Real dilemmas, real solutions – from our real-life superheroes. This month, Bryan Adams, photographer, vegan and all-round total rock star, aims to plant a million trees, and gets down to KC and the Sunshine Band.
Q. What makes you feel wild?
A. Doing sports in nature, for example, swimming, surfing and paddleboarding.
Q. What one thing are you currently doing to make the planet greener?
A. Glad you asked that, on my new Shine A Light concert tour, I’ve partnered with DHL shipping and we are planting a tree for every concert ticket sold. This year we will plant close to one million trees!
Q. Where does your soul most happily reside: city, countryside, or sea?
A. By the sea.
Q. The DJ fails to show up. What’s your go-to track to get everyone dancing?
A. “Get Down Tonight” by KC and the Sunshine Band
Q. Who is the hero or heroine you’d be tongue-tied to find yourself sitting next to at a dinner?
A. This would mean nothing to anyone outside of North America, but probably Bobby Orr of the the Boston Bruins. [Former Canadian professional ice hockey player]
Q. The message to your younger self?
A. Don’t sign it, they’re cunts.
Q. Which world conflict would you like to see resolved first and how would you do it?
A. I’d like all of the whaling nations to come together and stop killing whales. A worldwide moratorium on the killing of whales would be a step in the right direction for the oceans and the planet.
Q. You’re on a raft adrift in the ocean and the sharks are circling. Who is your companion to get you to shore safely? And who would you feed to the sharks?
A. If he was still alive, I’d have Rob Stewart, the Canadian shark expert with me for sure and I wouldn’t feed anyone to the sharks. Sharks deserve better.
Q. What qualities would you look for in a deputy?
A. The same qualities I look for in all people: trustworthiness, kindness and a sense of humour.
Q. And what’s the key requirement for a lifetime partner of the romantic kind?
A. Having a mutual interest outside of the family.
Q. What’s the retirement plan?
A. Show my daughters the world.
Q. What’s your favourite lazy-at-home dish to cook?
A. Avocado on toast.
Q. You’ve toured the world many times… how different was your last tour from your very first tour?
A. The thing about touring these days compared to the early days is simply having more songs that people know. It’s a better night out.
Q. What is the most important thing you learned from being vegan?
A. You don’t need to eat any animal products to be healthy or get what you need for protein. I’ve not eaten any kind of animal product for 30 years. Go to Instagram #veganbodybuilders, it will blow your mind.
Q. What’s the best thing about being vegan and what’s the worst?
A. The best thing is it makes you really think about what you eat and your health in general. Junk food is out if you’re vegan. The worst thing is you realise how far the world has to go before we humans become more conscious of what we are eating and how we are influencing our children. For example, my two daughters are in a school of 500 children and they are the only vegetarians.
Q. What’s the best advice you have for first-time vegans?
A. Fresh lemon on practically everything (and a bit of sea salt)!
Q. Career high versus career low?
A. Releasing my 15th album Shine A Light was a recent career high. I could never have imagined I’d have rocked out that much music as a young musician. Career low would have to be in the early days of touring, particularly some of the accommodation provided by the clubs. You wouldn’t have put a dog in them.
Q. Career advice for the Bryan wannabes?
A. Listen to your gut, nothing else.
Q. What do you wish you had said to someone who has departed this earth?
A. Don’t take it, it’s gonna kill you.
Q. The last time you prayed, who did you pray to, and were your prayers answered?
A. Every morning I say namaste, but I don’t pray for things to happen.
Q. Who do you currently have a crush on?
A. Jacqueline Bisset in Bullitt and Marisa Berenson in Barry Lyndon.
What superhero power would you most like to have and why?
I think the superpower to be able to fly would be excellent. Way more convenient than Uber.
Where do you get your therapy from?
Singing. It’s a constant form of primal screaming.
Your book at bedtime?
Book at bedtime? You must be joking!
Your epitaph?
18 ‘til I die.
What did you learn from the toughest time in your life?
Be your own boss.
And from the happiest?
That nothing can move forward if you’re not having a laugh.
You’re blowing out the candles on the birthday cake. What one thing do you wish for?
That they aren’t those candles that relight…
