Ginger-haired mid-’80s crooner Rick Astley performed a cover version of the AC/DC classic “Highway To Hell” during his Thursday night (August 11) concert at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California. The soul-rock rendition, which has been a staple of Astley‘s sets over the years, saw the British pop singer handling lead vocals as well as playing the drums, his original instrument, when he was starting out in punk bands. Rick also performed covers of Mark Ronson‘s “Uptown Funk”, THE TEMPTATIONS“Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” and Nat King Cole‘s “When I Fall In Love”.

Before launching into “Highway To Hell”, Astley — who inspired one of the most memorable Internet memes of all time — asked the audience: “Do you wanna rock?… Hearing me say that probably sounds a bit weird. But in an alternate universe, this is what might have been.”

Astley‘s eighth studio effort, “50”, just became his first No. 1 album in the U.K. since his 1987 debut.

“50”, which was entirely written and produced by Astley and features him playing every instrument, comes out in North America on October 7, four months after bowing overseas.

A worldwide sensation, Astley‘s “Never Gonna Give You Up” video has been viewed more than 230 million times on YouTube since it was first uploaded in 2009.

Fonte: Blabbermouth.net