Thursday, October 9, 2008
Madonna's Sticky and Sweet tour in NY - Reuters Review
The Madonna concert ended nearly 12 hours ago, and this reviewer is still tired. And that's just from watching.
Of course, I'm not in quite as good shape as the 50-year-old Material Girl, who has metamorphosized into a lean, mean machine of muscle and sinew. That pumped-up toughness also is evident in her music as performed in this latest arena extravaganza, dubbed the Sticky and Sweet tour and promoting her recent CD "Hard Candy."
That album is generously highlighted in the course of the two-hour show, a good half of which is devoted to such cuts as "Candy Shop" (the opener, in which Madonna makes her entrance while seated on a throne), "Beat Goes On," "She's Not Me" and "4 Minutes."
She cherrypicks from her hits, forgoing most of her best-known tunes -- with the exception of such songs as "Borderline," "Into the Groove," "Ray of Light" and "Like a Prayer." Most of these are dramatically rearranged to give them a harder-rocking edge, with heavy doses of electric guitar and thumping bass beats. As with the performer herself, the sweetness in them seems to have been drained away.
There's a relentless drive to the proceedings that is almost unnerving. The headliner almost never stops moving, constantly whipping through intensely choreographed set pieces with her corps of backup dancers as if determined to burn off a certain number of calories per show. At one point, she even showed off her Double-Dutch jumping-rope skills.
She doesn't let the audience rest, either. Late in the show, she refused to begin one song until she had made sure that everyone in the massive arena was on their feet.
The one relatively quiet interlude was more bizarre than restorative. It featured an acoustic, Gypsy-flavored rendition of "La Isla Bonita," followed by the evening's sole ballad, "You Must Love Me," from the "Evita" soundtrack.
The singer showcased her physique in a series of revealing outfits, though they were mostly more redolent of the gym than the usual S&M garb.
Unlike her most recent go-around, there was little in the way of controversial material on display, with nary a crucifixion in sight. The one exception was the video montage accompanying "Get Stupid," which interpolated images of Barack Obama with figures like Nelson Mandela and John McCain with, among others, Hitler.
The Sticky and Sweet tour plays Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on November 6.
Of course, I'm not in quite as good shape as the 50-year-old Material Girl, who has metamorphosized into a lean, mean machine of muscle and sinew. That pumped-up toughness also is evident in her music as performed in this latest arena extravaganza, dubbed the Sticky and Sweet tour and promoting her recent CD "Hard Candy."
That album is generously highlighted in the course of the two-hour show, a good half of which is devoted to such cuts as "Candy Shop" (the opener, in which Madonna makes her entrance while seated on a throne), "Beat Goes On," "She's Not Me" and "4 Minutes."
She cherrypicks from her hits, forgoing most of her best-known tunes -- with the exception of such songs as "Borderline," "Into the Groove," "Ray of Light" and "Like a Prayer." Most of these are dramatically rearranged to give them a harder-rocking edge, with heavy doses of electric guitar and thumping bass beats. As with the performer herself, the sweetness in them seems to have been drained away.
There's a relentless drive to the proceedings that is almost unnerving. The headliner almost never stops moving, constantly whipping through intensely choreographed set pieces with her corps of backup dancers as if determined to burn off a certain number of calories per show. At one point, she even showed off her Double-Dutch jumping-rope skills.
She doesn't let the audience rest, either. Late in the show, she refused to begin one song until she had made sure that everyone in the massive arena was on their feet.
The one relatively quiet interlude was more bizarre than restorative. It featured an acoustic, Gypsy-flavored rendition of "La Isla Bonita," followed by the evening's sole ballad, "You Must Love Me," from the "Evita" soundtrack.
The singer showcased her physique in a series of revealing outfits, though they were mostly more redolent of the gym than the usual S&M garb.
Unlike her most recent go-around, there was little in the way of controversial material on display, with nary a crucifixion in sight. The one exception was the video montage accompanying "Get Stupid," which interpolated images of Barack Obama with figures like Nelson Mandela and John McCain with, among others, Hitler.
