In a bigger room, Adele commands with her gravitas

Belfast

ADELE is not daunted by arenas anymore. On Monday night she started a world tour here at the SSE Arena Belfast, announcing early on, "This is my first time in an arena, ever, playing to my own fans."

Moments later, she added that anxiety before the concert had caused her to have "severe bowel movements". It was a pure Adele moment: a pop triumph immediately brought to earth by shared human frailty. Adele's gifts could separate her from more ordinary humans. Instead, she forges bonds.