A LITTLE bit cringe, a little bit gospel and a little bit dad - Rick Astley is still going strong.
His 50 tour visited Manchester's Bridgewater Hall last night bringing his own particular brand of soul.
It's not the 80s mash up you might expect and yes he does sing that song but it is a whale of a time if you are a fan of his new music.
The man exudes energy and was clearly pleased to be playing his "home" gig, being a native of Newton-Le-Willows, and opening the show with "Coming Home Tonight".
The show rolled between his higher tempo songs and even a few covers, Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" went down a treat, and slowing down for some of his more obscure songs "for the mad fans" including "Superman".
Devoid of bells and whistles, the simple staging, including an origami boat and simple light show let Rick do his thing, wooing the crowd with his 80s charm and patter.
Which worked, a bikini top made its way on stage at one point.
Closing the show with "Never Gonna Give You Up" was predictable but an obvious high point.
He joked he would open a show with it but everyone would leave afterwards.
He gave fans what they wanted with multiple run throughs, at times letting the audience carry the song, which catapulted him into the limelight at the age of 21.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel