Glastonbury 2023: Rick Astley is the living spirit of the festival
There was a time when Rick Astley was about the furthest thing from cool. Best known for his 1987 debut single ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, an international number-one hit blending pop and blue-eyed soul and written by the era’s naffest hitmakers, Stock, Aitken and Waterman. Astley was a star, but he didn’t exactly command respect for his creative efforts. It’s demonstrative of his reputation, then, that Stourbridge’s finest export, The Wonder Stuff, acerbically parodied him with the 1988 track, ‘Astley in the Noose’. Although the title speaks for itself, the opening lines captured the sentiment of many: “Oh, Astley in the noose / He hasn’t got a use / But he’s trying / Trying to be someone”.
Fast forward 35 years, and things have changed for Rick Astley. We seem to be witnessing a resurgence of the Lancashire native, perhaps even a metamorphosis – one fuelled by his self-awareness and talent, despite what the critics might say. This transition was commenced when he teamed up with Stockport indie group Blossoms at the tail end of 2021 to deliver a duo of shows covering 1980s heroes, The Smiths. They pulled it off, too, and the new covers band received widespread fanfare.
With this somewhat unlikely collaboration and with the context of Astley’s career arc, you’d be forgiven for categorising this moment as a wonderful, almost cathartic release of joy. As the once-derided pop singer belted out the iconic lines “Hang the DJ” while on stage with one of Britain’s most exciting bands at Glastonbury Festival, the crowd of thousands were poetically eating out of the palm of his hand. Oh, to see the look on the faces of The Wonder Stuff now.
For a time, though, there was a touch of controversy attached to the collaborative project, given that the former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr expressed disdain at the prospect, particularly concerning how Blossoms failed to approach the matter with him. Yet, the storm clouds soon passed, and Marr made peace with the younger band.
The decision to play two concerts of The Smiths’ material was so successful that even the group’s former frontman, and one of the most contentious figures in rock, Morrissey, expressed his happiness and gratitude for them reinvigorating his band’s songs. He said in a statement: “My sincere thanks to Rick and the Blossoms for their recent recentness,” he said. “Anything that generates interest in that tired old Smiths warhorse is testimony to the wallop it packed. THANK YOU”.
With all the admin out of the way, the path was set of Blossoms and Astley to keep the good times rolling. Accordingly, many were elated when it was announced that they would again be teaming up for a run at Glastonbury 2023. On paper, it might seem like a strange pairing, but boy does it work, and ‘This Charming Man’ was a highlight of the night. Blossoms are self-professed scholars of indie and cite The Smiths – particularly Marr – as “heroes”, with Astley demonstrating in the shows that he is a singer with a much broader scope than ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’. His baritone is perfect for The Smiths. Strangely, he even cuts a similar figure to Morrissey with his quiff and movements, albeit with a little more personable onstage demeanour.
In truth, before Astley and Blossoms had taken to the stage, Astley had already won Glastonbury Festival 2023. He opened up the Pyramid Stage at midday on Saturday and, donning his pink suit, played a set featuring his three signature cuts, ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, ‘Together Forever’ and ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’. He also surprised the crowd – who lapped his uplifting style up – when he covered Harry Styles ‘As It Was’, and as the showstopper of the performance, Astley jumped behind the drumkit to cover AC/DC’s hard-rock classic, ‘Highway to Hell’.
It was a luminous showing and a resounding success because of it. With nine songs, Astley captured the true spirit of Glastonbury Festival, giving a wholesome middle finger to the mass of online hate that acts have been receiving this year. Oozing positivity and inclusivity and done without a care in the world about the critics, Astley displayed the soul of the modern Somerset celebration, displaying that he has a newfound significance and one that is very much welcome in a world where contempt is ubiquitous.
With both his sets at Glastonbury, Astley evoked the form of abandon and escapism specific to the Eavis family’s event, which sees hundreds of thousands flock to Worthy Farm yearly to recapture the feeling. Perhaps it was due to the startling nature of Astley’s charisma, perhaps it was due to the surprising feeling of joy, or maybe, just maybe, it was to do with people waking up to the actual musical genius of Rick Astley. Who knows. Hell, it might simply be that the British people need a hero right now, and as is well known, they often come from unexpected places.
As the great civil rights activist and author Maya Angelou once said: “I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people”. That’s certainly what the Lancastrian musician did yesterday, catching the original essence of Glastonbury that has remained since its inaugural edition in 1970 and lofting it into the bright sunshine with wreckless abandon — and power to the man.
Where better to conclude than with words from the man himself? In a video posted to his Twitter while driving through the sprawling site, Astley implored fans to “choose love”. He reiterated: “Choose Glastonbury and choose love”. He could not have represented the nature of the weekend any better. I just hope this sentiment can be transposed into everyday life after the curtain comes down on this year’s edition. We need it.
When Astley recorded the titular words of his most famous hit 35 years ago, it’s certain he wouldn’t have foreseen the significance they now have. He’s now putting it into practice, and I hope he never falters. I never thought I’d say it, but… Viva Rick Astley!