rick of Astley! What a great night and a thoroughly enjoyable gig. I wish I’d seen the Lottery Winners, but I got to see Belinda, who the man himself said had better songs than him, and Rick in his prime, life clearly begins in the 50’s!
