Live Review: Bryan Adams

As the crowd loitered in Allphones Arena anticipating the presence of Bryan Adams, the legend himself, they were graced with a hilarious moving animation of him lit up on the screens. When the band entered the stage they kicked straight off with the tune Do What Ya Gotta Do from the new album Get Up. Adams proved he is spectacular from this first moment onwards as his flawless vocals effortlessly reached out to the audience, a booming tone and impressively large voice. 

Adams' youthful presence on stage was evident through his extreme passion and exertion. His remarkable guitar shredding proved that after all these years in the industry he has managed to keep that sparkle in his eye. Run To You was a perfect mix of romantic and sultry vibes. It was lyrically mischievous but also, at times, heartfelt and romantic. His lively yelling, as he called out to the crowd during the tunes and throughout the set, enticed viewers even further.

"My name is Bryan," he said cheekily. He tried out an Aussie accent before continuing with his hit Heaven. A choir of audience voices sang the first verse and chorus of the song before Adams came in and took the second verse. The song sounded divinely inspired; his lyrics, vocals, the moody instrumental and performance all created a physical and emotional response. Summer Of '69 got the sitting down crowd upstanding, dancing around. The reminiscing tone of the lyrics transformed the venue, for most of the audience it seemed as if they had time-travelled back to that very same summer.

A man in the VIP section proposed to his partner, so Adams dedicated (Everything I Do) I Do It For You to the happy couple. The dedication was beautiful, emotional and enticing. The musicianship and Adams' voice were both faultless to the point where it seemed unbelievable. Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? brought together a huge singalong as the room filled with richness and love before the band yanked the tempo up for his catchy tune Cuts Like A Knife. Here they succeeded in creating suspense, keeping the audience interested, as well as grooving around themselves in their matching black suits.

For the encore, Adams played She Knows Me — spotlighted with his acoustic guitar — followed by Straight From The Heart. Both exemplified what Adams does best; his love songs and powerful-yet-simple ballads appeal to many. He continued this wavelength with his hit song Please Forgive Me, the standout of the set, sung with his trademark croaky, rich, emotional tone; the lyrics clever and adoring, passionate and strong. It was the perfect anecdote to end a faultless show.