Bryan Adams interview

Today, he is one of the most sought after musician with 15 Grammy nominations to his credit. But Bryan Guy Adams aka Bryan Adams didn’t always have such a glamorous life. In fact, he started off as a paper delivery boy, worked at a pet shop handling dog food, dug ditches and even washed dishes at North Vancouver’s Tomahawk restaurant.

He is scheduled to be back in India for a three-city Micromax Bryan Adams Live in Concert India tour, to be held from 13 February 2011 to 16 February 2011. According to media reports, the ticket sales already are booming. Bryan has pledged a part of the proceeds of the tour to Mana and Sunil Shetty’s 'Save The Children' program for the welfare of underprivileged children.

In an email interview, Bryan talks about his band, India and music in general. 

What brings you back to India for the fourth time?It’s the people. Ever since our first India tour, I've been inundated with request for more shows. With every tour, I have witnessed a marked increase in attendance and numbers. Take my twitter page for example. I have received requests from all over India. People are really excited that we are coming for another concert tour.

Would you say that India is one of your favorite tour locations?Well, I'm quite biased. Back in the 90s, my band and I were the first international artistes to do a big outdoor concert in Mumbai. We are proud of this. We have always had such an overwhelming response. So, why not!

What’s been your best concert here so far?The first one was amazing as it was different from anything we'd done before that. A cricket ground was divided in half for the show. And to my knowledge, they haven't allowed many concerts there since. That’s a shame.

Do tell us something about your latest album Bare Bones? What was the thought behind it? I actually made that record for the acoustic tour. I was keen to offer fans something different, as a takeaway from the shows. I did go to my twitter page to ask fans for song suggestions. This was the result. It was quite a fun record to make...

Stripping down your old hits and singing them acoustically for a new album, isn’t that rather unconventionally. I started doing shows on my own, chatting a bit about the songs. I began experimenting, playing music that I usually don't play with the band. I wanted try different things; see if the songs stood up without all the orchestrations. I did add new songs to the album as well; they are also experimental. 

What can fans expect at your concerts here?Full band show! It will be complete with all the songs my fans know and love, maybe a few others for good measure.

Do you think your music has evolved over the years?I hope so. You can't help but try out different things. It's the nature of music.

Is there a lot of pressure to produce new music when people still hum to your classics like ‘Summer of 69’ and ‘Cloud No. 9’?If there is any pressure, it's internal and self-imposed pressure. And I believe that is normal. Old songs are inspirations that push new songs to be better.

Currently, we are seeing several new faces in the music business. Do you think that it has become even more competitive?It's always been competitive. What is different now is that there are more musicians than before. Several are popularized by the new digital media, like the internet, which is fantastic. However, the record companies are still holding on to the old model insisting on CD sales. But the current fact is that most people just don't buy CDs. What I am worried about is that this desperate control will eventually take the business down. It will also drag some great songwriters along with it, as they will not be able to afford to make music and make a living.

The situation could be turned around if all the people in the music business got together—including artists and big corporations that run the music business. But my fear is that it will not happen soon enough to avoid the impending doom.

Who do you consider your musical icons?I'm drawn to voices. Several great blues and R+B singers like Robert Plant, John Lennon and Paul McCartney have influenced me. They have also influenced the singers I grew up listening to like Mick Jagger, Joe Cocker and Rod Stewart. I'm also drawn to singer-songwriters like Jackson Browne, Elton John and Bob Dylan.

What’s your all time favorite song?'18 till I die'.

What do you reckon will be different about this tour than your previous ones in India?I'm bringing an extra pair of socks this time. One pair wasn't enough for the last tour.