Rick Astley is (really, no joke) coming to the National

by | Nov 30, 2016 | MUSIC

One of the most famous voices on the internet hasn’t given up on music or tours, despite what your facebook feed tells you.

One of the most famous voices on the internet hasn’t given up on music or tours, despite what your facebook feed tells you.

Britian’s Rick Astley, made famous for his meme/trolling classic “Never Gonna Give You Up,” has released a new record and is in the middle of a US tour.

This is not a joke – this is not us trolling – this is really happening.

Astley, 50, started his career in the mid-80s as a drummer with the band FBI – he got some label attention from there but it wasn’t until 1987’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” his first solo venture, that he blew up, topping charts in more than 20 countries.

In a recent interview with NPR, All Things Considered host Michelle Martin used an incredible amount of restraint in bringing up the famed track which entered meme-dom in 2007.

As with much of the web’s most famous memes, Rick Rolling started on the anus of the internet, 4Chan, and about a year later, it hit the broader web as a way to prank someone.

In this editor’s opinion, it’s still pretty funny.

Astley agrees, however he seems to have mixed feelings about the entire situation. In the NPR interview he admitted some of its use has been pretty clever, but he also has trouble looking back at himself years later and not finding it all a little “cheesy.”

“If you look back at photographs of yourself from years back you cringe a bit,” he told Martin. “I’m in that boat and it’s where I’m at with it… Most videos from the 80s are pretty cheesy.”

Astley retired from music in the early 90s but has returned with a new record, 50, which is currently topping charts in the UK.

Martin asked if the singer’s album title was a reference to another famed British performers, Adele, who’s named her record after her age at the time of release.

“That’s what she was doing when she was at that age,” Astley said, noting the similarity was somewhat on purpose. “This is where I’m at at 50.”

Sure enough, the record deals with a number of issues around aging, as well as crossing genre lines to offer a diverse musical expereince.

Astley comes to The National (for real, no joke) on Feb. 12th, 2017. You can snag tickets to that show here.

Brad Kutner

Brad Kutner




more in music

BTCHFEST, BAT and Barn: Punk Press RVA

This week get ready to immerse yourself in a groundbreaking music festival that's set to shake up Richmond's music scene. BTCHFEST is here to spotlight the incredible talent of women and nonbinary femme artists, taking center stage at Cobra Cabana and Another Round...

Sub-Radio, Dumb Waiter & Tiara & Andrew: Sound Check

Invaders from the north! This next week not one, but two prominent Washington, D.C. bands are descending on the city to bring their tunes upon our stages for us to bear witness. This weekend both Origami Angel and Sub-Radio will play their pop influenced tunes...

Richmond Day Tripper! Waynesboro Will Surprise You

In Virginia's countryside, picture a scene straight out of a postcard – rolling hills, farms, and winding roads leading through the sometimes misty mountains. That's Waynesboro for you, a cozy town nestled in the Shenandoah Valley. With about 22,000 folks calling it...

It’s Back! And We’ve got Your Friday Cheers 2024 Lineup

It's that time of year again! The weather is warming up, the sun is setting after 7:00 PM, so that can only mean one thing: it's Spring. My favorite time of year when the weather is perfect, the trees are blooming, and hope and revival float through the air along with...

Municipal Waste, Prisoner & Collateral Damage: Punk Press RVA

This Saturday, March 16th, marks the homecoming of Richmond’s own Municipal Waste, concluding their electrifying Brainsqueeze Tour 2024 at The National. In celebration of the 21st anniversary of their debut album, Wast’Em All, the band has curated a powerhouse lineup...

Kids of the Black Hole

We stepped down the cobblestone steps, our backs to that gothic tower of bricks seeing us off into a damp night. Jesse’s face was blue as he stared down into his phone and said: C’mon, I think it’s this way. It’s west? I asked.  No, it’s in this direct—I mean...

Pin It on Pinterest