LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: RICK ASTLEY AT THE O2 ARENA, LONDON 25/04/26
‘‘Nice to hear some cheers…means I’ve still got it“ Astley shouted three songs into the final night of his 12-date UK and Ireland Reflection Tour. The show at The O2 on April 25th concluded the run with a triumphant finale. British singer-songwriter Rick Astley, who reached number one in 25 countries with his 1987 smash hit ‘Never Gonna Give You Up‘ and celebrated his musical comeback in the early 2000s, shows no signs of slowing down again anytime soon. The crowd was on its feet all night, cheering and dancing to classic 80s hits as well as newer material.
Early in the set, Astley even performed a cover of RAYE’s ‘Where’s My Husband‘, playing the drums while giving his backing vocalists a chance to shine vocally. That moment showed how comfortably he still fits within the current musical landscape.
Gabrielle joined Astley on the tour as a supporting act and he later gave her and her whole crew a shoutout and praise during his set, speaking about how much he had enjoyed the tour with them. The London-born British singer-songwriter, who topped the UK Singles Chart in 1993 with her debut single ‘Dreams‘ brought a powerful, soulful energy to the stage. Her performance provided a great opening to the night and warmed the crowd up perfectly for the main act: Rick Astley.
One thing that became immediately clear when watching Astley live is what an amazing entertainer he still is to this day. He draws the crowd into the performance with ease, sharing stories about his songs and career, encouraging the audience to dance and sing while delivering his stories with an almost comedic element. Throughout the night, he promised the crowd plenty of 80s classics and he kept that promise. Even the British singer-songwriter’s newer material was met with enthusiasm from the crowd. Before performing his 1991 hit ‘Cry For Help‘ Astley asked the audience ‘‘Do you like a little gospel singing? You’re about to get some. We’ll give it to them then.“ During the song, he kept the audience involved, urging them to clap along and wave their arms. Even when Astley briefly left the stage after for an outfit change, his backing vocalists and band carried the performance on effortlessly. When Astley returned, he joked that he had been ready for a while but had simply been watching in awe from the side of the stage.
The final night of the tour was clearly a celebration for both Astley and his band. ‘‘We don‘t do this because it’s slightly unprofessional but we’re having a drink. It’s a Saturday night, the last day of the tour, we’re having a drink“ Astley said before raising a martini glass to the audience. He went on to speak about how important the evening was to him, especially the significance of playing a venue like The O2 Arena. ‘‘When you see The O2 is on the list of venues you’re gonna do, you say ‘Nah, not a chance‘. Thank you for coming tonight“ he said before launching into ‘The Ones You Love‘ from Astley’s fourth album, released in 1993. Before performing ‘You Move Me‘, released in 1987, Astley recalled being shown a clip of Tom Cruise mixing cocktails to the song ahead of the release of the film Cocktail (1988). He shares the story of going to the cinema in 1988, sitting in the front row, excited to see his song in the film, only to discover that the song was not actually in the film, but only in the trailer. Behind him on the stage, the screen shows Cruise on the film’s movie poster before changing to a photoshopped version with Astley’s face on Cruise’s body. Those stories Astley told throughout the night added a playful, comedic touch that made the show feel more intimate despite the size of the crowd.
Astley shared plenty more of those stories throughout the set. Before singing a cover of Roy Orbison’s ‚Pretty Woman‘ he talked about the time when he had received a call all these years ago asking him to be involved in the film. After reading the script, he said he wondered who would watch a film like that before telling the executives ‘‘Nobody can sing a Roy Orbison song except Roy Orbison“. He then joked ‘‘That film sold 23 million albums, so that makes 32 million albums I’m not on“ referring to the additional 11 million tied to Cocktail, which he had mentioned earlier. He followed it up with ‘‘But I can‘t complain. I had a very good life. Thank you“.
Not only Astley, but also his band showcased their various musical talents throughout the night, with some members even switching instruments, playing both the trumpet and flute throughout songs. Despite his age, Astley still appeared as energetic and youthful as ever. While his songs and voice gave many in the audience a sense of nostalgia, his lively performance and humor made the show feel surprisingly personal, as he allowed the audience a glimpse into his life and career. ‘‘I have two songs and lyrically they both start with Never Gonna. This is not the one“ he joked before singing ‘‘Never Gonna Stop“. Fans in the seats were already standing and dancing as Astley announced: „We’re gonna stop messing around. We’ll go full 80s“. It was clear throughout the night that both Astley and his band were enjoying themselves on stage and clearly love what they do.
After a cover of O’Chi Brown’s ‘Whenever You Need Somebody‘ the band briefly left the stage but the energy in The O2 remained high. Haddaway’s ‘What Is Love‘ blasted through the speakers, filling the room with nostalgia as the crowd danced and sang along before Astley returned in yet another suit, rejoining the band immediately moving into ‘Take Me to Your Heart‘ which was cleverly mashed up with ‘What Is Love‘ at the end. Astley then took a moment to thank his band, the crew and everyone involved in making shows and tours like this possible before performing ‘Angels on My Side‘ fittingly singing ‘‘Everything‘s gonna be alright cause I got angels on my side“. He followed it with a joke: ‘‘Without my band I would just be an old man in a very nice suit“. Shortly after, Astley even received a surprise ‘‘call“ on stage from Gary Barlow, announcing ‘‘Just so you know I don‘t know about this“ before taking the call. Astley then urged the crowd to go see Take That on tour saying ‘‘If you’ve never been, you’re missing out on one of the best nights of your life. I’ve seen them many times cause I opened up for them“ before he and his band launched into a playful cover of Take That’s ‘Back For Good‘ with Astley letting the crowd take over most of the singing. When the song ended, he joked ‘‘I’m gonna do all of my shows like this now“.
Astley closed the night with his smash hit ‘Never Gonna Give You Up‘ sending the whole arena to its feet for one final round of dancing and singing. A wave of 80s nostalgia hit The O2 as he playfully changed the lyric to ‘‘We’ve known each other since 1987“ earning a huge cheer from the audience in return. As the band left the stage, it was clear that Astley is not just riding the wave of nostalgia but also continuing to evolve as a live performer to this day. His ability to balance humor and storytelling, entertainment and strong musicianship was by far the evening’s greatest strength. The British singer-songwriter kept the audience engaged from start to finish, a very fitting end to the tour and proof that his music and stage presence still resonates just as strongly today as it did back in the 80s.
Words and photos by Nadine Goetz
