By Esha Chaudhuri
SHILLONG, Dec 11: Legendary rock artist Bryan Adams, in his India Tour, 2024, made his maiden visit to Shillong on Tuesday at JN Stadium, Polo Ground. Singing his popular songs from his musical journey to performing some of his compositions with emotional attachment, Adams delivered an exemplary show. “He’s been popular since our times, and it’s great to see that he still is this popular among today’s youth, too,” says A Sharma, a senior citizen who travelled from Assam for the show.
The magnetic aura of the artist, clad in a white leather jacket and coordinated pants, kept the audience enthralled for two hours at a go.
Bearing in mind the age groups of the audience, the artist performed melodious and mellow tones, while also delivering dance numbers. “I enjoyed the mix of songs and the energy on the ground,” says Pritam Singh, who attended the concert after his travels from Imphal.
As the attendees bounced and danced to his melodies, they also flashed their torches from their mobile phones, sang along and brought immense joy amongst all. “I have been looking forward to this concert because it’s Bryan Adams. There’s no other like him,” says an enthused Daniel K Lyngkhoi.
“I enjoyed the evening thoroughly as I had been planning to bring my mother as it coincided with her birthday,” says Joziah Ryan K Lyngdoh.
Iconic tracks such as Summer of 69, Everything I Do and Here I am, captivated the audience and had them singing along with him. A point made by the artist himself before performing the track ‘Let’s make a night to remember’ was that he learned that this track in particular is extremely popular in India.
As the star artist performed on the track 18 ‘til I Die, his youthful spirit, zeal and effervescence struck the audience. “Age has nothing on him. He personified this song that night. Completely spellbound.” says Shreya Chaudhuri.
Sharing similar thoughts, Casper C. Lalrammuana says, “Taking into account his age, I did not expect a lot of that ‘rockstar energy’ in him, singing while playing, improvising and talking to the audience while running around the stage. It was a pleasant surprise.”
Others also weighed in their thoughts on the overall concert, as well as the organising bit that were also perceived in detail.
“The sound system and stage lights were in perfect tune with the beat of the songs. The vocals, simple jokes by Bryan Adams, and the entire performance were much better than I anticipated, considering most live music performances aren’t usually as good as the studio-recorded versions in terms of music and vocals. I did not expect the audience to know almost all of the songs he sang, but the crowd should’ve cheered a little more, given how starry Bryan Adams is,” observes Lalrammuana.
Similarly, Zubin Kashyap also noted the pros of the concert night. “The concert was a memorable experience, especially for the commendable efforts in managing traffic and convenience of parking and the ease of walking to the venue was a big plus,” Kashyap said.
There were, however, a few loopholes that needed attention as suggested by the attendees.
“There were no safety issues on the grounds as it was well managed but the arrangements for the washroom area were underwhelming,” says Athatia Lyngdoh.
Kashyap also thought that the event organisation left much to be desired. “The lack of sufficient dustbins and the bottleneck created by having only one entry and exit gate for premium ticket holders resulted in chaos at the end of the concert. These are areas that definitely need improvement for future events,” he remarked.
Lalrammuana also commented, “I was expecting better arrangements for waste management and cleanliness because by the end of the concert, there were empty bottles everywhere and water from the makeshift washrooms was leaking.”
Despite a few glitches, the artist kept the thread of human connection alive through his banter in between his performances. He dedicated a song to his dear friend and singer, Late Tina Turner, as well as his 96-year-old mother, to whom he owes his life’s success as she believed in his musical capabilities and flair.
Legendary for a reason, Adams conducted himself with exceptional grace, dignity and energy. His personal values of humility and being a team player also stood out as he cheered on his guitarist, Keith Scott and drummer, Pat Steward for their stellar performances at the concert. Despite the dipping mercury levels, the warmth amongst the people cemented by the powerhouse of a performer, definitely made it a night to remember!