Bryan Adams talks of his Plymstock grandparents during Summer Session

It speaks volumes that day two headliner Bryan Adams opened the Plymouth Summer Sessions set with Kick Ass, given that each of the bands who preceded him on the stage on Plymouth Hoe did just that.

The weather was typically Plymothian, in that it couldn't make its mind up from one half hour to the next, pouring with rain one moment to bright sunshine the next.

Needless to say, while sun did try to break through the dark and brooding clouds, the stage was fully lit by a parade of bands, from both near, far and very far indeed.

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First up was Cornwall's Sam Richardson and the Renegades who braved the very worst of the weather, yet lifted the spirits of the growing crowd. Sam himself risked a few jokes at Devon's expense, claiming he kissed the ground before daring to cross the Tamar to be in Plymouth, but all joking aside, his jovial nature and catchy songs won the crowd over quickly and it wasn't long before folks were clapping along to the band's punchy tunes.

Hailing from Sheffield, VIVAS added some big guitar sounds and typical northern strut to the proceedings with their popular songs 'Sweet Talker and 'It's Alright'

It's fair to say that if Essex-wailer Cassyette didn't prick up your ears then nothing would. It was hard to believe the sound forcibly pumping from the stage was made up of one drummer, one guitarist and one singer, but if you could imagine mixing Stone Temple Pilots, The Cult, Transvision Vamp and Hole was brought together and distilled into an Angry Techo Industrial Bratz doll and you still wouldn't come close to Cassyette.

Prowling and strutting the entire width of the stage and with a devastatingly powerful voice Cassyette bellowed out punchy, raging, heartfelt tunes which won the crowd over.

One wondered how Bryan Adams was ever going to compete in the rock states, but he evidently decided to go all in with his very first tune - Kick Ass from his 2022 album So Happy It Hurts.

Over the next couple of hours, supported by his long-time stalwart guitarist Keith Scott, he treated the crowd to a salient lesson as to how the likeable Canadian (aren't they all?) has retained a big fan following. The crowd was treated to a selection of the catchy and fun rock music he's created since his very first self-untitled album in 1980 through the various singles, album tracks and duets, as well as the unexpected dance mix-version of his tunes.

Kick Ass was quickly followed by Can't Stop This Thing We've Started from the 1991 album Waking Up The Neighbours, Somebody from his big hitter LP Reckless - which is enjoying its 40th birthday this year. Yes. 40-years. You're welcome - and then his 1996 hit 18 Til I Die.

After slowing things down he went back to his 1993 for Please Forgive Me before walking out into the crowd where he announced his real fondness for Plymouth, revealing [ well, he'd already revealed it in his interview with PlymouthLive last month ] that his grandparents were from just down the road in Plymstock and how they used to walk to this very spot on the Hoe back in the day.

Back in 1986 his follow up album to Reckless - Cuts Like a Knife - came out and he reminded older fans of the snarling Take Me Back track, before going back further to perform Heaven, endearing the crowd even more so when he amended the final line "we're in heaven" to "we're in Devon". Let's be brutally honest, you just can't rhyme a good lyric with 'Cornwall'.

Bryan's 1985 duet with the late and lamented Tina Turner, It's Only Love gave him opportunity to pay an additional tribute, segueing into her classic crowd-pleasers Simply The Best and What's Love Got to Do With It, before banging out the 2015 train-track-chugging rockabilly You Belong To Me.

The rather saucy 1996 hit The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me is You was followed by the chart-smashing Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves theme-tune (Everything I Do) I Do It For You. Bryan slipped in the reworked 1997 Back To You before performing one of his more recent tracks (well, 2022) So Happy It Hurts, with the video - starring his mum - playing behind him.

The closing few minutes, as the half moon rose over the Hoe - when it could be spotted behind clouds and spots of rain - Bryan treated his fans to three of his gems - Run To You, Summer of '69 and Cuts Like a Knife. These tunes may be 40 years old, but the crowd knew them word perfect.

Many years ago, Bryan would finish his gigs, alone, just him and an acoustic guitar, to play the yearning Tonight, from his 1981 album You Want It, You Got It. Times have changed and while he ended the gig still with a lone guitar and him centre stage, he pulled out a beautiful solo rendition of When You're Gone, originally recorded with Spice Girls' Mel C.

Sadly, no encores, but the crowd left happy. Well, we're in Devon...

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