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		01/11/04 - CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL ARENA Review by Steven Stanley ...First of all... WOW! What a show this was... probably the best I have ever been to for sure. It was one of those shows that you thanked your lucky stars you were there and that you knew it would be talked about for years afterwards. The day started with myself, Andrea, Stephen and Helen all travelling across from the Brighton show. We got into Cardiff at 4am and started queuing straight away. There were already 2 Welsh locals there in the queue at that time! Myself and Andrea parked infront of the stairs to the venue and went to sleep in the car... we woke up in the NCP carpark next door in the afternoon and I cannot for the life of me remember moving the car!... it was so funny! Anyway the day went fairly quick and we checked out Cardiff which was actually a really nice city. Stopped by the local library for a free internet surfing session as well as going to Starbucks for a quick coffee (Andrea robbed a mug everyone!) and Greggs for the essential food supplies! 5.15pm arrived anyway and I went round the back for a meet and greet with Keith in 'The Green Room'. I got a picture with Keith and we all talked to him. We asked him why suddenly they had black tape around the seams of their black shirts... he said it's really strong tape and a designer friend of Bryan's did them and Bryan thinks they look good so thats why they wear them... erm ok! I also heard him mentioned he was off to practise some new songs but I didn't think nothing of it at the time. I also managed to meet Jill from Speedway which was cool. I came out shortly before the doors were due to open at 6.30pm and reclaimed my queuing spot with Andrea and Stevie. The doors eventually opened at 6.45pm and I ran like hell and we all got front row Bryan's side. There were loads already at the barrier which wasn't on but nevermind. Speedway came onstage to start their last set together as a band and they were really good once again. It's really sad to see them go because they are a great band. Jill is a really amazing singer with a beautiful voice and can also play guitar and drums! Carlos is a great lead guitarist as well. They played all the songs we have come to know and love... 'Juggernaut', 'In And Out', 'Talk To Me', 'Save Yourself', 'Walk On By', 'Last Surprise', 'Always Here', 'Genie In A Bottle'... they were all there. Mid set the drummer also came to sing lead vocals and play guitar while Jill was on drums. They did a great cover of Outkasts 'Hey Ya!'. During the show Stevie held up some banners that went something like..."Jill, come on and blow me... (away)"...everytime she sang that line in 'Juggernaut' she was laughing! He also held up "Jill, do you have any English in you? Do you want some?",... also yesterday's banners from Brighton..."Do I get three wishes... if I rub you the right way" and "3 Wishes... #1 Give Me Head, #2 More Head, #3 Three More Wishes". Whats worse his own sister Andrea had to write the banners for him! We held up a nice banner when she was singing the slow song 'Always Here' anyway saying thanks for touring etc (forgot what it said) and she looked really touched by it and she gave Stevie a tshirt at the end of the show. Speedway went offstage to a big roar from the Cardiff crowd... great great band. BUY THEIR ALBUM NOW! Myself and Andrea heard security muttering about the setlist while we were waiting for Bryan... we wondered what the hell that had to do with security at the time, but it probably turns out that Bryan was still deciding how he was gonna do the show and thats why he was late onstage. Bryan came onstage about 15 minutes late (probably practising the songs he was about to play) and opened with the fantastic 'Room Service' followed by 'Open Road' and a great '18 Til I Die'. The Cardiff crowd was amazing. Bryan then announced that this coming Friday (November 5th 2004) was 20 years to the day since 'Reckless' was released, and since it broke them in the UK they were now gonna play the album from top to bottom. He said "if we wanted to hear 'Everything I Do' we would have to wait a good hour if that was ok".... hell yeah! 'One Night Love Affair' kicked in anyway followed by 'She's Only Happy When She's Dancin' and 'Run To You'... then came 'Heaven'. It was performed in the classic way it is on the album not the high speed version he usually plays. It was just Bryan with a mike and the crowd... also Gary on keyboards was amazing! The whole crowd was singing the song all the way through sooooo loud! 'Somebody' followed and then 'Summer Of '69'..... full band with a 5 piece for the first time in a concert since 1998........woooooow.... you have no idea how much the place erupted! We were all singing our guts out from the very beginning! 'Kids Wanna Rock' was amazing as ever... as it has been all tour and 'It's Only Love' kicked ass as usual with Keith's solo. Bryan then performed 'Long Gone' for the first time since the early 90's during the second verse he shouted....."Operater, get me Cardiff Wales!"... what a reaction that got! The song also had 2 harmonica solos which fitted in well and the whole song rocked... an amazing version. Then came the song EVERYBODY was waiting for... 