Decades before he was a famous meme, Rick Astley was a teenage heartthrob.
One of the many acts to have found fame through the production powerhouse of Stock Aitken and Waterman, he went from an "invisible" young lad from Newton-le-Willows, to an 80s pinup overnight.
I was 10 when Never Gonna Give You Up was first released in 1987, and while it was Jason Donovan that would go on to capture my young heart, it was Rick's hits which my school friends and I belted out in the playground.
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In the 37 years since, I've somehow managed to miss seeing him live. So last night I joined thousands of fans packing into the M&S Arena to catch the last date on his UK and Ireland tour.
Rick has enjoyed a renaissance in the last few years, spring boarded back to superstar status after his superb performance at Glastonbury last year. That new surge of popularity is reflected in the audience, a melting pot of fans who have been there from the start, and younger fans who have discovered his music more recently.
He's greeted enthusiastically by the crowd as his band takes to the arena's stage, wasting no time in belting out his first song, Never Gonna Stop, segueing straight into Together Forever. It's a song I've not heard for years, yet I find I know every word as my 80s child muscle memory kicks in.
After encouraging us all to get up and dance, he pauses to ask what we'd all had for our tea. "I sh** you not," he confesses, "but we've just all had scouse for dinner."
Despite the stodgy meal, he performs Beautiful Life, and It Would Take A Strong Man wonderfully. His voice remains incredible, rich, deep and
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