BRYAN ADAMS, BARE BONES ACOUSTIC TOUR Windsor Hall, BIC: THE level of adoration for Bryan Adams in Bournemouth was something to behold.

I never imagined an acoustic set could yield so much screaming.

Before the show we met a woman from Wales who had seen the Canadian rocker 60 times. Sixty times! And had inexplicably ended up with more tickets than she intended...

Although this show just involved Adams, his acoustic guitar and his pianist Gary – who drew just as big a cheer – it proved that less is more.

The minimalist staging shifted the focus to Adams’ voice which, with its distinctive husky tone, remains as impressive as when he first burst onto the scene in the 1980s.

He started off with Run to You, reminding us that this year is the 30th anniversary of the release of that single.

Adams moved seamlessly through a vast catalogue of greatest hits, each one stripped bare and given extra poignancy by the lack of a band.

Even Everything I Do (I Do it For You), perhaps one of the most groan-inducing of pop songs, sounded fresher and more appealing.

The softly spoken Canadian developed a humorous repartee with the audience.

There was no holding back when Adams asked for volunteers to help him perform a number, with a not so shy-and-retiring woman in green standing on her chair and dancing wildly, egged on by the audience.

About halfway through the show he introduced the track She Knows Me from his most recent Tracks of My Years album.

Adams explained that he was honoured to be performing at the closing concert of the Invictus Games, saying he would be performing that track because it was about people standing by their partner through thick and thin.

I was surprised by how well Adams’ ‘rockier numbers’ translated to acoustic performances.

The Summer of ’69, an obvious audience favourite, went down a treat with the crowd and 18 ‘Til I Die was a ‘slowed-down’ hit.

However, other tracks such as The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me (Is You) didn’t translate quite as well.

We were delighted when Adams returned for an encore.

Although there was little room for showmanship in this performance, he finally left the stage and returned to the audience with his top hat on, the sole piece of showmanship in this wonderfully intimate show.