The Sticky and Sweet tour plays Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on November 6.
Robyn 'banned from talking to Madonna'
Swedish pop sensation Robyn was banned from approaching Madonna during her Sticky + Sweet tour - despite appearing as a supporting act.
The singer claims she was told by the Holiday hitmaker's representatives not to approach her or take photos during the European leg of her tour.
She tells a Swedish newspaper, "I hadn't expected any glamour, but it's strange that they assume that the first thing you're gonna do is run after Madonna and ask for an autograph."
The singer claims she was told by the Holiday hitmaker's representatives not to approach her or take photos during the European leg of her tour.
She tells a Swedish newspaper, "I hadn't expected any glamour, but it's strange that they assume that the first thing you're gonna do is run after Madonna and ask for an autograph."
Madonna leads fans in anti-Palin chant
Singer Madonna made it clear where her loyalties lie in the upcoming US presidential election.
In a rant at her Madison Square Garden show earlier this week, she told thousands of fans: 'You know who can get off of my street? Sarah Palin!
'I'm gonna kick her a** if she don't get off of my street!'
Madonna performed a string of hits including the song 'I Love New York', which song features the line, 'Get off my street'.
And her attack on the Republican's bid for vice-president comes days after she told
thousands of fans in New Jersey on weekend: 'Sarah Palin can't come to my party. Sarah Palin can't come to my show'.
With her audience full of celebrity fans and friends, including Rosie O' Donnell, and Diddy, Madonna continued with her anti-Palin rant.
The 50-year-old superstar then mocked the Alaskan governor's accent, before sarcastically telling the audience, 'I love her'.
Even Palin's husband Todd didn't escape Madonna's wrath, as she shouted, 'This is the sound of Sarah Palin's husband's snowmobile when it won't start up in the wintertime,' before creating some ear-piercing feedback on her electric guitar as she launched into hit single 'Hung Up'.
Madonna has already raised eyebrows on her current world tour by projecting images off presidential candidate Barack Obama next to Mahatma Gandhi, while juxtaposing rival John McCain with Adolf Hitler.
Madonna joins fellow celebrities Matt Damon, Brigitte Bardot, and Pamela Anderson , who have all been vocal critics of the self-described 'hockey mom'.
In a rant at her Madison Square Garden show earlier this week, she told thousands of fans: 'You know who can get off of my street? Sarah Palin!
'I'm gonna kick her a** if she don't get off of my street!'
Madonna performed a string of hits including the song 'I Love New York', which song features the line, 'Get off my street'.
And her attack on the Republican's bid for vice-president comes days after she told
thousands of fans in New Jersey on weekend: 'Sarah Palin can't come to my party. Sarah Palin can't come to my show'.
With her audience full of celebrity fans and friends, including Rosie O' Donnell, and Diddy, Madonna continued with her anti-Palin rant.
The 50-year-old superstar then mocked the Alaskan governor's accent, before sarcastically telling the audience, 'I love her'.
Even Palin's husband Todd didn't escape Madonna's wrath, as she shouted, 'This is the sound of Sarah Palin's husband's snowmobile when it won't start up in the wintertime,' before creating some ear-piercing feedback on her electric guitar as she launched into hit single 'Hung Up'.
Madonna has already raised eyebrows on her current world tour by projecting images off presidential candidate Barack Obama next to Mahatma Gandhi, while juxtaposing rival John McCain with Adolf Hitler.
Madonna joins fellow celebrities Matt Damon, Brigitte Bardot, and Pamela Anderson , who have all been vocal critics of the self-described 'hockey mom'.
Latest news from Robyn and more...
Swedish newspaper GP has a short clip from Madonna's opening night in the States. Click here and then "Senaste Nöjesklippen" under the red square. The Madonna-story is in the meny.
Swedish singer Robyn - who warmed up for Madonna on some European shows - said that her worst nightmare would be to turn into a Madonna. Not that Madonna is a horrible person. Robyn never met her, but says that Madonna is constantly chasing the latest trends, and don't want to have an artist who's not safe in her own creative process.
