Eighties music fans were in their element as they bopped the night away at the Rick Astley concert at Bedgebury Pinetum last night.

Women, who had perhaps reluctantly dragged their partners along to see their teen idol perform his most famous hits, screamed with delight as the Never Gonna Give You Up star came on stage.

The singer-songwriter, who released the smash hit back in 1987, when he was just 21, has bounced back onto the music scene and can still get the crowds going.

Now 51, the singer headlined the Forestry Commission’s Forest Live concert at the stunning location in Goudhurst.

Thousands of people with their picnics and Prosecco danced around on the grounds to his set list.

One of the first tunes he performed was another of his greatest hits, Together Forever, which even got most of the reluctant men in the arena on their feet dancing with their loved ones.

As fresh-faced and as fit as he was in the late 80s, he also performed some of his singles from his recent number one album, 50, much to the crowds delight.

He then changed tempo and did a few covers, including Ed Sheeran’s Shape Of You and even pulled off Rihanna’s We Found Love track.

Astley then performed a rather fine version of AC/DC’s classic Highway To Hell, with his band and talented backing singers.

The star, who even has his own Rick Astley’s Northern Hop lager on sale at the event, kept his fans waiting until the very end of the night for the one track everyone had been waiting for, and then the crowd never gave up asking for an encore.

So even though it has been 30 years since the song, which was the UK’s biggest selling single of the year and was number one in 16 countries was released, not one person in the arena had forgotten the words.

The whole place sang along to the lyrics in the forest setting and had an amazing night.

Astley had been supported in at the gig by another British singer-songwriter Rumer.

Her soothing songs saw many music fans swing from side-to-side in their picnic chairs and blankets in the warm up to Astley coming on.

Her voice is reminiscent of the late Karen Carpenter and she performed many of her songs including Slow and Sara Smile.

Tonight rock band Elbow will play their sell-out night at the venue.