Rick Astley, after his concert in Marbella, stated that the Starlite Occident festival is an "impossible to surpass" place. The artist highlighted the closeness to the audience and the unique atmosphere of the Cantera de Nagüeles.
The British singer Rick Astley, known for his hit 'Never Gonna Give You Up', has left one of the most emphatic evaluations of the Starlite Occident Marbella festival. As soon as he finished his concert at the Cantera de Nagüeles, Astley declared that the venue is "impossible to surpass" and described it as "a truly world-class venue".
The artist, who has performed on the most iconic stages around the globe during his more than four decades of career, did not hesitate to praise both the festival team and the natural space that hosts it. "I have been lucky enough to play on wonderful stages all over the world... but this is truly impossible to surpass," he stated before an audience that filled the amphitheatre.
A stage that makes a difference
The Cantera de Nagüeles, the site where Starlite Occident is held, is an ancient natural amphitheatre that offers a unique proximity between the artist and the audience. As Astley himself explained, this closeness does not detract from the spectacle of the experience, but rather enhances it. "It’s a beautiful place, truly world-class," he insisted, thanking the technical team and the staff working behind the scenes, whom he called "angels".
The evening coincided with the Spanish national football team's qualification for the semifinals of an international tournament. Upon hearing this, the singer improvised an "Oé, oé, oé" that the audience enthusiastically chanted, merging music and sport in an unplanned moment. This kind of spontaneity, impossible to replicate in conventional venues, is what distinguishes Starlite Occident.
Tribute to Roy Orbison and nods to the audience
Before performing 'Oh, Pretty Woman', Astley recounted that he was offered to record it for a movie, but he always believed that "no one but Roy Orbison sings Pretty Woman". Ultimately, the producer used the original version. Nevertheless, he confessed that he enjoys singing it live, and that night, wearing sunglasses, he performed it before an audience that sang along to every verse.
The most spontaneous moment came when the singer spotted a fan in the audience wearing an AC/DC t-shirt. He asked him to stand up and then improvised a version of 'Highway to Hell', which was not in the setlist. "That direct connection is only possible when the distance between the stage and the front rows is measured in meters," the artist explained.
The backstage and the future of the festival
After the concert, Sandra García-Sanjuán, president of Starlite Occident, met with Rick Astley backstage. In a relaxed conversation, García-Sanjuán highlighted that "Starlite Occident does not end when the lights go out", but the brand is also built in those informal encounters. Astley, for his part, asked the audience if they would come to see him again if the band returned to Marbella, and the response was a resounding yes.
The concert closed with 'Never Gonna Give You Up', the anthem that launched him to fame, and demonstrated that Starlite Occident remains a cross-generational meeting point. Those who grew up with the song and those discovering it for the first time shared the same night under the sky of the Cantera de Nagüeles. The festival, now celebrating its fifteenth edition, continues to prove that its format is irreplaceable.
You may also like
