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10/06/07 -
PHILIPSHALLE, DUSSELDORF
Review by Maria (and Moya!):
We arrived in Düsseldorf at 12.30 to find only a few people
waiting. There were two doors. A group were waiting by one door
and a few people between the doors and then a second group by the
second door. Moya asked Helen if there were any numbers this time
and Helen said: “No”. So we had to make a decision, where
to queue. We chose the second door. We settled down for a long wait,
but we were happy.
After a while we went for something to eat and the
toilets. It was festival day in Düsseldorf and the city had
a happy feeling. We had to return straight away so we could be there
when they put up the barriers. It was warm and cloudy but comfortable,
not like last year in Gelsenkirchen where we fried in the sun.
Around 3.30 - 4.00 the barriers were put together, and we made a
queue in our “cattle run” and we were third and fourth.
We hadn’t expected to be so early in the queue so this was
a bonus for us. We settled down to wait again. The time seemed to
go slowly, but we didn’t care. We just love to do this. Everyone
seemed to be taking their turn, and we thought this time could be
the time when we keep our places! However, as usual, things started
to go wrong, when suddenly two people, a man and a woman, appeared
from nowhere at the side of our queue. I first saw the man and later
a woman joined him. They came closer and closer and when we were
asked to form a line they jumped in in front of the woman in front
of us. Moya spoke to the woman in front of her who had been there
since the early morning but she wouldn’t move in front of them.
Silke was angry and told them in German they should move. The guy
said he didn’t speak German and couldn’t understand what
she was saying. So Silke said: “We will speak in English then.”
They were French speaking. The guy said it was okay and Silke said
it was not okay and they shouldn’t be there but he didn’t
care.
They opened the doors around 6.30. This couple was still in front
of us but we managed to push past them. We ran to the stage and
stood in our usual place at the right hand sight. I think this space
is always kept especially for us as we always seem to end up there.
We like this place.
The support act was She Says. Their style of music
reminded us of Avril Lavigne, but we were waiting for Bryan. The
lead singer had quite a unique style of performing which we both
thought was more for the men? Bryan came earlier on stage then we
thought. It was before 9.00 when he entered the b-stage with There
will never be another tonight. The setlist hasn’t changed since
we have been to the United Kingdom shows in May. He only played
This Time which was extra to the songs we already listened to in
Sheffield.
During the Best of me Bryan made his way around
to the front of the stage as usual. There was a little boy with
his parents who had waited all day to get a good place and he was
to the right side of us. Bryan stopped in front of this little boy.
This must have made a night to remember for him.
Somewhere at the beginning the audience started to sing Happy Birthday
to Mickey but we had no chance to sing the whole song because Bryan
went on with the usual setlist. We had the chance later.
Keith was rather explicate during Kids wanna rock when he placed
the flying V guitar above his face and made gestures with his tongue.
This was really amusing.
During 18 til I die we noticed the same gesture from Bryan to Keith
that we saw in Birmingham. When Bryan sang “18 going on 55”
he looked over to Keith and made a face. We are now wondering if
Keith will be 55 soon although we think this can’t be possible!
Just before he went into Let’s make a night to remember Bryan
told us that it was a special night and of course we knew that it
was Mickey’s birthday. Bryan explained that last year at this
time they were all at a restaurant around in London celebrating,
but this year they were here in Düsseldorf. To Mickey’s
embarrassment Bryan then asked us all to sing Happy Birthday and
we did. Then he sang Let’s make a night to remember to Mickey
and changed the lyrics to: “…your curly hair hanging down
on your shoulders … and you stare on me with these undress
me eyes … where he slapped his ass, going on with … “
your breath on my body” and there he left a space. Mickey seemed
really uncomfortable and embarrassed but took it all in good part.
It made us all laugh.
During Back to you when I started the bounce Bryan
came over to the speakers at our side. When he saw me jumping up
and down a smile appeared on his face and he said: “That is
good.” When Bryan acknowledges his fans in this way it makes
them feel part of the concert and it made me feel good.
Of course the new album was mentioned and he once again changed
the lyrics to acknowledge that he had not finished his album yet,
which he had promised to do, when the tour was originally planned.
He had promised his manager and his promoter that this would happen.
The last time we saw Bryan, during Cuts like a knife he pushed the
microphone into the audience and it came back, and it came back
because it was attached to the stage. This time it wasn’t and
the microphone fell off the stage but Bryan crept away to our side
as though he had nothing to do with it. Someone quickly ran in front
of us and to the microphone to fix it once again. Bryan looked to
the side to see if all was well and then went back to continue.
The WYG-girl was Annelie from Cologne. She was good and this time
there was no reason for Keith and Norman to laugh.
A few times Bryan spoke to us in German, and he did when he introduced
the band. He brought forward his band members and asked them to
come to the front. He presented Herr Gary Breit and Gary hesitantly
stepped forward and Bryan still kept asking him to come forward.
This took about 4 attempts before Gary was at the front of the stage.
He introduced the entire band one by one leaving Mickey for pride
of place … at the end. Mickey took several bows and threw his
drumsticks towards the audience. Moya thought she had one this time
but couldn’t reach far enough.
Once again the microphone misbehaved when Bryan
tripped over the wire, turned and laughed. The microphone may be
fired for the next tour because it just couldn’t do anything
right. When Bryan entered the b-stage again we had the chance to
dance. This has never happened before and we got a real thrill from
dancing to live Bryan Adams music. It was the end to a perfect evening.
7 nights to rock was another great rendition and maybe the seven
nights he was singing about was his German tour. During She’s
only happy when she’s dancing Bryan picked only one dancer.
This woman named Maxine was just brilliant. This woman was a really
good mover and at the end Bryan hand his guitar to someone of the
crew so he could dance with her. He held her close and spun her
around.
The b-stage was very close and we could see Bryan very well but
we also turned our view sometimes to the big screens.
We had a wonderful concert again and Bryan was maybe
in the best mood we ever saw him even if the sound wasn’t to
the same standard as in the larger venues. On our way home we listened
to Bryan’s live performances on a German radio station and
later to a CD. There were some very unique songs like Brown Eyed
Girl, Jump and Thought I’d died and gone to heaven in Italian
just to mention a few. It was interesting to hear some very early
songs and to listen to the difference in his voice from then to
now.
We had a wonderful new Bryan experience and are now looking forward
for our next show in Doncaster. This should be another special evening
for Keith 55? birthday. We can’t wait…
Setlist:
***b-stage***
There Will Never Be Another Tonight
Can't Stop This Thing We Started
Please Forgive Me
The Best of Me
***b-stage***
Somebody
This Time
Kids Wanna Rock
Open Road
18 Til I Die
Let's Make A Night to Remember
Back To You
I Think About You
Summer Of ‘69
Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?
Everything I Do
Cuts Like A Knife
When You're Gone
It's Only Love
Heaven
The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You
Cloud #9
Run To You
***b-stage***
There's Gonna Be Some Rockin'
Seven Nights To Rock
She's Only Happy When She’s Dancin’
Straight From The Heart
All For Love
***b-stage***
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