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20/03/08 -
ST ANDREWS WESLEY CHURCH, VANCOUVER, BC Review by Amy O'Brian (Vancouver Sun): Twelve years ago, Bryan Adams christened GM Place by delivering the arena's first rock concert. On Thursday night though, Adams was engaged in an entirely different kind of holy experience. The rocker Vancouverites love to call their own performed an intimate, "secret" show to about 1,000 people at St. Andrew's-Wesley Church in downtown Vancouver. Adams performed an acoustic set to promote his latest album, 11, while the audience sat rapt in the hard pews, hymn books at their knees. The stage backdrop was a massive backlit stained glass window depicting a biblical scene and the sound of his voice and guitar bounced from the cathedral-like arches above. The concert was not open to the public, but was attended by media and contest winners from across Canada. And while there was no praying happening at the pulpit, there was plenty of proselytizing from the stage. The event was, after all, an obvious media stunt meant to attract people to the songbook of Adams. "We were trying to think of a clever way to tell everyone that [the new album] was out," he said after making a joke from the stage about putting on a private show in his basement. Judging from the number of cameras and reporters there Thursday night, that mission was accomplished. The 48-year-old sang a mix of old favourites and new material from 11 with just a guitar, a harmonica and some sheet music to presumably remind him of his new lyrics. He kicked off the show with Tonight We Have the Stars, a new, romantic tune about hedonism and seizing the day, which also launches the new album. But he treated the fans in the audience to plenty of his established hits, too, including Back to You, Can't Stop this Thing We Started, Cuts Like a Knife, which was the first number to get the generally subdued crowd roaring, as well as Summer of '69 and Run to You. It was fitting that he was performing alone, as 11 was originally intended to be an acoustic album. And many of the new songs suited the pared down sound perhaps even better than they suit the slick production on the album. But it did seem a bit odd -- and a bit snarky -- that he came to Vancouver, but didn't give a show that was open to the public. Then again, Adams is not a particularly open guy. The small, wiry vegan is wary of media and seemed shy and almost nervous when he appeared before the show to a group of reporters gathered for a press conference. Then again, he had media in front of him and a cross hanging above and behind him, making his nerves more understandable. Asked why he had opted for a private show rather than a larger event for his hometown fans, Adams blamed his manager. "I don't know, you'll have to ask Bruce [Allen] about that," he said. If you missed Thursday's show, tastes of it were likely posted on YouTube within hours of it ending. Camera phones glowed from the pews throughout the concert. Setlist: ********** Review by Lucas Aykroyd (Straight.com): If Bryan Adams feels like making his next CD an all-acoustic effort, he should go right ahead. With just a guitar and a harmonica, the Vancouver-raised rock icon did his best to convert any doubters among the 600 or so who packed his invitation-only homecoming show at a downtown house of worship. Promoting his 11th studio album (an 11-track outing entitled, yes, 11), Adams has been criticized for not recapturing the urgent energy of early 1980s pop-rock landmarks like Cuts Like a Knife and Reckless. Most of the new ditties discuss finding true fulfillment in a loving partner (rather than, say, a quickie in the heat of the night); soft, string-laden arrangements abound; and the cover shows the 48-year-old London resident in a slim-fitting suit. But here, Adams strode out in a black shirt and jeans and let loose on 15 songs in the marvellously reverberant church. The new “Tonight We Have the Stars” led off the show, and it was imbued with that old raspy conviction, even though lyrics like “We’ll eat from good china/And make love on linen sheets” made the song sound like a sad attempt to get into the pants of Martha Stewart. “I’ve never done an acoustic show in Vancouver before, except in my basement,” Adams told the supportive crowd. His casual good humour during the hourlong gig made the show feel like he was sitting among friends in a living room. Forget the Amy Winehouse rumours, the soundtrack ballads, the photography books. This was our buddy Bryan, who lived in Burnaby, Kits, and North Van, and loved to rock. When he wasn’t name-checking defunct local clubs he’d played, like the Cave and the Body Shop, he was giving a shout-out to his mom, Jane, who’d just turned 80 and stood up for “Happy Birthday to You”. He told a self-deprecating story about a female fan who hadn’t recognized him at his hotel that morning, and got her to stand up too, blushing. Adams’s 1980s hits were highlights of the show. A dynamic flurry of riffs completed “Summer of ’69”, and Adams hit the crucial notes in “Heaven” with a truth that could have shattered stained glass. His long-time lead guitarist, Keith Scott, seated with his family just behind the soundboard, came on-stage to add his six-string prowess to two encore numbers, including a rare rendition of “Into the Fire”. Ending the night with “Straight From the Heart” genuinely felt right. ********** News by ctv.ca: Canadian rock icon Bryan Adams put on a secret concert at a Vancouver church Thursday night, performing songs from his new album, "11." The 48-year-old singer performed for his family and 300 lucky fans at St. Andrew's Wesley Church. "I knew I was coming to Vancouver yesterday because it was my mom's birthday and I said 'Let's do a show in Vancouver,'" he told the intimate crowd. Adams, whose hits include "Summer of '69" and "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?", currently lives in London and has just come off a small European tour. He's set to embark on a world tour next month, beginning in South America, but there are no dates scheduled for Canada. Still, Adams had nothing but praise for Vancouver on Thursday. "My family still lives here, and I have a recording studio here, which I like to go visit once in a while to see if it's still standing,'' he said. "I would play here all the time, it's just that (manager) Bruce Allen doesn't want me to.'' He said every time he visits Vancouver it's in a transition phase. "I'm amazed every time I come back to Vancouver how much it's changed. You go away for a month and there's three more skyscrapers," he said. "I think the city's developing beautifully -- it looks great." Throughout his career, Adams has sold more than 65 million records. He's also a photographer, having snapped shots of Canadian hockey hero Cassie Campbell and singer Sarah McLachlan. Adams has also taken pictures of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and even the Queen. But it's still music that does it for Adams. "The same things inspire me now as what inspired me in the beginning which is just doing it... I love to sing," he said. | |||
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Pics by Richard Lam and Canadian press
Bryan on guitar
Bryan talks to press in the church before the show
On stage |
