Bryan Adams, now an independent artist on his own label Bad Records, is promoting his brand new album ‘Roll With the Punches’ with a series of intimate album release shows in select clubs across the UK.

I was not going to miss the opportunity to catch a multi-million selling artist up close and personal in my favourite venue, The Brudenell in Leeds.

With a strict no phones/recording policy in place, no support act and an early start, this proves to be anything but a normal show for the artist and punter alike.

The no phones system actually works really well. After queuing in the rain, you are handed a pouch to place your phone in, which is then locked and handed back, and you keep it on you for the entire show. 

It sounds like a bit of a faff, but it’s not. It’s well worth it to be free from a sea of screens in front of you, filming the entire thing.

The four-piece band take to the stage bang at 8 pm. Dressed in a tight black T-shirt, blue jeans and regulation short back & sides, Bryan Adams looks shorter than I imagined, and has barely aged in years. He smiles, straps on a bass and tells us what to expect. No hits tonight, they don’t have time, this is all about the new album. They will play the whole thing and answer questions in between songs. Then they proceed to kick out the jams with the opening title track. It’s a song with an instant, classic Adams chorus and a punchy, jarring riff, a great opener. With Adams handling bass duties, long-serving members Keith Scott on guitar, Mickey Curry on drums and Gary Breit on keyboards, the four-piece band sounds tight and they truly rock. The sound is great, the vocals spot on, to be honest, it sounds like the goddamn record!

Next up is ‘Make Up Your Mind’, another classic sounding Adams signature single. With a chorus that may be designed to be sung en masse in stadiums across the world but sounds perfect here in a small, sweaty club. It feels really surreal seeing a guy of this stature playing a small club show right in front of my eyes.

‘Never Let You Go’ is an anthem that is as euphoric as it gets. That rousing chorus builds and builds. It’s a strong song,

possibly the best on the album. Is that goosebumps I feel travelling up my arms? I’m sure I’m not the only one.

It turns out they are playing the album in sequence, albeit with between-song breaks for Q&A’s. There is a certain ebb & flow to the show as the sequencing has been designed for the album listening experience.

The band are doing 3 sets each night on this promotional tour, when questioned as to the motives, Bryan explains that’s how they started in bars, doing 3-4 sets a night, so it’s a sort of return to the band’s roots. 

And there is a nostalgic feel to the album as a whole, whether that is intentional I don’t know, maybe I should’ve stuck my hand up to ask the question! 

The second half of the set, as with the album, shifts the mood from the upbeat, arena rockers to the more reflective and dare I say ‘power ballad’ territory. Bryan swaps his bass for an acoustic guitar and a harmonica to channel his inner Bob Dylan on the emotive anti-war anthem ‘Love Is Stronger Than Hate’. 

The following ‘How’s That Working For Ya’ sounds like it could’ve been lifted from the ‘18 Til I Die’ sessions, it has that punchy, radio friendly bravado going on. 

Elsewhere, ‘Two Arms To Hold You’ is a declaration of love that straddles Bon Jovi radio rock and the following ‘Be The Reason’ screams ‘album track’ on first listen and could be the only song that comes close to being classed as ‘filler’ tonight. 

Poignant set closer and new single ‘Will We Ever Be Friends Again’ leaves things on a reflective note. And that’s it, 1 hour, job done.

Hats off to Bryan Adams for arranging these shows. Not only for playing intimate venues, but for insisting on a no phones policy to make sure everyone gets the true live experience every musician surely wants for their fan base: to experience living in the moment and not watching a gig through a screen.

Ok, so some of the hits would’ve been nice, but tonight was about the new album and showing the fanbase that he can still write a good tune or two, and is excited to perform new songs with the conviction and passion they deserve.

A truly special, one-of-a-kind night that surely has to go down as one of the highlights of the gigging year.