Adele’s concerts turn chatfest as more singers book spoken word tours to share secrets with fans

ADELE has thrilled fans with personal anecdotes at her Australian shows, as a growing number of artists reveal more about their lives while holding the mic.

Adele has thrilled fans with personal anecdotes at her Australian shows. Picture: Getty

THE long-awaited Australian tour by the world’s most successful pop star could have easily been called In Conversation With Adele.

The 28-year-old English entertainer isn’t keeping that golden throat exclusively for hitting the high notes, choosing to share intimate details of her life with tens of thousands of adoring fans.

For the opening night in Perth, she revealed she had binned the pyrotechnics for her concert when a trial run resulted in debris landing in the eye of her four-year-old son Angelo.

And in Brisbane she confirmed her marriage to partner Simon Konecki, again referring to him as her “husband” as she had done during her Grammys acceptance speech.

There have been slapdowns for trolls who compared her Grammys gown to Shrek’s Princess Fiona and Brisbane city officials who complained her concerts at the Gabba would result in a transport catastrophe.

Adele loves a chat on stage. Picture: Glenn Hunt / Getty Images.

Her chattiness and self-deprecation has further endeared the superstar to legions of fans who often get a mumbled “Hello Australia” greeting and no other between song patter from their favourite bands.

Or worse, scripted anecdotes and endearments which the performer has said at every single show on tour and can be seen on hundreds of YouTube videos.

While singers used to let their music do the talking, it has become a lucrative, and revealing, sideline for artists to over-share with their audiences.

Jimmy Barnes had audiences in tears with his Working Class Boy: An Evening Of Stories and Songs quickly selling out 19 shows last year after the publication of his memoir.

Jimmy Barnes had fans laughing and crying with his Working Class Boy chats. Picture: Simon Cross.

Barnes had entire audiences sniffling as he shared raw, intense memories of witnessing domestic violence and a gang rape in his childhood.

The shows were so successful he booked another 14 in Australia this year and 10 in New Zealand.

Madness frontman Suggs joins the long list of singers booking spoken word shows and will step off the legendary British band’s tour of Australia for three My Life Story In Words and Music appearances in April.

The show was given rave reviews in the UK when he premiered it four years ago, shocking audiences with his tales of a deprived childhood and discovery of the heroin addict father he never met.

Madness frontman Suggs will share his life story on the stage next month. Picture: Supplied.

But the most celebrated rock’n’roll anecdote of the Baggy Trousers singer’s show was the tale about hiring police uniforms for a video shoot and staging a fake drugs raid on The Clash who were rehearsing down the road.

Joe Strummer and Mick Jones reportedly didn’t speak to the Madness members for years after allegedly flushing their stash down the toilet.

Suggs will bring his song and chat show to the Enmore Theatre in Sydney on April 20, Astor Theatre in Perth on April 22 and Comedy Theatre in Melbourne on April 24.

Canadian singer Martha Wainwright is In Conversation at the Opera House. Picture: Supplied.

Patti Smith will open up In Her Own Words on her final tour. Picture: Edward Mapplethorpe.

The revered rock poet Patti Smith has sold out her Patti Smith: In Her Own Words appearance at the Sydney Opera House on April 23. It is a bonus show for her ardent Australian fans as this will be her final tour here.

And Canadian singer songwriter Martha Wainwright will share her stories growing up as the daughter of folk-rock royalty, Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, and working with her brother Rufus at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday.

Originally published as Adele’s concerts turn chatfest as more singers book spoken word tours to share secrets with fans