CityLife

Bryan brings 11 to Arena

NEW LP TO TOUR: Adams

ASK anyone about Bryan Adams and they’ll tell you how he released THAT SONG that dug its heels in at the top of the charts for a record 16 weeks in the summer of 1991. 

What we forget, though, is that we only had ourselves to blame. And we weren’t the only country that fell in love with (Everything I Do) I Do It For You: it stuck at the top of the US and Canadian pop charts for a combined 16 weeks, too, and went number one in nine additional countries.

That summer, no one could get enough of the Canadian rocker’s raspy croak or tale of true love conquering all.

Seventeen years on, then, CityLife put its collective heads together to dig out our favourite Adams memories. They were, at best, sketchy.

‘There was that single with (former-Spice Girl) Mel C,’ one head offered, ‘Didn’t he get nominated as PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian?’ asked another.

But there must have been many more. Because since then, he’s won two Grammys, seven Junos (the Canadian equivalent of the Brits), one American Music Award and a place on Canada’s Walk Of Fame.

Surprised

So we dug into Bryan’s past and were surprised at what we saw: he’s delivered six Top 10 albums for a label he reportedly signed with for a single buck, and still boasts more than the occasional big hit. I mean, remember Run To You? Summer Of 69? They were Bryan!

Most endearingly, though, he’s also putting those years of success to good use by fronting some world changing campaigns, including Live 8, the fund for the Indian Ocean tsunami victims, an initiative to save the southern ocean whales and the NSPCC.

And he isn’t, of course, just a gravely-voiced rock god either. He’s a professional photographer whose work has been featured in the likes of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

He’s also famous for his candid shots of fellow musicians; everyone from Mick Jagger to Placido Domingo has posed for him in the name of art… and M&S. But he’s a serious draw at the art gallery level, too; his recent special exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London was a huge success.

This week, he’s back in the rock ’n’ roll business, though, taking his 11th studio album – 11 – on the road.

It’s the record’s second international tour of duty (the first was a whirlwind sweep around 11 countries in Europe in 11 days) and stops at the M.E.N. Arena on Thursday.
 

Bryan Adams plays the M.E.N. Arena on Thursday, October 30. £37.50. Call 0844 847 8000.