Bryan Adams gets band back together for coast-to-coast tour

By Stuart Derdeyn, The Province January 31, 2012 11:34 AM

Vancouver audiences’ last hit-laden performance by Bryan Adams was at the PNE’s 100th anniversary concert series back in the Summer of 2010.

Now North Van’s biggest star is touring Canada for the first time since the 1992 Walking Up the World Tour. Billed by promoters Live Nation as “20 cities – 20 shows – Tickets starting at just $20” the cross-country roadshow commences on April 11 at St. John’s, NL, Mile One Centre and finishes on June 22 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, MB.

The Vancouver date at Rogers Arena is on June 16. Tickets: $20, $45, $75 and $95 plus charges are on sale at livenation.com, ticketmaster.ca, Rogers wireless box office and charge by phone at 1-855-985-5000

“It’s a killer new production that they have been working with and an evening of hits all night long by one of Canada’s greatest singers and entertainers,” says Paul Haagenson of Live Nation. “An incredible legacy in one night. And special that it is part of a 20 city coast-to-coast tour, first time he’s done that in 20 years.”

Unlike his soldout solo acoustic shows of the past few decades, Adams is touring with his longtime crack band including guitarist Keith Scott, drummer Mickey Curry, keyboardist Gary Breit and bassist Norm Fisher. Fans can expect a set list full of hits from throughout his multi-platinum career including “Cuts Like a Knife,” “Can’t Stop This Thing We’ve Started,” “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” and perhaps even his recent #1 dance track collaboration with the UK’s Loverush, “Tonight in Babylon. The tour will be preceeded by an EP of this tune and others due for March 5 digital release in Canada.

“He’s been doing a bare bones version of the single and there is a rock version too, but I won’t make any promises,” says manager Bruce Allen. “Bryan’s been on my a– about putting together a cross-Canada tour for a long time, really been driving it. He’s been doing the bare bones and really liking it, but we did a full band tour of the UK and he loved it. He’s also been reading about the rising ticket prices and wanted to see us offer a $20 bottom price to fans. It works great with the whole first cross-Canada tour in 20 years of 20 cities.”

Adams last local performance earned gleaming reviews across all media outlets as he proved time and time again that he possesses not only one of the best rock voices in Canadian music history but also a tendency to enjoy cutting loose a lot more when he’s plugged in and turned up.