Rick Astley brings teen hits and much more besides to Nottingham
His story is quite unlike anyone else’s – and Rick Astley will be celebrating his remarkable career with a show in Nottingham in April.
In 1987, Never Gonna Give You Up hit number one in 20 countries across the globe as Rick became one of the world’s hottest new artists. That status continued with further hits such as Together Forever, Whenever You Need Somebody and Cry For Help. But it wasn’t long until Rick retreated from the spotlight to embrace family life.
Yet almost 30 years later, Rick returned to number one with the album 50, and each album since has also raced up the charts.
That popularity exploded in the live arena, with countless sold-out arena headline shows, major festivals, live collaborations with Foo Fighters and Blossoms, and an epic North American tour with New Kids On The Block. Meanwhile, Never Gonna Give You Up remains eternally popular, joining Spotify’s Billions Club in 2025 while its official video now stands at a staggering 1.7 billion views. Rick recounted his entire story in 2024’s confessional memoir Never: The Autobiography – but now it’s time for more chapters to be written. Rick has been working on new songs, with new single Waiting On You having received its premiere courtesy of Scott Mills on Radio 2.
Rick said: “The beauty of having a guitar older than I am is that it makes me play, write and feel everything differently. This track has a feeling of a decade long ago, lyrically and style wise. It’s been great to jump into new music but with an old heart at the centre of it.”
Rick plays the Motorpoint Arena on Wednesday April 22. Visit motorpointarenanottingham.com to book.