With new songs under his belt, and a vast back catalogue of hits, Bryan Adams has come a long way since his 90s Wembley Stadium heyday. We headed to Motorpoint Arena to find out if the Canadian rocker is still on form...
A blazing hot summer day, June 1994. The stunning outdoor arena Don Valley Bowl, Sheffield. Megastars Bon Jovi; the incomparable Van Halen; and British rock heroes Thunder - my first gig.
A similarly hot summer day, July 1992. The iconic Wembley Stadium. Bryan Adams, at the zenith of his popularity; Extreme; and The Little Angels - my wife’s first gig.
Three decades later, we arrive in Nottingham to see Bryan Adams together. Sad to see that Bon Jovi haven't turned up as support act. But with Richie Sambora no longer part of the band, and Jon having suffered such painful injuries to his vocal cords (along with estimated 1000% ego boost increase) perhaps that's for the best. In fact there is no support band at all tonight. No warm up required, This is full-on Bryan Adams. He starts early at 8pm, no waiting around, and he plays until late. He needs the time to squeeze in all of his unmissable hit songs, plus newly released tracks (Make Up Your Mind), covers (Whiskey in the Jar, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You) and fan requests (Do I Have to Say the Words?, Kids Wanna Rock).
The lights are down, the stage is dark. All of a sudden the lights go up and Adams and his band are ready to do business. They open the show with Roll with the Punches the lead single off the new album. It instantly feels like a Bryan Adams number and it's a surefire hit that gets everyone into the mood and ready to party.
Adams brings out a big hit for the second song with Run to You and the atmosphere that has already been winding up for an hour or so, erupts. It’s clear that Adams has lost none of his popularity.
Adams plays bass guitar on the opening three tracks before he introduces the band including, of course, his long time friend Keith Scott on lead guitar. “I’m going to sing all the songs I can remember and we will have time for some audience requests.”
Adams tells us the story of It’s Only Love: “It was 1985, I was 24 years old when I recorded this song with Tina.” The Simply The Best singer was a hero to the young Canadian rocker and she had offered him a place on her tour of the UK and Europe. “It transformed my career from playing gigs in clubs and polytechnics to the big time, playing arenas,” says Adams. “She's a great loss to music, and me personally. She was my friend.”
Scott opens the song with the screaming guitar intro. He’s playing his beloved, gig-worn, battered old 1963 Fender Stratocaster. Adams introduces him as he tears into the solo, which goes a bit crazy, as Scott uses literally every fret and plenty of whammy bar.
18 ’til I Die, Cloud Number Nine and Heaven are crowd favourites and they make a big impression. Mid-set Adams invites the crowd to dance and sing to an up tempo You Belong to Me / Blue Suede Shoes / Twist and Shout medley. They willingly oblige as a cameraman records the action around the arena which is instantaneously beamed onto the big screen behind the band. A young woman in the crowd, perched atop her partner’s shoulders, enthusiastically plays an inflatable guitar.
Shine a Light sees the arena lit up by a sea of twinkling camera lights - just as effective as cigarette lighters, and safer! It’s a song that Adams wrote for his father six years ago after he died and it tells of the journey they shared as father and son.
As he sings his mega-hit Everything I Do (I Do It For You), he lays down his guitar and takes a walk along the front row to greet eager, delighted fans. With an estimated fortune of $75 million (much of it from the aforementioned song from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Adams isn’t here to make money. He’s here to entertain his fans and whilst some entertainers lose something over careers that span decades, Adams hasn’t lost any of the enjoyment he feels when playing to his fans. “I love hearing you sing the songs back to me he says” with a smile.
Throughout the show several inflatables float above the crowd including a silver boxing glove (Roll With the Punches) and a drone-controlled car (So Happy It Hurts). It's a lot of fun and the crowd love it. The sound quality has been excellent tonight. Adams' vocals are clear over the mix of guitars and drums, and every word he sings can be heard with full clarity.
Adams is as likeable and charismatic as ever and the fans love every moment of the evening. Summer of ’69 is naturally one of the highlights of the show as is Cuts Like a Knife, both naturally played towards the end of the main set.
No official encore break, the band bow and take their applause before departing the stage. It feels like the end of the show, but Adams isn’t finished. He takes a walk to a B-stage to treat fans (that were originally at the back of the arena) to an acoustic solo performance of Straight From the Heart, and All for Love. It’s a great way to close the show.
Was it as good as his performance at Wembley in 1992? It was. At 65 years of age Adams is maturing like fine wine and just getting better!
Bryan Adams performed at Motorpoint Arena on 17th May 2025.
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