HomeMusicBryan Adams Eden Sessions, Cornwall live review

Bryan Adams Eden Sessions, Cornwall live review

Canadian rock legend Bryan Adams made a triumphant return to the stage of Cornwall’s Eden Sessions, a gig which had been rescheduled from 2021. The outdoor venue offers a stunning location for musicians and fans alike, set in a former china clay pit of the eco attraction Eden Project. This summer, the Eden Sessions have already seen Diana Ross, ahead of her Glastonbury set, My Chemical Romance, Nine Inch Nails and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Stereophonics will close this year’s 2022 live music series with a show on 5th July.  

With no support act, Adams strode out on the stage just before 8:30, opening with ‘Kicks Ass’ from his latest and fifteenth studio album, ‘So Happy It Hurts’, including the quirky John Cleese spoken introduction. Adams certainly woke the nearby neighbours of St. Austell, although perhaps most of the local residents made up the 6,000-strong crowd. Adams last played against the backdrop of the biomes in 2017.

Adams cracked on with ‘Can’t Stop This Thing We Started’ from his Platinum and Diamond certified Waking Up The Neighbours album, released just after his single, ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It For You’ spent 16 weeks at number one in 1991 in the UK charts. ‘Not Guilty’, from the same album, turned up towards the end of the set.

I’ve been a fan of Adams since the ‘90s, attending gigs with my Mum, and it was so good to hear from all of his five decades of music, reliving memories connected with his music (that time I was heavily pregnant and snuck us into a box so I could sit; attending the ’18 Til I Die’ tour and seeing Tina Turner in the same month, if not on the same stage). I absolutely love Adams’ rockier sounds, including ‘Go Down Rockin’ and the rockabilly ‘You Belong To Me’ (which inspired a dance off in a crowd that was having a thoroughly decent time) from 2015’s ‘Get Up’ album.    

Highlights of the show included hearing his anthem, ‘Summer of ’69’, which we’ll never tire of hearing live, ‘Shine A Light’ and the digital torch waving in the encore and listening to ‘It’s Only Love; whilst Adams teased a possible Tina reappearance to their 1985 duet, guitarist Keith Scott stepped in and showcased his shredding skills to a wowed crowd. Shout out goes to Adams’ extended encore of five tracks, ending with the sublime ‘These Are The Moments That Make Up My Life’. Huge shout out to the Eden Sessions team for their helpful staff, especially navigating our party to the lifts, and ensuring the car park crawl exit wasn’t too arduous!

Catch Bryan Adams on his ‘So Happy It Hurts’ tour this summer, alongside rescheduled 2021 gigs.

Setlist: 1. Kick Ass 2. Can’t Stop This Thing We Started 3. Shine a Light 4. Somebody 5. Heaven 6. Go Down Rockin’ 7. It’s Only Love 8. On the Road 9. You Belong to Me 10. I’ve Been Looking for You 11. The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You 12. Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman 13. Here I Am 14. When You’re Gone 15. (Everything I Do) I Do It for You 16. Back to You 17. Not Guilty 18. 18 til I Die 19. Summer of ’69 20.  Run to You 21. One Night Love Affair 22. Please Forgive Me 23. Cuts Like a Knife

Extended Encore: 1.So Happy It Hurts 2. Straight From the Heart 3. Shine a Light (partial reprise) 4. All for Love (Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart & Sting cover) 5. These Are the Moments That Make Up My Life

Venue: The Eden Project Performance date: 29th June 2022

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Emma Jordan

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