IT was fitting for the Queen of Pop to pay tribute to the King. Not just because it was the day of his funeral but because pop's biggest stars were born weeks apart.
She said: "Manchester, give it up for one of the greatest artists the world has ever known."
When you're in the same arena as Madonna, you can't fail to appreciate her success at defying the ravages of time, even if she does turn up an hour late on stage. But once she starts dancing all grumbles are forgotten.
Her rippling thighs could crack walnuts and the flexibility of this nearly 51-year-old is enough to give you sympathetic back ache. The singing isn't great, never has been. But she isn't a diehard lip syncher like Britney Spears and belts out a few tunes.
Madonna also needs her microphone more than Britney to push seductively around her body during the slickest of stage shows. The one constant for the mother of reinvention over 26 years has been the overt sexuality of her act. And yet while seeing a middle-aged mum-of-four pose raunchily in those Louis Vuitton ads seemed in bad taste it works when she enters, legs akimbo, to sing Candy Shop from Hard Candy - the album this Sticky & Sweet tour is supposed to promote. But the material girl sees the big picture. In an age where downloads have cheapened music recording the concert experience is a far more attractive financial proposition.
And watching the concert DVD or a grainy recording of Madonna's tribute to Michael Jackson on youtube doesn't compare to seeing the live version.
That's why fans are prepared to fork out between £65 to £175 for a ticket.
Luckily for us oldies many songs from the back catalogue, like Get Into the Groove, Holiday, and Vogue, make it on to the set-list, albeit updated versions. As with Michael Jackson, aspects of the pop icon are unsettling, not least her penchant for imposing her will on third world countries. But you don't have to approve of the woman to admire the performer. And while she may not have Jacko's natural born talent Her Madge has earned her regal status in pop music by dint of hard exercise and hard work, if not hard candy.
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You all should have gone to see That Petrol Emotion at Academy 3
I paid £85 for my ticket in the Gods but still expected to be wowed by the "Queen of Pop". I was hugely disappointed! She mimed to half of her tracks - quite obviously - which took the sparkle off straight away for me.
I have seen better acts for half the price. I saw Beyonce in May and came away in awe. I expected to feel like that last night - what a shame!!
I am a frequent concert goer and always wanted to be able to say I'd seen Madonna. Now I can...what a let down!!!
was amazing show
The show was fantastic (lighting, set, dancers etc.), and with the audience on their feet throughout the arena became a huge dancefloor.
Notable high points were the Felix/Like A Prayer mashup, The Beat Goes On with a vintage Rolls Royce on stage, Ray of Light and the finale Give It 2 Me.
The Michael Jackson tributes and references were appreciated too.
She totally rocked the place, ignore any negativity, she deserves her place as an Icon, the Queen of Pop!
Also paid £85 and sat one row from the back. Waited and waited for her to grace the audiance with an appearance, i think this is called treating the audiance with contempt, and then was treated to Techno garbage of the first order. Managed to stick it for about 40 minutes before walking out. I have been going to pop concerts for 40 years and was looking forward to this tremendously but Madonna has now surpassed Hawkwind as, without doubt the worst performance I have ever seen.
85 quid to sit at the back?
I will go along with 'Pearce Film' and his outlook. I cant stand over the top stage shows, massive ego's and so called superstars who treat their fans with contempt!
Funnily enough, 2 months ago one of my old university mate organized a get together, he got a 'Who' tribute band in his local village hall and packed the place out with old and young alike. It was incredible, the music was great and apart from the blokes on stage not being 70 years old (or dead) you couldn’t tell them apart from the real band! All this entertainment for 4 hours and a skin full of ale for 30 quid (buffet cobbed in too)!
Honestly it was the best gig I have been to in years and rivaled (in my opinion) the fun I have had at many other gigs with big names!
Saying that, I only paid 8.50 in 1978 to see the real Who! :-)
You can keep your big, corporate sponsored, soulless and over the top stage acts. Give me loud, quality music sung from heart any day of the week!
