Bryan Adams isn't a stranger to New Zealand.
In his forty-year touring career, he first arrived as a support act for The Police in 1984. By 1992 he was headlining shows. In 2019, he had to cancel his Hagley Park gig due to the March 15 attacks. But as he continued his NZ tour and spoke with love for Christchurch, you could tell the legendary rocker planned to give Cantabrians the show they deserved, and more.
Christchurch's Wolfbrook Arena kicked off Friday night with British singer-songwriter James Arthur taking the stage.
He opened the night with the upbeat track ‘Bitter Sweet Love’ before addressing the crowd to share how honoured he was to be opening for Bryan Adams. He spoke of how Bryan was one of the reasons he first got into music, a sentiment that resonated with many in the crowd.
James couldn't help but joke about the 'culture shock' performing at Wolfbrook Arena was to him. Observing the crowd, fully seated in front of the stage, he said it reminded him of a library, before adding that everyone in the UK would be on their feet and 'pissed'.
"I thought you guys were the same," he said as if he wanted to challenge us Kiwis to see what we could do.
As he moved through his set, James shared the story of his journey on The X Factor UK before performing ‘Impossible,’ a highlight of his set. He also took time to speak about mental health, a cause close to his heart. He opened up about his personal struggles and connected to the people in the audience going through similar battles, encouraging the importance of talking about it. "Hopefully this song may help someone," he said, before launching into the moving ballad ‘Train Wreck'.
For his final song, he performed his hit song ‘Say You Won’t Let Go,’ which had the Christchurch crowd finally on their feet. It went down so well that James joked “I should have sung that seven times”.
The crowd was warmed up when Bryan Adams finally took the stage, with the energetic opener ‘Kick Ass’. With his powerful vocals, buzzing electric guitar and power stance that commanded the stage, he fired up the crowd as he sang "Let there be a kick-ass rocking band... let's light a real big fire".
With the fire lit, the crowd rose to their feet for ‘Can’t Stop This Thing We Started’ and ‘Somebody', songs that have still stood the test of time for decades. Bryan then slowed things down with the ballad ‘Please Forgive Me,’ the passionate crowd at Wolfbrook sang so loudly it almost drowned out the man himself.
Taking a break between songs, the Canadian rocker expressed his excitement to be in Christchurch for two shows, as a lone Canadian flag waved in the middle of the arena. Switching from electric to acoustic guitar, he performed ‘Heaven,’ one of the night’s highlights.
A heartfelt tribute to his friend Tina Turner followed as Bryan stopped to reminisce about the pleasure of touring with and singing with the legend every night. He honoured her memory by performing a medley of Tina's hits, before returning to his classics.
The romantic ballad ‘Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?’ had a playful twist as Bryan changed the lyrics at the end to “Have You Ever Really Loved a New Zealand Woman?”. And like any Kiwi knows, when an international star mentions New Zealand, you know it's a winning move with the crowd.
Bryan continued to bring hit after hit, sending the audience into a frenzy when he brought out ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It for You.’ Bryan even jumped off the stage to shake hands, high-five fans, and sing with the crowd. The energy from the audience hit its peak when the iconic opening strums of ‘Summer of ’69’ rang out across the arena.
As the night drew to a close, Bryan took a moment to dedicate ‘Straight From the Heart’ to his mother, Jane, before finally finishing the night with one last hit ‘All for Love.’
With a setlist that showcased his expansive collection of hit songs, Bryan Adams easily proved why he's remained a rock legend since the 80s. And for his second sold-out show planned for Christchurch tonight, you can expect Bryan to deliver a night that has made waiting six years for his return worth it.
Bryan Adams 'So Happy It Hurts' Christchurch Setlist at Wolfbrook Arena, January 31 2025
Kick Ass
Can't Stop This Thing We Started
Somebody
18 til I Die
Please Forgive Me
Shine a Light
Take Me Back
Heaven
It's Only Love / The Best / What's Love Got To Do With It (Tina Turner tribute)
You Belong to Me
Rock and Roll Hell (KISS cover)
The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You
Here I Am
When You're Gone
Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?
Always Have, Always Will
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Back to You
So Happy It Hurts
Run to You
Cuts Like a Knife
Encore
Straight From the Heart
All for Love (Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart & Sting cover)
