Barnes Photography - A Day on the Green - 1927 and Pseudo Echo concert review


	Post Office Box 67 Fulham Gardens SA Phone: 0412 208 011 e-mail barnesphotography@bigpond.com
Bryan Adams Adelaide Entertainment Centre 24 Apr 2013
Well this review of the experience at Bryan Adams' return to Adelaide after about 8 long years was going to be of one of the best Bryan Adams concerts I'd been too but more of why that changed later. The group of around 40 gathered and was soon marshalled into our order for the meet and greet to start of the night. The promoter who was in charge of the group did a great job of clearly explaining how things were going to work, handing out the tour bags with program, CD and lanyard/pass and getting everyone in order as we headed back into the restricted area where autographs and photos would take place. Much like the scifi conventions we were asked to complete post it notes with out name then lined up to have a copy of the tour program autographed and photo taken and everyone also got the chance for a short chat with Bryan himself. Then it was off to the merchandise counters and to find something to eat and drink before heading inside for the concert. The ushers/security were wonderful coming past and advising us that we could indeed take photos (with our point and shoot cameras) as long as we didn't use flash and didn't film anything. Not a problem for those of us who had paid for the full experience and only wanted to take photos of the show (yes I have included photos below but they are my own personal shots and are not for sale at all). Anyway Bryan burst on stage with a rousing rendition of House Arrest then straight into Here I Am from the soundtrack of the horse movie Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron followed by Can't Stop This Thing we Started. Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven and then Bryan spoke to the crowd before introducing Keith on guitar for Have you Ever Really Loved a Woman. One of his lesser known songs Hearts on Fire went across very well before going Rescue Me and another high activity song in 18 Til I Die. Throughout the show Bryan and Keith really did seem to be enjoying the show and covered all sides of the stage. Surprisingly Summer of 69 was in the middle of the set list - this has usually been the big encore song but this tour its been dropped back earlier to mix it up a bit while Everything I Do I Do For You calmed things down and was the start of the very effective lighting display with a green 'wall' of light centre stage (it was very effective so I took a photo hoping to capture that effect). The hits continued with Cuts Like a Knife and then it was time to select the When You're Gone Girl - and the fan selected was actually the best he's got up on stage at the Adelaide concerts she actually knew the words and did a good job on the singing too. Now at this point I had a few issues with a concertgoer who had pushed her way into the VIP rows and was standing behind me taking photos with a flash and continuing to film the concert on her camera. She was upsetting the rest of us so we asked her to move away - well she moved a couple of people back towards the way she came but kept taking photos and filming. If only we could have seen security at that stage - why? because it seems my chunky Canon Powershot SX1 (a 6 year old model so bigger than the slimline ones many use now) seemingly was the target of Bryan who instructed his people to come down on me like a tonne of bricks even though through Please Forgive Me into Its Only Love and for the Only Thing that Looks Good on Me is You I like other VIPs had actually stopped taking any photos. My camera had turned itself off and later I found it was nearly 10 minutes between the last photo of the night and being told I couldn't take any more - like others I was enjoying the show instead to that point. I was singled out for a 'big camera' and the concertgoer who had been breaking the rules continued on her merry way. I was then told off again while still bewildered on what I did wrong and told to put the camera away. 20 minutes later security then came past and said I was in trouble again and I'd have to give my camera to them it was only other fans who backed me up that I hadnt done anything since the first approach that had them finally leave me alone. By then I couldn't wait for the concert to end it was too crowded to actually leave in the aisles- I really like Cloud Number 9 the song but couldn't enjoy one bar of it while trying to make sure my hands were clearly visible to officials. The rest of the band departed then and Bryan did Straight From the Heart and All for One (two other fav songs usually) solo and that was it the end of the show. On my way out two other fans who had been near the aisle commented that they saw the whole thing the concertgoer who had pushed in behind me and Bryan reacting and it was clear to them she was at fault not me in breaking the rules and it was clear to see her.. No she was not spoken too at all security were nowhere to be seen when she pushed her way in and caused the issues. Anyway I couldnt fault the performance of the songs with Bryan putting on his usual entertaining show but at a personal level it went from the best to the worst inside the last 30 minutes. The photos below are the only one that truly worked well from the night - I had a point and shoot and as many would know without a flash you have to take heaps to get a handful that work well. A photo below shows the difference between my point and shoot camera and one of my DSLRS with the smallest lens I have - it is clear the difference between the two types of camera. It really does make you appreciate our Australian performers concerts such as A Day on the Green where they even gave out chairs to use and had no problems whatsoever with the exact same camera that I had hanging from my wrist the whole time at that event too (and that event has the same rules - point and shoot only no DSLRs etc). Never again - nothing like being a fan for 20 years and then thats it being treated like that. Advice if you go to his concert buy tickets from row 2 back then they cant get to you , dont waste money on meet and greet - dead fish handshake and we had to think up what we wanted him to actually say in autos and wasnt all that chatty either.



	Yes the little point and shoot on the right compared to an actual DSLR with the smallest lens I have. The hand grip where the AA batteries go is the only thing remotely similar.