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04/07/07 -
RINGSTED STADION, RINGSTED
Review by Nicolai Godrim:
Preparing for the gig:
Last year when Bryan was in Denmark, he did 3 shows in a row: Herning
(which I attended and recorded), Ballerup and Fredrikshavn. I would
have loved to attended all of those gigs but unfortunetly it was
not possible due to transportation problems. in December 2006, however,
I aquired myself my first handicap car and a helper, who normally
visits me once every week to help me go shopping (can't carry the
good myself). Hence, everything was set perfectly to attended all
the DK gigs this year.
I met with my helper at Aarhus train station 20
minutes before the train would set off for Ringsted. Having prepaired
a load of sandwiches for myself, rain coat (the Danish summer is
very unstable) and last, certraintly not least the obligatory recording
equipment for capturing the gig on mini disc, I was, as always,
hoping for a blast of a BA gig...
The walk from Ringsted train station to the venue
(Ringsted Stadium) nearly killed me even though for normal people
1.4 km are not considered to much of a walk but for a spastic with
reduced walking abillity and carrying his rucksack (and wearing
uncomfortable shoes at that) it was quite a challenge.
Arriving at the venue we took some time hiding my
recording equipment from security but it turned out that they were
only interested in bottles containg fluids. As a result there of,
my and my half soda parted ways at the recycle bin. Being satisfied
with a position in the crowd, which I would estimate being the 5th
row, I prepaired my recording equipment and waited for Adams to
appear on stage.
The gig itself:
After 45 minutes of waiting, Adams and band appeared on the B-stage
opening the show with the usual "There Will Never Be Another
Tonight". It was nice for me to se Keith on his signature Gretsch
(Golddie ) but it was even better to see Bryan on his new Gibson
instead of the acoustic. Already during the first song, I noticed
that the sound was (to me) quite bad but I thought that I would
give Jody the benefit of the doubt as it was the first song of the
show and preformed at an outdoor venue.
Can't Stop This Thing We Started was next followed by BA's solo
performances of "Please Forgive Me", while the rest of
the band ran to the main stage for "The Best of Me". As
he has done for the majority of the shows ever since he re-introduced
the B-stage, BA walked through the crowd during "The Best of
Me".
After having performed a few songs on the main stage
("Somebody", "Open Road" and others) "18
Til I Die" was up next. It then became clear to me that unfortunetly
the bad soundmix, which I thought I'd heard on "There Will
Never Be Another Tonight" wasn't just a "we-need-one-song-to-get-the-sound-levels-right"
thing. The soundmix was dreadfull and Keith's intro riff sounded
muddy and at times "drowned" within the bass frequencies.
After "18 Til I Die" Bryan said: "It's been some
time since we've been in Denmark... You have a beautiful sunset
tonight. Everybody take a look at that beautiful sunset. We got
some songs to play for you tonight.... unless you're going home
early? You know what? "Let's Make A Night To Remember".
This song was acceptable and is always one of my favourite ballads
at a BA show.
Next was "Back To You". The song itself was all right
but once a gain the sound was a disaster. Keith chose his shoreline
gold strat and started playing his slide intro and that was the
thing: Keith played but the sound had walked of. He then signaled
to the Roaddies that he needed help and a roddie ran in and tried
to adjust his wireless transmitter. Thinking that everything was
now in order, I, like Keith, was surpriced to find that his strat
still didn't have the request volume level and in the end, the roddie
ran in and handed him his black strat, which he had used on the
previous songs that required a strat.
Summer of '69 was acceptable but for me, something was still missing
to make this gig a true night to remember.
The "When You're Gone Girl" was strange. First of all,
when she was brought on stage, she cried so much from happyness
that it took her ages to tell Bryan where she was from. It turned
out that she was from Nykøbing (Denmark has 2 cities called
"Nykøbing" and she didn't specify which). I've
never been good at guessing people age, ,however, judging from her
looks and her behavior on stage I'd say she was 15. Bryan was a
good support for her onstage as he, when he noticed that she was
crying, gave her several hugs and said: "Don't worry... they
love ya!" During the famous bum parts of the song, she actually
looked shocked and ran away.... I wonder if it was the first time
for her to have a male wanting to get close to her....
"Heaven" and "The Only Thing..." followed and
both were acceptable as was "Cloud # 9" even though I'm
getting bored with this song and wish he'd replace it with another.
"Run To You" was another victim to the poor sound mix.
Returning to the B-stage with "There's Gonna Be Some Rockin",
"Seven Nights To Rock", "She's Only Happy..."
(getting 3 girls on stage to dance with the band, "Straight
From The Heart" and "All For Love", the overall impression
of the show rose a bit. Was nice to hear "She's Only Happy..."
live (first time for me) and the 2 acoustic songs were closing the
show were good as well.
Leaving the show, I asked my helper (who didn't
know Bryan Adams beforehand): "Well, what do you think?"
to which he replied: "Well, to be honourst, comming here to
night hasn't made me a BA fan". Naturally, that reply was not
the one I'd hoped for but I actually couldn't blame him as I myself,
for the first time ever, left a BA gig a little empty and disapointed.
The facts that "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" a
song which never does it live for me, has replaced one of the biggest
rocker evers in a BA set, "Hearts On Fire," and that "It's
Only Love", which used to be one of the high lights of every
BA show, has been mellowed down way to much for my liking, honourstly
didn't make this gig a true night to remember.
Grade: B-
NB: Prior to this BA gig a lot of negative things
happened in my life. After having suffered 2 moths from fiberous
tissue cancer, my grandmother, to whom I was very close, recently
passed away after having been in pains one can only imagine and
totally doped on morphine. Moreover, my studdies have gone bad lately
(I flumped both of my written exams), which means that I have started
to worry about my future life and job (if I'll ever have any). I
love Yuko more than anybody else in this World but due to the fact
that she is the one who is planning to go to Denmark (and not the
other way around), a gigant weight has been put on my shoulders
that I have to get an education rapidly in order to support her
financial untill she finds a job of her own. Moreover, if I quit
studdying, I will lose my appartment and then we will have no place
to live.
So, in general I've had a lot of stuff on my mind,
which may be the reason why I haven't been able to get in the proper
"BA-mood".
Without a doubt, some of the fans who attended the gig will consider
it a real blast of a show but this is my review and even though
Bryan played the hits, the gig just wasn't that gig of a hit for
me.
Maybe this review is not fair. Of course it is not
Bryan's fault that my life is currently shit...
With that said, I'm still looking forward to go
to the 2 other gigs in Denmark this year and hopefully I will be
more op for those as will Jody, who, for all I know, to a day off
in Ringsted.
Sorry about fucking up the recording from Ringsted.
You have my word that I will do my utmost to give you decent recordings
from Kolding and Aarhus!
Rock on Adams, see you friday and saturday.
Yours truely,
Nicolai Denmark
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
Lets Make A Night To Remember
Back To You
Summer Of '69
Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?
Everything I Do
Cuts Like A Knife
When You're Gone (with Pernille from Nykøbing)
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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