Rick Astley
with The Lightning Seeds + Heather Small + Pentire
Ludlow Castle – 24th July ‘26
Shooting a concert inside the historic open-air courtyard of Ludlow Castle is always a remarkable experience, but capturing Rick Astley’s headlining show last week felt like an absolute high point of the summer. Having the chance to shoot from up close in the photo pit as well as out among the crowd allowed me to capture both the high-energy intensity on stage and the massive atmosphere of the audience.
The evening started with Herefordshire four-piece Pentire, who secured their slot on the bill through BBC Introducing. Seeing local talent step onto a massive stage framed by ancient stone walls was fantastic. Their tight guitar hooks and infectious indie energy set a great pace early on, giving me plenty of dynamic movement to capture through the lens as the castle grounds began filling in.
Next was the legendary Heather Small, who brought incredible power to the lineup. The moment she took the stage, her unmistakable soul-drenched voice carried right across the courtyard. Running through classic M People anthems like “Moving On Up” and “Search for the Hero,” she had the audience captivated. Capturing her joy and towering stage presence yielded some of my favorite shots of the evening.
Liverpool pop royalty The Lightning Seeds then kept the momentum rolling. Ian Broudie and the band delivered a masterclass in classic British pop song writing, cranking out timeless hits like “Pure” and “The Life of Riley”. As dusk began to settle over Shropshire, the entire venue joined in for massive singalongs, giving me ideal warm lighting for wide, atmospheric crowd shots.
When Rick Astley took the stage, the energy inside the castle reached a fever pitch. Rick is the ultimate showman—his vocals sound as rich and resonant today as they ever did, but it is his quick-witted, self-deprecating humor and effortless charm that truly elevate his live set. Being right up in the pit for his set meant capturing every expression, grin, and dynamic pose as he effortlessly commanded the crowd. Seamlessly mixing classic late-eighties pop icons like “Together Forever” with newer original tracks and soulful covers, he had total control over the room.
The finale was an explosive rendition of “Never Gonna Give You Up” that had every single person dancing. Looking through the viewfinder at thousands of arms raised under the stage lights with medieval ruins illuminated behind them was pure magic.
Framing those close-up performance shots from the pit while feeling the bass rattle off ancient stone reminded me why live music photography is so special. A brilliant night from start to finish.
Words & Photography – Mark Jackson