For me, life doesn’t get much better than thousands of people singing Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up at the top of their voice on a Tuesday night in Cambridge.

The atmosphere at the Cambridge Corn Exchange on November 6 was electric. He made us wait, of course he did, the 80’s hit that shot him to fame was the last song of three in his encore, but it was well worth the wait. The crowd sung the opening few lines in what will be one of my most treasured gig experiences to date.

He told the audience he is now 52, but he moved about the stage with the energy of his 20-something self and gave us a show to remember. His rapport with the crowd was hilarious, but also poignant and humble. He seems like a genuinely nice bloke who loves his wife and his family and can’t quite believe he achieved stardom the first time around, let alone the second.

The Lancashire-born singer’s soulful voice has acquired more depth over the years, which has given his him the ability and range to take the leap from pop songs to power ballads. His 2016 chart-topper 50 and this year’s top ten hit Beautiful Life have been well received.

He did the new stuff, he did the old stuff, he covered George Ezra’s Shotgun and looked like he was enjoying every minute of it, and finally he gave us the song we were all waiting for.

Like I said, Tuesday evenings don’t get better than that.

Rick Astley was supported by Gabrielle.