Jeremy's Indie Music: Adele, Manchester Apollo, 16th September 2011 9/10

It's fair to say there was considerable anticipation for Adele's gig. I bought my ticket in a pre-sale seven months ago, and had I chosen to sell it in the secondary market, the proceeds would have funded my concert plans until the end of the year. I became anxious after she cancelled the first half of her UK tour due to illness, and so I felt lucky to be in the Manchester Apollo on this autumnal evening.

Unfortunately, the crowd, some of whom had been queuing all day for a prime position, were too excited to listen attentively to the subtle charms of the support acts, and there was a maddening level of background noise. Through this, it was evident that the The Civil Wars has a magical chemistry, and they made tender and moving music. Fortunately I'm seeing them in a small venue in two weeks' time, and plan to write more about them then. Amos Lee also battled valiantly against the unappreciative audience, with a pleasing 30 minute set from his Mission Bell album.

The moment Adele started singing, the auditorium was electrified: it was immediately apparent this was a special vocal talent. The friend who introduced me to Adele, writer of this review, talks of how she could see the sound, and describes her tones dancing around as she sung. It's a contralto voice of remarkably rich sonority, a Stradivarius of singers, and immense natural, unforced power. This instrument is god-given, a talent which has been developed carefully but which Adele was born with, and is almost operatic in the way it fills the space (albeit with the aid of amplification).

When she talks, and she did so at length between songs, I'm reminded of the discontinuity between the lofty musical talents of the Mozart character in Amadeus and the man's vulgar, uncouth manner. This is in no way a criticism, since she's extremely witty and gives the impression of being herself, talking and swearing in a conversational manner, almost as an equal with the audience. This gives rise to empathy as she explains about her broken relationships and nervousness at playing large venues. When she mentioned the sales of 21 recently passing the 10 million mark, she barely seemed to believe herself that she's become a global superstar.

It's so heartening that Adele's achieved this huge and wide popular appeal on the basis of her musical talent: there were no Muse style gimmicks at this show, no costume changes, laser shows or release of balloons. There was an amazing crowd reaction: everyone knew the songs, and Rolling In The Deep in particular inspired a particularly enthusiastic sing along. The highlights of the 90 minute set were the the so moving and sad piano-accompanied Someone Like You, surely her finest creation to date, and the Bonnie Raitt cover I Can't Make You Love Me.

The contrast to PJ Harvey's set a week earlier in the same venue was striking: the Mercury prize winner writes far deeper lyrics, and her compositions are more complex and subtle. PJ Harvey's voice though is weak by comparison, and she relies on backing vocalists. Adele has developed immensely since the album 19 (frankly, I found some of the songs she performed from that album mediocre), but it's the delivery of the material that's so special, not her compositions per se. Adele has recently said that she's planning to spend time in Austin and Nashville whilst working on her next album. This suggests a move away from R&B towards country, and a paring back of her sound. I think her music benefit immensely from the influences she'll encounter in the American South.

If you encounter a person who's cynical about the superficiality of the music industry, all you need to do is cite Adele. In fact, I urge you to try to experience Adele live at least once, since if you ever have pessimistic feelings, you will be able to draw on the memories of a remarkable evening, when you experienced first hand a one in several million talent. Ultimately, Adele's singing makes you feel better about humanity.