London,

In her hometown

Amira Hashish, Evening Standard 07.05.08

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.

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

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