Canāt let last night pass without a āreviewā.
![Image may contain: 2 people, people on stage, people playing musical instruments, concert and night](https://fb-s-d-a.akamaihd.net/h-ak-xpt1/v/t31.0-8/17211859_10155132616404452_7668560717027359657_o.jpg?oh=9f5f95adc94534818832c74b7733132d&oe=59286115& gda =1500315862_4eceea84a454e24da4793a640057200c)
Bryan has been to Dubai 5 times since 1993 (Iāve seen 4 of them).
Comparing GnR & Bryan is a great opportunity - GnR was āEpicā āOnce in a Lifetimeā āBucketlistā type event with around 30,000 people in the Stadium (huge by our standards). For Bryan the viewing area was reduced to accomodate around 10,000 and I would guess there was around 8,000 there. GnR tickets were about 90 quid for REGULAR - the nearest you could get was about 50m from the stage - for Bryan Regular was 50 quid but we got a special BOGOF deal. Us Regulars could get within about 20m of the stage.
GnR was an immersive experience, but tbh I am not a āmegaā fan, I knew maybe 10 songs and maybe 5 I knew the words to. Slash showed his skill with stunning and soaring āMetalā Guitar Solos but also with a stunning rendition of the Godfather theme which morphed into Sweet Child of Mine. - A moment up there with hearing the Stones rock into any of their hits (or Barry Gbb doing Staying Alive at Glasto) - Certainly a moment I will never forget.
And Bryan? Well it was like with GnR being a trip to the Opera - a dress code, an expectation of when to be awed. Bryan was like a trip to the Joiners to hear a Mate play.
And this was the difference, they both played over two hours, Bryan played 4 new songs and yet everyone had sing-a-long moments that we were coached into, every one of those new songs made us dance. After 40 minutes we had both lost our voices singing along. After an hour we were feeling dismayed that having heard Summer of 69, Run to You, and Everything I do there was nothing left in the āhitsā tank. oh no, the hots kept coming, the singing got more and more melodic and intense (think we all hit the limit of trying to hit his vocal range and everyone in the crowd went down a Key).
His āEncoreā involved a stunning Big Boppa cover, his new stuff had a wonderful Lennon/Beatles feel without being corny. He mixed things up with mini-sets of Unplugged versions of his classics, but obviously played all of his āAnthemsā at full blast, and of course there were plenty of Guitar Solos. In fact while TECHNICALLY not even on the same planet as Slash, the solos were actually Anthems, letās face it that opening Riff in Run to you IS a classic and an extended solo of that tune gets even me with my bad knees & back Air Guitaring like a maniac.
His last song? well, I have to say that was the first time I have ever had Goosies at a concert from the Music alone.
The Stones obviously because of āThe Momentā, Coldplay at Glasto because of the entire sensation, but when he sang āI do it for youā. On his own, unplugged on Acoustic Guitar, with everyone in the crowd doing a āMarkus Tributeā (even the Security Guards joined in - Phones, Lighters Matches) and of course Singing it was Spine tingling. I reckon they could have heard us singing in Oman (mind you we were almost IN Oman the venue is so far out of town!)
Honestly, I am so happy I saw GnR. But last night was just fantastic fun, enjoyment, entertainment and just quality.
Perhaps GnR was like watching an England win game against Germany, Bryan was like watching Saints thrash the Skates.
I think his āuntrendynessā is probably because he has written so many āSoft Rock Balladsā but then perhaps that is why he is such a good show - you CAN take your other half, and sing along together and hug and dance andā¦
IF he comes your way, go see. He aināt ācoolā but by heck you will sing (almost) every damned song. A Legend in every sense of the word.