| ||||
|
|
07/05/07 -
SECC, GLASGOW Bryan keeps churning out the big shows in Glasgow and adds 'This Time' to the set. ********** Review by David Sinclair (The Times): In Glasgow at the start of his British tour on Monday, the expatriate Canadian star worked the audience in this awkwardly configured exhibition hall as thoroughly as if he was entertaining a small crowd of locals in a pub backroom. Indeed, he began and ended the show on a parcel of stage not much bigger than the performing area in an average pub gig, positioned at the back of the auditorium. The opening salvo of There Will Never Be Another Tonight and Can't Stop This Thing We Started had an immediately galvanising effect as the musicians bobbed and weaved around the tiny island of stage, surrounded on all four sides by ecstatic fans. The band made a quick exit out the back and found their way round to the main stage, leaving Adams to wade through the entire length of the crowd while singing The Best of Me. Was he on a mission to meet and greet every last person crushed around him on the floor? He and his four-man band certainly spared no effort in reaching out to the four corners of the building during the tremendously powerful performance that ensued.
Militantly dressed down in a uniform of black T-shirts, blue work jeans and matching key chains, they looked like men engaged in a serious job of work while behaving with the exaggerated exuberance of kids let loose in an adventure playground. Adams played guitar and sang with a throaty yell, the guitarist Keith Scott played with tremendous precision and attack, and the rhythm section locked it all together, just so. But it was the songs that did the talking – a succession of cleverly-crafted, strangely timeless anthems and smoochy, soft-rock ballads painted on the largest of emotional canvases with the boldest of brush strokes. From the surging drama of Summer of ‘69, 18 Till I Die and Kids Wanna Rock to the slushy sentiment of (Everything I Do) I Do It For You and Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?, the band never put a foot a wrong. The moment when Adams hauled Natalie from Aberdeen out of the audience to duet with him on When You’re Gone was simply magical. So, there were no new songs in Glasgow, few surprises, one or two corny moments and it went on a bit long. But what an underrated performer Bryan Adams is. And what a stirring arena show this was.
Setlist: ********** Review by Wouter: Let me start this review by telling that it was really a last minute decision, as just on the 2nd of may my plane ticket was booked! I would fly out on Sunday the 6th from Brussels - Charleroi and would go back on Tuesday the 8th. My trip to Glasgow started really early on the day, as I had to get out at 5am to catch the International train to Brussels. All went as planned and at the airport I could instantly go through the passport check. The hassle started after that though, as my (hand) luggage had to be checked. As I had no suitcase or whatever, everything containing liquids was in my backpack.. something to drink, shampoos, gel.. everything. All in all it resulted in quite an argument with the customs in Brussels, but it all worked out and I could nearly take everything. Flight etc. went quite well and I arrived on time at Prestwick airport. With three people giving me different advice about how to get to the apartment Marloes was at, I eventually took the train to Glasgow Central Station. Travelling by train was a good opportunity to see something of the country, as it was a nice view. Glasgow Central Station looked very nice and the people were very friendly while helping me sorting out which bus I had to take. In the end I got in the right bus and then I had to find out how buying a ticket in busses in the UK works. Totally different from here.. and I guess it was quite entertaining for the people in the bus to see. So I got at the apartment, which turned out to be really nice. After a while me and Marloes went back to town to have dinner and check out the venue and the hotel Bryan would probably stay in. There was a very nice Aston Martin parked there and I had to get my picture taken with that of course. The SECC box office promised us that they would have our tickets at the box office at 4pm the next day. Which we could only hope for, we thought a moment about queing at 5 pm the day before but in the end decided not to do so. ;-) As we were both quite tired we decided to go back to the apartment instead of staying downtown. We played a childish but funny game on the PS2 which was a good laugh and then went sleeping as we had quite a day ahead of us. We woke up quite early to go to the grocery store and Marloes showed me the Moon Guitars workshop she saw the day before. The acoustics Bryan currently plays in concert were made there. It was quite funny to see how small the workshop was and just a small sign showed where it was located (in an alley with a scrap heap of old engines at one side!) but unfortunately the workshop itself wasn’t opened because of the`Bank holiday` which I had no clue of what it exactly was about lol. On our way to the SECC we passed Bryans hotel and had another try, but no sign of Bryan. Arrived at 11.45am at the SECC and I had number 35 in the que. It was very cool to meet up with Lizy, Shels, Jackie and everyone else I can’t remember the names of, sorry! (Probably nobody knew my name either, I was wearing a black G-Star Live 8 (Hyde Park) shirt and had a red coat, my name is Wouter lol!) But it was quite nice to meet up with everyone and time went very fast. Still very glad our tickets luckily were already there and not after the doors would open. Everyone who queued early were bitching all day (in a friendly way) at security to arrange the opening of the doors properly. Which worked at the start, they were positive about letting the people who queued early in first. Until the additional security came (Rock Steady Security) who basicly said they would open up the two doors at the same time and that they couldn’t care, which would be a disgrace considering some people had already been gathering at the other door to take chance of that opportunity. In the end everything worked out in a good way, they let the early queuing fans in first. We were guided by a line of security people to the arena and I didn’t really have a good spot there.. but in the end as they let us go in the arena, I ran as fast as I could and grabbed a spot just at the right of Keiths amps, next to Lizy, Chels, `someone` and Marloes. Felt really excited as it was the first time I was on the barrier! Support act