Madonna Appreciation thread - For fans

[Ashtanga]

I got Gold Circle tickets for the Copenhagen show. AMAZING. She was one metre away from me singing Like A Prayer. A top lifetime experience. I've seen The Girlie Show & Re-invention and have to say it wasn't as good as those, but that's only because they had better setlists. She was in top form and it still amazes me that every tour is so different and she is so not lazy.

Some short videos & photos.....
















Some pics:

Great! Thanks for posting!

[Nonoka]

Great photos indeed! You must have had a great time. I found the concert in Florence amazing, too!

[Travis]

Simple, effective and beautifully shot. A perfect summer single and video.

[Travis]

Smug Criticisms Of Madonna And Endless Gaga Comparisons Are A Victory For Ageism And Misogyny





By Charlie Alderwick


On Tuesday night Madonna brought her MDNA tour to England, performing a show in Hyde Park that was witty, narrative and relentlessly energetic, as well as the ridiculous spectacle you would expect from the Queen of Pop. After emerging on stage from a confession box brandishing a firearm, she wasted no time in introducing slackline walking, video screen cameos from hip-hop heavyweights, a troop of military drummers suspended from the ceiling, and much more.


My friends and I were enthralled throughout the two hour experience, screaming and clapping at Madonna’s various gymnastics, jokes and the moments of meritable vocal performance, agreeing in the post-concert buzz that the vibrancy and cleverness of MDNA leaves her previous tour lying in the dust.


Aside from the fair point that the sound could have done with being a great deal louder, criticisms of the concert have been overwhelmingly predictable. Renowned antagonist Piers Morgan, whose never-ending throwing of cheap insults at Madonna in a bid for column inches to boost his plummeting American TV career, is echoed by others who seem to have adopted his trite view that Madonna is too old to attempt business-as-usual in her pop career. This view fatally overlooks the artifice of any pop personality. You do not go to a gig to find out about a real individual, their favourite food, their personal details – indeed, their age. When Eminem murders his mother in a music video, do we really think he is at high-risk of committing matricide? When Rihanna sings “chains and whips excite me” do we really believe that she is a depraved frequenter of S&M dungeons? No, we do not.


So when Madonna, looking great, convincingly performs with more verve than much younger singers, does the trivia of the ‘real’ woman’s age actually matter? Well, only if you let it; which would indicate a pretty poor ability to separate your critical faculties from what you read on the Mail online (who have drawn attention to the fact that some have said the show didn’t have enough old hits to entertain a casual fan). Madonna’s MDNA album was No. 1 on iTunes across the world, so those who didn’t expect her to play a lot of the new songs are too gormless to be sympathised with. What kind of ‘casual fan’ spends £77 to go and see someone they’re not that into, anyway?


It goes without saying that the McCartneys, Springsteens and Dylans of the world – admirably unaware of any sell-by date on their ability – at worst suffer a few friendly jibes from the press; a jocular ‘not quite as good as he used to be but good on him for trying!’ Criticisms levelled at Madonna however are often snide and venomous in their refusal to recognise her talent. If a woman’s worth is in youth and subservience, then the aged and defiant Madonna is no good to us; an embarrassment.


I do have one problem with Tuesday’s concert, however. Almost as vexing as people’s inability to discuss Madonna without quipping about her age, is the fact that these days you can’t seem to mention Madonna or Lady Gaga independently of each other. Comparisons in the press and internet warring between fans is rife as ever, yet as recording artists they are really not that similar. That’s right. Or at least, not as similar as legions of beardy male singer-songwriters or hundreds of dirgey Indie rock bands, one truly completely indistinguishable from the next, whose sameness is never addressed. These unfounded comparisons seem to be the burden of female artists only, and should be exposed and discussed for the inequality they are.


