Charisma personified

But behind the high-octane performances lies a journey of self-discovery, mental resilience, and an unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries.

Adam’s reputation as ‘Mr Entertainment’ among his peers is well-deserved.

He thrives on creating a powerful connection with his audience, breaking down the barriers between performer and spectator.

This level of interaction demands immense energy, both physically and mentally.

Adam acknowledged that maintaining his mental health can be challenging, especially when juggling various roles and responsibilities.

The challenge lies in preparing mentally and emotionally for the performances.

Whether it’s performing with Chocolate Starfish, working with Aboriginal communities through his MusoMagic company, or his daily consultancy — each demands a distinct mindset, energy level, and emotional investment.

“My wife calls it changing gears,” Adam said.

“To get up on stage, I have to try and give myself space to not cram too much in, so I can be in the right headspace.

“There’s been a couple of times when I haven’t honoured that, and I’ve had a breakdown because I haven’t given myself the space to prepare.”

Reflecting on his earlier years, he points out the transformation from conforming to rockstar stereotypes to embracing his authentic self.

Adam said it took him a long time to become comfortable with himself.

He said, at first, it was about his presentation.

He recalled early in his performing career when he switched from his black jeans and black shirt to more avant-garde attire.

At first, it was an uncomfortable endeavour, and he was unsure if he was actually doing it for himself or trying to be someone else.

But now, at 59 years old, he said, “it’s finally natural, and it’s great”.

“At 30, I was still trying to work out what a stereotypical rockstar should act like ... That was 30 years ago; the world has changed,” he said.

Adam said so many people of his generation, particularly men, feel stuck in the modern age, resistant to change and still bending to the rigid social norms they obeyed in high school.

He said it takes a risk to challenge those norms, whether it’s calling out your mates for teasing you at the barbecue or confronting major societal issues like racism, sexism or homophobia.

“We’re talking about my gen, which is now the older gen, but there’s an older gen above that, which is my Dad’s gen,” Adam said.

“They had even greater barriers to overcome.”

Nowadays, Adam and his father freely exchange hugs – a gesture that wasn’t common in his generation due to societal connotations.

It took them three decades to break through this barrier and express affection towards each other.

“The first time I wanted to tell Dad I loved him, I was trembling, and I hung up the phone four times until I finally could do it,” Adam said.

“I’d been building up to it, and when I did it, he hung up the phone.

“He laughs at this story now.

“It was three or four phone calls later.

“I thought he thought I was stupid for using the word love with another bloke, and I was right about to hang up when he told me he loved me.”

He said the waterworks followed shortly after, but Adam realised he had influenced his father.

He said there should be learning between the generations, and no matter how old someone is, there is always time to change if the intentions are correct.

“If a comment or action isn’t motivated by love, it’s probably the wrong comment or action,” Adam said.

Adam highlighted that positive influence can reshape perceptions and broaden horizons, even within small communities resistant to change.

“Back in 1998, when I left the band for 10 years, there was an overwhelming feeling within that I needed to find that holistic spectrum of life,” he said.

“The only way I could really do that was divorcing myself from my current limitations, which was largely the band at the time.

“When you are in a band, you are answerable to other people and can’t make autonomous decisions.

“I needed to make autonomous decisions, and now I have such a great story that I can bring back to the band, to songwriting, to performances, because I have that experience away from the band.”

Adam is forever a work-in-progress, just like the rest of us.

“A plane travelling from Melbourne to Sydney is off course 90 per cent of the time,” he said.

“Sometimes it goes up, down, in a circle, but does it reach its destination?

“Absolutely, it does.

“We are the same. You may not get it right today, but there is tomorrow or the next day.”

Adam shared that he still grapples with his mental health, but that it doesn’t need to dominate him any more.

The more he accepts that reality, the easier it is.

“Abandonment issues from when I was a kid from Mum passing, that’s in me, part of my DNA,” he said.

“It doesn’t mean that has to define me.

“Admit your flaws and accept the things that aren’t perfect, and then forgive yourself for your reactions, for things that aren’t even in your control.

“I forgive Mum and my sister for passing; they couldn’t help it.

“I forgive my Dad for some of his blockages and my brother for his.

“I forgive myself for my reactions to all those situations because you can only move forward by forgiving others and yourself.

“I think forgiving yourself is the harder one.”

Adam said it’s easy to fall into the trap of letting your situation define you, but at any moment, anybody can make the choice to redefine their situation and, indeed, themself.

“You’ve got to be prepared to ball your eyes out and get to rock bottom to come out of that pit again,” he said.

“But god, it’s beautiful when you do.”

This story originally appeared in Don. You can find the full publication at tinyurl.com/DON-Mag