Sunday, 22 December 2024
Sunday, 22 December 2024
“Pre boards be damned! This was something none of us could miss,” wrote Sumita Ghosh, who runs an IT firm, after attending Bryan Adams’s concert at Aquatica in Kolkata on Sunday night with her schoolgoing son.
What she wrote sums up the feeling for many fans of the veteran Canadian rock star, who is 65 years old and left his fans in the City of Joy feeling 18 all over again.
The concert, the first one of Adams’s So Happy It Hurts tour, was Kolkata’s first A-lister rock gig in a while.
From iconic hits like Summer of ’69 to Please Forgive Me, Adams wowed the sold-out crowd, even expressing his gratitude at the enthusiasm.
The Telegraph Online spoke to a few fans who attended the gig. Here’s how they gushed.
‘His voice is still the same’
For Rupsha Dasgupta, wife of Rupam Islam, the frontman of Bangla rock band Fossils, the Bryan Adams concert was a family affair.
“We enjoyed the show to the fullest, his energy was excellent and most importantly, I would like to mention his voice is still the same,” she said.
Having grown up listening to his iconic tracks, Rupsha was thrilled to now enjoy the same music with her son.
“It was fun. My son is growing up listening to him as well, as one of the most played artistes in our home.”
Rupam and his son got to meet Adams, making the evening even more special.
“My son’s school friends were also in the concert but not where we were standing. They had been exchanging Whatsapp messages and all of them had an absolute blast. I enjoyed all the songs but the songs that are close to my heart are Summer of 69 and Everything I do,” she added.
A fan’s dream come true
Sneha Biswas, 27, from Girish Park, described the concert as a dream come true.
“The enjoyment was incredible, in one word,” she said.
“I was around 10-11 when my cousin introduced me to Summer of ’69 on her iPod,” she said. The highlight of the evening for her was when Bryan dedicated All For Love to his mother.
“I saw people walking in crutches and walkers, which speaks volumes about the love Bryan has acquired through decades,” she added.
‘Bryan Adams has timeless appeal’
“Bryan Adams has a timeless appeal,” said photographer Sayan Chatterjee from North Kolkata. “His music has this raw honesty and emotions that connect across generations. It’s been years, maybe decades since his music first captured my attention and I became a die-hard fan. His ability to craft lyrics that speak to love, loss and celebration is unmatched. And his voice is still as powerful as ever.”
He said the entire crowd sang along to hits like Please Forgive Me, Summer of 69 and Heaven.
“It felt magical,” he said.
‘Saw a kid singing along to ‘Heaven’’
Titas Bhattacharya, a digital marketing professional at Offbeat CCU from Garia, said the audience was totally in raptures.
“Bryan Adams is one of those artists who can be found in everybody’s playlists. He’s a constant when it comes to releasing music that speaks to one’s heart,” she said.
“I saw a kid singing along to Heaven and that did something to me. Music truly has no restrictions, no boundaries. It speaks to everyone. How cool is that?”
‘Jugalbandi of guitars between Keith Scott and Bryan Adams was scintillating’
Shilpi Sen, a consultant from south Kolkata who said she first heard Please Forgive Me in Grade 4 in 1993, said seeing Bryan Adams perform live was a lifetime experience.
“From listening to his songs and writing down lyrics from a cassette to hearing him on Spotify, it's been a long journey of music and harmony. Also the jugalbandi of guitars between Keith Scott and Bryan Adams was scintillating,” she said.
“I came across two young men who came all the way from Kochi, Kerala by train to hear Bryan Adams in Kolkata. We are lucky to have witnessed him in our city. The first city in India to witness him perform live,” she added.
‘More than just a show, it was an experience’
"Last night's Bryan Adams concert was more than just a show, it was an experience,” said Dr Deesha Dutta, an eye surgeon from New Town.
“Sharing the moment with my fiance and my friends, singing along to our favorite songs, and feeling the collective energy of the crowd was truly unforgettable.
“I guess my choice in music was primarily influenced by what my Baba used to listen and Bryan Adams had significant influence in that list. Even though those songs were before my time I still connect to and love Bryan till date and forever," she said.
“I saw this group of 60-plus-aged young souls in leather jackets and leather shoes, air drumming and sort of headbanging to Summer of 69. It was amazing to see!”
‘Every song he sings is a classic’
Sayan Chowdhury, a marketing manager at Techno India University from Salt Lake, said Bryan Adams's music has been the soundtrack to his life.
"I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember, ever since I picked up a guitar. His music feels timeless, and every song he sings is a classic," he said.
“Bryan jokingly announced that if anyone wants to get all the attention of the crowd they can just strip their shirt off and dance and the camera will follow and a guy actually did that and the camera followed. He has dancing shirtless, it was an epic moment,” he added
From fan to front-row experience
Saurav Jaiswal, an entrepreneur from Salt Lake, Kolkata, said the performance was “superb” and the “visuals were amazing".
“Bryan spoke about his long journey from Canada and mentioned not having any jet lag; he seemed very enthusiastic about both the crowd and the venue,” he added
‘Became a fan in my late teens’
“His vocal range gave me goosebumps, and the band was on fire,” said Medha Mullick, who works as a Community Head.
The concert was a beautiful mix of generations of teenagers, parents, and even grandparents rocking out together, she said.
“I became a fan in my late teens while listening to Everything I Do during my first love. From imagining to hearing it live, it was unreal!" she said.
Medha also spoke about the moment when a fan took off his shirt and waved it around. “Bryan noticed and joked, 'I hope you took a shower today, for the sake of everyone around you’,” she said.
The camera zoomed further in on the fan, and the crowd cheered him on. “It was such a funny and wholesome moment, adding so much fun to the overall concert experience,” she said.
