Rick Astley and Blossoms are set to bring their Smiths supergroup covers band to Glastonbury 2023, and the pop icon recently spoke to us about the project and the response from Johnny Marr.
The ‘Never Gonna Give Up’ singer, who made his Glastonbury debut this weekend by opening the Pyramid Stage, made headlines last year when he appeared on stage with Blossoms in London to perform Smiths covers. This led to former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr voicing his disapproval, before ultimately coming to terms with it.
Now, the tribute project will be playing a secret set on the Woodsies stage at 6pm tonight (June 23). Astley expressed his excitement about the project and said: “I can’t tell you how much I love doing this. I’m 57, I’ve talked it over with the guys from Blossoms many times and said ‘If at any moment any of you decide that you don’t want to do this, just holler’. We bonded over that fact.”
The singer stated that forming a Smiths covers band is something he had “always wanted to do”. He said: “Even when I was in bands as a kid we never played The Smiths’ songs because they were a bit too intricate for us. I never saw The Smiths but I’ve seen covers bands of them, and I just fall in love with them every time.”
When the collaboration was announced, Johnny Marr described it as “funny and horrible at the same time”. Astley responded to the reaction, saying: “I never met Johnny Marr and I daresay our paths may never cross, but I get it. I don’t know how I’d feel about it if I was Johnny Marr.”
In contrast, former Smiths frontman Morrissey thanked Astley and Blossoms for the tribute shows, writing: “Anything that generates interest in that tired old Smiths warhorse is testimony to the wallop it packed.”
The band hopes that fans of The Smiths will appreciate their tribute. Astley said: “It’s a delicate thing playing those songs because they mean so much to people. You’re either a Smiths fan or you’re not, and if you are then it’s very hallowed ground.”
Glastonbury 2023 is sure to be a memorable event, with Astley and Blossoms bringing the iconic sound of The Smiths to the stage.
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