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Pop singer Bryan Adams enthrals the crowd during his concert at the Palace Grounds in Bangalore on Friday.  DH photo

Recalling ¡®Summer of ¡®69¡¯, Bryan says ¡®18 till I die¡¯

DH News Service
BANGALORE, May 4

The gravelly voice of rock superstar Bryan Adams sent electrifying shivers of ecstacy as he gently serenaded the crowds with his romantic ballads of love and longing, of life and living, of nostalgia and wishful thinking giving the crowds the ¡®Best of me¡¯ at the Palace Grounds today.

Even as the songs of Bryan Adams were soft and romantic, there was several thousand wattage of sound for ¡®waking up the neighbours¡¯, as he put it in his song.

The Palace Grounds reverberated as the soul-stirring solo performer sang

The show began around 8.30 pm accompanied by a slight drizzle. But rain or no rain, the rocker said ¡®We can¡¯t stop this thing we started

Adams wanted to be ¡®18 till I die¡¯ , so also the audiences who sang along with him. He recalled, ¡®those were the best days of my life¡¯ with the song ¡®Summer of 69¡¯ and his fans felt that this was the best day of their lives as they chimed along with him.

Bryan recalled that he came to Mumbai seven years ago, but couldn¡¯t come to Bangalore. ¡°Tonight we will make up for the lost time¡± and he did this by singing ¡®Everything I do, I do it for you¡¯, the song from the movie ¡®Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.¡¯ This song, which is very popular among fans in India, received an overwhelming response from the audience.

Even as there was lightening from the skies, Bryan sang ¡®Cuts like a knife¡¯ as if he was making a reference to it. He also sang, ¡®Please forgive me¡¯, although there was no reason for him to apologise except for the fact that it had started drizzling again.

Adams had not brought along with him the Spice Girl, Mel C who had sung a duet, ¡®When you¡¯re gone¡¯ But a girl called Daksha from Delhi, from among the audience, made up for this when she sang along with him and got a big hug from him.

¡°I am ready to know you, I¡¯m ready to love you¡¯ sang the rock star and the audience felt that it was true and even felt divine when he sang ¡®Heaven¡¯ and ¡®Cloud number nine.¡¯ The all-white - white pant, white T-shirt, white shoes and white guitar which he played - all looked good on him, although he preferred to sing, ¡®The only thing that looks good on me is you.¡¯

For sheer effect there was a rope lighting system, said to be introduced for the first time in India.

Accompanying Bryan were Mickey on the drums and Keith on the lead guitar and vocals.

Bangaloreans are lucky because the gist from the information mill has it that the show was actually scheduled for Kolkatta and was shifted to Bangalore as Kolkata requires as many as 117 licences (literally) to be cleared.

Earlier, Bangalore band ¡®Antaragini¡¯ performed Indian classical music on western music. They must have been rehearsing with Megh and Malhar ragas going by the unexpected rains in the evening. There was anxiety on the part of the fans as clouds loomed threateningly, late in the evening. But mercifully the rains decided to play truant during the show, except for the slight drizzle.

This, incidentally is the third time, DNA have landed Bryan Adams in their net. His previous two visits to India were in 1994 and 1996, both times the shows being held in Mumbai. This is the first time that he his performing in Bangalore. As part of his ¡®Best of Me¡¯ tour, the Canadian star will also make a stopover at Mumbai on May 6.The concert at Bangalore was in support of Child Relief and You (CRY).

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