Rock 'n' Roll - what does it mean to you? Glamour? Rebellion? Danger? Excess? Excitement? Teenage kicks? Howling at the moon?
Ask Bryan Adams the same question and he's unlikely to answer with any of the above. Bryan likes things a little safer, more 'ordinary' and down to earth. And it's paid off rather well over the years. His recorded output, a mixture of feather light pub rock stompers and cheesy ballads, is all fairly unremarkable, unless of course you consider the practice of 'Waking Up The Neighbours' a form of rebellion.
Tonight, in a temporary outdoor arena in London's Hyde Park, Bryan takes the stage to a hero's welcome and belts out the hits alongside new songs taken from the movie 'Spirit'. Decked out in a grey shirt and jeans, his trademark sensible haircut and light coating of stubble, he and his band proceed to get the crowd rocking with some fist pumping stadium pub classics.
In Bryan's world he's going to be 18 'Til (He) Dies, the Summer Of '69 goes on forever and if the mood takes you, you can sing-a-long to the whole damn thing. It's unthreatening, inoffensive, anthemic, feel-good rock for those who prefer an early night. All sung by a man resembling a plumber.
The forecast rain has stayed away, thanks to a request put in by Bryan apparently, which is a blessing as the opening chords to 'Everything I Do I Do It For You' provide quite sufficient wetness all on their own. The devoted here abort trips to the loo and sprint back to remind themselves of its dreary, stomach churningly laborious tones. Can there really be anyone on earth who remembers its 16-week stint at number one with even a glimmer of affection?
When it's encore time the band turn a neat trick and appear out of nowhere on a stage in the middle of the arena. 20 minutes of covers follows including a misguided plod through Elvis' recently remixed, 'A Little Less Conversation'. Bryan invites the crowd onto the stage and they oblige dancing politely around the band without giving security anything worry about.
The opening chords of 'Run To You' create the mildest kind of hysteria before everyone leaves in time for an early-ish night at ten. Everything Bryan does he may do for us, thing is we'd just rather he didn't do us any more favours.
