Rick Astley joined Blossoms for a performance of ‘Joke About Divorce’ during the band’s set at Tramlines Festival – watch footage below.
The singer made a surprise appearance during the Stockport band’s performance on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage at Sheffield’s Hillsborough Park yesterday (July 25).
Astley joined the group for ‘Joke About Divorce’, the lead single from their forthcoming sixth studio album, ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’. He also provides backing vocals on the studio version of the track and makes a cameo in its accompanying video.
Check out footage of the performance below.
Elsewhere in the set, Blossoms gave their recent single ‘Meet Me In Love’ its first performance in front of an audience.
The song features backing vocals from Declan McKenna, while its accompanying video stars Maya Jama and Callum Scott Howells. McKenna will also feature on the new album track ‘Additional Driver’.
Blossoms played:
‘Gary’
‘Getaway’
‘Oh No (I Think I’m In Love)’
‘Honey Sweet’
‘Nightclub’
‘Perfect Me’
‘The Keeper’
‘Joke About Divorce’ (with Rick Astley)
‘I Can’t Stand It’
‘Meet Me In Love’
‘I Like Your Look’
‘Your Girlfriend’
‘There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls)’
‘Charlemagne’
Astley and Blossoms have a longstanding history of collaboration. They first performed together during the band’s London show in September 2021, covering The Smiths’ ‘This Charming Man’ and ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’.
The footage quickly went viral, leading the artists to announce two full concerts devoted to The Smiths’ catalogue in London and Manchester.
Reviewing the first show, NME described it as “the best Smiths gig since December 12, 1986, when Morrissey and Marr last took the stage together”, and praised Astley as “a fine substitute for Morrissey”.
The review concluded: “There are only two people on the planet that could do this better, but until they patch things up, Blossoms, Rick Astley, and a couple of thousand loving fans, all singing in unison, is today the most perfect version of The Smiths you could possibly ask for.”
The collaborators later reunited for a secret Smiths covers set at Glastonbury Festival in 2023. Speaking to NME ahead of that performance, Astley said: “I can’t tell you how much I love doing this. I know it’s sacrilege and they should hang the lot of us on the line for doing it, but I also just don’t care.”
‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’ is set for release on October 2 via ODD SK / Distiller Records and was produced by Shawn Lee.
Blossoms recently celebrated the album announcement with a surprise pop-up performance from the back of a van outside Manchester’s 42nd Street Nightclub.
The band will support the album with their biggest headline tour to date later this year. The UK arena run begins at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena on November 26 and also includes London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, with The Royston Club supporting throughout. Find tickets here.
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