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06/03/06 - KIRSTENBOSCH
GARDENS, CAPE TOWN Review
by Val: Each day I got to the lovely garden venue at about 11h30. Other than the second day, I was the first there, but the eager beavers started arriving soon after that and within two hours there was a motley collection of die hard Bryan fans each day. The second day there was a professional queuer there at 07h30 – the folk he was queueing for only arriving at 4 pm. Genuine queuers on this second day arrived before me at 09h00. Monday, first show was 40 degrees celcius whilst queueing – finding a shady spot was hard but I was prepared to grin & bare it – obviously!
It was the usual making of new friends especially seeing one is waiting there for just about 9 hours – thank heavens for no rain. When I said I was attending 3 times, most seemed flabbergasted – even the die hard fans. I wonder why people feel it odd to go to all the concerts? There was also Tarryn who I met the first day, who attended all three – her sister attending two. Each night I sat with folk up front who went Backstage – I got feedback from them, as I went Backstage the last night. Only unfortunate thing about queueing so long is that certain folk get drunk before the concert starts – this venue is known as a picnic area as well and bringing along food and refreshments are par for the course. Each night a fight broke out somewhere but as I was right up front each time I was not affected. Bryan I am sure did not notice. My position up front was virtually the
same as January 2003. The stage set up in the front was only slightly different.
My legs were sore by Thursday as I did the marathon to get up front – achieved
successfully each evening as mine was always the first ticket taken by the security
personnel. Two evenings I was overtaken by some strapping guys but 3rd out of
3 is not bad when the stage is that long! I achieved dead centre first two nights,
and slightly right of centre (facing stage) the last night. Between Monday and
Thursday morning There was no seating, all unreserved, standing. Think they had about 6500 people per night – the gardens are not big enough to hold more people but more tickets were allocated the last minute as some adjustment was made to the lawns or whatever so more could be accommodated – there was such a demand for tickets and none could be had for love or money. The security was good – befriended Mike who was there every day, all day – like me! No problems as in 2003 when we were held back the one show and when finally allowed in we found people already sitting up front. The stage had the Room Service guitar backdrop. Enough of all that intro – sure you want to hear more about the actual gigs. Here goes.
Monday 6 March Arrived on my own today – took pics of the stage and lawn before we were barred from the area. Took something to read but very soon people arrived and that put paid to the reading – lots of chatting with them and new arrivals all afternoon. As it was obvious I was the one with ‘’experience’’ I was designated as the main runner for when the gates opened at 6 pm. Each night the gates opened at 6 pm and there was the massive charge for front of stage. Bryan doing sound
check at about 5.40 pm. Sang So Far So Good about 4 times. Say 10 minutes after
the sound check I noticed this man with a white On stage later he said that in the gardens (but sure it was around the secured stage area) he was walking around (perhaps around about the time I saw him walk by) he saw two girls carrying a beer basket and he said ‘’can I help you with that?’’. He recounts how they said no thanks and went on their way, so he says on the stage “are you two darlins out there in the audience?” – all the ladies screamed yes it was me/us, raising their hands! He certainly was gently implying how they totally did not know it was him and look at what they missed out on! Sure though these ladies were personnel allowed early access rather than concert goers. 40 degree celcius heat all day so the night
temp was balmy and great. All 3 nights Bryan started off the set with So Far So Good – it was great live – got the crowd going immediately. It has been played a lot on KFM94.5 radio the past few months and reached No. 3 on the KFM94.5 playlist. Bryan was quite chatty all 3 nights, but perhaps the first night he was the most chatty! The other two nights he would sometimes say the same thing or say something he hadn’t said the night before. I certainly can’t remember it all and know that I’ve not included everything he said – hearing him was difficult, people were screaming out whilst he was talking. All 3 nights he seemed to be genuinely happy (must be Cape Town – read the KFM94.5 radio interview posted under News!) and was smiling a lot, as was Keith. Keith was simply awesome. Even