In adition to that, Robyn revealed that she and her crew were ordered to:
NOT to approach Madonna
NOT to speak to her
And above all, NO PICTURES!
Robyn seems to be a bit irritated when she says: "I hadn't expected any glamour, but it's strange that they assume that the first thing you're gonna do is run after Madonna and ask for an autograph." Check it out here.
Swedish singer Robyn - who warmed up for Madonna on some European shows - said that her worst nightmare would be to turn into a Madonna. Not that Madonna is a horrible person. Robyn never met her, but says that Madonna is constantly chasing the latest trends, and don't want to have an artist who's not safe in her own creative process.
In adition to that, Robyn revealed that she and her crew were ordered to:
NOT to approach Madonna
NOT to speak to her
And above all, NO PICTURES!
Robyn seems to be a bit irritated when she says: "I hadn't expected any glamour, but it's strange that they assume that the first thing you're gonna do is run after Madonna and ask for an autograph." Check it out here.
Madonna as finalist at the 2008 Magazine Cover Awards
Madonna's famous "Green Issue" cover by Steven Meisel for Vanity Fair was among the 4 finalists of this year's Magazine Awards in the "Best Concept Cover" category.
The Madonna cover unfortunately didn't win the prize - held by the American Society of Magazine Editors - which was awarded to the February 11 & 18, 2008 of The New Yorker and artist Seth's reinterpretation of Rea Irvin’s classic Eustace Tilley image to produce "Eustace Tillarobama," a two-headed playing card image that featured the leading Democratic presidential candidates dressed as the New Yorker icon, sharing his famous monocle.
This is how the online website of the ASME described the Vanity Fair finalist cover featuring Madonna:
Vanity Fair, May 2008
For the cover of Vanity Fair’s third annual Green Issue, Madonna - who has been involved in ecological causes and runs the charity Raising Malawi (a volunteer organization helping orphans of the poorest nations) - portrayed a 21st century Atlas, embodying the notion that the fate of the fragile Earth is, quite literally, in our hands. The inspiration for the image came to Editor Graydon Carter from a mid-century fashion magazine cover. Vanity Fair’s Fashion and Style Director Michale Roberts began with several sketches, channeling the fashion cover as well as the 1920s work of Czech photographer Frantisek Dritkol. Then Roberts commissioned London-based set designer Robbie Doig to construct the globe, which was made from polystyrene, resin and plaster, and finished with paint and marble dust; it weighed just under 80 pounds and took 10 days to complete. The globe was suspended from the photo studio ceiling, enabling Madonna to maneuver herself around its entire circumference, and photographer Steven Meisel to shoot his subject from all angles.
The Madonna cover unfortunately didn't win the prize - held by the American Society of Magazine Editors - which was awarded to the February 11 & 18, 2008 of The New Yorker and artist Seth's reinterpretation of Rea Irvin’s classic Eustace Tilley image to produce "Eustace Tillarobama," a two-headed playing card image that featured the leading Democratic presidential candidates dressed as the New Yorker icon, sharing his famous monocle.
This is how the online website of the ASME described the Vanity Fair finalist cover featuring Madonna:
Vanity Fair, May 2008
For the cover of Vanity Fair’s third annual Green Issue, Madonna - who has been involved in ecological causes and runs the charity Raising Malawi (a volunteer organization helping orphans of the poorest nations) - portrayed a 21st century Atlas, embodying the notion that the fate of the fragile Earth is, quite literally, in our hands. The inspiration for the image came to Editor Graydon Carter from a mid-century fashion magazine cover. Vanity Fair’s Fashion and Style Director Michale Roberts began with several sketches, channeling the fashion cover as well as the 1920s work of Czech photographer Frantisek Dritkol. Then Roberts commissioned London-based set designer Robbie Doig to construct the globe, which was made from polystyrene, resin and plaster, and finished with paint and marble dust; it weighed just under 80 pounds and took 10 days to complete. The globe was suspended from the photo studio ceiling, enabling Madonna to maneuver herself around its entire circumference, and photographer Steven Meisel to shoot his subject from all angles.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
