Live Review: Bryan Adams, Baby Animals

The 2015/16 Kings Park season of live music has seen some massive acts sweep through and deliver some unforgettable sets. A delightful blend of homegrown and international talent has seen thousands flocking in and out of the gorgeous greens of the Pioneer Women's Memorial, and some of the biggest names have been saved for last.

Suze DeMarchi paraded her Baby Animals around the stage in the dying throes of the afternoon, but it seemed that someone behind the mixing desk took a rather early smoko, as DeMarchi herself was barely audible. The trademark husk in her voice has always been the focal point of the band, but it languished at times and left the crowd somewhat at a loss. A jagged cover of David Bowie's Starman was a touching tribute to the late commander-in-chief in the war against mediocrity, and they cleverly capitalised on the nostalgic energy they'd mustered to bust out hook-laden One Word. By the time they left the stage, the crowd had flirted with the idea of 'getting into it' but it was obvious that the die-hard fans all over Perth had gathered for one reason only.

Musically speaking, Bryan Adams has kept a relatively low profile in the last ten or so years, releasing only two studio albums, one of which was a collection of covers. Despite this, he still exudes a quaint charisma that seems to be both giving him the wherewithal to perform as well as he did at his peak, as well as allowing him the space to comfortably make the transition into his dotage. The guy still has the range to easily hit the highest notes in Run To You and Can't Stop This Thing We Started so you can hardly fault him for still wanting to record and tour as much as he has been. 

Without the backing of Melanie Chisholm on When You're Gone, an acoustic rendition at first seemed a ballsy move, but Adams was clever enough to know that the hundreds of voices enthusiastically singing along with him would make up for her absence. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, arguably Adams' most famous song, was a bit shit, really, and not at all helped by the fact that he'd unnecessarily decided to play it in a different key. He had plenty of thundering rock classics left in his expansive repertoire, though, to make up for that misstep, and it all wound down at the end as All For Love gave the flashlight app on everyone's phones a good workout and drew the beautifully still evening to a close.