Live Review: Bryan Adams – 15th May 2025 – O2 Arena, London, UK
5 min read
Canadian music royalty doesn’t come in bigger or bolder shape than the legend that is Bryan Adams. Going strong for the best part of 5 decades, Adams has enjoyed a career that is of envy to most – both new and hugely successful artists alike. I mean, rattle off the number of singles the musician has had and you would be surprised by just how many of them have been global hits making any live show you may attend of Adams a guaranteed greatest hits celebration.
We’ve been fortunate enough to see Bryan Adams perform several times over the years and each and every time we have walked out of the venue with a smile stretched from ear to ear and humming along to his hits for weeks after. It was no different last night following our latest opportunity to see Adams on tour as the songwriting icon landed back in London and back at the famous O2 Arena as part of his Roll With The Punches tour of the UK and beyond.
All the staples from the Bryan Adams songbook found their rightful place in the meaty over-two-hour set last night that set off at an early show start time of around 8pm. It literally felt like a constant “I remember when I first heard this song” moment as the icon churned through infectious hits like the poppy Can’t Stop This Thing We Started and the rugged Run To You – two career juggernauts and two of his best pennings (in my opinion) that served as a reminder of this man’s talent and impact on the music industry.
It’s Only Love provided a touching moment early on in the set as Adams paid tribute to his friend and the singles collaborator, Tina Turner who passed away in 2023, drawing attention to the fact the musician was only 24 when the song was written. Nice way to make the rest of us feel rather lazy in life.
While new songs from the singers upcoming 16th studio album, Roll With The Punches, which sees it’s release at the end of August, were sparse within the set – the albums title track opening the show following a giant silver inflatable boxing glove being driven via drones above the crowd and album track Make Up Your Mind popping up further into the night – they were strategically sandwiched between the career mammoths that got the sold out and jam packed venue of fans belting back louder and more enthusiastically than we have heard a crowd in quite some time.
The majority of the night consisted of flawless sing-along foot thumpers with Somebody and 18 til I Die making their appearances very early on in the set as well as one of my personal favourite Bryan Adams tracks, Back to You being performed in all its MTV Unplugged-style glory. These, and others, rightfully awarded guitarist and touring side-kick Keith Scott his time to shine as he wielded his guitarwork over the crowd in true superstar style.
There was also room for softer, more stripped back moments within the set that allowed both the fans and Adams to catch our breath a little. “We’ve got a full house night. We’re gonna play as many songs as I can remember”, Adams told the audience before playing through a gorgeous stripped back version of Cloud Number Nine. A few songs later, the emotional Heaven was dished up and had the who venue swaying along to the hit as a backdrop of deserted, rain-socked streets lit up the giant screens behind the band.
Please Forgive Me and When Your Gone were delivered in acoustic style (though the latter being performed without local resident superstar and track collaborator, Melanie C was an opportunity missed) while Scott seasoned Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman? with his impressive Spanish guitar skills.
An encore of Straight From the Heart and All for Love closed the night with Adams performing on a very quant B-stage at the rear of the venue and deep amongst the fans but it was of course two of his biggest hits that fans lapped up the most as (Everything I Do) I Do It for You and Summer of 69 – both very contrasting in their styles – were like waves of nostalgia washing over the packed O2 Arena crowd and both gave the audience their moment to belt out the power ballad or play air guitar like the chap behind me who was living his best life in the space of the two seats left empty in the night – the only two that I could see in the whole space.
Last night was a truly iconic night from one of the most extraordinary performers and one of the most gifted songwriters, past or present. Bryan Adams knows how to deliver a show and after seeing him for the fourth time now, and we may have been so high in the seating of the venue that at one point a sparrow flew by us but last night was hands down the best of his shows that I have seen. Two and a half hours of Bryan Adams at his most masterful!
Setlist:
Roll With the Punches
Run to You
Somebody
18 til I Die
Cloud Number Nine
Make Up Your Mind
Heaven
It’s Only Love
You Belong to Me
Can’t Stop This Thing We Started
Please Forgive Me
Go Down Rockin
Shine a Light
Here I Am
Whiskey in the Jar ([traditional] cover)
When You’re Gone
Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?
Never Ever Let You
The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You
One Night Love Affair (Audience Request)
London Calling (The Clash cover) (Audience Request)
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Back to You
So Happy It Hurts
Summer of ’69
Cuts Like a Knife
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (Frankie Valli cover)
Encore:
Straight From the Heart
All for Love (Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart & Sting song)
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::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
