Live Review: Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams and co launch straight into it with Ultimate Love. Adams sports his trademark denim jeans and blazer look, with side part-slicked, Mad Men-esque hairdo and swish black shoes that are polished to perfection - he means business. The first thing that strikes us is Adams' attractively husky singing voice, particularly prevalent during Can’t Stop This Thing We Started. When Adams takes his position under a stage-right spotlight to perform to those in the bleachers, his guitarist Keith Scott mirrors him under a stage-left spotlight before demonstrating a fancy heel-and-toe travelling step in an attempt to pull focus from the man himself (he succeeds momentarily). Those in attendance who are young enough to own smartphones literally Shine A Light during the song of the same name.

The audience totally takes over for the entirety of Heaven's opening verse as Adams directs his mic, still on its stand, out at the crowd. And Adams really is a card: he does love saying his name in an Aussie accent ("Broin") and after telling us he sang It's Only Love with Tina Turner there's a drumroll before Adams confirms Turner isn’t actually in the building. Instead, we score "Keith Scott on the gee-tar!” who totally wows the crowd with his around-the-world guitar move, sending the instrument on a full rotation around his body on its strap - we laugh, clap and shake our heads in disbelief. Scott could not be more invested and his exaggerated facial expressions while supplying BVs during Cloud Number Nine are everything.


Adams informs us he has a couple of roaming cameramen looking for attention-seekers to star on the venue's giant screens, stipulating we should dance "with some style, please”. Some hilarious moments are captured when some unlikely punters let loose; some even stand on chairs to improve their chances of scoring five seconds of fame. Then in comes that famous syncopated riff: "I got my first real six-string..." We collectively lose it during Summer Of '69 and it's an absolute hoot of a singalong moment, especially the, "Standin' on your mama's porch," harmony section. Tune! 

This evening's plus one, who was en route to the bar, suddenly reappears and plonks back in her seat when her favourite Adams song, Here I Am (from “a horse movie”) starts. Performed accompanied by exceptional keyboardist Gary Breit, we once again admire Adams' dulcet vocal tone during this song from Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron. Then he goes and breaks our hearts with a solo acoustic version of When You're Gone. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You injects extra romance and then Cuts Like A Knife ushers in a deafening "NA-NA-NA!" riff singalong and debilitating guitar solo. We can't help but notice similarities between Brand New Day and Summer Of '69. The unbridled joy on the faces of these musicians is contagious and they clearly live for performing these songs, night after night - Adams must be a cool boss. 

Some (fools) leave before the encore and totally miss out when Adams returns to the stage to belt out The Clash's I Fought The Law. "This is when I play the harmonica and people head for the fire exits,” Adams jests before presenting Whiskey In The Jar ("Whack for my daddy, oh!") solo - his rapid-fire changes from singing to harmonica playing are seamless and his vocal, which sounds as if he's just smoked a deck a darts in quick succession, perfectly suits this Irish classic. When Adams films the rapturous crowd reaction during his encore with his phone we just know the love goes both ways. 

Was anyone else at The Police concert, as part of their Synchronicity tour, back in March 1984 at Melbourne Showgrounds, when a then-unknown Adams was main support? Genius badges that read, "Bryan Adams Hasn’t Heard Of You Either," were distributed and after Adams rocked our socks off, all in attendance were stoked to have made his acquaintance. He's lost none of that effortless rockstar lustre; Adams is the real deal.