Electric Picnic Live Report: Rick Astley on the Main Stage

The energy at the Main Stage Sunday afternoon was infectious. Rick Astley emerged to the Star Wars main title blaring around him, an epic entrance that prepared the audience for a show that would blow them away.

“SUNSHINE IN IRELAND,” he cheered, staring into the beaming mid-afternoon sun and marvelling at what was yet another day of lovely Irish weather in Stradbally.

No time to waste, he launched right into ‘Together Forever’, his groovy disco hit that invited the quickly growing crowd to dance and sing along to the words. He’s aware of the music’s age, as he joked after it ended, asking who’d been singing along and if they’d gone through their mum’s old music.

Liam Murphy.

Like much of the crowd gathered at the Main Stage Sunday afternoon, I’ll admit to being born after the year 2000. But Astley did a phenomenal job connecting to the entire crowd, appealing to people who have listened to him for decades and those who only know the one.

At one point midway through the set, he played a rousing cover of Harry Styles’ 'As It Was', endearingly including a winking snippet of Aha’s 'Take On Me' midway through, which allowed everyone to sing along.

It’s clear that Astley is comfortable as a frontman, holding the attention of everyone gathered while simultaneously giving due props to his bandmates. It seemed to me that they were all having a blast, and when an artist can communicate that it’s hard for the crowd not to get swept along.

Liam Murphy.

He regaled us with a story of the first time he played live– at what was called a “Valentine’s Disco”– and then launched into another cover, an incredibly impressive performance of 'Highway To Hell'. He simultaneously sang and played the drums, which as anyone who has tried will know is pretty hard to do.

He ended, of course, with the timeless ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’. He once again highlighted his band, giving each of them a good thirty seconds to perform a solo to wild cheering. His band clearly have massive chops, as we were serenaded by groovy solos and even the solo from Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ from his guitarist.

It proved to be a crowd-pleasing, fittingly high-energy ending to a thoroughly enjoyable performance from Astley and company.

Stay tuned for more live reports, photos and all things Electric Picnic, live from Stradbally.