Review: Bryan Adams rocks Telford – but isn't sure where it is
"I have no idea where I am," Bryan Adams told his Telford crowd.
They laughed. But he wasn't joking. Not that they seemed to mind. He was only a couple of songs in and the Canadian rock star could do no wrong in their eyes.
"Literally I have no idea," he smirked. "I'm going to get on the phone later to check," he told a packed Telford Town Park on Sunday(3) night.
"Either way I just want to say how happy I am to see you after a couple of years of not doing any shows. I am so grateful and it's so great to be out of the house," said the singer.
Well he may have been out of action since Covid hit more than two years ago, but the pandemic has not diminished his appeal - or his distinctive powerhouse voice.
Adams opened his set with the rocky Kick Ass from his latest album So Happy It Hurts. This was followed by the catchy Can't Stop This Thing We Started. They set the tone for a feelgood, energetic show which left the audience singing and dancing along all night.
With a back catalogue spanning over 40 years - and comprising 16 albums - the singer had more than enough material to chose from.
"We'll play as many songs as I remember," laughed the 62-year-old as he took the crowd on a trip down memory lane, performing hit after hit - while also offering a taste of his latest material.
From the rocky numbers and guitar riffs to brilliant ballads, Adams delivered classics spanning four decades in the open air setting.
The 80s hits with the perfect balance of pop and rock went down a treat with the audience. Somebody, It's Only Love and Cuts Like a Knife had the town park rocking in the evening sunshine, while popular ballads such as Heaven and Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman had everyone swaying along. Summer of '69 was one of the highlights - and (Everything I Do) I Do it For You, the power ballad hit that stayed in the number one spot for a record-breaking 16 weeks in 1991, also went down a treat with fans.
Adams had plenty of banter with the audience, not least when he asked everyone to dance to his rockabilly-style tracks You Belong To Me and I've Been Looking For You. The camera at the front of the stage panned the crowd and he was so impressed with one couple, he pointed them out to make sure they featured on the big screen for everyone to see.
After a rapturous applause, Adams and his band returned for an extensive encore, which included So Happy It Hurts, Run to You and These Are The Moments That Make Up My Life.
But mid-way through, Adams alerted the crowd - and security - to concerns about a member of the audience, who had become unwell. The singer stopped mid-song and called for medics to get to the woman in question. Adams remained on stage throughout, checking if the woman was OK and after five minutes asked the crowd to make room to enable her to be helped out.
Adams thanked the crowd for their patience before finishing off his set, which ended with an acoustic version of All for Love.
"You've been wonderful," he shouted – and judging by the reaction of the crowd, the feeling was mutual.
He may not know where it is, but he certainly rocked Telford in the Summer of '22.
