IN PHOTOS: Bryan Adams rocks Manila

There’s something to be said about witnessing a skilled professional in action, whether it be your mechanic, the neighborhood barista, your doctor, or your favorite TV chef. As you observe them going about their business, they are, of course at ease with the task at hand, but there’s more to it than that: an assured mannerism with a confident – not cocky – presence. 

A sure sign of a pro is when they make the job look easy, like anyone could do it, it’s just second nature. You know that you’re in good hands, and are assured that this person really knows what they’re doing.

The same held true for one of the best-selling Canadian artists in music history, Bryan Adams, who performed on Wednesday night, January 18, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.  

As the band took to the stage, stylishly dapper in their black blazers, white button-down shirts, and classic blue jeans, a video screen almost as wide as the stage itself flashed high quality videos, live images of the band, and shots of the crowd, providing the whole arena with a VIP view.

When it came down to the nuts and bolts of the show itself, the videos were background for the performance, not a distraction from it. The quality of the audio was solid, musically, everything went off without a hitch – one of the pleasures of witnessing a group with vast experience under their belt. 

All the ingredients were in place to cook up an amazing concert with soul. Combine Bryan’s distinctive vocals,  Keith Scott’s outstanding guitar work, Mickey Curry’s proficiency on the drums, Richard Jones on bass, and Gary Breit on keys, and you have a recipe for success.

To start the evening off, they cranked out a new song, “Do What You Gotta Do,” and transitioned to other songs smoothly without losing any momentum. They would roll from acoustic portions of the concert featuring “Heaven” and “Straight From the Heart,” to high-energy hits, arena anthem style songs, like “Run to You” and “Kids Wanna Rock.” They even started up the crowd with a couple of covers for a sense of nostalgia with “C’mon Everybody” and “All Shook Up.”

The fans often sang along in fine fashion – no surprise there – and Bryan acknowledged the fact, telling the crowd, “We’ve flown thousands and thousands of miles to hear you sing!” and more than once saying, “This is great! I love it when you sing!” 

Like a surgeon, Bryan skillfully cut into the hearts of fans all night long, with his masterfully crafted songs from over 3 decades. He played an impressive two-hour, 30-song setlist, a rarity in today’s concert market, in any musical genre. And it wasn’t just filler to create the lengthy run time, with endless stories or video clips that you could view on YouTube, or done just so the band could take a breather – everything that was done had a purpose.

Bryan addressed the crowd on a handful of occasions, but there were no extended banter or intermissions. It wasn’t quantity over quality either; he surprisingly performed his classic hits, which they must have played a bazillion times now, with a fervor and freshness as if the record had just been released last week. That was impressive in itself, as many long touring bands can fall victim to familiarity with a song and it can come off as more of a task to perform. Nothing less than expected from the consummate performer as he engaged the crowd, keeping everyone enthralled and entertaining them with a precision touch of humor. 

Before the song “Somebody,” another highlight of the evening, Bryan explained the upcoming accompanying video, saying they wanted to change it up a bit when they were planning the tour. “So I invited the public through my website and Instagram to send photographs of themselves,” he said. Thousands of images were received and incorporated into a mosaic of the band performing.

Gearing up with a smattering of audience participation, they were off to the races at one point in the show, before a bluesy number, “If Ya Wanna Be Bad You Gotta Be Good.” Bryan told the crowd, “This next song, I’m looking for a wild woman.” As the house lights went up, he scanned for volunteers, asking who knew how to dance. After a short search, the camera panned in on an attractive young woman and spotlighted her moves on the video screen. She playfully interacted with the camera as Bryan coached her along. 

Hammering out more of an old school rock kinda vibe, the band functioned together like a well-oiled machine. It was a delight to experience Keith Scott, a huge talent shredding on guitar, more efficiently than a high-end food processor. It was showmanship at its finest, with a remarkable energy that one might not expect from a group of ageing rockers. They often switched stage positions, high-tailing it from one end of the stage to the other. It was obvious they had skillfully thought out much of the show’s details and it was reassuring seeing them having so much fun. 

The mega-hit “Cuts Like a Knife” came late in the order and had the audience electrified within 5 notes, as the entire crowd sang in unison to parts of the chorus and Bryan gestured the mic toward the fans.

The show finished with Bryan asking everyone to take out their cell phones, after explaining, “The last time I came to Manila, there were no mobile phones, they didn’t exist.” Thousands of individual lights were held high, swaying to the music of “All for Love,” ending the concert on a quieter note than you typically experience.  

Bryan was completely at home on stage. Accompanied by an extremely talented band plus a well thought out lighting and video scheme, and it all combined for a clinic on how to conduct a concert. 

Even if you’re just a passing fan, if you ever get the chance to check out one of his shows, it’ll be well worth it. You’ll be guaranteed the most bang for your buck of any skilled professional. – Rappler.com