The Men Arena was a disgrace, The Air conditioning was a joke, on for 1 minute every hour..it was far to hot, and a long time to wait for Her Madge to actually get on stage much to the dissaproval of the many booing and slow hand clapping! The Support act was a joke..JOKE..some DJ stood nodding his head to mixes you can buy over the counter,As for Madge, she has endless energy, but all her old hits were given a new feel, I personally felt it took what I went to see away..I felt let down, hot, and the queues for a drink were appalling, slow, and blocked anyone trying to find there seats! all in all, Madge you still got it, MEN ARENA a disgrace maybe to save money on Air Con, and extra staff to man the counters...5 out of 10.
VERY disappointed with the concert.
Was sat in my seat from 7.30 until 9.30pm until it started and it was SOO hot. Just ridiculous.
No apology for coming on late. The music was too loud and booming. The set list was pretty poor, quite a few songs i'd never heard which were not very good.
Generally, nothing left me feeling excited or thinking "wow".
Im glad I didn't pay £110 for the seat I had - I got it off Ebay half price! I feel sorry for people who paid nearly £200 per ticket!
Although Britney mimed, she was definately better than Madonna. In fact my highlight of Madonnas show was when Britney was on the big video during one of her songs.
Just to give alittle truth and fact as to the situation of the MEN Arenas air con. Myself and my partner also went to the concert and on entering the main doors to the Foyer, it was hot.My partner took unwell shortly on being in this crowded area and had to be escorted outside by medics for fresh air and water. The medics were good and on US asking what the conditions would be like in the Arena, we were told that " The air conditioning will not be on tonight, as MADONNA likes it hot" We then decided that it wasnt worth the risk and went home. I am adamant that i will never attend another Madonna concert ever again as she doesnt care about her fans and 'only cares about what she wants' (but i think we all kinda knew about that anyway, just not to this extent) I have been to concerts before at the MEN Arena and the air conditioning was fine, so i for one, do not blame the MEN Arena.
Come on guy's & girl's.. some of you are saying it's the worst gig you have ever seen and other's are saying it was amazing???? So was it the madonna or the venue/support act that was the problem!!
fantastic show and well worth the wait paul oakenfield was good 2
fantastic
I was at the O2 last Saturday and the show commenced 1 hour late. The air con was also turned off. It is about time the areana's ensure that things commence on time as most of us have work to go too the following day. In London, many people missed the last trains and had to wait in town until trains started again.
These performers must be made to start on time and also remember who pays thier fees.
Madonna and her dancers gave 100% energy for two solid hours. It was amazing. It appears a small minority of people like a good moan - it was too loud, it was too hot - can't you just relax a little!
I'm just glad I was surrounded by like minded individuals who went to have a good time and heard nothing but praise for the show.
I saw her at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1993 on the Girlie Show Tour. She was terrible and the crown booed after about the sixth song. I paid something like the equivalent of £105 to be in the 'Gold Circle' and this back when I was backpacking at 23. The concert was filmed that night and was brought out on video and later DVD. I watched it on DVD and it seemed a different concert. No booing and people were cheering! That was about the onlt time she used a mike as she lipsynched most of it as she admitted.
At the concert she couldn't get the crowd going and once even asked what was the problem although this didn't appear on the video though. Around the same time I saw U2 in Sydney and that was a proper concert.
I don't blame her though as if you are willing to be fleeced then whose fault is that?
I was at the gig last night and thought she was great. Who said she was late on? Yeah she didn't start until 2130 but no-one ever confirmed what time she was starting?
I wouldn't have got in my seat for 1930, the support act is alway's on first and the artist comes on around 2100, I was at Kings of leon a few weeks ago and they came on at 2115.
I agree with the comments about the air con though, they should think more about the guests not the artist, and the drinks service was slow, ok it was busy but the staff were young and in experienced in my opinion.
