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A review from 5D Music & Theatre writer Maria Robertson
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When this tour was announced originally it was called Shine A Light after the album that was out at the time. Two years later its finally happening under the name of the current album So Happy It Hurts. Both songs obviously featured in the set list – with an amazing display of phone torches for Shine a Light. During So Happy It Hurts, and indeed before the show started, we were treated to a flying car with those words written down the side.
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It created quite a stir, as it was quite a spectacle! From the looks of it remote control drones were attached to an inflatable convertible and flown over the audience. It was a nice touch to bring part of the show nearer to those up the back of the arena and it was a slight distraction from the lack of support act, as usually expected at such a concert.
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The same car was on the backdrop as everyone milled into the arena and as we got closer to the show starting this included footage of a marching band, Bryan and his Mum driving along, a mechanic working on the engine – and a few other things that seemed familiar from previous albums or music videos.
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The first voice we heard was that of John Cleese, doing the introduction to the song Kick Ass which complains there is not enough rock music in the world. Bryan Adams certainly then changed that for everyone there! He did a great set featuring many of the big hits: Everything I Do, When You’re Gone, We’re in Heaven.
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There were some special moments like when he add the word Scottish into the lyrics of Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? or during 18 Till I Die when the screen said 63 rather than the 55 of the lyrics and he turned and pointed, as yes he has made it past the age he wrote about all those years ago. A true reflection of how long this Canadian legend has been rocking the world!
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Quite far into the evening he admitted he has so many songs he often forgets some so he asked the audience what they would like to hear. Thomas asked for Never Be Another Tonight. Jealousy was played for Pauline and then Night to Remember for Lindsay.
Each time he got the name of the song easily enough but struggled to hear the audience member’s name and was yelling “why didn’t you f***ing say so” at them, much to the amusement of most of us. He then went “back to regular programming” with Cuts Like A Knife.
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The encore included These Are The Moments That Make Up My Life which he explained is the last song from the new album and it his truth as he feels all songwriters should give a bit of themselves into their lyrics.
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He and the band are all so talented and marvelous, and they worked so well together. Keith Scott on lead guitar is an absolute guitar hero – at one point he even swung it right round his head then carried on playing. The dynamic between the two lead men was quite a magical thing, they shared a fist bump at the end of one song and were totally rocking out together in perfect harmony.
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The production was amazing, with the car and the backdrops.
When the Summer of 69 was playing there was a lady on the screen with the lyrics tattooed all over her body so we could sing along as the camera followed the song round her. When he announced You Belong To Me he told everyone to get up and dance and that the best ones would make it onto the big screen, this ended with a young boy near the back who was up on someone’s shoulders and the joy on his face was amazing when he realised he’d made it onto the screen.
It really was a night for us all to remember.
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Summer dates – https://www.bryanadams.com/tours/uk-tour-2022/
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Maria Robertson is the Chief Music & Theatre Writer for the 5D Pop Culture Website and provides reviews & coverage of local Aberdeen music & theatre gigs. She’s an experienced writer for numerous sources and is a self-confessed live gig addict ever since seeing The Counting Crows at the Barrowlands in 1994.
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