Bryan Adams, ‘So Happy it Hurts’ world tour makes unforgettable stop in Istanbul

October 18, Friday night at Ulker Fenerbahce Stadium in Atasehir, Istanbul, Bryan Adams sounded exactly how he sounded when I listened him on tv or bootlegged cassette tape copies of his songs as a kid back in the mid 1980s. Traveling back in time to my childhood, felt good. Thank you Mr. Adams for an outstanding performance, true to form.

I chose a seated option directly behind two sections of seating from the stage, in other words, halfway to the stage. The ticket which was purchased 6 months in advance, was worth every lira, costing me ₺2,350 ($68.50).

Showtime on the ticket said 7:00 P.M., I arrived around 6:40 P.M. to find a long line winding around the stadium.

Mr. Adams made a grand approach onto stage dressed in a white t-shirt, white jeans, and white tennis shoes around 9:00 P.M., and played until 11:30 P.M. pretty much non-stop. His only breaks where when he would gently set down the guitar he was playing, only to pick up another one to start the next song. I was impressed.

Somewhere halfway through the concert, he switched to an acoustic guitar, began strumming some chords and began talking to the audience explaining about how his father past away five years ago and how the next song was dedicated to him. The Juno Award winning song is titled “Shine A Light,” recorded in 2019. He then went onto saying,

“So go ahead a shine a light for someone you know that has passed on, maybe a family member, a friend or maybe for the people down below.” The band started up and he began singing. He then ad libbed the following new lyrics during the song, “Shine a light for Lebanon! Shine a light for Palestine!”

On the large screen behind the stage, during the pre-show before Mr. Adams came on, were music videos playing from his new album. In one scene Mr. Adams (in the driver’s seat) and an old lady (in the passenger seat next to him) wearing a glamorous shiny cocktail dress with a pair of large, vintage, Hollywood-style sunglasses on are seated in a classic American convertible car. Mr. Adams is seen laughing and carrying on during the song, as the old lady sits unamused. In the second half of the concert, Mr. Adams refers back to that scene and begins explaining to the audience that the old lady in the video is in-fact his mom, who is 96 years old. He said,

“She can’t walk anymore, but she’s the reason I’m able to walk up on this stage tonight. When I was first getting into playing music, my mom never stopped me, never said no to me. The only thing she told me was to do a good job.”

He sincerely engaged the audience many times during the concert, which was heartwarming. He signed a few posters while on stage, and tossed out guitar picks after playing key songs.

He was and is everything one would expect from someone named Bryan Adams, a perfect gentlemen, professional showmanship. Thank you Mr. Adams, and come back soon!