If anyone was going to be crowned as the King of Glastonbury 2023, it would have to be Rick Astley. Not only did he open up the Pyramid Stage on Saturday with a huge 80k crowd, where he surprised us all with his drumming rendition of AC/DC's 'Highway To Hell' and an 'As It Was' x 'Take On Me' mash up, he also made a surprise appearance on the Woodsies stage for a very special performance with Blossoms covering songs of The Smiths. Worthy of an artist of the month status we think!

Whilst there may be some of you out there who might just be familiar with his era-defining classic track 'Never Gonna Give You Up' (we're sure you've been rick rolled at least once in your life), Astley is a magnetic performer and enduring talent who has an impressive catalogue behind him.

After a string of top 10 hits and album releases across the late 80s and 90s, he slowed down and took a step back for a few years. But back in 2016, Astley made his return with his album '50' to mark his half a century celebration, and it was the comeback everyone had been waiting for. It struck a chord and shot up to the top of the UK albums chart, his first number one album in the UK since 1987's 'Whenever You Need Somebody'. He once again cemented his return with 2018's 'Beautiful Life', an emotionally poignant collection of tracks that seem reflective and celebratory of his life, family and career with his voice sounding stronger and more soulful than ever.

While his career was established in the 80s, Astley has continually proved that he's an artist worth staying in the limelight, and I think his Glastonbury performances have once again shown that to fans and newer audiences alike. So if you fancy experiencing one of his live shows for yourself, you can catch him live on tour from November 2023 - March 2024!