Bryan Adams at his So Happy It Hurts event in Bengaluru. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“I’ll be 18 until I die, I’ll be 18 until I die…”
We were in the queue to get our wristbands at Bryan Adams So Happy It Hurts Tour in Bengaluru and like us, other people in the queue were singing along. Despite having a four-hour head start for the two-hour drive, we still arrived late for a show that didn’t start on time; Not just us – it seemed like half the town was there too.
We went through the usual checks of food items, water and other things, having an unforgettable time courtesy of music and songs passing across the barricades. And then there we were, out in the open, mingling with a fairly mixed crowd. To be honest, I was expecting a more salt and pepper count and was pleasantly surprised to see teens, tweens and even young children dancing and swaying to the music.
Bryan Adams’ Bengaluru stop was smack in the middle of his India tour and he was performing back-to-back: after appearances in Kolkata, Shillong and Gurugram he was in Mumbai the night before, and was heading to Hyderabad. Next day. Still, you would never have believed it to see that 65-year-old man singing and dancing around the stage. Their energy was infectious and they had the crowd dancing in unison to their songs right from the start.
Bryan Adams at his So Happy It Hurts event in Bengaluru. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
As expected at a concert, there were signs everywhere with requests – and not all of them were for his songs, one of which was for his guitar pick (one of the more reasonable requests). And whenever possible, he obliged twice, from singing the audience’s favorite song to performing an encore.
In between songs, the artist shared things about his life and journey. Like how he wrote ‘Straight from the Heart’, probably one of his most popular numbers, at the age of 18, and how he was able to make music a career thanks to his mother. She shared how her mother made a cameo in the music video ‘So Happy It Hurts’ as an “Indian girl in a saree”.
He went on to say how every time he comes back to India (this was his sixth visit) he sees changes, “and it’s all good,” though I was surprised how many of us agreed with him on this.
Brian combined his classics with his new songs, capturing the audience’s attention throughout his set list. Halfway through, some pedestrians started lining up to get out. I doubt he could have seen them from that distance, but the opening bars of his next song, ‘The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me’, brought them back twice as fast; Following this ‘Let’s Make A Night To Remember’ ensured they stayed put for the rest of their show.
His request for a phone torch during the presentation of ‘Shine A Light’ was met with enthusiasm and he admitted how, “despite playing this song at many places, it was only in Bangalore that Spotboye (above) From the pamphlets) Along with the song playing, the venues were also lighting their torches.
SpotboyEs highlights Bryan Adams So Happy It Hurts Bengaluru Chapter Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Well, I think that was the only good thing to say about the venue. Getting there was bad enough, and for those who got there early, getting out would have been a nightmare. Since we had left the car behind and walked 20 minutes to reach the venue, we were one of the few people who didn’t get caught in the ensuing chaos.
It felt great, it hurt, it’s okay.
published – December 18, 2024 10:57 am IST