Glastonbury virgins: Rick Astley gets ready for his first time – just like Elton John | Ents & Arts News

Whereas the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Fatboy Slim are Glastonbury veterans, there are many performers taking to the phases on the well-known competition for the primary time this 12 months – together with one Sir Elton John.

For the Rocket Man, this one is further particular, because it marks his final ever UK gig before he retires from touring.

“There isn’t any extra becoming strategy to say goodbye to my British followers,” Sir Elton has mentioned of what’s going to be his first and final Glastonbury present. He has promised a distinct setlist to the one performed throughout tour gigs, and teased particular friends – with everybody from Woman Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Chris Martin and Britney Spears to Dua Lipa, Taron Egerton and Olly Alexander on the hearsay record.

Regardless of being one of many biggest-selling music artists of all time, the 76-year-old has nonetheless admitted to feeling “intimidated” about headlining the most famous festival in the world.

However as a Glastonbury virgin, he is in good firm this 12 months, with loads of different acts experiencing the Worthy Farm magic for the primary time.

Amongst them is Rick Astley, who will open the Pyramid stage on Saturday morning.

“I’ve dropped our daughter off many occasions, however I’ve by no means truly gone by means of the gates myself,” he advised Sky Information. “That is form of unusual, contemplating I am on the Pyramid Stage tomorrow… I do not understand how I will get to sleep tonight truly fascinated with that.

“You form of assume, we’ll give it our greatest shot, we will go down there and we will do that, that and the opposite. After which once you arrive and also you see the enormity of it, the scale of it and the size of it – as a result of cameras cannot do it justice – you need to truly be right here and take that point to really drift by means of a bit of bit.

“I believe the nerves worsen, however I additionally need to form of try to get pleasure from it, simply be within the second and never let it slip away with out me truly being current, because it had been.”

The scale of the competition is one thing the singer realised he had underestimated.

“The dimensions is tough to cope with. I’ve checked out who’s taking part in and I am considering, ‘oh, I would like to see them, I would like to see them’. Now that I am right here, I am considering, you have not received a hope in hell of getting from that stage to that stage. So I’ve realigned my bands and artists that I need to see. It is simply large.”

Astley is a type of artists beloved by everybody; as he chats forward of a not-so-surprise set alongside Blossoms, he’s stopped for selfies a number of occasions. Little doubt his early Pyramid stage set will draw an enormous crowd, and the sing-along to his most well-known hit, By no means Gonna Give You Up, ought to present a memorable Glastonbury spotlight.

At 57, he says he’s having fun with absorbing the competition for the primary time as he experiences his profession resurgence.

“There’s lots of people who’ll come to Glastonbury they usually could be 18 or 19 and play it for the primary time, and that is nice. However having waited so lengthy to get an opportunity, I believe that is a cool factor as nicely… to return to Glastonbury at this level I believe is wonderful. I am actually aware of constructing certain I get pleasure from it and I believe if I used to be rather a lot youthful, it’d simply kind of buzz by with out me realising.”

Learn extra:
Arctic Monkeys will play after all – but who are The Churnups?
Glastonbury cancels screening of Jeremy Corbyn ‘conspiracy theory’ film
Glastonbury organisers add disposable vapes to ‘what not to bring’ list

Different big-name first-timers performing in 2023 embrace Weapons’n’Roses, who headline the Pyramid stage in a while Saturday, and Yusuf Islam, AKA Cat Stevens, who takes this 12 months’s “legends slot” on Sunday afternoon.

Astley says he can perceive why even Sir Elton feels some nerves. “I do not care who you’re, if you happen to’re a type of individuals who will get up there and simply dials in and does not care, then you definately should not be doing it anyway.

“I’ve met him a bunch of occasions and I simply do not assume he is that form of a personality. I believe he needs to placed on a present and depart Glastonbury wanting extra.

“I am certain he is like that. I am certain [Paul] McCartney is like that, I am certain all of them are. They do not need to come right here and simply be ‘okay’. They need to come and blow it away. I believe it’ll be emotional, his set, due to what it means – it is the final British gig, virtually the final gig ever. So it’ll be… I believe I might need a couple of tears anyway.”

As for his personal set, Astley says he has no concept what to anticipate when he walks out on to that well-known stage, following within the footsteps of stars together with Sir Paul, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Marvel, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Kylie Minogue and dozens extra.

“We have all seen it, you realize, it is huge. It is mad. However I additionally assume there’s loads of love right here… I believe music is means much less separate and folks’s tastes are far more eclectic. I believe they’re fairly as completely happy to go and see the largest rock band on the planet, then go and see Elton on the final evening, perhaps catch somebody like myself, you realize, at 12 o’clock… with a hangover.”

Hangover or no hangover, Astley will ship, ticking off a milestone second in his profession.

“It is a privilege to be within the viewers at Glastonbury,” he says. “Nevertheless it’s a brilliant privilege to really be one of many performers.”