It was supposed to mark the next glorious chapter in a story that had already taken a working class girl from urban London to Los Angeles and riches beyond most people’s wildest dreams.
But Adele insists she had no alternative but to scrap her highly lucrative Las Vegas residency – a decision she readily admits was the worst moment of her career – because it lacked the intimacy of her previous shows.
The multi-millionaire singer dismayed fans, many of whom had already paid to see her onstage at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, after cancelling her string of gigs in a tearful Instagram post just hours before her first performance in January.
Speaking out: Adele insists she had no alternative but to scap her highly lucrative Las Vegas residency, but insists her new series of shows will ‘tell the story of her career’
Reflecting on the moment she pulled the plug during an interview with ELLE, Adele, 34, admits the decision came as she performed a soundcheck at the cavernous venue while looking out at rows upon rows of empty seats.
‘There was just no soul in it,’ she said. ‘The stage set-up 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.’
She also reportedly had problems with the setup of the pool of water she was set to stand in, likening it to an ‘old pond.’
‘Adele described the pool as a ‘baggy old pond’ and refused, point blank, to stand in the middle of it,’ a source reportedly said.
After leaving Vegas the singer admits she struggled to cope with the fallout caused by her cancellation, but refused to turn back on the decision.
Devastated: When Adele tearfully announced that her show ‘just ain’t ready’, fans had hoped it wouldn’t take long for her to rearrange her performances
‘The first couple of months were really, really hard,’ she said. ‘But it actually made my self-confidence 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.’
She will now focus on a brand new show after personally overseeing its creative direction, with her first priority creating the intimacy she felt was missing from her original set.
Defiant: After leaving Vegas the singer admits she struggled to cope with the fallout caused by her cancellation, but refused to turn back on the decision
The star called her revamped plans for the 32 concert dates, which run from November 18, 2022 to March 25, 2023 ‘nostalgic’ and insisted it will tell the story of her career.
She said: ‘I want to tell the story of the beginning of my career to now. I’m not gonna give too much away about it, but the show grows.
‘It’s all about the music, and it’s really, really nostalgic. It’s gonna be so beautiful.’
Close: Adele with sport agent boyfriend Rich Paul, who has reportedly been involved in developing her new show
In January Adele told fans, many of whom were already in Las Vegas at the time, several different reasons behind her pushing back the residency.
‘My show ain’t ready,’ she said. ‘We’ve tried absolutely everything that we can to put it together in time, and for it to be good enough for you. But we’ve been absolutely destroyed by delivery delays and COVID.’
After rescheduled dates for the gig were leaked, the singer took to Instagram to finally confirm the show will start in November as she thanked fans for their ‘patience’.
Insiders in the Caesars Palace camp told TMZ in May that the resort and Live Nation had to arrive at a workable arrangement with the singer within a month in order for the show to go forward.
Adele’s boyfriend Rich Paul, a top-flight sports agent, had apparently entered the negotiations on the show, which is allegedly projected to make $150 million.
The sources said that Adele had multiple bones of contention about the show, including but not limited to the choir and the sound system.
