2004 - Rick Astley

05.09.2004 Spirit Dublin / Ireland
RICK ASTLEY


On Rick’s Tour Info on www.rickastley.co.uk one can read that Rick Astley, who wasn’t on tour for 17 years (!), kicks off his tour in Dublin.

It says on the homepage that this isn’t going to be a “Best Of” Tour – and, because I didn’t check out the homepage prior to the gig, I was surprised.

Surprised because Astley performed songs he was introduced to by his parents and those songs were mainly songs from Frank Sinatra and compositions of Kurt Bacharach. The set list also consisted of Fred Astaire´s 1930s classic: “Heaven” and Casablanca – Hit:” As time goes by”. Even “That’s amore” !

Because he performed with a classical Jazz – Band: Saxophone, Trumpet, Guitar, Drums, Contrabass, Piano – his very own material, which was only performed in a short medley, sounded quite different.

Never the less – Rick Astley certainly has got the voice for singing Sinatra – classics and, even though he was terribly nervous, the show was extremely good.

Rick looked fresh and healthy and said that he had enough opportunities to perform his 80s stuff but decided not to do it as he really enjoys singing classic material in more intimate venues.

The Dublin performance is sold out and a second night is added for the 6th of September.

Some other performances are already sold out. It looks like he’s picking up his career where he had left it, even though that’s not quite true as the 2 albums: “Body & Soul”, released 1986 who never charted in the UK and made only # 198 in the US charts, and “Keep it turned on” from 1991, who has never been released in the UK, flopped pretty well.

But that happens to the best of artists – and Rick Astley still is one of the best male vocalists around.

** - Good

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