Bryan Adams: ‘Love is the engine that connects us to the universe’

The King of Rock and Roll, Bryan Adams. Picture Supplied When Prefab Sprout sang about the King of Rock and Roll, it must have been inspired by Bryan Adams. Because no matter which generation you identify with, there’s no denying that his string of hits from the late ’80s and ’90s has become music legend.

The Canadian-born singer and fine art photographer heads back to South Africa in April for his Roll With The Punches tour, which, he said, will feature all the classics alongside some new tunes. He will be performing at the Grand Arena, GrandWest in Cape Town on 21, 22 and 23 April, the SunBet Arena, Time Square in Pretoria on 25 and 26 April, and the Durban ICC in Durban on 28 and 29 April 2026. Well, the songs have had a long time to simmer, so now the audience sings them better than me.

Other than that, I love that I have so many songs to choose from. It’s all the songs you know and love and a few new ones for good measure. I know what to do when I get an idea, but I sometimes wonder if knowing too much is better than knowing less about the craft.

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Meanwhile, here I am working on my 17th album for release next year. Each song is different. Sometimes a simple lyric is the hardest to come by; other times it falls out of your mouth.

It’s such an intangible craft. That’s easy. Paying my rent from music was my biggest accomplishment.

Helping my parents was up there with that one. Artists have a moral responsibility to speak up, and that can manifest itself in many ways, through song, through quiet advocacy or marching down the street. Whatever it is, we have a voice, and we should use it.

Well, that’s everything, isn’t it? That’s what makes you want to keep touring. The intimacy of the audience and song is one of the rarest and most exciting things I’ve ever experienced.

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