Review: Adele’s arena-style but intimate concert at Adelaide Oval, March 13, 2017
CHEEKY, familiar, and flawless — it was a stunning night for more than 70,000 Adele fans as the UK singer captivated her audience with an arena-style show that still felt intimate. Our mega Adele gallery
IT’S not every week that more than 70,000 South Australians cram into Adelaide Oval on a Monday night.
But then, Monday night was anything but ordinary and global superstar Adele made sure concertgoers were rewarded with a show that, while staged arena-style, still generated an intimate atmosphere.
Arriving on stage just before 8pm, Adele eschewed a support act (possibly to spare any poor soul the daunting role of measuring up to her mighty vocals) and delighted the crowd with a full walkaround of the massive stage during opening number Hello.
Powerful, in command and impassioned, the UK singer then led straight into Hometown Glory and One and Only before first addressing the crowd.
Immediately, Adele’s cheeky charm shone through, first with a reference to not bringing her pet dog to Australia because of the “Johnny Depp thing” and then asking how many of the audience were drunk, given it was a public holiday.
She also acknowledged that her name is derived from Adelaide and saying therefore “I guess I’m home; that’s where I am — I’m home in Adelaide”, a nice touch met with a thunderous roar of support from the crowd.
Apologies for her potty mouth were dispensed with quickly as the singer admitted “there’s nothing I can do about it”.
And she also addressed the recently revealed trick in which she is rolled into the centre stage in a box before the gig — a quirky start that didn’t go unnoticed by the waiting throng.
“Thank God the Australian press outed me — I’m not getting in that box again” she said before joking that next time she might just stroll through the masses to get to the stage.
She later made a bet with a fan that she’d watch her “potty mouth” but immediately failed, providing one of many naturally comic moments throughout the night.
Much of the time it felt as if she were talking with you as an old friend as she stood, a personalised mug of “hot honey” in hand, nattering away.
Adele maintained her composure during a three-minute power outage under the stage, urging the crowd to tell their best jokes while the technical difficulties were resolved.
She later explained the revolving stage had pulled out a plug, apologising for her bad jokes during the technical fault.
Showcasing a mix of tracks — mostly best-selling — from her wildly successful trio of studio albums, while her performances were polished, it was Adele’s truly flawless vocal coupled with her cheeky and familiar demeanour that really stepped the show up a notch.
Video montages (including a thoughtful nod to Adelaide itself during Hometown Glory) and a spectacular stage in the round that ultimately proved to be the support act of the night, second only to Adele’s unmistakeable talent and stage presence.
The UK singer drew a diverse crowd that was packed to the Oval’s rafters. Predictions of a predominantly female audience were skewed by countless couples and groups ranging from teens to senior citizens, all no doubt in the mood for Adele’s trademark love songs.
Love was certainly in the air by the end of the concert with a “kiss cam” keeping the crowd entertained as it locked on to couples across the arena, including a male couple who earlier scored a selfie with Adele and then enthusiastically locked lips to rousing cheers.
After plenty of laughs courtesy of said kiss cam, Adele then returned to the stage for a three-song encore which closed with a heartbreaking rendition of Someone Like You before the superstar walked off the stage and straight out of the arena, flanked by her security.
Fans had waited a long time for the 28-year-old to grace our shores and, after the powerhouse performance, it can only be hoped her return to Australia will be swift.
Not only was Adele’s debut at Adelaide Oval reputedly our city’s biggest concert event, it is also set to be one of the most memorable, setting the benchmark for young superstars on the touring circuit — and leaving many well behind.
Adele next performs in Melbourne on March 18 and 19 before heading to New Zealand as part of her 122-show Adele Live world tour that began more than a year ago in Belfast and is expected to conclude in London on July 2.
The Adelaide Oval after the show tweeted that, while an official figure wasn’t available, the number of people at the concert was more than 70,000 — a new record.
