A mixture of heavy jet lag and being a father to a talkative toddler is not enough to quell Michael Bublé’s down-to-earth charm. The Canadian singer fronted the press at Jumeirah Beach Hotel on Wednesday, March 11, to discuss his upcoming performances this weekend, big fat family holidays and being friends with other Canadian pop stars.
The joys of fatherhood
“What you see right now is a guy who had three hours sleep, has a little one who is one year and six months old and whose teeth are just coming in. He never, ever stops talking. So all night all I hear is “pa, pa, pa, go, go, go.” It is the best and I can’t wait to have another. It makes me better at everything because he is what I live for and he puts everything in perspective.”
On pop music today
"When I was a kid I loved listening to the radio and especially seventies and eighties music. As it got to the nineties and 2000's so much of it became groove-driven and I think on the radio we lost a lot of great music and melodies. I love the fact that we are back to listening to great singer-songwriters now and the music is almost going back to the seventies. That's why I was so excited last year with Daft Punk's Get Lucky and people were saying how this was 'so new'. Well this actually sounds familiar and it's just that great music is back."
The most romantic thing he’s ever done
“It wasn’t for romance, but it was because I was in huge trouble for being an idiot and the girl didn’t want me around anymore. I ended up getting a shoebox and I found a pair of beat-up Converse shoes I had when I was seven. I put them in a box along with a bunch of Hershey’s Kisses and a note on top that said ‘I would walk a million miles for just one of your kisses”. (Buble elicits a chorus of awwwwws from the assembled journalists).
Craziest fan experience
"I was in Virginia years ago and when I came through the audience a man took a swing at me. When I came back on stage I was shaky because I knew what happened. Then on stage my security guy yelled "Michael" and the same guy was coming on stage to attack me and he was arrested. He was put in the back of the car and he even kicked out the window. Now I didn't know all of this because I was on stage singing Come Fly With Me at the time. When they eventually asked him why, he said he wanted me dead because I stole music from black people."
On the fraternity between Canadian pop stars
“I know it really sounds strange to say this, but Bryan Adams just texted me about a minute ago. I see people like Diana Krall at the Starbucks just down the street from me. I also see Sarah McLachlan. Canadians are a nation of observers. We are a mouse underneath an elephant and I think that brings us closer together.”
On Drake
“You know its funny because he is one of the few Canadians musicians I never met and I know he is playing here in a few days. It really makes me proud and I love that this dude represents me and my country in a totally different genre. He has credibility and he is so great at what he does.”
On his Dubai plans
“Today I am going to Chuck E Cheese and the Rainforest Cafe. That’s because I have got my little boy. My wife’s sister also has her one-and-a-half year old. My wife’s sister’s partner is also here with his, I believe six- and eight-year-olds, and I don’t think there is anywhere else that we could possibly go that would be as fun as those places.”
• Michael Bublé performs at Dubai International Stadium on Thursday, March 12, and Friday, March 13. Tickets from Dh295 at www.timeouttickets.com. Doors open 5pm on Thursday and 3pm on Friday
sasaeed@thenational.ae
