Rick Astley Wows an Intergenerational Crowd at Gröna Lund

Tonight, I got Rick Roll’d at Gröna Lund by Rick Astley himself. The enthusiastic crowd ranged from young children to the elderly. While introducing himself and kicking the evening off, Astley joked with his cheeky English humour, “You showed up! I thought there would be thirty people here.” While many under forty were likely there to witness their favourite meme live in action, the crowd soon realized they knew far more of his music than expected, singing along to his hits like “Together Forever” under Stockholm’s clear blue evening sky. 

At sixty years old, Astley’s vocal range belts beyond what we hear in his recordings. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, and this playful confidence gives him a stage presence that feels rare to see. At one point, he even played a song nobody really knew, just because he wanted to, and because he could. I can’t name it in this review because I didn’t know it myself.

Tonight’s event felt like more than a concert, it was also a show, even without over-the-top visuals or flashing effects. His band of multi-talented musicians all had their time to shine, swapping instruments and contributing vocals throughout the evening. Astley really knows how to share the stage. One of his backup singers performed Raye’s “Where the Hell is my Husband?” while Astley supported her on drums. Among the musicians, the saxophonist stood out to me the most, taking on several solos that left the crowd in awe.

Despite the thousands in attendance, Astley’s anecdotes and constant audience engagement made the night feel surprisingly intimate. He comes off as personable and even signed two hardcore fans’ vinyl records, which he said they probably got for $10. It was heartwarming seeing how happy they were, even before their big moment. The Brit Award winner also raised a big skål to the crowd as he sipped his wine on stage.

Later in the evening, Astley shared that his music career started at fifteen, when he played AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” over and over and over and over and over and over… again, playing on his drum set and singing. He got the audience chanting with him as he made his way to the drums. Astley spoke about his love for singing covers, which lead to his performance of Roy Robinson’s “Pretty Woman”. Before performing it, he told the audience about when he turned down the opportunity to record the song that would later become one of the biggest film soundtracks ever, because the plotline sounded “like the most unlikely bullshit story” he had ever heard.

His most recent work expanded another side of his talent, creating gospel music with even heavier saxophone arrangements, and a wider range of backup vocals. It showcased Astley’s versatility as both a singer and musician. 

And of course, the night’s undeniable showstopper was “Never Gonna Give You Up”. While building the anticipation for the song, we’d all been waiting for, Astley once again joked that he should have played it first so that nobody would have missed their bus home. The performance was special because he let the audience sing the entire first verse alone. For nearly a full minute, thousands of voices harmonized whether they were lifelong fans, new listeners, people who came because of the meme, or those who happened to be at the right place at the right time. 

My takeaway is that even as a household name, Rick Astley is an underrated artist. I agree with Astley that Stockholm is lucky to have an open-air venue like Gröna Lund to hold events like this. Judging by the smiles leaving the park tonight, his promise to come again will be welcomed together forever.