Bryan Adams, Auckland NZ, 2019

Bryan Adams

12th March 2019
Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.

Like a fine wine, Bryan Adams has only gotten better with age.

A cliché statement? Why very much indeed. However, one that those in attendance of his show last night at Auckland’s Spark Arena would be loath to argue with.

Bryan Adams began entertaining the crowd long before he even stepped on stage, a large video projection of his silhouette from his freshly released Shine A Light album cover greeting fans as they walked in. At first it seemed like an innocuous backdrop, but every so often it would move, surprising many of the audience members who then began to watch intently as humorous additions would appear and disappear. Moments before the show was about to begin, Adams voice came through the speakers requesting all in attendance to raise their hands if they had bought a ticket, laughing everyone complied. Their laughter soon turning to applause as Adams announced that for each ticket purchased on this current eighty-show tour, a tree would be planted. A philanthropist, activist and vegan for over twenty-nine years, it is a gesture well in keeping with Adams character.

Arriving in a simple black shirt and dark blue jeans and accompanied by his four piece band – both guitarist Keith Scott and drummer Mickey Curry having been performing with Adams since 1983 – Adams and co. wasted no time in getting straight into the music, the all-out rock song ‘Ultimate Love’ sending the audience down the back catalogue path; first stop the 90’s with ‘Can’t Stop This Thing We Started’ before ‘Run to You’ showcased one of Adams’s biggest hits of the 80’s.

But Adams hasn’t resigned himself to a greatest hits package tour yet, ‘Shine a Light’ which he co-wrote with one of the most famous pop stars today, Ed Sheeran, proving that Adams is still very much creating and more importantly taking pleasure in doing so, his face breaking into a wide smile as the audience – unprompted – lit up their cell phones and waved them in time to the music.

Constantly touching base with his fans by making them laugh with his anecdotes, or asking them to sing along, Adams very much made the impression of being an engaged artist, who enjoyed entertaining his audience as much as they enjoyed being entertained. The symbiotic relationship throughout the night creating an atmosphere of pure exultation. New happily mingled with old, ‘Please Stay’ seeing his life long supporters sing along to every word, before ‘Summer of 69’ brought the entire arena to its feet, Adams distinctly raspy voice providing the song with just the right amount of edge while Scott delivered guitar riffs with abandoned passion on his well-worn 1963 retrofitted Fender Stratocaster sunburst. An almost criminally underrated guitarist, Scott creates magic throughout the night and shows just how exceptional a guitar player can be when he truly builds a relationship with his instrument.

Of course, what would a Bryan Adams show be without the love songs? ‘(Everything I do) I do it for you’ seeing many couples in the crowd get closer, Adams demonstrating with ease that he can still pull off those big notes, the on screen visuals and light show handled with aplomb by the arena lighting techs; while a wonderful piano piece performed by Gary Breit during ‘Here I Am’ lifted the song to a completely new level. With a planned twenty-seven-song strong set list, you would think that Adams was already giving his fans all he had, but Adams had other ideas as he deviated for a moment, asking the crowd if they had any requests. Shorter versions of both ‘Thought I’d Died and Gone to Heaven’ and ‘Hearts on Fire’ played solo by Adams on his acoustic delighting fans no end.

Ninety minutes had disappeared in a heartbeat, the fans begging for more as Adams and his fellow band members bid farewell following a rousing version of ‘Brand New Day’ from his 2015 album Get Up which featured stunning visuals of Helena Bonham Carter swirling around on screen as only Helena can. Returning for not one, not three but a five track encore, Adams really stepped it up and proved just how good he is, his rather unexpected but exhilarating cover of The Dubliners tune ‘Whiskey in the Jar’ (made famous by both Thin Lizzy in 71’ as well as Metallica in 04’) seeing Adams alone on stage with nothing more than a guitar and a harmonica. Remaining on the acoustic path, a moving rendition of ‘Straight from the Heart’ took on new meaning as Adams spoke emotionally about the death of his father last year, before he closed out the night with a full-blown crowd sing-along to ‘All for Love’.

Mr Adams you just unequivocally won Auckland’s heart.

Were you there at Spark Arena for this high energy rock gig? Or have you seen the Bryan Adams perform live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Setlist:

1. Ultimate Love
2. Can’t Stop This Thing We Started
3. Run To You
4. Shine A Light
5. Heaven
6. Go Down Rockin’
7. It’s Only Love
8. Please Stay
9. Cloud Number Nine
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. I’ll Always Be Right There
18. The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You
19. Cuts Like A Knife
20. 18 Til I Die
21. Thought I’d Died And Gone To Heaven [audience request]
22. Hearts On Fire [audience request]
23. Please Forgive Me
24. Brand New Day
25. I Could Get Used To This [encore]
26. I Fought The Law [The Bobby Fuller Four cover – encore]
27. Whiskey In The Jar [The Dubliners cover – encore]
28. Straight From The Heart [encore]
29. All For Love [encore]

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