www.18tilidie.co.uk


		18/07/92 - WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON Review by Chris Welch (Rockpower magazine): How they cheered and waved their arms, the day the Adams Family came to town. Coachloads of short-aired, nice people in white T-shirts arrived from all over the country to pay homage to the ultimate boy-next-door rock star. Admittedly Bryan would be a rather noisy boy to have next door, constantly shouting "Hey Honey I'm Packin' You IN!&qout;, but he's the kind of guy you could probably ask to look after the cat while you're on holiday. If this all sounds faintly impertinent with a whiff of thinly-disguised satie, then pray forgive me. It's just that having been constantly exposed to the perils of Anthrax and Slayer and their distinctive entourage of fans, it's a bit of a shock to see a crowd that don't lok like beings from the Planet Quarg. Did you know normal people like rock music too? And by gum they love Bryan, and Extreme and to a lesser extent they're jolly keen on Sqeeze and Little Angels too. It was all so pleasant at Wembley on a hot, sunny day, that I half expected something awful to happen, like the stand I was sitting in suddenly collapsing under the thunder of feet. But I'm pleased to report - no calamities - only the sounds of mirth, merriment and 60,000 people having a good time. Little Angels warmed up the crowd with "I Won't Get Fooled Again", a rather appropriate Who tribute in view of later developments. Squeeze, clad in snazzy white petrol pump attendants' outfits, loped through their brittle, chirpy hits, which included "Labelled With Love" and "Black Coffee In Bed". Extreme were sensatonal, with Gary Cherone making full use of the gigantic stage, singing, dancing and wiggling his ass like a demon, while Nuno Bettencourt, looking much better without the dreaded beard, played things upon the guitar that no man other than Segovia has attempted this century. I wondered how many of the wide-eyed audience actually appreciated what he was doing, or whether they tink all rock guitarists play like this? A group of girls near me screamed as Gary removed his shirt and danced with all the verve of Michael Jackson. Well, it's all showbiz folks. A brace of Nuno guitar features, (one in 5/4 time methinks), a song from the next album, called "Rest In Peace", and of course "More Than Words" and "Get The Funk Out" were highlights of an exciting set. It was capped by the surprise appearance of The Who's Roger Daltrey singing "The Real Me". Roger grinned with delight when Gary joked:"Keep that up boy, you've got a future ahead of you!" As Wembley erupted, Gary added: "England is like our second home. See you in September!" If Bryan Adams was fazed by the success of the Extreme set, he showed no sign of it when he literally ran on stage, to rock out on "House Arrest". All previous cheers were dwarfed as Bryan, clad in simple black T-shirt and a dazzling smile, greeted his legions. In my innocence I thought no-one could follow Extreme, but the man who is Johnny B. Goode drew a response that was overwhelming. Screaming? You got it. Arm waving, singing along word perfect, instant response to first notes of a song? All in abundance. "All I Want Is You" his latest single was matched by the older "Cuts Like A Knife" and last year's "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" and "There Will Never Be Another Tonight". Bryan added excitement to his show by suddenly switching to an auxiliary stage, where the band played Eddie Cochran's "C'mon Everybody" causing mass confusion among the audience, who didn't know which way to run. Bryan Adams is basically reinventing rock'n'roll for a new generation and is doing it with the utmost sincerity and lack of pretension. Now why didn't I think of that? Setlist: House Arrest Kids Wanna Rock All I Want Is You Hey Honey...I’m Packin’ You In! Can’t Stop This Thing We Started Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya Cuts Like A Knife It’s Only Love Touch The Hand Heaven Lonely Nights Everything I Do Run To You Somebody When The Night Comes There Will Never Be Another Tonight *b-stage* C’mon Everybody Can’t Judge A Book By Looking At The Cover She’s Only Happy When She's Dancin' *b-stage* Summer Of '69 Straight From The Heart One Night Love Affair Do I Have To Say The Words

	Ž 2003 18 Til I Die.co.uk. All rights reserved. Web site comments to admin@18tilidie.co.uk