61st Democracy Day: When Bryan Adams Rocked KTM

Reportedly as soon as Bryan Adams, also a freelance photographer got off at Tribhuvan International airport, he had a camera out and started snapping away! The 53-year-old singer who is also known for his knack for writing songs headed straight to the Soaltee Crowne Plaza, Kalimati, after he touched down at the Tribhuwan International Airport on his private aircraft from the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka at around 2:15 pm this afternoon. He was welcomed by a crowd of fans and the organisers of the event. 

            He took a few snaps before he got into the car and headed to the hotel. After reaching the hotel, he posted a photograph on popular social networking site Twitter saying "A big welcoming at the airport on arriving for the concert in Nepal 19.2.2011".  In another post, Adams has written: Just flew over Everest into Katmandu, Nepal. We are the 1st western band to play here. With all the music in the world how is that possible?

            Enthralling over 18,000  in crowds at Dasharath Stadium, the first western artist to play in the Himalayan Nation, he sang popular numbers like Here I am, Summer of 69, Back to you, Can’t stop this thing we started and Let’s make a night had completely engaged the audiences, mostly youths gathered from various parts of capital city and across, in the power-packed two-hour long performances.

 “We are incredibly happy that we are the first international band to perform in Nepal, and hope we are the first of the many more to come,” Bryan Dai said on stage. “I hope, the world opens up for you for more music.” Adams had a rather interesting way of engaging the crowd. He would finish singing one, go pick another guitar — four guitars were lined up next to a piano before he arrived on stage — and then belt out another hit number. Adams and Keith Scott in lead guitar ran across the stage, jammed up and did some funny guitar antics to engage the audiences. He often made the audiences sing the lyrics, asked them to put up their hands and to light their mobile phones.         

           The whole parapet in the country’s biggest stadium looked like stars twinkling in the night sky with the light from mobile phones. Amongst all the hype of the day,  an attendant of the concert became an overnight star when she was chosen to sing along with Bryan Adams for a duo and surprisingly sang very well. Nepalese media is raving about her already. 

         A local resident of New Baneshwor, a bank clerk of Bank of Kathmandu also turned out to have some previous experience in the entertainment  business. Lucky! She kept her cool on the stage and became an overnight star.

         Government officials were happy about the event and positive that this puts the nation in the global arena and generates gossip enough to bring in their targeted no. of tourists (1 million) this year. Let’s hope they’re right!!