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.