Adele admits why she really cancelled Las Vegas residency: ‘There was just no soul in it’
Adele has said her planned Las Vegas residency wasn’t quite her. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Adele)
Adele has opened up about her decision to scrap her Las Vegas residency, admitting the gigs had no “soul”.
The British pop goddess tearfully apologised to fans in January when she pulled her entire Las Vegas residency less than 24 hours before opening night.
Cancelling the 24 shows was “the worst moment in my career by far”, Adele said in a new interview with Elle UK, for the magazine’s October issue.
“I was so excited about those shows. It was devastating,” the “Easy On Me” hitmaker, 34, said.
Rumours immediately swirled when Adele scrapped Weekends With Adele, with reports pinning the move on production issues and on-set scuffles.
At the time, Adele told fans the show has been “destroyed” by delivery delays amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Addressing what really went down, she admitted: “There was just no soul in it. The stage setup wasn’t right. It was very disconnected from me and my band, and it lacked intimacy.
“And maybe I tried too hard to give it those things in such a controlled environment.”
Adele said she had been up for more than 30 hours when she announced the last-minute cancellation – a “brutal” decision she acknowledged she had been mulling for a week.
Adele performs on stage as American Express present BST Hyde Park in Hyde Park. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Adele)
Coming clean about her instincts was easier said than done, she said, considering that the cancellation would throw her crew and band’s careers in jeopardy and leave ticker-holders dismayed. But she knew it had to be done.
Among the reasons was the show’s over-the-top stage, which didn’t quite match her more down-to-earth performance style, Adele explained. She cited a water feature that “looked great for a couple of songs, but then didn’t do anything. It was just there”.
“The first couple of months was really, really hard,” Adele said of the response to cancelling the concerts, adding that she “went into hiding” by deactivating her social media accounts.
“I was embarrassed. But it actually made my confidence in myself grow because it was a very brave thing to do. And I don’t think many people would have done what I did. I’m very proud of myself for standing by my artistic needs.”
Adele is set to return to Las Vegas for the residency in November. Promising a more toned-down but emotional show, Adele said: “I want to tell the story of the beginning of my career to now. I’m not gonna give too much about it but the show grows. The show grows.
“It’s all about the music and it’s really, really nostalgic. It’s gonna be really beautiful.”
“I think I’m right with what I’m doing,” she added. “I know I’m not, like, 60 years old and I haven’t got 20 albums under my belt. But I think my music will work in a show in Vegas.”
Adele’s concerts certainly have a tendency to pack an emotional punch. During her British Summer Time gig in Hyde Park, London, Adele threw on an LGBTQ+ Pride flag to the delight of her fans, with the flag’s owner thanking the star for always standing by the LGBTQ+ community.