So when Madonna performed a mash-up of ‘Express Yourself’, with excerpts of Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’, has even she fallen prey to this trap of sexism in her industry? Well, I hope not. But if there was any ambiguity about whether the mash-up was meant as a sisterly tribute or a cheeky dig, it is soon cleared up by Madonna singing lines from her 2008 album track ‘She’s Not Me’. Although it was funny, it is disheartening to think that the trend for thoughtlessly homogenising female artists has informed Madonna’s creative choices. But at the same time why should Madonna ignore the link people are making between her and Gaga – however false or exaggerated it may be? In chanting ‘she’s not me’ Madge is reminding us of a significant truth –Madonna isn’t Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga isn’t Madonna. We’d do well to remember it.


The irony of accusing Madonna of having grown desperate, as brainless articles like thishave, seems to be lost on many forgetful people. This is a woman whose first forays into the public eye involved rolling around on stage in a wedding dress and showing her pants. If she is desperate now, she always has been. And if that ‘desperation’ spurs her to continue inspiring, entertaining, making money and having fun then I say hoo-****ing-ray. The MDNA tour is on track to be among the highest-grossing ever. If I had her job, I wouldn’t want to quit either.


http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/...-and-misogyny/

[aazzaabb]

Saw her in Dublin tuesday night. Phenomenal show! Phenomenal performer! Absolutely great gig! She exceeded all my expectations then some! On a total high after seeing her!

[Nonoka]

Madonna is doing a special show in Paris tonight, in a theatre called "L'Olympia". The show is streamed live here:

[Ashtanga]

Madonna is doing a special show in Paris tonight, in a theatre called "L'Olympia". The show is streamed live here:

Amazing!

[Travis]

There's a huge backlash going on over that special gig. ^ So much media manipulation against Madonna. Seems it's becoming popular to hate her again now that MJ is gone. They need a new whipping boy. Protesters over the swastika controversy swarmed the stage after the show and started booing her in disguise as angry fans but it's being reported that people are fed up with Madonna and her antics, short set list, etc. The truth is that the real fans KNEW beforehand that it was a special performance and wasn't a full length concert. I hate how the media is treating Madonna for her age and looks as a woman over 50. They are trying to knock her down and are creating stories in order to hurt her. I don't understand why they do this but I guess I should be used to it having had to live with it during MJ's life. So frustrating.

[No-Body]

There's a huge backlash going on over that special gig. ^ So much media manipulation against Madonna. Seems it's becoming popular to hate her again now that MJ is gone. They need a new whipping boy. Protesters over the swastika controversy swarmed the stage after the show and started booing her in disguise as angry fans but it's being reported that people are fed up with Madonna and her antics, short set list, etc. The truth is that the real fans KNEW beforehand that it was a special performance and wasn't a full length concert. I hate how the media is treating Madonna for her age and looks as a woman over 50. They are trying to knock her down and are creating stories in order to hurt her. I don't understand why they do this but I guess I should be used to it having had to live with it during MJ's life. So frustrating.

Is there? What an utter shame. I enjoyed the show very much; in fact i wasn't the only one who enjoyed it terribly. I was in very good company, it don't get any better. It was indeed a very special performance.

Just goes to show yet againnn how biased and unfair the media and people can be. But Mike was so right 'their cameras can't control the minds of those who know...'

She's my gal and anybody messin' with her, messes with me and they should know that's a mighty dangerous thing to do. A certain dinosaur told me to say hello to everyone who dares messing with my people.


*Birthday edit* What's the phrase again? There's only 1 queen and her name is....Madonna and today is her day.



Happy birthday homegirl, have a good one!!! You're only here 2 win, 'get what they say...u and Pharrell were spot on, as always


absolutely mandatory *m sal*

[Nonoka]

The US embassy issued a warning for the Russia concerts - apparently, there are threats against Madonna.

http://moscow.usembassy.gov/sm_080712.html

The reason is that Madonna has been supporting the band "Pussy Riot", and as you all know, they are currently in prison.

[Travis]

The US embassy issued a warning for the Russia concerts - apparently, there are threats against Madonna.

http://moscow.usembassy.gov/sm_080712.html

The reason is that Madonna has been supporting the band "Pussy Riot", and as you all know, they are currently in prison.

