Adele wows Auckland
A chat, a cackle and some stunning singing makes for a matchless performance
There was never any question it was going to be good. But no words or teaser video can really prepare you for just how great Adele is live. Or how funny. That voice. That cackle. Despite Auckland Transport’s dire predictions of traffic chaos, getting to Mt Smart Stadium was a straightforward affair, with the sellout crowd relaxed and genial as they surrounded the giant circular screen, adorned with Adele’s flickering, closed eyelids.
At 7.52pm they opened, as that unmistakable voice filled the stadium, with the dramatic opening refrain of Hello.
Waving to the crowd with both hands and encouraging everyone to sing along, Adele set the tone for what was to come. Her songs may be borne from heartbreak and sorrow, but performed live they take on new life, full of sass and humour.
“Aren’t you lively! This is my first time ever here,” Adele told the crowd of 45,000.
“I’ve just been in Australia sweating my tits off. Not only am I happy to be here but your weather is much more my cup of tea.”
Her humour is what sets Adele apart from the rest of her peers. Yes, that voice is incredible. Flawless, in fact. But it’s her wicked sense of humour that really makes you love her.
As she said herself, “How many of you came along to have a laugh with me?” eliciting huge cheers from the crowd.
By her own admission, Adele is a chatty Cathy.
“I chat a lot. When I’m nervous, I chat,” she told the crowd early on. But while she joked it would get annoying, the crowd loved every rambling word.
She talked about her pregnancy (it made her voice deeper than normal, which makes singing Skyfall a struggle now) and her Kiwi make-up artist Michael Ashton (it was his birthday so we had to sing him Happy Birthday).
She told stories and got distracted by flying insects and bugs (“There’s a giant beetle on the stage. There’s two of them. They’re going to start mating and take over!”)
But amid the laughter — which was hearty and frequent — there were serious moments.
She dedicated Make You Feel My Love to the victims of the London terror attack, telling the crowd she just wanted to be at home with her family.
By the time she ended the night with Someone Like You, she’d covered the full spectrum of emotions.
But whether she is making you laugh or cry, it’s an experience like no other.
Charming, funny and good for your soul, Adele is simply inimitable.