Adam Lambert 24/7 News

Adam Lambert is taking his show on the road Friday for his first headlining tour (with opening acts Allison Iraheta and Orianthi). Some shows on his Glam Nation Tour have already sold out, and, in a conference call Wednesday, he talked about what his audience has to look forward to.

"The show itself is being visually inspired by a blend of turn-of-the-century New Orleans meets psychedelic classic rock," Lambert says.

That means costumes by eccentric L.A. house Skingraft Designs, which will combine Victorian fashion, punk and Mardi Gras, with elements of Keith Richards' style thrown in for good measure.

The show, the choreography and the set list, Lambert says, explore a "kitschy, glam, black magic, voodoo concept" and will take the audience on a journey into an "emotional and thematic world."

"In the beginning, it's more about seduction and venturing into the unknown and taking chances and mystery and intrigue and sexiness," says Lambert. "The midpoint explores heartbreak and vulnerability. And the latter half is celebration and joy and love and connection."

Lambert also spoke about being a no-show at this year's Idol finale ("I think there was a miscommunication"), being an openly gay pop star (it's "really exciting to be a novelty in that regard") and what this year's runner-up Crystal Bowersox can expect post-Idol ("the career is even more work").

A partial transcript of the interview follows.

Is it easier for you to perform the songs you've written rather than those written for you?

Usually when I write, I write from personal experiences, so it's definitely more familiar to me, but I will also say all the songs I chose for the album were ones I felt I could relate to. I think I can emote all of them.

Will you be performing any songs that aren't on the album? And how would you describe your show in general?

There is a surprise cover or two in there, but I'm leaving them as wonderful surprises. The show itself is being visually inspired by a blend of turn-of-the-century New Orleans meets psychedelic classic rock. I had a lot of fun with my costume designer. We're working with a fashion line called Skingraft designs. I've worn a lot of their pieces in the past on Idol.

Are people who were up in arms about your American Music Awards performance going to be comfortable at this show?

I definitely think they'll be comfortable. That was an artistic experiment. I learned a lot from it. I learned what my limitations are and what my audience wants to see. The concert is definitely sexy, but if anyone felt [the AMA performance] was not tasteful, this is tasteful.

What shows did you see growing up that inspired you while planning this tour?

I've always loved the big pop tours, people like Michael Jackson and Madonna. The first tour I ever saw was Paula Abdul. People that put on a show, that create a story and a theme and reinterpret the song to give it a context. I think my background in musical theater really came into play. I definitely wanted it to be first and foremost about the music. A close second is giving the audience something to look at, giving them a reason that this is the next song in the set. There's a thematic through line throughout the show.

What are your hopes for a second album, and what do you think will keep your music in the spotlight as your career progresses?

My first album was completed in three months. I'm really proud of what we were able to accomplish in that amount of time. The second album, I think, is going to be even better. I think that getting a little more time is a lovely luxury. I think that now, I've also been on the road for the year. I think I've learned a lot about the business and myself as an artist and about my audience's expectations. I think I'm going to be more artistically educated this time around.

There's been some controversy about you not being at the American Idol finale. What happened?

I wasn't invited. I think there was a miscommunication. There was group number, a tribute to Simon that I found out, after the fact, came together last-minute. They asked all the previous winners to perform in that, so I wasn't asked. And then all the other people dressed in white from years past, those were all the people attending that night. I didn't realize there was going to be a performance, or I might have rethought my attendance. They had invited me to sit in the audience, but unfortunately, I was so busy with rehearsals for the tour. There was no drama or hard feelings. It was a big old to-do over nothing.

Do you feel a lot of pressure, being an openly gay pop artist on a major label?

It definitely comes with some pressure. There are challenges I've faced dealing with the business side of it, because they're also learning. But it's also really exciting to be a novelty in that regard.

Given your success after Idol, do you think America got it wrong?

I don't think anybody's wrong. American Idol happened a year ago for both Kris and I, and we're finding what works best for us.

What was your vision for this show?

That's been one of the most exciting parts of this, giving the show a world to exist in. I had a song that came out on my remix EP that was a track written for the album. It's called Voodoo. It's a real fun, sexy, modern disco-type song with a lot of visual references to New Orleans and mysticism. I kind of fell in love again with the song, and I wanted to include it in the concert. And then I realized slowly but surely that all of my songs live in that world, that turn-of-the-century-New-Orleans-meets-modern-New-Orleans, crystal ball, voodo, magic kind of look. There's a lot of psychedelic classic rock, visual references to people like Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison and Keith Richards.

How would you classify your image right now?

I've always been fond of the glam-rocker title. Glam is a broader term than people realize. With the tour, I'm exploring a look inspired by psychedelic rock stars blended with this thing called Steampunk. That's Victorian-era fashion mixed with modern elements, punk rock elements mixed with historical clothing.

Why do you think your fans are so under your spell?

Especially with this tour, I've honed in on the spiritual quality of the performance. There's something that happens between you and your audience when you're really connected. My fans have been so dedicated and passionate about what I do. This show was really built for the fans.

