Bryan Adams performed the musical equivalent of the water into wine “miracle” during his captivating Bare Bones concert.

The rather cavernous Brighton Centre has staged many great gigs but it is fair to say it is not renowned for its intimate atmosphere.

So it might be assumed it was not perhaps the best place for the genial Canadian to perform an acoustic set.

Wrong. Adams brilliantly conjured a dynamic and musically embracing ambience in just under two hours of fine singing and playing.

The power of his rock backing was forsaken for acoustic guitar and piano. Yet far from fading without the usual power unit, songs shone in the aural spotlight the gentler approach afforded his often clever lyrics and catchy melodies. The immaculate and clever piano playing of Gary Bright on many numbers also gave songs added energy and depth.

Adams helped set the tone with an engaging line in chat between songs.  Spying a “texter” he smiled “Oh. I hope you are texting me”. For a guy of 54 he had some pull with young women, from the moment he opened with a blistering Run to You to the waves of applause that greeted his final song, Straight From The Heart.

In some ways (Everything I Do) I Do it For You became his Sheriff of Nottingham, threatening to imprison him in a musical jail after being at number one for 16 weeks.

But he would undoubtedly have been outlawed by a huge section of the crowd if he had not performed such a massive hit. His version in this gig had an extra tenderness about it that the powerful original, with its electric guitar solo, lacked. It’s a great romantic song and his husky voice was perfectly suited.

Naturally, there were plenty of songs from his 2010 Album Bare Bones, and Adams squeezed surprising power out of his guitar for numbers like If Ya Wanna Be Bad Ya Gotta Be Good.

Adams delivered songs of love, lust and longing in his warm voice, and the bonus of the acoustic set was being able to pick up on some fine lyrics in songs such as Heaven that tend to get swamped in a louder backing. His terrific guitar playing ensured the numbers still had plenty of edge when required, as in crowd-pleasers such as a standout Summer Of 69.