LIVE & EVENTSI
t’s a long show, so I’m
not going to talk much,”
announces Bryan Adams
near the start of a gig which
is nominally to promote
his 14th album Shine A
Light. Sure enough, the chat is
relatively restrained so that he
can fi t 29 songs into a two-hour
performance which disproves
Adams’ reputation as a
workmanlike, dour frontman.
The popular myth about
Adams is that he and his music
are no-frills and no-thrills.
His public persona is guarded,
true. But in front of his fans,
Adams is a riot. Constantly
running across the stage,
vamping it up with his tight four-
piece band and doing anything
he can to get an already willing
crowd to sing along, there are
very few moments of respite.
Dreary ballad Please Stay is the
only lull, instantly compensated
when an energetic Cloud #9
causes a sea of arm-waving.Adams’ enthusiasm means
even a song as naff as The Only
Thing That Looks Good On Me
Is You, cheesier than the ripest
brie, here becomes delicious
pop. A technicolour light display
helps, with the stage design
imaginative throughout. The
backdrop videos are unusually
eye-catching, especially of
Adams being mobbed as he
walks through a shopping
mall, which plays behind a
swaggering Can’t Stop This
Thing We Started. Dozens of
neon strip lights descend for an
atmospheric take on, oh yes,
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You.
The willingness to commit to
his hits is admirable. By now,
Adams could coast through
Summer Of ’69 with boredom.
Instead, he plays it as if it’s
the lead single from a new
album. He turns 60 this year, so
singing 18 Til I Die should be
embarrassing. His conviction
means it’s hugely enjoyable.You’d have to be dead inside
not to clap along to the likes of
When You’re Gone or Please
Forgive Me.
Before Shine A Light, Adams
jokes of his new album: “You’ll
know when I play a new song.
They’re the ones you’ll sit down
for.” Which is fair, but the
dizzying power-pop of I Could
Get Used To This deserves to
stay in his set for years. Oddly,
the show does fl ag a little in
the encore. Having used up
his biggest hits, Adams ends
on a run of four acoustic songs
including a cover of Whiskey
In The Jar that even someone of
Adams’ determination doesn’t
bring anything new to.
Largely, such criticisms are
nitpicking. Adams boasts it’s
the 29th time he’s played at this
venue. On this form, there’s no
reason he can’t play it another
29 times. As his song says, it
looks like Bryan Adams will go
down rockin’. John EarlsBRYAN ADAMS
SSE WEMBLEY ARENA, LONDON
27 FEBRUARY★★★★
THE LAUNCH FOR NEW ALBUM SHINE A LIGHT IS THE 29TH TIME
BRYAN ADAMS HAS PLAYED WEMBLEY ARENA, YET HE TREATS IT
WITH ALL THE ENTHUSIASM OF A NEWCOMER© Burak Cingi/Redferns(^1) Ultimate Love
(^2) Can’t Stop This Thing
We Started
(^3) Run To You
(^4) Go Down Rockin’
(^5) Heaven
(^6) Shine A Light
(^7) Only Love
(^8) Please Stay
(^9) Cloud #9
(^10) You Belong To Me
(^11) Summer Of ‘69
(^12) Here I Am
(^13) When You’re Gone
(^14) (Everything I Do) I Do It
For You
(^15) Back To You
(^16) Somebody
(^17) Have You Ever Really
Loved A Woman?
(^18) The Only Thing That
Looks Good On Me
Is You
(^19) Cuts Like A Knife
(^20) 18 Til I Die
(^21) Hearts On Fire
(^22) Please Forgive Me
(^23) Brand New Day
Encore
(^24) I Could Get Used
To This
(^25) I Fought The Law
(^26) Whiskey In The Jar
(^27) Straight From The Heart
(^28) Remember
(^29) All For Love
SETLIST