Rick Astley performs with Blossoms at Glastonbury | via YouTube
Rick Astley followed up his officially announced Glastonbury festival performance Saturday with a “secret” second set, teaming up with the U.K. band Blossoms to perform 16 of The Smiths’ best-loved songs for an adoring crowd under the tented Woodsies Stage.
It’s not the first time Smiths superfan Astley and the Blossoms have done this; after teaming up on a couple songs together they played two full shows of Smiths covers in Manchester and London in 2021.
Their reprise on Saturday included performances of “What Difference Does It Make?,” “Girlfriend in a Coma,” “Barbarism Begins at Home,” “How Soon Is Now?” and more. See the full setlist below.
The previous Astley/Blossoms team-ups drew a mixed reaction from Morrissey and Johnny Marr, with the former more supportive (Moz: “Anything that generates interest in that tired old Smiths warhorse is testimony to the wallop it packed. THANK YOU”), but the latter apparently having gotten over some initial criticism (“This is both funny and horrible at the same time,” Marr initially said).
Morrissey and Astley have some history, with Morrissey having put an old late-’80s photo of himself and Astley on the sleeve of the reissued “The Last of the Famous International Playboys” single.
Below, check out the setlist and selected video of the Glastonbury set — we’ll add more as it surfaces.
Setlist: Ricky Astley with Blossoms, Glastonbury, UK — 6/24/23
1. “This Charming Man”
2. “What Difference Does It Make?”
3. “Bigmouth Strikes Again”
4. “Cemetry Gates”
5. “Ask”
6. “Hand in Glove”
7. “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others”
8. “The Boy With the Thorn in His Side”
9. “Girlfriend in a Coma”
10. “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”
11. “Panic”
12. “William, It Was Really Nothing”
13. “Barbarism Begins at Home”
14. “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want”
15. “How Soon Is Now?”
16. “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”
Rick Astley & Blossoms covering ‘Panic’ by The Smiths (Glastonbury 2023)
What a showman 🕺🏻
— The Rock Revival (@TheRockRevival_) June 24, 2023
Rick Astley and The Blossoms absolutely nailing The Smiths at #Glastonbury pic.twitter.com/9LmG55epiV
— 4K ᑕOᒪᒪEᑕTIᐯE (@the4kCollectivE) June 24, 2023
Rick Astley and Blossoms covering The Smiths’ 'This Charming Man' 💐#RickAstley #Blossoms #Glastonbury #Glastonbury23pic.twitter.com/rTkgdxPY2p
— Far Out Magazine (@FarOutMag) June 24, 2023
Rick Astley and Blossoms covering The Smiths’ 'Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now' 💐#RickAstley #Blossoms #Glastonbury #Glastonbury23 pic.twitter.com/HeWn2ERGoo
— Far Out Magazine (@FarOutMag) June 24, 2023
Rick Astley x Blossoms covering The Smiths… chefs kiss pic.twitter.com/ZHR4ptVSWS
— Jack (@JaackB95) June 24, 2023
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Spurned by David Bowie, Morrissey turns to Rick Astley for sleeve of new reissue single
- Photo: Morrissey and Rick Astley backstage at the BBC’s ‘Top of the Pops’ in 1989
- Andy Rourke, the “supremely gifted” bassist for The Smiths, dies of pancreatic cancer
- Morrissey to Marr: “It was YOU who played guitar on ‘Golden Lights’ — not me.”
- The Smiths’ Mike Joyce is here to teach you how to make sourdough bread
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Would love for them to go on tour with this set list. I would so be there if they came state side
Fantastic! Come to Canada and me and my friends are all there. Amazing.
Rick sounds as good as Morrissey, will actually show up to a concert, and doesn’t have all his racist baggage. Nice!
Rick’s Morrissey is better than Steven’s Morrissey. Sorry Steve.
Rick Astley has a decade or so where he can do whatever he wants, however he wants to do it and he will be beloved for it. Go for it.
Rick still looks like Jim Kerr but simply can’t sing nearly as well as Mozzer. Meanwhile, these songs are far more delicate and intricate than this cover band can contemplate. RIP Andy.
No Frankly Mr. Shankly?
Thank you for posting this. It is AMAZING! One of those rare live performances that wows you so much, you watch it over and over. I hope he tours the US and does this set list. He could even mix in his 80s stuff and a couple of new songs. I would be one of the first people to buy tickets.
I do not think this is bad but rather strange. I would have guessed Rick’s fans were not likely to be Smiths fans. Certainly not in 1985. I guess the Smiths are now that popular.
never liked rick astley, but absolutely love this. i’d be there in a heartbeat. maybe the hollywood bowl????