'Ain't Gonna Cry'. This song had previously never ever been played... it had only been played once before and that was when they had recorded it in a single take. Like with all the album the song was performed in it's original form... Bryan did Bob Clearmountains "a one a two a one two three!" in the middle of the song and then followed some awesome guitar bashing by Bryan and Keith (as you can probably imagine by listening to the album). The song ended just as it did in the studio, with Keith on the floor screaming down a microphone. After the song Bryan simply said "and that ladies and gentlemen, was Reckless". WOW! 'Let's Make A Night To Remember' came up next... over an hour of music and only now we get a slow number.... fantastic! The Cardiff crowd sang their hearts out for this as well and 'Can't Stop This Thing We Started' was also out of this world. 'Back To You' was the best of the tour... me, Andrea, Stevie and Helen started the 'Back To You Bounce' mid song and we ended up getting the whole floor bouncing! What a feeling! BA just saw us doing it and shouted to the rest of the crowd "C'mon it's pumpin' down here" or something like that lol. 'Everything I Do' I really enjoyed for a change because it just sounded great with all the crowd singing along for a change... it was the only gig I have also seen Bryan satisfied with the 'na na na's' straight away during 'Cuts Like A Knife' as well. He still did the whole 'louder' routine but in truth I think he was just trying to see how loud they actually could go lol. The WYGG was good... she worked in Morrisons and she wasn't that bad a singer... she even came onstage with no shoes! 'Not Romeo Not Juliet' was done next followed by a stomping 'The Only Thing'... 'Cloud #9' was brough back into the set after being dropped at Brighton and we all blew up pink balloons during this song and got a 'Happy Birthday' ribbon on the front row for Bryan's 45th birthday this coming Friday. It got a thumbs up anyway! 'Blessing In Disguise' (performed electric) replaced 'Run To You' in the encores because that song was played earlier in the set. It was really good as well... far better than it is on the album. Bryan came down for 'The Best Of Me' one last time and said goodbye to the fans. I love that song live now. Brings back so many memories for me. The 3 song acoustic set came next, the guy is amazing doing this and it really sends shivers down ya spine. 'Flying' was done with so much feeling and 'All For Love' got the crowd singing a bit'. 'Straight From The Heart' was unique at the end because he put on his harmonica round his neck and did a harmonica solo. 3 songs with harmonica! Really beautiful song though and a great way to end the tour. Afterwards we got some Keith plectrums then we all went around the back and said our goodbyes and I got Keith to speak to Adrian on the phone for a bit. I would just like to say a big thanks to everyone I met on tour and I hope to see you all again soon because you all made it even better! Thanks to: Andrea, Stevie, Helen, Adrian, Ross, Shelley, Mave, Tina, Caroline, Sue, Claire Steels, Pink Bunny Ears, Ruth and her husband, Val, Gill the madcow, Chris and Nick, Les, Brian and Claire, Dave Zandivet, Sabina, Ceri, Jason Walkiden, Karl Austin, Jess, Moya, Maria, Steph Walker, Claire Griffiths, Joanne and Karl Watson... if I have forgotten anybody I apologise, just there was a lot of people! Setlist: Room Service Open Road 18 Til I Die One Night Love Affair She's Only Happy When She's Dancin' Run To You Heaven (done in the classic rock ballad way on a single mike) Somebody Summer Of '69 (done full rock version) Kids Wanna Rock It's Only Love Long Gone (with harmonica) Ain't Gonna Cry (first time EVER played live) Let's Make A Night To Remember Can't Stop This Thing We Started Back To You Everything I Do Cuts Like A Knife When You're Gone Not Romeo Not Juliet The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You Cloud #9 Blessing In Disguise The Best Of Me Flying All For Love Straight From The Heart (with harmonica) Review by Maxine Ashford - South Wales Echo: There was no flashy light show, no dramatic special effects and no fancy costume changes, but there was one thing Bryan Adams proved last night and that was Reckless! For at the packed Cardiff International Arena the pint-sized groover from Vancouver played the last leg of this UK tour and after an introduction from his new album with Room Service and Open Road, his fans were treated to a truly rare performance as he played the entire Reckless album. With hit after hit including Run to You, Summer of 69 and Heaven, there was no let-up and when he finished he even thanked us for bearing with him. Then it was back to his normal set with such great numbers as Cuts Like a Knife and, of course, (Everything I Do) I Do It For You - where the swaying cigarette lighters of the past have now been replaced by lit-up mobile phones! And to top it all for one lucky fan there was even the chance - as always - to join the star on stage for a version of Baby When You're Gone. Overall... reckless and brilliant for two hours and 20 minutes!

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