Weather Tonight: 4°c Partly Cloudy Night Morning: 8°c Cloudy

Critics' Choice

Restaurants

Fay Maschler

quoteWith a single dessert and just two glasses of wine our bill was kept in check - but the effort of doing so was not much funquote

Fay Maschler Babbo Film

Andrew O'Hagan

quoteThis is a film with beautiful performances and a visual style that urges you towards reflectionquote

Andrew O'Hagan Bright Star Theatre

Henry Hitchings

quoteAlthough the first half of Kwei-Armah’s production is pacy, funny and intelligent, the energy level then drops offquote

Henry Hitchings Seize The Day

Reader reviews

Film

Squiz, Islington

quoteI loved this film from start to finish. Take the girlfriend, tell your mum - I'd see it again tomorrow and will buy the dvd.quote

An Education Theatre

Joe, London

quoteI saw this last night and can't remember the last time I was so moved in the theatre.quote

This Much Is True Restaurants

Hiroshi Sugiyama

quoteI have been to many of London's so-called best Japanese restaurants and none have been as good as the food that I've had at Aqua Kyotoquote

Aqua Kyoto

Music reviews London,

Adele, Rachel Unthank And The Winterset

Your rating
one startwo starthree starfour starfive star
Click on a star to rate
O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
Shepherd's Bush Green, W12 8TT

Evening Standard rating Critic rating
Evening Standard rating Reader rating
 Add your review

Description: The Mercury Prize nominated singer-songwriter with jazzy and bluesy songs.


Phone: 0905020 3999
Website: www.shepherds-bush-empire.co.uk
Email: mail@shepherds-bush-empire.co.uk

Trains: Tube: Shepherd's Bush Overground network, Tube / Bus: 49, 72, 94, 95, 148, 207, 220, 237, 260, 283, 272, 295, 607 Transport for London

Extra info: Pub

 
Please wait the page is loading extra content
  • Show details
  • Hide details
  • Show map
Close X

Directions

 

In her hometown

Amira Hashish, Evening Standard 07.05.08
 
Adele

Impressive vocals: Adele's soulful chords are gripping

Other reviews

Look here too

Jumping and clapping her hands with childlike enthusiasm, Adele made her entrance. The Shepherd’s Bush Empire stage awaited with her name in lights (literally) and she stood beneath the décor and in front of the microphone; a grounded, slightly overwhelmed figure.

‘I’m so scared,’ she shrieked. There is nothing pretentious about this girl. But what you see isn’t necessarily what you get. The impression you would derive if you spoke to the recently-turned 20-year-old in, say, a coffee shop, is that she is the ebullient, happy-go-lucky type; incapable of taking things seriously. And, yes, this probably wouldn’t be too far off the mark.

But give her a decent song and an instrument and it’s a different story. ‘You’re like Aretha Franklin,’ an over-excited, slightly delusional fan shouted. Even she burst out laughing. But what she does have is an ear for great music; counting Etta James amongst her favourite artists. Teamed with her impressive vocals there is the making of a performer who deserves credibility.

Songs like Cold Shoulder and Hometown Glory are a joy to watch live with their frank lyrics sung intently. You could hear a pin drop as she showed off her impressive range to First Love (that is until some of the younger crowd members chose to proclaim their feelings). ‘I love you too,’ she giggled.

Ignore the elaborate set and it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine you had just popped round Adele’s house for a gathering. Her family cheered her on in the stalls and despite earphones eventually getting the better of her, she attempted to make conversation with them.

The intermittent chat contributed to the easy-going atmosphere. It was hard to tell the singer felt ‘sick with nerves.’ Guitar in hand, Adele alternated between acoustic and soulful numbers with ease and fluency.

‘I wish I could stay longer but I’ve run out of songs,’ she said after the Chasing Pavements encore. She has only released one album (19) – albeit a number one hit that was written in her teens – so the set list was limited. The odd cover, including The Coral’s Dreaming of You, were sung well but the gig’s running time was dependent on them.

It’s not her vocals she needs to worry about but more extensive material with which to work. Still, Adele is only just beginning her career. A bigger set list and increased confidence should come in time.

More


Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

 

Other reviews

[ 1 ] [ 2 ]

Reader reviews (0)

 Add your review

No comments have so far been submitted.


Add your comment

 

Your email address will not be published

Terms and conditions make text area bigger You have  characters left.


 
 


 
 
London's Weather
Tonight
Partly Cloudy Night
4°c
Morning
Cloudy
8°c
5 day forecast
 
 

Daily Mail Mail on Sunday Travel Mail This is Money Metro

Loot | Jobsite | Homes & property | London jobs | FindaProperty.com | Primelocation.com | Educate London | Holiday Villas