Audi 2007 Annual Report Download - page 99

the time. Since then, he has never left
the charts. Ten studio albums are out so
far, contributions to 42 soundtracks and
countless singles: “Cuts Like a Knife,”
“18 Till I Die,” “Summer of ’69,”
“Heaven,” “Everything I Do (I Do It For
You),” all of them hits, all catchy tunes,
all of them having become, dare we say
it, pop classics. Adams has teamed up
with Sting and Rod Stewart for the
soundtrack to “The Three Musketeers,”
he has sung along with Barbra Streisand
(“I Finally Found Someone”) for one of
his three Oscar nominations, he has per-
formed with his band to help refugee
Palestinian children, endangered whales
and to protest against the Iraq war.
Bryan Adams is a man who gets involved,
a man who opens his mouth. The son of
a diplomat, he earned his first wage
washing dishes. He is a rock star, no
doubt about it, but also a sophisticate.
Young at heart, he is blessed with a
charisma as broad as the Canadian
prairies and the looks of a male model,
and looks equally good in a custom-
made suit as in a leather jacket. He also
loves cars.
Following his appearance at the
Frankfurt Motor Show he went on the
record saying: “Cars and rock music
have so much in common! They symbol-
ize freedom and independence.” Both
are about traveling, breaking new
ground, discovering what’s new, differ-
ent or unknown. A car journey and a
good rock song – both can transport you
to another world, one that’s hidden
deep within. “You can feel the bass riff
of a good rock song deep inside, just
like the roar of a powerful engine.”
That’s why Bryan Adams believes there
is no better place for music than a car.
Really? “Really! If a song sounds good
in a car, it sounds good anywhere else!”
Bryan Adams lives in Victoria on
Vancouver Island, surrounded by the
most beautiful picture-postcard land-
scape. Having seen it, it becomes
easy to understand why so many people
vacationing in Canada seem simply con-
tent traveling around by car admiring
the lakes and woods. Bryan Adams
clearly would love to do the same, if
only he had more time. Unfortunately
time is something he is rather short of,
particularly since Bryan Adams the mu-
sician was joined by an alter ego: Bryan
Adams the photographer. And particu-
larly because, as one might imagine, he
is as successful behind the lens as he is
on stage. He has photographed Mickey
Rourke and Queen Elizabeth (one of his
portraits of the monarch now adorns a
Canadian stamp), published the illus-
trated book “American Women,” with
fashion celebrity Calvin Klein, and has
exhibited at some of the world’s top gal-
leries. In 2003, he founded “Zoo” in
Berlin, a fashion and design magazine
which he still helps to publish today. His
pictures of fellow musicians like Robert
Plant, Pink, Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone
and Plácido Domingo have appeared in
renowned publications such as Vanity
Fair, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, among
others. When he works as a photogra-
pher, Adams believes in simple pictures
with no technical frills or touching up,
“But you’re the one that always turns me
on,” sang surprise guest Bryan Adams at
the world premiere of the Audi A4 at the
Frankfurt Motor Show 2007.
pictures that are just as forthright, pure
and honest as his songs. Like his songs,
his photographs also immortalize a mo-
ment, capturing its essence. Adams says
that he uses this direct approach in his
photographs, as in all areas of life, not
just his work: “I believe that these gen-
uine, no-frills presentations just show
that you’re credible, real.”
For Adams, the switch from guitar to
camera was pretty much logical: After
all, there are hardly any other art forms
that are so closely related as rock music
and photography. This is because the
camera can get close, very close, to the
subject. Also, because the musician on
stage is very conscious of the camera,
and acts accordingly. But above all, be-
cause rock music not only offers the
photographer a superficial area to work
with, but also a complete attitude to life:
Desire, happiness, ecstasy – all can be
captured in a sixtieth of a second.
Adams loves this direct, yet multi-
dimensional feel.
And finally, the inevitable question:
What does Bryan Adams listen to in
the car? “Run to You” or “Born to Run”?
He laughs. “Guitars are always good.
If I’m traveling cross-country in a con-
vertible, I need music I can tap my feet
to.”Then he has to leave the Frankfurt
Motor Show, his plane is waiting to take
him on to the next studio, the next
shoot. As he makes his way to the exit,
his gaze lingers on the other star of the
day, which is still on stage, gleaming red
and appearing to be waiting for some-
one to simply jump in and turn the igni-
tion key. Reading his thoughts, Rupert
Stadler says laughing: “Don’t worry,
you’ll certainly have the chance to drive
the new A4 very soon.”•
Stefan Nink is a music journalist and a
co-founder of the German “Rolling Stone”
magazine. As a host on German public radio
station SWR, he regularly conducts inter-
views with the stars.
Photos: Bryan Adams, AUDI AG