LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Adele says she has “never been more nervous before a show” as she kicks off her delayed Las Vegas concerts on Friday, 10 months after she postponed them at the last minute.
The “Hello” and “Easy On Me” chart-topper faced an online backlash in January, when in a tearful video she apologised to fans saying she could not perform her “Weekends with Adele” residency at Caesars Palace hotel as half her crew was sick with COVID-19 and the pandemic has caused delivery delays.
She said her team had “tried absolutely everything” but it had “been impossible to finish the show”. The concerts were due to begin the next day and some fans were making their way to Nevada when they got the news.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday night, the singer-songwriter shared a picture of herself in rehearsal against a backdrop of childhood photos.
“I’m highly emotional, incredibly nervous but can’t sit still because I’m so excited … I always get scared before shows, and I take it as a good sign because it means I care and means I just want to do a good job,” she wrote.
“Maybe it’s because I didn’t start when I was supposed to. Maybe it’s because it’s opening night, maybe it’s because Hyde Park went so great, maybe its because I love the show I don’t know. But it’s safe to say I’ve never been more nervous before a show in my career, but at the same time I wish today was tomorrow! I can’t wait to see you out there.”
The 34-year-old Briton played two concerts at London’s Hyde Park last summer. Her Las Vegas shows run until March.
In a radio interview in July, Adele addressed the January postponement, saying she had “definitely felt everyone’s disappointment” and “was devastated”.
“I thought I could pull it together and make it work and I couldn’t and I stand by that decision,” she said.
Adele, known for ballads about heartbreak and nostalgia, made her musical comeback last year with her fourth studio album “30”, which soared to no.1 around the world. It is nominated for the coveted album of the year award at the 2023 Grammys.
(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Alison Williams)
