Bryan Adams whips up fans into frenzy of fun with his timeless rock n roll

Some 33 years to the day since he played at Brisbane’s Entertainment Centre, Canadian rock star Bryan Adams showed he’s lost none of his charm and ability to get crowds up and screaming.

Bryan Adams played to a sold-out Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Thursday night. Picture: Richard Nicholson/Frontier Touring

Canadian rocker Bryan Adams had the sold-out crowd at Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall on their feet last night, whipping them up into a frenzy as the 65-year-old belted out 24 songs — his greatest hits with just a couple of lesser-known tunes.

“We are looking for the best shapes tonight, shapes as in best dance moves, not your gut. Are you ready?” he yelled, urging the crowd to whip off their shirts, before launching into You Belong To Me, released in 2015.

That’s when the enthusiastic crowd roared with laughter as the camera panned around the lovers of 80s and 90s music to show them ripping off their shirts.

“Now sir, I know you are looking a little worried down there. You don’t have to worry because you have two options: you can stand there and you can just twerk or you can just do what they did last night in Sydney and just take of your shirts and just whip it around your head okay?” Adams said to the cheers of his fans.

“Now ladies, I don't have the same recommendation, but feel free. It is a free world you can do what you want,” and so they did.

Laura Bourke is already on Facebook this morning sending out a plea for anyone who has videos of her sister “on the big screen taking her shirt off”, as she wants a copy for bragging rights.

Who else can make rock n roll sound so fresh and of-today? And what better venue to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane than the BEC in Boondall, which opened in 1986 – the year after he released his hit song Heaven.

Bryan Adams plays in Brisbane. Pic: Richard Nicholson

It is hard to believe he played this very same venue exactly 33 years earlier on February 13, 1992, as part of the 13 tours he has made down under – starting in 1984 when he toured as support act for The Police.

Before singing the fourth song of the night, Shine a Light, released in 2019, the Canadian showman introduced himself to the crowd: “My name is Bryan, but you can call me Briiiiian”.

He explained he wrote the song for his father who died about six years ago.

“The idea of this song is that as we go through life we shine a little light on the people we love and if there’s someone out there special that you would like to shine a light on maybe turn on your torches.”

“We are really happy to be back it has been quite a while since we played in Bris-Vegas. “We’ve got a lot of songs to try and squeeze in tonight, not sure we are going to get them all in because there are 16 albums.

Bryan Adams had great banter with the crowd. Pic: Richard Nicholson

“Basically what it is going to come down to, is going to play all the songs that I can remember,” he joked.

Well I would have been happy if he just played Summer of 69 on repeat, but other forgotten favourites for me and his crazed fans were the hit “Run to You” from his fourth album, Reckless, and to the soppy “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” which is apparently his biggest hit.

He spoke of his friendship with the late Tina Turner and sang a medley of their songs including a duet they wrote in 1985.

During his performance of his latest single, Roll With The Punches, a giant inflatable silver boxing glove-shaped drone/balloon hovered over the crowd, then later a giant floating car hovered over us during his rendition of So Happy It Hurts.

A real highlight was his 70-year-old lead guitarist Keith Scott, who totally stole the show.

Scott, who has collaborated with Adams for nearly 50 years, has also worked with Cher, Tina Turner, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry.

And the support act, English singer songwriter James Arthur was also a high point of the show including his cover of the Christina Perri hit Thousand Years.