Glad I went though, No hung up or borderline though what's all that about?
Booked in February,the morning the tickets went on sale.Paid for two tickets priced at £110 each.Went along with my son and made a real day of it,went to the arena at 6.00pm,queued as her Majesty was doing a sound check,we where eventually let into the area where the bars are and merchadise are sold,it was damned hot in there and everyone was herded together,the one plus point was we could see through the doors and see Madonna and her dancers rehearsing.We where able to get to our seats at just after 7.00pm,where at around 7.30pm we witnessed the aweful Paul Okenfold,the only highlight of that was one of the dancers came out and got the crowd going.At around 9.30pm the lights went down,and everyone cheared,those in the floor seated £175.00 seats all crammed upto the barriers erected around the stage/catwalk.What I did witness at this point was one lady who looked to be in her 50's being physically man handled by a female member of the arena stewards,many people will have seen this going on I DO HOPE THIS STAFF MEMBER IS SACKED.Madonna then came on at 9.35pm and "WOW" what a show she put on,it was superb I will forget her being over an hour late coming on stage,but it was a shame to have missed of Ray of Light and Give It 2 Me,due to having to get the last 11.20pm train.
AMAZING - SAW THE SHOW IN 'BOSTON USA' LAST OCTOBER - AND EXCEPT FOR A SHORT BREAK SHE BEEN DOING THAT ROUTINE EVER SINCE !! MOST OF US WOULD NEED A HEAVY DUTY BATTERY AND SOME SERIOUS JUMP LEADS CONNECTED TO KEEP UP WITH HER !! GOOD GIRL - KEEP IT COMING.
i went to both o2 and m.e.n shows and they where both amazing. yes the o2 was a wee bit hot but who cares, we where there to see madonna! everyone who is winging about it being too hot, the tickets cost too much, they didnt know the songs????? are you relay madonna fans? doesnt sound like it!
Most old biddies like the heating turned really high.
They start to feel the cold you know.
I attended the MEN show on Tues having seen 2 previous shows in Cardiff and London last year. Just to clarify a few points raised by other readers:
Every show of the tour has started somewhere btwn 2115 and 2130...its the norm for a Madonna show. I'm not sure why people get the impression it will start earlier??....perhaps the venues are advising people incorrectly. In terms of the air-con, as I understand it Madonna asks for it to be turned off cos it dries out her throat...it does make it rather hot n sweaty..but hey it is the 'Sticky' and Sweet tour afterall. And those who complain about not knowing the tracks she performs...well it is quite clearly a show to promote her latest album...so it might have been a good idea to listen to the album beforehand!
Anyway, having seen the show three times now, I think her performance at the MEN was the best yet - it is a slightly revamped show from last year and featured great new mixes of some old hits. The show is incredibly energetic and has a real clubby atmoshpere, which I guess may not appeal to older fans but I (and 99% of the arena) seemed to love it. Madonna still puts on the greatest show on earth and every tour brings something new and exhilerating. Long may she reign as the queen of pop!
I will NEVER go to see this Old Lady again. I was given two tickets to attend and felt awkward watching how thsi 50 odd year old woman cavorted around trying to prove that she has still got it. She should think of her kids and go home...she has had her day. Not a moan, just my opinion.
This was a fantastic concert and well worth the money. Madonna put on a fantastic show and as for people moaning about her back catalogue being played with a different sound - We are in 2009 not 1986, Madonna has released loads of records since she started do you expect her to play them all everytime? If you want to hear the same good old songs save your money and watch a tribute act! Madonna did apologise for coming on late and I do agree that the heat was ridiculous but the Men staff are hardly going to blame themselves for that are they??? I know someone who was at a convention at the arena 2 days before the concert and they said the aircon was broken then so I wonder if Madonna wanted them to be hot too?!? As for miming I didn't think she was and as I was near the back too I don't know how you could tell as I could see her mouth.
Anyway I had a great night and hope I don't have to wait too long until she returns!!!!