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01/03/00 - MELBOURNE PARK Review
by Jenny Thackray (Music 365): Initially the Canadian pop star was dismissed for being a radio-friendly version of rock music's own homeboy Bruce Springsteen. Then commentators started comparing the gravel-throated crooner's body of work to Rod Stewart's fallow '80s period. The British public soon came to regard the affable songwriter as something akin to the Devil after his maudlin ballad 'Everything I Do (I Do It For You)' (from the film 'Prince Of Thieves') topped the UK charts for bloody months. In recent years, Adams has moved away from leather-jacketed rock, preferring instead to write chart-bound ballads for the ladies. This has caused even more ridicule. Recently, he's been experimenting with dance rhythms and duetting with the odd Spice Girl. Surely, this man is beyond the pale? Not to judge from his performance in Melbourne. For starters, he has such a rapport with his working-class audience. Frequently, he stops a song and entreats his fans to sing louder, not continuing until he's satisfied the requisite volume level has been attained. For the unrepentantly nostalgic 'Summer Of '69', the audience sing the first two verses, with virtually no accompaniment. It's touching, to be privy to so many shared dreams. For 'When You're Gone' he invites a star-struck female fan up on stage to duet with him: the fact she is unable to hit a single note only adds to the song's charm. On another occasion, the bassist/singer becomes diverted by a passing cricket, instructing his lighting engineer to shine a spotlight on the insect until it has scuttled to safety. It's a moment that could've been lifted direct from Tom Hanks' The Green Mile. These diversions on their own would be enough to forgive Adams most of his crimes against music, but the fact of the matter is that he's actually not bad live. Especially when he keeps his music simple, stripped back to a basic rock boogie that uncannily recalls the Royal Family's favourite rock band Status Quo. Certainly, he's been taken lessons in presentation. No ostentation for Adams. The set is comprised of eight large amps placed either side of the drums and a simple light show. The band is similarly unpretentious - a three-piece, with lead guitarist Keith Scott indulging in the rock theatrics on 'Get Away' and 'Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman'. Indeed, that's where the main failing lies tonight. The guitarist is allowed too much freedom, resulting in one tired Foreigner-style guitar solo after another. Still, even 'Everything I Do' sounds fine(ish) tonight, performed acoustically. Bryan self-deprecatingly jokes beforehand that "it's the most famous song ever written for the didgeridoo", before intentionally messing up the start. Imagine if the three lads from Friends formed a rock band. Bryan Adams, we salute you. | |||
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