Everything I do

Post-interview: myself alongside Bryan Adams.

By: Insiya Syed

Obviously excited at the thought of getting to meet Bryan Adams for a one-to-one for the very first time, my RJ friends from CityFM89 and I waited outside the diplomat room at the hotel where the interviews were being conducted. We realized that we’d probably be the last to talk to him as everyone from the foreign press to the local TV channels were getting a maximum of five minutes with him. Eventually, we were the only ones to have gotten a full 13-minute long session. To put it simply, it was our shining moment.

Bryan Adams was in Pakistan on the invitation of Shehzad Roy and his Zindagi Trust to perform at a charity concert, Rock for a Cause, the proceeds of which are to go towards the building and/or rebuilding of 20 schools in the quake-ravaged northern areas of Pakistan.

The steep price of the tickets did little to deter his local fans and the concert that followed later in the day was an event attended by a 15,000-strong audience, most of them young men and women who had come all the way to the far-off venue to hear their favourite singer belt out one hit after another.

The first question I put forth to Bryan Adams was when he started songwriting and what were his inspirations. “I started writing when I was about 16 and I got my first songs together properly when I was about 18,” said Adams. Talking about his inspirations further, he continued, “They were a mixture of heavy rock and included singers and songwriters. There was everyone from Jackson Brown and Paul Simon to Led Zeppelin.”

According to Bryan Adams whose solo career began in 1978 when he began writing songs with former Prism member Jim Vallance, a typical Adams song is likely to be about “some twisted relationship”, and that’s not due to his good songwriting ability but because as he modestly called himself “a good observer.” This led us to my next question about his love for photography which is another means for him to observe. “The process of songwriting or any other creative process is interesting to me because it’s really about creating something from nothing. And I find that very interesting.”

Intrigued and wanting to know about his favourite photograph or someone he’d like to capture, the humorous side of his personality surfaced as he wittily said: “Besides you? I don’t know.” His efforts to raise funds for breast cancer patients by selling his photographs are known to all and sundry and have touched many a heartstrings. He once took a picture of the Queen of England which was used on a Canadian postage stamp.

Bryan says he’d love to play Let’s Make it a Night to Remember when asked to name a song he’d like to dedicate to Queen Elizabeth on the radio. And if he ever gets a chance to be reborn as a woman, he’d chose Uma Thurman in two seconds flat.

There are many international celebrities who share Bryan’s nationality such as Keanu Reeves, Pamela Anderson, Celine Dion, Alanis Morissette and Shania Twain, to name a few. So what is the one thing that sets Adams apart from the others? “I didn’t drink enough water as a child. I don’t know. I don’t think we can ever say that two people are the same. They are all unique and different and I guess the only thing that would separate me from them would be my extensive tours.”

Given the chance, “as an advocator to non-violence” Adams feels that he’d not be able to beat any pop star in a fight. When asked about his guilty-pleasure in music and that one band he’d never admit listening to, Bryan didn’t have an answer. As an extra effort the Backstreet Boys, NSync and Spice Girls are mentioned but to no avail.

Bryan is usually found listening to blues at home. Talking about good taste in music, the most incredible Pink Floyd album Wall was brought to Germany in 1990 where Bryan Adams played with an all-star cast under the supervision of Roger Waters. He’s considered to be one of the bigger fans of Pink Floyd and had a bit to say about the record and the band itself. “There isn’t really a favourite track of that album because it’s the whole body of work that makes it interesting. I did it because Waters phoned me personally and asked me to do it. And be a part of the concert at a time when the wall had come down in Berlin made sense. It was a very fascinating evening.”

He also spoke about his debut all-time classic disco single from 1978, Let Me Take You Dancing on which he sounds like Michael Jackson. As the producer decided to speed up the track, word has it that Adams is embarrassed to put the track on any compilation.

With our time up and everyone running late for the concert, we walked out together. People were ready to take pictures with him and as we made our way to the exit, I saw girls running after Bryan Adams to get just one more autograph.

First Published in DAWN, Images - Sunday, February 05, 2006.

Press matters

By: Insiya Syed

January 29, 2006. The press is waiting patiently. Photographers are making sure that back-up batteries are in place. Two young girls are waiting with bouquets in their hands. The father of one tells me excitedly: “She was only 30 days old when she first attended a Bryan Adams concert.”

The crowd packed inside the hall at a local hotel for the press conference is abuzz with the anticipation of witnessing a special moment in music history. Also seated in the front row was Mariola, the lady who had made it all possible. Soon after, dressed in a crisp white shirt, dark shades in place, and two steps ahead of Shehzad Roy, Bryan Adams arrives to loud cheers from a crowd that had been waiting patiently for well over an hour to catch a glimpse of the Canadian rocker.

It was a scene that hadn’t been witnessed in a while as photographers, cameramen, the local and foreign press went wild taking pictures and odd shout-outs like “What’s up?” filled the room with laughter and smiles all around.

With an audience consisting of fans and journalists, and sporting buttons screaming ‘I Rock for a Cause’, the mood was upbeat. The question-and-answer session began right after a few speeches from the sponsors as Adams chose not to make a speech. Instantly, it became obvious that most of the people were there just to get an autograph, a picture or to be able to look at an internationally acclaimed rock star this up-close and personal.

Although by the end of the conference as well as the concert it became obvious that this was definitely not a once in a lifetime opportunity and that more bands and musicians would follow in Adams’ footsteps soon.

To the question put forth by a young lady representing a children’s weekly if he would have come to Pakistan to play had there been no calamity, Adams was most spontaneous when he replied with a smile, “Of course.”

Bryan was here to play a benefit concert for Shehzad Roy’s Zindagi Trust in an effort to raise funds for schools in Pakistan’s earthquake-affected areas. And it was only natural for someone to ask if he was charging the organizers for the performance. “Aren’t we already clear on this being a charity concert,” cross-questioned Bryan, taking a diplomatic route.

As he left the press conference, the audience said goodbye to the man they were to see perform the same night, the man that many among the audience had grown up listening to.


First Published in DAWN, Images - Sunday, February 05, 2006.