James Hunter did a good job and was playing quite a good show, as I normally don’t really like Jazz. The crew was getting the stage ready and it occurred to me they had a lot of things to do this time! Lights went off and Bryan started out with `There Will Never Be Another Tonight` but very soon the band kicked in and truly rocked the SECC, what an amazing song it is and once again it worked out really well! (Same as in Luxemburg three years earlier.) The band launched almost straight into `Can't Stop This Thing We Started` which got the crowd going.. and the band as well, as they couldn’t really stop it and kept on playing all the way. Bryan might have been looking for someone to stop it, but unfortunately I was at the other barrier, bummer! Then Bryan grabbed his acoustic, as the band left the B-stage, and played `Please Forgive Me` which was quite disappointing and totally slowed down the show at that moment. He should just have talked a few minutes to the crowd or do something funny and keep the crowd singing and then keep the pace going with `The Best of Me` as he walks to the main-stage... The walking is a brilliant idea to do it this way I think. I got a great high five as he passed us at the barrier, another first time as well! I loved the fact that the songs were mixed up since the last time I saw him and I couldn’t forecast all the songs so when he played the next few songs including `Somebody` `This Time` (on the great looking Rickenbacker) and `Let's Make a Night to Remember`. Marloes called Steven on `This Time` and after the song I had a nice opportunity to sing to Steven about his favourite football club. It was good to hear that `Kids Wanna Rock` was back again, as it should be a regular. Bryans Orange Gretsch didn’t work at a certain point during the song so halfway he had to change it with the Green one. `18 Til I Die` was great as always with everyone shouting along. During `Back to You` I started bouncing like my life depended on it but I couldn’t see whether everyone was bouncing, but apparently they did. The song sounded great on the front row. They now had placed some speakers on the stage, which was great because it makes up for the bad sound you used to get on the first few rows. Nothing to complain now. To be honest, I was already afraid he would play ’69 and EID afterwards, but fortunately he didn’t, looks like he read earlier reviews and opinions of me! Surprisingly they started playing `Open Road` with BA on an acoustic, but nevertheless, it sounded very nice. Didn’t really do damage to the song, rather this one than a real rocker for me. Was great to finally hear `I Think About You` before the guys played `Summer of '69` which was great with the guys running from one side to the other. Then with the switching of guitars I was already sighing like, no not again `I’m Ready` and my prayers were heard as infact they played `Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?`. The classic `Everything I Do` once again had Keith getting lost in his own world on another great solo. Then `Cuts Like a Knife` with the `nananana’s` which I’m still loving. Next up was `When You're Gone` and I suddenly came on the idea of calling `someone` and I said that to Chels. She thought it was a brilliant idea and called straight away, after a few seconds `he` unfortunately hung up but we had good fun during this song! Then came a still “undressed” version of one of the biggest rockers of the show, `It's Only Love` started real lame with only electric guitars. Ok, it was not acoustic, but still a bit of a shame, you should have seen the expression on Chels` face, that told it all. But the show went on with the always great `Heaven` followed by the `The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You` with the Scottish “YOU’s” was very funny and worked out well. The guys took a quick bow and left the stage but came back soon for `Cloud #9` and the always fabulous `Run to You` before leaving the main stage for the second time. The dudes then headed to the B-stage to start out there with playing `There's Gonna Be Some Rockin'` which is a brilliant song. Followed by `Seven Nights to Rock` on which he kept on asking everyone “HOW MANY??” which was very funny. The song did sound less rocking as on the Wembley ’96 bootleg, but it was great to hear. Then he surprised me yet again with `I Got a Woman` which sounded brilliant, it showed again what a great bunch of musicians are up onstage. Next up was `She's Only Happy When She's Dancin'` but there wasn’t a single fan dancing on the stage surprisingly. Don’t have a clue why that was, but still the legendary Keith dancing with his guitar is just a brilliant thing to see… the dudes took a bow and left the stage as everyone thought that the show was over. In fact it was not, Bryan came back on the main-stage to end the show on his acoustic with `Straight From the Heart` and `All For Love`. After the show we decided to go to the back of the venue. Security was telling the usual crap about a long lasting after-party for the band etcetera. That wasn’t really going to happen since they had to play the next day in Manchester. Soon after that Mickey, Gary and Norm came out and we went to the fence as they were there. Gary soon stepped in the car but Mickey was still there and I had a short conversation about the show with him, until he asked where I had came from (as he heard I wasn’t a native ) and he was pretty surprised I came from the Netherlands to Scotland to see them. We shaked hands through the fence as I said to him “See ya in Antwerp” at which he grinned. After a while Keith came out, a shame that his car was already waiting for him as he only got a short time to talk to everyone. He loved the show and thought that the banners and everyone in front of him were very funny. And he was very positive when he was asked to try to get `Into the Fire` played, so who knows... might be painting the other side of the `Full Rock ‘69` banner for Antwerpen! Then it was time to get back to our apartment since it started to rain and Keith and Mickey both said that Bryan had already left.. and there was no big car left as well.. so Marloes and me said goodbye to everyone. It was very nice to meet all the Baddies and talk to everyone during the day. Thanks everyone for the heads up, it was yet another great BAD experience. | |||
|
® 2007 18 Til I Die.co.uk. All rights
reserved.
| ||||
|
Thanks to Marloes for the setlist. Video by Andrew Gilchrist. Pics by Wouter
Bryan on guitar
Keith!
Rockin' out during '69
Sexface Norm!
Keith on a solo!
'Straight From The Heart'
Support act James Hunter |
