India? Elephants and vegetarians? Good show, Bryan
THE TIME OF INDIA
MUMBAI: India? Elephants and vegetarians. Heck! It's better than a land of snake-charmers and Oriental voodooism. Maybe this is being hard on Bryan Adams, who was already thinking of vegetarians and elephants - even before his tour to India started on Friday, with a concert in Bangalore.
"I think the first thing that comes to my mind is the Indian elephant. But besides that I can think of the largest population of vegetarians that India has,"
the famous rock star said in a telephone interview from London on the eve of his tour to the country.
"I'm a vegetarian, I hope to relish some great Indian dishes on my visit, and if time permits, even visit many Indian restaurants. I like paneer (cottage cheese), tandoori with vegetables, alu gobi and many other dishes,"
Adams said.
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DNA, Adams' tour organisers in India, has organised a special vegetarian cuisine for the chartbusting singer during his trip to India.
Adams sings at concerts in Bangalore and Mumbai on May 4 and 6, and he promises a splendid performance before a crowd
"The show will be live, no lip-syncing. It is going to be a long two-hour concert where I'll be playing tracks from my albums Best of Me, Waking Up The Neighbours and 18 Till I Die,"
said Adams.
"I actually wanted to do more cities. We were planning to come to Calcutta but it was difficult to organise. We have been trying to organise this concert in India for about a year back. Next time I come, I would like to tour Delhi and Kolkata,"
Adams added. Adams also said it was a conscious effort to come only to India and the Middle East.
And Adams, who has performed everywhere from Croatia to Russia, is bringing some of his best equipment to India. He is flying in his private jet with 25 supporting performers.
Bryan has been repeatedly asked to collaborate with Indian artistes. He says the idea interests him.
"It all depends on whether our voices gel together, but it's not a bad idea," he said.
Adams, in a career studded with memorable hits and an ability to attract fans of all generations, has become an icon as a songwriter, guitarist, singer and bass player.
His album So Far So Good has sold more than 200,000 copies in India, while his latest album Best of Me has reached the triple gold platinum status, which is about 120,000 units and still counting.
Adams said his musical influences have been many and varied. "My main influences were the Beatles, Janis Joplin, Steve Marriot and Joe Cockerhis, presently I'm hearing a wide and weird selection of artistes, including James Brown anthology, Ibiza dance music, Free, Moby, an old movie soundtrack and even Sam Cooke's gospel recordings with the Soul Stirrers," said Adams.
Over the years, he has developed a deep passion for photography, which is showcased on his official site www.bryanadams.com.
He plans to bring along his camera to India.
Here's hoping he takes back more from India than just pictures of elephants and people eating alu gobhi.
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