Norm one night smiled for longer than a second! After about the 4th song, B chatted for the first time. Said they arrived this morning (crew were there days before though setting up) from arctic temperatures and what a pleasure it was to be in hot Cape Town. Bryan is looking a bit pale – hopefully after his stay in South Africa (he should be leaving on 13 March I think as he will be in Dubai for the 14th) he would have caught a bit of our well known sun. He said that they had quite a collection of songs to get through so we should settle in. Other comments Bryan made during the course of the evening – he spoke about how it always amazes him the reception he gets from the audience – he said they have no gimmicks on stage like some other shows, he said it’s all about the music. He called us all crazy. In a typical South African accent (yes Bryan putting on an exaggerated form of our accent) he said someone backstage said, “well Bryan, this is your 4th visit to S.A” – then back to his own accent he said – “no actually it is my fifth” (he may just have been teasing that person, but he has only been here 4 times giving concerts, if he was here a 5th, it was for a personal, private visit). After some other chatting in between songs, he paused one time, audience it appears knowingly were a bit quieter than normal, & he said “I suppose you want me to tell you another story?”. Of course everyone yelled out. He spoke about Anthology and says he is going to sing a song from a while back – Hearts on Fire. He mentioned the 10 days he is in South Africa. He remarked on the stunning evening it was and just the best and said that it was kinda like performing in someone’s backyard. It really was hot and B and K were dripping – think it may have been the 2nd night, K appeared to jump away from B when a sweat, or dare I say, spit ball, landed from Bryan onto him but perhaps it was just the time he was going to move away! The sweat and spit was flowing and jumping off Bryan’s face.
Mentioned his recent visit to India & Pakistan and that they will be going onto Canada. He seemed really chuffed at the response he was getting from the audience and every now and then after a song, he would pause and just look at us with that really pleased look – that of course got the crowd going. When we ‘’did things right’’ he would nod his head and raise his arms above his head and clap. There was the usual crowd participation for 18 til I die, Can’t Stop, SO69, Cuts, Only Thing when he creates those pauses for the crowd to do their thing. The shouting of ‘’you’’ by the crowd with arm actions pointing at Bryan on Only Thing was really something fantastic to experience. He really does know how to get the crowd going, it’s amazing. Of course everyone sang along to everything. At times I was unable to hear Bryan during the ballads because of this. Also, as I said, when he chatted I could not hear everything he was saying as he was drowned out by the crowd whooing and screaming. Hearts on Fire – man, what can I say. This was phenomenal – the guitar work of Bryan & Keith. It was one of my favourites of the nights. Kids wanna Rock too – that guitar work, wow (Kids was not played the second night – odd?). He asked us all to switch on our cell phones – but can’t remember for which song – Heaven? Know it wasn’t Everything I Do or Cloud No. 9. The one side screen failed to work which was such a pity for the folk at the back but they got it right the next two nights. A panty was thrown but it landed short of the stage. There was an attractive, blonde photographer lady (and much younger than B!) taking pictures of Bryan and the guys all night. Camera with a large zoom lens – she was all over the place – back of stage, side of stage, in the pit in front of us – sides and centre of the pit. Saw Bryan give her a wink one time and every now and then you could see he was pointing out to her where she should shoot. After a while it was actually irritating, her being all over the place, and it turned out that she was there every night! Second night it became a bit much as she was in your way at times – the last night although she was taking pictures it was not as obtrusive – sure the reason she was taking all these pictures was for B himself (and not the usual press) for something he intends using. When you’re Gone girl. Of course he picked the young pretty blonde – about 16, still at high school, Susan from Bergvliet (suburb near where I stay). As usual Bryan asks where she is from and she says ‘’Bergvliet”, B says ‘’oh, Bat Feet?”, she says no “Bergvliet”, Bryan says “Bat Feet”, then she stands almost with her hands on her hips, moves closer to Bryan and slowly and very pronounced says BERG-VLIET” (like a teacher getting annoyed with her student), Bryan says ‘’Yes, I know, Bergvliet”. Perfectly pronounced by