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Saints Alive >
Celebrity Interviews If you don't know who Bryan Adams is by now you've probably
been living under a rock! This guy is dynamite incredibly
talented and incredibly popular in most countries around the
world.
In his book, BRYAN ADAMS: The Official Biography (Firefly
Books 1995) Bryan says "I always knew I'd be in music in some
sort of capacity. I didn't know if I'd be successful at it,
but I knew I'd be doing something in it. Maybe get a job in a
record store. Maybe even play in a band. I never got into this
to be a star. The idea of being 'famous' wasn't part of the
plan. When I was fifteen or sixteen, buying records and
listening to The Who was all the escapism I needed. Nothing
else really seemed to matter. School seemed unimportant, music
being the only thing that gave me something to look forward
to. There were a lot of years sitting on a bus or a station
wagon, slipping on black ice, touring across America and
Canada before things started to happen ... I remember those
times ... there have been many more since then. Some of them
are remembered in this book".
Bryan, unfortunately for his many Aussie fans, has no
immediate plans to return 'Down Under'.
Bryan's current album is "The Best of Me" and he has a
single that was #1 in the UK and #3 in Europe with dance
artist "Chicane". The song is called "Don't Give Up" on Sony
Records and is available as a hidden track on his "Best of Me"
collection or on Chicane's new album "Behind The Sun".
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Interview by June Bird, April 2000.
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| June: |
Hi Bryan, I believe you're a vegan ..... when
did you cut out all meat and dairy? |
| Bryan: |
I'm not completely vegan, I will accept tiny
amounts of butter and I normally scrape off cheese when it's
on top of pasta or something ... I completely stopped eating
dead creatures in 1989. |
| June: |
Any difficulties with said veganism? |
| Bryan: |
Well, there is. Especially when you have to rely
on restaurants. It can be grim. You never know what the soup
base is made of or if they've slipped a little bacon into your
sandwich ... I'm the worst dinner date! |
| June: |
What's the best part of being vegan for
you? |
| Bryan: |
The concept that you're not ingesting rotting
flesh sort of sums it up for me. |
| June: |
Why did you decide to go vegan? |
| Bryan: |
I ate a big steak in 1988 and never felt worse.
That was it, boom, over. Never again. |
| June: |
Can you think of any significant events while
growing up that shaped your compassionate thinking towards
animals? |
| Bryan: |
Having dogs around us was great, that really
shaped my compassion, but I also ride, and I love horses, so
it wasn't hard to appreciate the beauty and intelligence of
other creatures. |
| June: |
Do some people think that this is just a fad?
That you'll change your mind and go back to eating
animals? |
| Bryan: |
At first they did, but 11 years later ....
no. |
| June: |
What do your parents and siblings think about
you being vego? |
| Bryan: |
I have quietly convinced my mum, brother and my
band to switch altho' they are just vegetarians not
vegans. |
| June: |
In the future will there be any songs from you
that would promote cruelty-free living? |
| Bryan: |
Never say never! |
| June: |
Do you hope (like I do) that everyone else will
soon realise that there's no need to eat animals to stay
healthy? |
| Bryan: |
I don't actively campaign for it, but I'd like
to think so. Ultimately you can't change some people. For
example, my dad doesn't want to know. |
| June: |
Funny that neither does my dad though my mother is 99%
there.
So, exactly what sort of things do you weird vegos eat
anyway?! |
| Bryan: |
Pastas, soups, roasted veggies, homemade pizzas,
salads, potatoes ... it's endless. |
| June: |
When you're touring have you found that there's plenty of
good vego fare around? What's the best and worst country for
finding vegan grub? |
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| Bryan: |
It's impossible and Germany is
the worst, but then again so are most Far East countries. We
travel with a cook on tour. Our schedule is so different to
other people that we have to have someone looking after the
food. Have you ever tried eating a full meal before you sing?
