Adele Has It All In XFM Mini-Concert

Idolator Staff | January 9, 2011 6:00 am

2011 kicked off with a hard-to-beat start for the Manchester audience who caught Adele’s Xfm performance on January 1. Those of us who didn’t ring in the New Year in the UK needn’t despair, however: a video of the gig has surfaced, featuring the Grammy winner belting “Hometown Glory” along with two tracks from her upcoming album 21 (“Someone Like You” and “Rolling in the Deep”) and a cover of “Funnel Of Love”, originally by Adele’s current heroine Wanda Jackson. Added bonus: also on display is the down-to-earth Brit’s wry, self-deprecating wit, guaranteed to bring on a few chuckles. Check out the performance here.

“I just want to apologize quickly, ‘cause I’m going to sound like Tom Waits, ‘cause my voice is gone,” the modest singer began, pinning the blame on a New Year’s Eve hangover. We appreciate the humility, Adele — but Tom Waits?! (Why is it artists who actually do frequently sound a little Waits-ish in live performances never seem to make such apologies? Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Rihanna — we’re looking at you.)

Naturally, Adele’s off day was still approximately ten thousand times better than anybody else out there. Yes, we can hear a bit of hoarseness from time to time, but it doesn’t much affect the tunes’ quality. Just as in her “Rolling in the Deep” music video, Adele sat stationary for the set’s duration, but her pipes are more than enough to hold our attention.

But what’s nearly as enchanting as hearing Adele sing is listening to her talk: not only do we learn a bit more about the recently remixed Wanda Jackson-inspired single “Rolling in the Deep,” we also get a number of amusing asides that are probably only charming thanks to the England native’s delightful accent. Be sure and listen to the recent Idolator interviewee recount her embarrassing New Year’s Eve fiasco — apparently, “the deep” isn’t the only thing Adele’s been rolling in lately, and we adore her all the more for sharing it with us.

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