Four years is ‘too long’ to have been away, says Bryan Adams as he heads to Greece
A music icon of the 90s, but also the writer of some of the world’s greatest rock ballads, Bryan Adams is coming to Greece again for two shows this week.
Musician, singer and photographer, his name has been engraved in platinum lettering in the rock music bible, while songs like “Heaven” or “Summer of 69” continue to be played time and time again on radio stations.
Boasting over four decades of hits and successful appearances, he has packed his bags for his latest European tour, which kicks off in Athens (at the OAKA Basketball Arena) on Tuesday, December 5, followed by Thessaloniki (PAOK Sports Arena) on Thursday, December 7.
Shortly before he was due to arrive, Kathimerini contacted the mercurial musician and asked him about his motives for including Greece on his tour stops, his favorite songs, the epidemic of mobile phones at concert venues and the future of rock music.
The Canadian star and writer of “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You,” the ultimate declaration of love, also reveals which food he is looking forward to tasting again in Athens.
Asked why he decided to start his European in Athens, where he last played in 2019, and if there is a special bond with the Greek audience, Adams says “it was such a good show the last time we played in Athens, we needed to come back.”
“I think four years was long enough to be away! Plus, I am excited to see some more of Greece, I have not been to Thessaloniki before,” he adds.
With over 20 albums and 75 singles, he is among the world’s most commercially successful artists. But beyond this aspect, we ask him which of his songs means the most to him. “I love them all,” he says. “For example, I am very happy with the new one, ‘So Happy It Hurts,’ and my peace song, ‘What If There Were No Sides at All,’ but as you can imagine the biggest songs, the ones that have been around for years, are the reason for my being able to continue to tour after 40 years.”
When it comes to songs by other artists he wishes he had written, “the list is long,” Adams replies.
‘Rock music is being discovered every second of the day by young people all over the world thanks to the internet’
With the increasing prevalence of phone cameras at concerts giving the artists nothing but a view of a sea of small lights and forcing fans not wielding cameras to peer through a forest of them, many “romantics” and “old-school” rockers are trying to ban cell phones inside concert venues. Considering the magnitude of the phenomenon and knowing that Adams asks his front-row audiences not to use their cell phones at his concerts, we wonder if he thinks that the “epidemic” of videotaping prevents fans from enjoying the vibe of the show.
“There is not much anyone can do about that! It is the way of the world now,” he says. “I can remember taking a photo from the stage when I was playing in Bangalore India in the 90s, the crowd was entirely male and there was not a phone in sight. Fast forward to the last time I played there, everyone had a phone and the audience was multi-genre…things have changed in 20 years.”
With electronic music dominating the youth scene and instrumentation giving way to computer-based compositions, many feel that rock music is losing its appeal. Adams does not agree. “Rock music has an allure to it, and that is the reason why rock bands are able to draw large audiences around the world compared to other genres of music,” he says.
Being one of the spokesmen of the 1980s and 90s rock scene, he expresses confidence when we ask him about the future of the genre. “I am not worried at all,” he says, underlining that “rock music is being discovered every second of the day by young people all over the world thanks to the internet.”
“My own daughter just sang ‘Highway to Hell’ at her school recently, and she is only 12,” he adds.
As more and more young artists emerge online with fresh blends of rock and pop, going on to fill big arenas all over the world – like Imagine Dragons who recently performed in Greece – we ask Adams what it means to be a “rock star” and what advice would he give to aspiring musicians.
“Everyone needs a team, so I would say make a team of people you like and who are better than you are at what they do. They will inspire you to become better, but most importantly, you need to push yourself, and cannot do it on your own. It is like having a personal trainer,” he says.
With 48 years in the business and having lived through the “golden age” of rock music, Adams describes the most memorable moment of his career was his 1996 Wembley Stadium appearance, a concert with over 300 million online views. “It was a triumphant couple of nights and the highlight of an incredible decade of making music and touring,” he says.
Rock history is not a distant memory and legendary bands like the Rolling Stones or the Scorpions are still touring, begging the question of whether there is a retirement age for music artists. “Ask Mick Jagger that question,” responds Adams. “He is showing everyone the show must go on. The road can be exhausting, and it is super important to rest and take the best care of yourself. For example, not drinking booze.”
And just before he gets ready to board the plane to Greece, Adams has a message for his local fans: “So looking forward to returning to Greece and very excited to eat some nice Greek roasted potatoes with lemon. See you soon!”
