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06/04/04 - EISHALLE, BOLZANO Review
by Steven Stanley: We eventually arrived in the sunny town of Bolzano surrounded by beautiful mountains and set into a lovely valley. We arrived at the venue by about 4pm which was quite late. We secured a spot at the front of one gate but thought it would get open last as some Germans were there earlier at a nearer gate that got let in early at the Zurich gig too. Me and Adrian scoured the venue and it was the most secure we had ever seen. There was no way of getting to BA after the show unless he wanted to be got at! Joanne and Claire went to check our bags into a hotel anyway (that turned out to be really swank with a swimming pool) while me and Adrian queued. Soon enough rain started to come from the mountains and it got wet for a while but it soon cleared up. There were toilets across the road that we used too that we in this kind of space centre.....you walked in and there were video screens all around....it was like 'I only wana get to the toilet not go on a space trip'........really wierd. Adrian and I got out of there asap! We waited at the gate anyway and shortly before they were about to be opened some rather tough looking Italian men came up to the gate checking out the people queing. All the people at the front of the queues were asked there nationalities. We told them we were English (we couldn't lie as we had a giant English flag with us!). 5 minutes later armed cops lined the area where we had to somehow run past to get inside the venue.....this didn't look good. Then, the guy that asked us our nationalities and knew we were English opened our gate FIRST! Me and Adrian headed towards the cops with our arms in the air to show we had nothing to hide (I had my camera down my sock so that they wouldn't find it)....I got a very quick padding down by only 1 person and was allowed through....Adrian got stopped by 3 people but was still up front with me. The German people and everyone else in the panick behind were left trailing behind us and me and Adrian ran down the stairs onto an empty arena floor....not a bad days work since we only arrived in Bolzano at 4pm with no hotels and tickets we had yet to collect! How good was this!I grabbed a spot under BA's mike and Adrian under Keith's....Joanne and Claire we're in between us. We put our giant flag on the barrier and waited for BA to come on....he was already setup so there was no support act again, which was good as Bryan tends to play longer when he has no support. As soon as he came onstage the venue errupted with ear piercing screams that I hadn't heard at a BA show before....everyone was goin crazy for him.....it was a while since he had last played in Italy. All us English baddies at the front were getting lots and lots of eye contact etc with BA and Keith...they looked chuffed to bits we had come all this way. I saw BA reading the 'Tina wants a poke in Stoke' bit on the flag again and I thought he was going to mentioned it but thankgod he didn't because she had gone home! Bryan kept 'Can't Stop This Thing We Started' going longer than usual and stopped it himself twice but at one point I thought he was going to ask an audience member to stop it again! Me and Ade really got the 'Back To You' bounce going and THE WHOLE standing section was doing it with us! BA kept it goin longer cos he was that impressed with the crowds reaction! During 'It's Only Love' the k-man did another fantastic solo right infront of me and Adrian, he was clearly feeding off our energy and how much we were lovin' it! The screams of joy from the Italians got louder big style when Bryan sang 'Everything I Do' as well. Mammoth rock anthems followed with big sing alongs from the Italian crowd including 'Cuts Like A Knife' and 'The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You'. Of course we knew Bryan was coming on for an encore after 'The Only Thing' but the Italians weren't so sure and went totally insane when he did. As soon as 'Cloud #9' started there was a big push for the front! 'Run To You' rocked as always and when he finished he was just about to do 'The Best Of Me' when me, Adrian, Joanne and Claire caught his eye shouting at him! We were yelling 'TAKE ME BACK'! He nodded to Keith and they started to play a full on rock version of 'Take Me Back' for us! It lasted ages as well.....if wasn't just a half hearted version....it was sooooo cool. He did all the talking in the middle including the camp voice he puts on like he used to do in the 'Blues Jam'.................."I didn't think that she needed me boys, well I musta bin blind. She didn't give me a warnin' she said, you shouldn't treat me wrong. and when I woke up this mornin'...she was GOOOOOONE" and then completely rocked out throughout the rest of the songs including a BA guitar solo that Keith was impressed with. During the end of the song instead of the guys singing 'why don't ya take me back' they were shouting 'WHY DON'T YOU KISS MY ASS'!!!! Was amazing and really funny!!! BA looked chuffed to bits at our ecstasy when he had played it because we were giving him the thumbs up and everything. He then looked at us again wanting another request...we just shouted 'REMEMBER'!!!!..........BA nodded to Mickey....his drumbeat started then....."Pardon me, have you got the time to let me say hello".....what a song! It was great to hear him sing it! Again, it was another full blown rock version and me and Adrian could just not believe we were shouting songs at Bryan Adams and he was playing whatever we were shouting! It was awesome. Bryan launched into 'The Best Of Me' before we had chance to shout at him again and he got tempted with yet more requests! The guy was just in a great mood...the best I have ever seen him at a gig. 'Straight From The Heart' and 'Depend On Me' were great as always and were sung with passion back to BA from the Italian crowd. A monster of a show and definately the best of the tour. Also the next morning I am told there is a picture of us on the Bolzano newspaper! Setlist: | |||
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© 2004 18 Til I Die.co.uk.
All rights reserved.
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All pictures by Steven Stanley
Pretty Bolzano...hadn't seen a BA show since the So Far So Good tour...the Italians were desperate for a BA show!
BA lets rip in Bolzano with an awesome show and setlist
The k-man on his 'It's Only Love' solo!
Bryan waves goodbye to Bolzano.
Adrian after the show not realising BA had gone!
We made sure Bolzano would remember us! |