Madonna is one of several artists supporting this group.

Anyhoo, Elton has attacked Madonna yet AGAIN. What's his deal with her? She's never once said anything negative about him. I guess it's because of Gaga. Who knows. All I do know is that it is sad for a man of his caliber to be dissing a fellow legend like a petulant child. His insults are disgusting. Fairground prostitute? Miserable ****? Career over? Really Elton? He's so talented and yet so vicious. He really does appear very unhappy in his personal life. You'd think having a child would turn down his temper down a bit.

Nightline's Cynthia McFadden addresses the controversy in this video -

[Kingofpop4ever3000]

Madonna is one of several artists supporting this group.

Anyhoo, Elton has attacked Madonna yet AGAIN. What's his deal with her? She's never once said anything negative about him. I guess it's because of Gaga. Who knows. All I do know is that it is sad for a man of his caliber to be dissing a fellow legend like a petulant child. His insults are disgusting. Fairground prostitute? Miserable ****? Career over? Really Elton? He's so talented and yet so vicious. He really does appear very unhappy in his personal life. You'd think having a child would turn down his temper down a bit.

I agree. I think Elton just wants to take advantage of the bad press surrounding Madonna right now. Elton John is a very talented artist, in my opinion. But his attitude about Madonna makes me sick. He doesn't need to be talking like that.

[Nonoka]

Madonna showing support for Pussy Riot during her show in Moscow yesterday:




This really shows Madonna is still fearless. There have been threats against her and several protests, even the US embassy issued a warning and she's still doing the show, but with even more controversy.

She also held a speech in support for Pussy Riot:

"Thank you to all of my fans here in Russia, who have supported me troughout the years, I do not take your love and your support for granted. And there's a man here in the front row, he's wearing a t-shirt, it says "Sagarro Jo". Yeah, I think he's been to a few shows. Anybody who's been to a show before knows that it's a song about freedom, right? It's a song about fighting for freedom. And I wanted to say a few words about that:
As you can see here on my stage, everybody with me comes from every different place in the world, from Africa, from America, from France, from Russia, from England. We are Christians, we are Moslems, we are Jews, we are everything you can imagine. But we're a family. We're together. We are gay, we are straight, we are human beings. And this very last sentence "human beings" is the most important one, and in fact, the only one that we should refer to each other as: human beings. Now, I'm very grateful and I'm very lucky because I come from a country, America, where we are free to express ourselves, to express our point of view. As an artist, as a human being, as a woman, I have the freedom to express my point of view. Even if other people don't agree with me, even if my government doesn't agree with me. I have the right to express my point of view, I have the freedom to express my point of view. This is democracy, okay? And I do not take that for granted either. I just want to say a few words about Pussy Riot. I'm blessed to be from a country where I have the right to express my opinion, okay? But my dream and my prayer is that everyone in the world has this right. Not only here in Russia, but in France, in Iran, everywhere in the world. As human beings, we should have the right to express our opinions and still be treated as human beings. Now, I know there are many sides for every story and I mean no disrespect to the church or the government, but I think that these 3 girls - Mascha, Katja, Nadja - have done something courageous. I think they had paid the price for this act, and I pray for their freedom. And I know that everyone here on the stage feels the same way and I know that everyone in this auditorium, if there are here as my fans, know that they deserve the right to be free. Okay? So, to these 3 girls who have been in jail now for 5 months, who are still going through a trial right now, I pray for your freedom, I know we all pray for your freedom. And let's hope that one day, we really will live in a world filled with peace and freedom and tolerance."

[Travis]

Told ya. Madonna is truly fearless! She also supported gay rights in spite of all the warnings by having concert goers wear pink bracelets. I'm so proud of her. This MDNA era feels as though it could have happened 20 years ago. So much negativity and yet she's not backing down.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/0...8J9I1F20120809

[Nonoka]

Madonna's turning 54 today! Happy Birthday, Madonna!