WHATEVER about the merits of his music, you cannot deny that Bryan Adams - making his second sell out visit to the Point within the space of nine months - gives value for money.
Adams's most adverse critics maintain that his music is of the lowest common denominator, utilising every manipulative trick in the rock n roll book. They'd be right, too, for surely the worst aspect of any popular art form is to see it being stretched to breaking point for no apparent reason and without any obvious benefit. For the most part, that is what happens to Adams's high energy rock music. Save for the exception of a decent tune or two (noticeably Run To You, and Summer Of 69), it all comes across as stultifyingly dull. The ballads, however, are where Bryan Adams triumphs.
If he satisfies his farcical yearning for mythical rock n roll youth by singing dross like 18 Til I Die and I Want To Be Your Underwear - this from a man who will be 38 in November! - he transcends such puerility with some of the most effective slow pop songs of the past 10 years. Material such as Please Forgive Me, Heaven, Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? and Straight From The Heart are one of two things either emotional based sincerity faked very well or songs written by a person who occasionally daubs sealing wax on broken hearts. Given that a rock n roll performance is primarily acting, I'd say that Adams fakes it more often than not. Yet, if that's so, why was the person beside me wiping away a tear after (Everything I Do) I Do It For You?
The potency of cheap music notwithstanding, Adams puts a good crowd pleasing show, full of instrumental flash, bright lights and boyish, slightly sexist humour that had the chaperone mums grimacing in their seats. Flanked by lead guitarist Keith Scott and keyboard player Tommy Handel, Adams rocked his socks off. Needless to say, the audience loved him for it. What's the betting he could come back before Christmas and sell out the Point again?