“Madam, aapka show khatam ho jayega (your show will be over),” said my cabbie, as I anxiously sat at the back of the car, stuck in a jam on the road leading up to Kolkata’s Aquatica Banquet Resort & Water Park. The reason for the traffic snarl? Bryan Adams brought his ‘So Happy It Hurts Tour’ to India with a debut gig in the city — so, of course, half the city was attending the show, just like me. I chuckled nervously as I looked at the long stretch of road with cars moving forward inch by inch. The moment was rather ironic, because one of the reasons an artiste like Bryan Adams is ingrained in my head is memories of long drives and road trips with my family during school vacations, while Adams’ fourth studio album, Reckless, blasted on the car stereo.
Although the traffic jam delayed me a little, I arrived much before the concert ended, and power walked towards the main entrance of the venue, while listening to the chords of Heaven. Even after the stage came into view, it took me a while to fathom that I was watching the Canadian singer perform live. His feel-good music shaped my childhood — thanks to my parents — and it seemed like I was back to being six years old!
Nostalgia at its peak
Dressed in white, with a guitar in hand and a charming smile — that’s how I remember seeing Bryan Adams during his concerts, which I would watch on MTV and VH1. This was the first time I was going to a concert myself, and the image was almost the same — even in a sea of strangers I felt at home.
Even at the age of 65, the singer did not compromise on his voice, showmanship, guitar riffs, and especially, crowd interaction. During Heaven, although he was strumming in one place with an acoustic, gauging the upbeat mood of the audience was easy as they swung their arms in the air to the romantic ballad.
Then to pick up the pace, he played his hits from 2015, including Go Down Rockin’ where I saw his rock side shining.
Remembering Tina Turner
Midway through the concert, Bryan took a moment to remember his friend and singer Tina Turner, who passed away last year. He spoke about how he wanted to perform a tribute for her and asked the audience to join him. He performed a medley that started with It’s Only Love, which was a song by the two of them, and then moved on to Simply The Best and What’s Love Got To Do With It.
The winning solos
While Bryan Adams was the star of the show, two other individuals on stage really got us cheering the loudest with their performances. Keith Scott, with his high energy, did not let the opportunity slip when it came to solos. He aced every note — managing to hold it for long and even did a stunt with his guitar where he swung the entire instrument around his body.
Drummer Pat Stweart also stole the show with his skills. The Canadian drummer didn’t hold back when it was his time to shine as he let loose with some drum solos while being accompanied by the other instruments.
Getting our dance on
The standout dancers in the audience were showcased on the screen while Adams was performing Urvashi Bhattacharya
Things got more interesting when Bryan addressed the crowd and asked them if they were willing to groove along to some “dance music” — with a unique set of rules. “We want you all to dance. You can twerk or you can take off your t-shirt and swing it in the air. This becomes even more special if you haven’t taken a bath,” said the singer, showing off his humorous side, adding that the best dancers would be displayed on the screens as he performed.
Aware of my height, and the fact that I was attending a concert by myself for the first time, I took a few steps back in case the latter part of his rules came true. And sure enough, it did! While the singer was performing rock ballads like The Only Thing, people in the audience took off their t-shirts and started swinging them in the air like Sourav Ganguly at Lord’s in 2002. While at it, some excited audience members came up on the giant screens and were seen having the time of their lives.
The creme de la creme
Even the people who are not big-time Bryan Adams fans will still know his hits Everything I Do and Summer of 69 by heart, so it wasn’t surprising that these numbers touched the audience the most.
When the intro for Everything I Do started playing, everyone stopped what they were doing and all eyes and ears were glued to the stage. Bryan, doing his best to include every person in the audience, walked from one corner of the stage to the other, as if to personally sing to each person. The crowd either grabbed a hold of their loved ones or tried to capture this moment on their phones, lighting up the entire venue. Then came Summer of 69 and a dream-come-true moment for me. No matter how many times I’d heard that song, it was still special. If I had told my six-year-old self that one day I would be listening to this song live, the little me would have trust issues… with myself.
A blimp and a manifestation
A blimp floated over the venue Urvashi Bhattacharya
You wouldn’t think the two were related, but everyone at the Bryan Adams concert, including me, can now say that we have now seen a blimp. While Bryan and his mates were performing the title song of the tour, So Happy It Hurts, a huge inflatable car rose from the stage, and soared over the audience. The big, white — matching Bryan — motorised blimp had the name of the artiste and the tour and watching something like this at a music concert was a first-of-a-kind experience for me. Now I know what kind of vehicle I want on my birthday! The science of the blimp aside, the highlight of the evening came in the form of a question from the singer himself.
Seeing the energy of the Kolkata audience, Bryan remarked between tunes, “Is every concert like this in Kolkata? Because if it is, I need to come back more often!”
I, for one, am already manifesting it, Bryan!
