Bryan Adams has been a very popular draw in Ireland for years and it was no surprise to me when it was announced he would play Slane Castle,in Co.Meath,Ireland.Slane is the biggest outdoor event in Ireland,a natural amphitheatre set on a beautiful estate with Slane Castle to one side.
This was the Irish leg of Adams world tour,and in true Irish style,the thousands of fans were once again in form for a great nights entertainment by one of the worlds best rock vocalists.
The camera work was superb,capturing the atmosphere which had reached fever pitch by the time the band took to the stage.
Guitarist Keith Scott,Drummer Mickey Carey and the man himself arrived onstage complete with life size balloons that they kicked into the crowd and then the opening riff to "Back To You" began.The crowds immediately immersed themselves as only an Irish crowd can do.
The beauty of an Adams concert is that you dont have to be a big fan to know the songs,most of his reportoire is so well known here in Ireland as he's had such success here down through the years,Theres no piont in trying to review each song so I'll get straight to the piont.
The concert itself was a major success,and about midway through, a girl from the crowd was spotted and invited onstage to sing a song with Adams,a regular event at Bryan Adams concerts in recent years,and a moment never to be forgotten.
The only thing that bugs me about the show is he did not use his full band,It was just him,Keith Scott and Mickey Carey,who have been with Bryan since the very beginning.I find it hard to listen to "Summer Of '69 without the keyboard riff,and find it hard to watch Bryan perform without his guitar,Bass guitar does not suit him and he cant stray far from his microphone as he could with his guitar,for me it does take something away.I still cant believe he completed a world tour with just a 3 piece band.The other side of this coin is that Scott and Carey get to prove just what amazing musicians they are as the lack of additional musicians leave them exposed.
According to my wife,the dress sense of the band that night really annoyed her,with the 3 members of the band wearing white t-shirts and pants,playing their white instruments against a black background,Once it was mentioned I had to agree as the stage lights were programmed to really make the white clothes shine,(Daz, eat your heart out).
Overall,it was still a very enjoyable concert to watch,would have been awesome if he'd used his entire band,and the DVD is still a good one to have in any collection,the special features which contain interviews and backstage footage along with 3 bonus tracks still make this a good buy regardless of my sense of fashion and gripe about his 3-piece band.Adams fans will enjoy this as will most music fans,his voice in top form and as recognisable as ever.Yep,I would definitely recommend this.