Garth Brooks review – swooning fans turn out for British Summer Time’s hottest ticket

BST Hyde Park, London The country star is deeply moved by the reception at this sold-out event, as a growing UK fanbase shows its love for his songs Five minutes before Garth Brooks takes to the stage at Hyde Park, a booming American voice comes over the PA to tell the crowd this is the largest show in BST history – a total sell-out, with extra tickets added. And when Brooks appears, he looks both astonished and delighted. Last time he was in London, in 1994 and at the peak of his stardom, he played one night at Wembley Arena, and the change in scale seems to shock him. When he performs Unanswered Prayers solo and the crowd sing it for him, he starts to cry – not sparkling, joyful showbiz tears, for his face does momentarily crumple like someone truly overcome. Doubtless country’s UK rise has brought some people here, but not many. The crowd is a generation older than for most of the country stars who visit London, and Brooks has not put his catalogue on the streaming services (his last album was released in an exclusive deal with Bass Pro Shops, the US fishing chain). Everyone here is here on purpose. His vulnerability must be part of his appeal: Brooks is a portly, middle-a