Bryan and he knew all along – he had her wound up all along. She sorta knew the words but floundered now and then – nerves? She was clueless as to what to do with the bum thing. She kept on turning around full circle, Bryan using his hand gestering her to turn around and she did it again full circle, even some in the crowd (me included) were trying to gesture to her how to do it!! Lol! Of course each night he does the low down guitar thing on her butt and the usual hug and lift up, “who is with you story”, t shirts etc. It’s only Love. He looks right, to back of stage and says unfortunately Tina Turner is not with us but you have Keith Scott!! He mentions that Keith is the true talent of the band – of course each night when he introduces the guys he says, about Keith ‘’ You love him, take him home with ya, Keith Scott!”. Best of Me – well as is the norm during his present gigs, he came down up front – gosh the crowd went ballistic. I sorta got squashed (but the following night was really bad – see later). I had no opportunity to get a real touch or whatever as everyone was all over me trying to get in their chance. But as he got to the right side of me and his right arm was hanging down I rubbed his arm as if to say, hey here I am. He looked down and took my hand and shook it – oh so very genteel! Just to the right of me he grabbed a guys South African flag floppy cricket type hat and put it on his head, continued singing, he gave the hat back to this guy, but then he took it again and tried to fit it on his own head some other way, eventually the guy got his hat back. On his way back to the stage a woman of about 65 (who was with her husband and I notice was right up front at the beginning of the show) gave him a real momma hug and a mother’s rub of the back – Bryan was so willing to allow her to do this. Awww. This couple may in fact have been the second night – getting things that happened confused over the 3 nights! He did an encore and then sang on his own Please Forgive Me and All for Love. He said ‘’see you tomorrow Cape Town” and really did not linger or walk across the stage, gestering goodbye, as he usually does – he just walked off. Show ended 10 pm so a full two hours. Hung around on the lawns for about 30 minutes then waited at our vehicles another 45 minutes before even attempting to leave –traffic was at a standstill. I live close by so each night I was home about 11.30 pm. On to Val's review of 2nd Cape Town show > ********** Review
by Andrea Botha (News 24.com): It was the Canadian superstar's fifth visit to South Africa, and even he acknowledged on stage that it was a perfect evening. Surrounded by Table Mountain, the city lights and stars overhead; the venue could not have been better picked. The grassy slope in front of the stage was packed with thousands of people who had brought their blankets and picnic baskets. Exactly at 20:00, the rocker appeared on stage with a professional show that was both vibey and easygoing and complemented the superb setting. A large part of the crowd appeared to consist of teens who would not even have been born when Adams was made famous in the 80s with the hit album Reckless. Yet they appreciatively screamed in excitement as he sang hits like Summer of 69 and Heaven from it. The crowd also cheered enthusiastically as he performed other well-known hits like 18 Til I Die, Cuts Like A Knife and Everything I do, I Do It For You, from other albums. The Kirstenbosch concert started off his four-city SA Room Service Tour, from his 11th album, which has already sold millions of copies globally. The concert was brought to SA by Big Concerts and Kfm 94.5 and was well-organised with no queues at the entrance and easy access. Adams is turning 47 this year, yet he has not lost his touch. Looking trim and trendy in a black t-shirt and jeans, his voice was as husky as ever, with the beat lively and energetic. Adams came across relaxed and easy-going, chatting to the crowd and inviting the audience to help him make it "a night to remember". Later on, he invited a local schoolgirl onto the stage to sing a duet with him. Trying to pronounce the name of the suburb Bergvliet where she was from, he finally settled on what sounded like "Bird feet". The audience laughed affectionately and it seemed the rocker could do no wrong that night. Adams is still performing at Kirstenbosch on Tuesday and Wednesday, and while the weather holds out - it is definitely worth a visit. His next shows are in PE, Durban and Johannesburg. Setlist: | |||
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Thanks to Val for the setlist, pics by Val and Janice
Bryan playing the first of 3 Cape Town shows
"18 Til I Diiiiiiie!"
Great shot of Bryan on the Gretsch
The K-man!
'69 on the green Gretsch
Bryan on guitar
Bryan on his fantastic Gretsch guitar |
