My Weekend 1: Bryan Adams Concert

Well, my weekend consisted of hectic activity with not as much sleep as I would have liked. But it was good because I don’t often engage in much activity, and like a true Gujju I like to do paisa vasooli (get my money’s worth) of my free time, because God knows I’m too tired during the week.

On Saturday I went to the Bryan Adams concert! So I was chilling at my factory a little beyond closing time so I could reach the MMRDA ground at the same time as my friends, who would be coming from a different direction. Of course my manager knew there had to be some reason for this apparent sincerity! Anyway I left, gorging Red Chili Chatka Kurkure in my car and on chocolate and jam biscuits in my friend’s. We reached and parked and the opening act was going on (which we weren’t interested in anyway). I’d been given strict instruction to wear sneakers and not to bring any food or camera etc., which I was quite sad about. But I was determined to take water in as I was sure I would faint with the heat, noise, crowd and resulting suffocation. Since they were checking pockets and bags, I got one of the guys we were with to hide it in his pants (loose t-shirts zindabad!). They were selling 1 litre water bottles outside the gates, but the security wasn’t allowing them in (fears of them containing alcohol and the resulting drunks creating a ruckus etc), and so people were discarding them on the ground. They also confiscated cigarettes etc. It was just such a colossal waste to see piles of dusty half-filled plastic water bottles lying on the ground! Especially since they were selling bottles and drinks inside - men carrying crates and packets of lays wafers, one of the sponsors of the events and pushing through the crowd! How can a country that contains precious resources, (the dwindling of which we are responsible for), be so flagrantly unconcerned about them? How can we not value what we have? Despite all the water cuts and powercuts in even the best housing societies?

But they didn’t check the girls’ bags so I could easily have got my camera!! And people did bring digicams and phones and all! So we went in. I was quite surprised at the price of the tickets… so cheap! Only 800 and 1200 bucks! I remembered the tickets for Michael Jackson’s concert ten years ago in 1996 being priced at Rs. 1000, 5000 and 15,000. (I personally thought the 15,000 payers got a raw deal because though there were chairs, they were seated on the sides and had to crane their necks to the sides to look at the stage, resulting in pulled muscles for days. Though I suppose they would have been grateful for the seats considering many had been waiting since 4pm for a show that only began at 8 or 9). Of course, there was no seating in this one, and it is the third time he’s been in Bombay, so I suppose people thought that people wouldn’t shell out more. But, however, a redeeming factor was that the ground had been carpeted, and, while that posed a threat to anyone silly enough to wear heels (namely, almost me!), it did render it less dusty that it might normally have been.

My ticket!!!

We had got in at about 7:30pm, and soon they performed a little tango/salsa dance promoting Lays new Latino flavour, with a little video clip by Saif that I doubt anyone was listing to. Speaking of which, can someone please tell Saif to revert to his Salaam Namaste hairstyle? This new flat-bonded long-haired look is making him look like the guy in all those anti-dandruff shampoo ads, and that too, like a mutant of him, who already looks like a mutant of Keanu Reeves! But we tried those chips and they are pretty decent – like a mild version of Simba Chipniks, who has lovingly littered my childhood memories! However, I don’t like Lays that much because it is quite kanjus with its flavouring, and could really zest up all its flavours with more MSG and other artificial goodness, and hence be less American-targeted. Give me Uncle Chipps and Kurkure anyday for the explosion of flavour! And Pringles for the smooth consistent texture. Does anyone remember and miss Daddys? I know I do!

They set up and Bryan Adams started at around 8pm. All the stage decoration there was consisted of a row of lights on top of the stage and below, and a huge sheet of cloth hung in folds, that provided a neat background when lit up by variously coloured lights. Not a disco effect though, just enough to showcase his songs. Nothing fancy like the Michael Jackson concert, which is the only other concert I’ve been for, and one that frankly put me off live concerts. (I discovered then that I dislike noise, crowds, heat, dust, being pushed. The crowd atmosphere doesn’t sweep me away in its enthusiasm, all these mixed vibes only makes me tired.) He started off with a couple of songs from his new album, and pretended to go away and come back twice. What energy! Wouldn’t he be tired, performing for two whole hours? Anyway, he played all his classics. Run to you, Cuts like a knife, All for love, Everything I do, I do it for you, Baby when you’re gone (during which he got some girl up to perform, and I will refrain from commenting on her excitability), Heaven, Please forgive me (which he said he forgot to play the last time he was here, and which I love, though I didn’t understand the lyrics when I was younger), Hearts on Fire, Open Road, Cloud Number Nine, Best of Me, Room Service, A night to remember, I wanna be your underwear, 18 ‘til I die, Summer of ’69.

I used to think he was cute when I was younger. But he looks too pasty in Indian light. Plus he may have acne.

What can I say about his style? It’s pretty poppy light rock music, with lyrics that can please the romantics and all kinds of females, and without the angst that few Indians identify with. So it has broader mass appeal. His gravelly voice is unusual and not nasal and annoying. He can sound soulful but usually just belts. There were all these enthu south Indian guys in front of us who kept smoking and jumping and one or two guys kept getting hoisted on another’s shoulders and bouncing about. Would have been funny if they hadn’t been obstructing our view! So I had to jump occasionally to view the stage (as I don’t like viewing the screens – I may as well be home watching it on TV!)

Oh, at one point Bryan asked us to put our phones up and then they flashed it on the TV… sea of glowing squares – our modern candles!!! (Don’t tell me you’ve never used your phone for light!) Oh yes, I meant to tell you that joke about phones and time… (sorry that was in the first draft of the bug post that got deleted). Basically a driving instructor is teaching a rather vacant looking male teenager to drive. He tells him “place your hands on the wheel in the 10-2 position). The guy just looks at him. The instructor, a little annoyed, asks him. ‘Don’t you know where 10 and 2 are on the clock?” The guy says, puzzled, “Umm, I don’t have 10 on my phone”, taking out his cellphone. Hahahahahha! *Ahem*. That was in the Friday or Saturday edition of Mumbai Mirror “Rhymes with Orange” cartoon.

It got done by about 10. We headed out and my girlfriend and I went to Ayub’s for paneer roll. Mmmmmmmm it was creamier and moister and spicier than ever! Then I got dropped home, after which I exhaustedly showered, planned my outfit for the next day and rolled into bed, mildly apprehensive about assorted arthropods falling from my AC.

Here's what a fellow attendee had to say.

Next day: treasure hunt!