Bryan Adams brings ‘magic show’ to Manila

MANILA, Philippines — It was indeed a magical night when Bryan Adams did “go down rockin’” and crooned his timeless hits “straight from the heart” at the Araneta Coliseum last Wednesday.

Presented by Wilbros Live, Bryan returned to Manila as part of his So Happy It Hurts Asia leg tour.

The Canadian singer-songwriter was amazed by the singing Filipino crowd that he told them, “For a songwriter to do songs that you sort of started in your house or in your kitchen, or sometimes in your bedroom or whatever, then they belong to the world, and it became your songs and they have meaning. And what brings us together is this incredible thing called music.”

“It only happens in concerts where you get people to sing like this, interact like this. Unless in football games maybe but not like that, not singing like that. Did you guys hear yourselves singing like that?” he continued.

“The reason I’m telling you this is because I think it’s magic. And we need magic in our lives. We need magic. So let’s just say tonight this wasn’t a concert, it was a magic show, OK? Magic in Manila, that’s what I’m gonna call it.”

After telling the audience such sweet words, he then performed his penultimate song Straight From The Heart, a track he wrote when he was 18. “Only couple of years ago,” he quipped.

But first, Bryan enticed the fans with Kick Ass, Can’t Stop This and Somebody as his opening songs and went on with Shine A Light, Do I Have To Say The Words?, (Everything I Do) I Do It For You and the track he recorded with “the great Tina Turner” It’s Only Love.

Bryan also shared that as he toured around the world, he met many people from the Philippines. And when they asked him if he would like to come back to Manila to stage a show, he definitely said yes .

“So tonight we’ve got many, many songs for you. I hope you don’t have to go home too early because (there’s a) lot of music. Like this one, ‘It still feels like our first night together/ Feels like the first kiss/It’s getting better baby/ No one can better this/ Still holding on…’”

When Bryan and his equally talented bandmates, Gary Breit on piano, Solomon Walker (bass), Pat Steward (drums) and Keith Scott (lead guitar), started playing the chords of Heaven, the audience couldn’t help but sing the first part in unison. Bryan then came in, “Baby you’re all that I want/When you’re lyin’ here in my arms/ I’m findin’ it hard to believe we’re in heaven…”

Bryan further requested the audience to flaunt their best dance moves and they gladly did to the tune of You Belong To Me and I’ve Been Lookin’ For You. The cameraman spotted audience members with the best dance moves among the crowd and they were shown on the LED screen on stage.

Bryan shared they added more slow songs into their setlist, especially for their Filipino fans. They went on to sing Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman? and The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You.

One lucky fan and her friends had the chance to sit in the front row as Bryan invited them to be seated near the stage. He then continued singing Summer of ‘69 and Cuts Like A Knife.

He was so accommodating that when a bouncer intercepted some of the fans from going near the stage, Bryan told him, “Let them do their thing. They are OK, man… Let everybody do their thing.” He then crooned So Happy It Hurts and Run To You. He also did Back To You, When You Love Someone and 18 ‘Til I Die.

Towards the end of the show, he thanked the crowd, saying, “First of all, I wanna thank everybody for coming out tonight. You make such a great crowd (and) wonderful audience. Thank you. I wanna say a very important thing… You’re just too good to be true/Can’t take my eyes off of you/You’d be like Heaven to touch/I wanna hold you so much…”

Before hitting his parting song All for Love, he took a video of the jam-packed audience and said, “I gotta make that because I had to send it to my mom. I said, ‘Mom, I play in the Philippines. No, you’re not. I said I am. I’m playing in Philippines tonight. Oh, that’s nice dear.’

“My mother is 95. And trust me, if she could be here tonight, she would be. So aside from dedicating this next song to you, I wanna dedicate this next song to my mother Jane.”

And he sent home the audience on LSS (Last Song Syndrome) mode with, “Let’s make it! (All for one and all for love)/Let the one you hold be the one you want, the one you need/’Cause when it’s all for one, it’s one for all/When there’s someone that should know, then just let your feelings show/And make it all for one and all for love…”