When you think of Rick Astley, the last thing that would come to mind is moody, post-punk. Nevertheless, the “Never Gonna Give You Up” singer is a massive fan of The Smiths – a fact he made quite clear at Glastonbury 2023.
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After playing his own set at the famed U.K. festival, Astley teamed up with the band Blossoms for a second set, in which he played only The Smiths’ material. Astley and Blossoms paid homage to the Mancunians once before back in 2021.
During their set in Glastonbury, the group played fan favorites like “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” “How Soon Is Now?” and “What Difference Does It Make?” Check out an official video of the performance of “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” below.
In other Astley news, the singer is set to release his first album in five years, Are We There Yet? this October.
“Now, that phrase has multiple meanings,” Astley said of the cryptic album title. “Are we there yet in my musical ambitions? Am I done with my career? Have we arrived? Or are we still traveling?”
Astley previewed the project with the single, “Dippin My Feet.” The song has a Southern soul flare to it, which Astley said was inspired by soul icons like Marvin Gaye, Al Green, and Bill Withers.
“It’s definitely not country, but I’ve never twanged a guitar as much as I have in the past couple of months,” he said of the single. “And there’s a bit more emotion with those guitar parts. I just think spending five months in America has retuned my ear a little bit.”
Rick Astley and Blossoms Glastonbury Setlist (Per Setlist FM)
1. “This Charming Man”
2. “What Difference Does It Make?”
3. “Bigmouth Strikes Again”
4. “Cemetry Gates”
5. “Ask”
6. “Hand in Glove”
7. “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others”
8. “The Boy With the Thorn in His Side”
9. “Girlfriend in a Coma”
10. “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”
11. “Panic”
12. “William, It Was Really Nothing”
13. “Barbarism Begins at Home”
14. “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want”
15. “How Soon Is Now?”
16. “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”
Photo Credit: Austin Hargrave / Courtesy of Shore Fire Media
