Bryan Adams landed back in Dublin on Tuesday Night [20th May 2025] with a brand new tour in support of a new album. Taking to the stage at Dublin's 3Arena almost a year to the day since he was last there, the Canadian was in showstopping form, playing a thirty-song set that took in songs from every corner of his career; from his 1983 breakthrough 'Cuts Like a Knife' to 2025's 'Roll with the Punches'.
Photo; Darren McLoughlin.
Every band needs a good intro, and where Iron Maiden signal the beginning of their shows with a playback of UFO's 'Doctor Doctor', and Metallica, Ennio Morricone's 'The Ecstasy of Gold', with Bryan Adams, on this 'Roll With the Punches' tour it's a fitting ding ding ding of a bell.
With round one minutes away, and with a huge inflatable mirrored boxing glove circling the arena, the excitement was palpable when Vancouver's favourite son finally took to the stage and launched, appropriately into his latest album's rollocking title track.
Rather than the Stratocaster of his early days, or the vintage Gibsons he favours latterly, Adams on this round of shows is back on bass for the first time in nearly two decades, so it's a revamped band that take to the stage in Dublin. Of course Keith Scott is still there to his left as he has been since day one, and he plays the first of a series of blistering leads as the opener kicks up a gear for its double-time outro.
Kicking off with a relatively unfamiliar new song, the faithful were then immediately rewarded with a brace of his biggest hits in the 'Reckless' pairing of 'Run to You', and 'Somebody', with the atmosphere instantly lifting as soon as the former's instantly recognisable guitar lick arrived.
At 65 years old, Bryan Adams remains as charismatic and enthusiastic as when 'Reckless' first conquered the globe back in 1984, although acknowledging that's he's no longer that fresh faced groover, he knowingly updates the lyrics to '18 'til I Die', changing it's "someday I'll be 18 going on 55" chorus to reflect his current vintage.
Switching from the Fender Precision to his beautiful gold Gibson ES-295 for the next few songs, the rocker seemed to be having the time of his life, as 'Shine a Light', 'Kids Wanna Rock', and a trippy reinvention of 'Heaven' - which worked surprisingly well - arrived.
Greeting the sold-out crowd, the enthusiastic singer said; "Man it's good to be back in Ireland!" before promising to "fit in as many songs as we can remember", which as the night goes on, included an incredible thirty tracks.
Looking back, during 'It's only Love', he took time to reminisce about his earliest gigs in Dublin, at the National Stadium in 1987. Asking; "was anybody there?", when one fan answers in the affirmative, he replies with a grateful; "thanks for coming again, fella!"
Stripping things back for a bare bones, solo set, 'Here I am' was accompanied by widescreen visuals that recalled the 2002 'Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron' soundtrack, while 'When You're Gone' raised one of the loudest singalongs of the night.
Making things even more intimate, a requests section saw a raucous 'One Night Love Affair', and only the third ever outing for 'Get Off My Back', last performed way back in 2002.
From there the show ramped up a gear, with 'So Happy it Hurts' complete with inflatable car doing laps of the 3Arena, and a truly uplifting pairing of 'Summer of '69' and 'Cuts Like a Knife'.
Saving his cover of Thin Lizzy's version of 'Whisky in the Jar' for last, Adams signed off with an heartfelt message for those in attendance; "I'm really proud of the Irish", he said, calling the nation; "one of the few places standing up for basic human rights".
More than three decades after his sixteen-week chart topping run with 'Everything I Do (I Do It for You)', Bryan Adams remains a class act who shows no signs of slowing down.
Get Bryan Adams 'Roll With the Punches' limited editions, vinyl and merch here.
With round one minutes away, and with a huge inflatable mirrored boxing glove circling the arena, the excitement was palpable when Vancouver's favourite son finally took to the stage and launched, appropriately into his latest album's rollocking title track.
Rather than the Stratocaster of his early days, or the vintage Gibsons he favours latterly, Adams on this round of shows is back on bass for the first time in nearly two decades, so it's a revamped band that take to the stage in Dublin. Of course Keith Scott is still there to his left as he has been since day one, and he plays the first of a series of blistering leads as the opener kicks up a gear for its double-time outro.
Kicking off with a relatively unfamiliar new song, the faithful were then immediately rewarded with a brace of his biggest hits in the 'Reckless' pairing of 'Run to You', and 'Somebody', with the atmosphere instantly lifting as soon as the former's instantly recognisable guitar lick arrived.
At 65 years old, Bryan Adams remains as charismatic and enthusiastic as when 'Reckless' first conquered the globe back in 1984, although acknowledging that's he's no longer that fresh faced groover, he knowingly updates the lyrics to '18 'til I Die', changing it's "someday I'll be 18 going on 55" chorus to reflect his current vintage.
Switching from the Fender Precision to his beautiful gold Gibson ES-295 for the next few songs, the rocker seemed to be having the time of his life, as 'Shine a Light', 'Kids Wanna Rock', and a trippy reinvention of 'Heaven' - which worked surprisingly well - arrived.
Greeting the sold-out crowd, the enthusiastic singer said; "Man it's good to be back in Ireland!" before promising to "fit in as many songs as we can remember", which as the night goes on, included an incredible thirty tracks.
Looking back, during 'It's only Love', he took time to reminisce about his earliest gigs in Dublin, at the National Stadium in 1987. Asking; "was anybody there?", when one fan answers in the affirmative, he replies with a grateful; "thanks for coming again, fella!"
Stripping things back for a bare bones, solo set, 'Here I am' was accompanied by widescreen visuals that recalled the 2002 'Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron' soundtrack, while 'When You're Gone' raised one of the loudest singalongs of the night.
Making things even more intimate, a requests section saw a raucous 'One Night Love Affair', and only the third ever outing for 'Get Off My Back', last performed way back in 2002.
From there the show ramped up a gear, with 'So Happy it Hurts' complete with inflatable car doing laps of the 3Arena, and a truly uplifting pairing of 'Summer of '69' and 'Cuts Like a Knife'.
Saving his cover of Thin Lizzy's version of 'Whisky in the Jar' for last, Adams signed off with an heartfelt message for those in attendance; "I'm really proud of the Irish", he said, calling the nation; "one of the few places standing up for basic human rights".
More than three decades after his sixteen-week chart topping run with 'Everything I Do (I Do It for You)', Bryan Adams remains a class act who shows no signs of slowing down.
Get Bryan Adams 'Roll With the Punches' limited editions, vinyl and merch here.