On Twitter, you asked fans not to bring you gifts on the tour. Why?

It's so sweet and I love that my fans want to express themselves and give me something. But for me, it's far more meaningful to just have them there, to see smiling faces and give autographs and know that what I do on stage is moving them. That's what this is about. As much as I love the thought, I don't have enough room for [gifts], and I don't want fans to spend their money on things for me. I want them to spend it on a ticket and enjoying themselves. If they feel the need to express themselves and show their appreciation, I'd want them to donate to a charity. There's a charity called DonorsChoose.org that I've been involved with for about a year and half. It's a great cause.

Are any of your old friends involved in the tour?

For the clothing in the show, I'm working with Skingraft, which I've worked with for years. They're friends of mine. They're doing a lot of custom pieces for us. My choreographer is a friend of mine. Her name is Brooke Wendle. We were in Wicked for over three years. There's a dancer onboard who was in Wicked with me as well. And my guitar player is someone I used to have a band with. He's been on the road with me for the past seven months. I definitely wanted to bring in people I've worked with already and whose talent I respected.

Would you ever consider releasing your song Fever as a single? Or would the male pronoun in it scare off some radio stations?

The male pronoun is a red flag, but we haven't talked about it yet. We have to see how the feel is in the market, what the trends are, what the best choice is for me career-wise. I know there's a lot of interest in it internationally, overseas, so who knows? Maybe it will end up as a single over there and trickle over here.

You were having some voice troubles last week. What happened, and will it affect the tour?

I caught a cold on a plane. I caught a laryngitis thing. I came back and was just wrecked. For me, one of the important things about keeping vocally healthy is warming up and making sure I'm aware where my voice is at, drinking lots of water and getting plenty of sleep, and just taking care of myself with exercise and eating healthy.

You're known for interacting with your fans. Does what your fans say on Twitter influence you?

I definitely listen and take note. Twitter is an amazing medium to communicate with my fans. In the old days, you had to rely solely on your publicist and marketing team, and what's great about Twitter is it lets you express yourself. If there's a rumor floating around, I can shoot it down immediately.

Will you be able to hit the town in the cities you visit on tour?

If I really want to, I can go out. I'm going to be a little too tired to hit the bars. I'm doing about 70 shows in three months, and it's going to be really important to take care of myself to give the audience in each city the best that I can give them. If I have a day off and I feel great, you never know.

What can Crystal Bowersox, as this year's runner-up, expect post-Idol?

There's a lot of work to be done. I remember being done with the finale and thinking, "Oh, I can breathe now." What I didn't realize is that the career is even more work. You have to put in tireless hours traveling and promoting, doing appearances. Making the album itself is a very quick turn-around process. When I was mentoring this season, I was like, "Get ready because for the two or three of you who get signed, this is serious work."

How have fans reacted to you around the world?

There are definitely cultural differences, but no matter where I've gone, there have been fans there who knew the music. Music is a universal language, and the fans feel the emotion that's being conveyed. In Japan, audiences aren't as vocal and loud while you're singing. When you finish the song, they're really excited, but during, they're very calm. American audiences like to dance around during the song.

What's it like to be in the center of all that attention from fans, especially those who dress like you?

It's surreal. It's always flattering and sometimes a little strange. I'm doing what I've always done, just on a grander scale. I have to pinch myself. Who would have imagined two years ago that this would be my life?

What are your plans in terms of your next album?

It's a little ways off. I think in the new year after January, I'll probably get to start working on it. My focus is really about my current album and this tour, which I'm so excited about.

What message do you hope your fans get from your show?

There's a really strong message of love. As cliché as that sounds, it's true. From the top of the show, I'm inviting the audience to take a journey with me into this emotional and thematic world. In the beginning it's more about seduction and venturing into the unknown and taking chances and mystery and intrigue and sexiness. The midpoint explores heartbreak and vulnerability. And the latter half is celebration and joy and love and connection.

Did you have a hand in picking the opening acts for you tour (Allison Iraheta and Orianthi)?

I talked with my management, and Allison was one of the options. And I said that we definitely had to go with Allison. I love her to death, she's extremely talented, and I want more and more people to be aware of her music. Her album is incredible. Orianthi is somebody I'd met in passing at the Michael Jackson This is It premiere, and she's in the same management company as I am. She's really sweet, super talented and I thought she'd be a good counterpart.

You mentioned Keith Richards as a style inspiration for the tour. What about his style did you incorporate?

It's that whole psychedelic/rock/gypsy/pirate thing. It has this witchy-world-traveler angle. He wears scarves and cool jewelry and lots of black. It's a type of Goth, but it's Goth before Goth became a cliché.

In your research for the tour, did you travel to New Orleans?

I did travel to New Orleans last year. I'm telling you, there's something about New Orleans, there's a feeling there that's really powerful. There's so much culture and history and tradition down there. There's a palpable sensuality. The history of voodoo is fascinating. It has a dark side, but I'm taking that dark side and making it super theatrical and not to be taken too seriously.

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