Adele plays Belfast stormer

Tonight, the eyes of the music world are firmly fixed on Belfast's SSE Arena as Adele, one of the most popular singers on the planet, kicks off her globetrotting 140-date tour. Fresh from cleaning up at the Grammys and the Brit Awards, the Tottenham-raised chanteuse with the golden tonsils may very well be the biggest star of her generation - she has, after all, sold in excess of 100 million records in an age where many people pinch rather than purchase music - and the 9,000 or so in attendance are all palpably excited to finally experience this force of nature in the flesh.

Though the tear-stained songs on her hat-trick of albums are often heart-breaking, performed live in front of her fans they take on a celebratory note. In some ways it's like a cross between a wake and a wedding, a morose celebration of sorts as all around me groups of women are openly weeping while punching the air with one hand and grasping glasses of wine with the other as the black and bejewelled-clad Adele serves as mistress of ceremonies.

Despite being a relative newcomer, set opener 'Hello' is greeted like an old friend and the SSE Arena croons along to that bombastic chorus. The super slinky 'Rumour Has It' adds a more than welcome injection of funk, while 'Hometown Glory,' a personal favourite from debut album 19, is, was and always will be an absolute anthem and Ms. Adkins performs it immaculately as images of Belfast are projected on the screen behind her.

As well as big, booming ballads, there's some banter too and Adele shares stories of going to Belfast Zoo, using a breast pump backstage at the Oscars with Jennifer Garner and generally swears like a sailor (“I'm a working mother. Sometimes I forget to wipe my arse and shave my legs. Imagine that as a fucking headline”). As it's February 29, she invites any ladies who would like to propose onstage and when one accepts, the singer basically forces her beau to say “yes” as a bloodthirsty Belfast crowd chants “Come on Neil!” at the unfortunate victim/boyfriend.

As expected, 'Someone Like You' and an incendiary 'Set Fire To The Rain' brings the house down and the masses sing every word. While at times tonight's set threatens to be a little too maudlin ('I Miss You,' 'Million Years Ago') Adele's one of a kind voice papers over any cracks and ensures she delivers a show that the world will be talking about for a long time to come.