It's impossible, you can only eat after the gig. that means
dinner at 11:00 at night. What restaurant does that in every
town ... ? Fuggedaboutit! |
| June: |
Are you a good cook? |
| Bryan: |
Baked potatoes and salad ... the best you've
ever had! |
| June: |
Anyone ever make fun of your beliefs? |
| Bryan: |
Never! On the contrary, a lot of them have
converted. |
| June: |
What about eating out at picnics etc with
friends? |
| Bryan: |
I went out the other night with some Jamaican
friends and they ate chicken ..... while I ate the rice and
salad, and it was fine! |
| June: |
How far 'gone' are you with regards to wearing
leather and using other animal by-products? |
| Bryan: |
I sometimes wear leather shoes and I have two
different types of doonas. Admittedly, one still does have
feathers. |
| June: |
Zoos, circuses with animals and rodeos your
thoughts on these please. |
| Bryan: |
It really sickens me to see some of the
creatures in small pens. |
| June: |
Any comments on factory farming: such as hens in
battery cages, pigs in cramped stalls, and cattle
feedlots? |
| Bryan: |
I absolutely hate it, and it's no wonder so many
people are ill and get cancer of the bowel etc. In Britain,
they were feeding animals with their own excrement! Mad cow
disease started this way. |
| June: |
Yes, I believe that the animals are definitely fighting
back!
Is there one particular area of animal exploitation that
you find particularly disturbing? |
| Bryan: |
Supermarkets. It's too easy for people to just
pick up hamburger and have no idea that it was a living cow at
one time. People don't assimilate the two. |
| June: |
What about vego musician friends are there
many of 'em around? |
| Bryan: |
Loads of them. Chrissie Hynde is the most
intense of them all. |
| June: |
Oh yeah she's the person I want to interview next
definitely!
How's your health since you went vego? |
 |
| Bryan: |
I cured myself of many allergies that I thought
were with me for my whole life. I used to have excema (skin
rash). Within two weeks of eating fruit in the morning and
nothing else, it went away. I still follow that regime and it
has never returned. Other brilliant things include the fact
that I've never had a weight problem and I definitely have
more energy than most people I know. |
| June: |
Would you encourage your partner or children to
eat a vegan diet? |
| Bryan: |
Without question. I couldn't go out with anyone
unless they were veggie. My last girlfriend of 9 years
converted to vegetarianism of her own will, but she knew I
was passionate about it. Could you imagine kissing someone
after a big hamburger? Yuck. |
| June: |
Yeah the thought that someone might have a chunk of cow
stuck in their teeth is absolutely repulsive!
Vitamin supplements do you take them? |
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| Bryan: |
No but I drink soya powder shakes with fresh
carrot apple and apple juice everyday. You have to be careful
about soya powders, as some can contain animal products. I use
a product called "Source of life a burst of energy². You can
get it in North America at: Natural Organics Labs, Amityville,
NY, USA Tel: 516 9575600. It's delicious and vegan. |
| June: |
Sounds scrummy. I don't take supplements either why would
you need to?!
Protesting for animals rights have you been at the coal
face? |
| Bryan: |
Yes, for whales mostly. I successfully
campaigned for the southern Antarctic Whale Sanctuary in the
mid 90s. We gave out 500,000 postcards on tour asking people
to write to different heads of state to vote for the
sanctuary. It worked! |
| June: |
How many people do you think you've influenced
towards a cruelty-free lifestyle since 'coming out' and
informing people of your beliefs? |
| Bryan: |
A friend of mine just had a baby and she's been
bringing him up totally vegan. I think it could be the
greatest gift to have the choice to eat meat or not. I wish I
had had the choice, but I have the knowledge now. That's what
I call it, and once you have the knowledge, you can never go
back. But it would be hard to say exactly how many people I've
influenced over the years. |
| June: |
Last but not least Bryan what do you want
people to know about veganism and animal rights? |
| Bryan: |
Very simply if you love animals; don't eat
them. Also I think that everyone should read "Fit For Life
2". |
| June: |
Thanks for that Bryan and I hope I get invited
around some day for some of them delicious sounding soy
shakes, baked potatoes and salad! |
Bryan Adams' website: http://www.bryanadams.com/
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