Gurugram: From playing his rock anthems and love songs to crooning “Kiki do you love me” to expressing his “Ultimate love” for India, Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Bryan Adams took the Indian music lovers on a rock and roll joyride with his music while playing in the Delhi-NCR region for the first time.
Adams, who was performing in India for the fifth time, wasted no time in getting the party started with his hit “Ultimate love”.
“My name is Bryan. It’s been a very long time since I wanted to play here. We have been coming to India since 1994 and every time I was here I used to ask our promoters where is my New Delhi show’,” Adams said to an enthusiastic crowd Sunday at Leisure Valley Park here.
“We have taken this long but I want to tell you that how incredibly excited we are to finally be here. Thank you for having us,” he added.
With the rock and roll beats and groovy tunes from his guitar, Adams seamlessly took the audience back in time with his classics “Can’t stop this thing we’ve started and “Run to you”, which segued into the theme of the evening.
“The next song we are going to do is the theme of the evening and is named ‘Go down rockin’. I don’t know if you realise but actually (through) tonight’s show we have the biggest party in India,” said the singer, who was dressed casually in a blue T-shirt and jeans.
Featuring an over-sized video wall rolling lyrics and self-portrait black and white as well as colour videos with monochrome lighting, the night brought together people from all walks of life to sway and swoon to the music filled with nostalgia.
Adams, like a wizard, had a control over the appreciative crowd as he sang “You belong to me”, and the audience followed his instructions to put their best dancing foot forward.
“Does anyone know how to dance? I am giving instructions to find the best dancers and put them up on the screen. I will really like it if somebody does an Indian dance. It will be beautiful. Or Just do something silly. Do what you like,” said the Canadian singer.
From the 26-song set, songs like “Summer of 69”, “(Everything I do) I do it for you”, aceWhen you’re gone”, “Cloud number 9”, “18 till I die”, and “Brand new day” were instant hits amongst the crowd, who sang the classics with the singer — who in turn appreciated the audience and said “it’s first class singing. I love it”.
He added a fresh touch when he included “Kiki do you love me” while singing “Somebodya. The Ultimate Bryan Adams India Tour was organised by ENIL and Mirchi Live. After performing in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, he wrapped his visit with a gig in Gurugram.
Apart from uniting people with strings of music, Adams created a connection with the audience, by interacting with them from the stage. He also captured various moments from the evening on his mobile phone.
“It’s perfect temperature with tiny bit warm in the daytime. So what is life like here? Is it good? I have to come back and spend more time,” he said before asking his guitarist and best friend Keith Scott to play an Indian tune.
This was met with a technical glitch when the sound of Scott’s guitar went off. But it didn’t dampen the spirits as Adams kept the audience busy with his wittiness.”I think the authorities didn’t like that (the Indian melody),” he joked before composing a tune for Delhi.
“Ohh. It’s so great to be in Delhi tonight. I can even write a song and you don’t mind. Ohh Delhi” The music icon ended his performance on an emotional note.
“My mom and dad put aside $1000 dollars for my education and I asked my mom if we can put that $1000 to buy a piano. She knew I was not going back to school so she said yes we can do that’.
“In the summer of 1997, I practiced all summer and drove my entire family out of the house due to my terrible piano playing. The point of my story is not the song but about my parents…Had they not given me a chance to be a free musician as I am, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”
Adams then explained how this year has been tumultuous for him, and how he is “little Indian” by nature.”I lost my father and my mother had a massive stroke and now she is paralyzed in a wheelchair. I know what it is like to lose somebody. It is not easy.
“When I was coming here the other day I noticed a man and his father in the airplane. His father was quite old and I asked are you taking care of your father’. He said that he is coming to live with me now’, and that is the Indian way.
“In the last years of my father, I took care of my father too… And he said well maybe you are little bit Indian,” said the singer, who concluded his act with “All for love”.
Adams also took to Instagram to thank Indians for giving him some magical memories.
“New Delhi, India, you were incredible tonight. In this photo, if you look carefully you can see my shadow silhouetted in the dust and smoke of the venue over the audience. I’ve never seen that before. Magical India. Namaste,” he posted.
IANS
