MADONNA TOUR NEWS - MAY 2004 « May (part I) - News index - June (part I) »

31 May - The re-Invention tour set for top grossing tour of the year It takes a lot to shock a Madonna fan. Apparently, they have not been shocked by ticket prices that climb above $300 for the artist's new Re-Invention tour. Nor has the show itself proved as shocking as early reports portrayed. So, it should come as no surprise that the Re-Invention tour is an unqualified blockbuster, even if the second show was scrapped because of the star's stomach flu, and tentative dates in Israel have been dropped. Despite the early snafus, the tour, which began May 24 at the Forum in Los Angeles, is destined to be the top-grossing tour of 2004, with a gross in the $120 million range and attendance of about 920,000. Almost every show put on sale sold out quickly, and numerous dates were added to the route. The tour, which is promoted worldwide by Clear Channel Entertainment under the direction of CCE touring president Arthur Fogel, seems to have benefitted from Madonna's assertion that the set list would be a career retrospective rather than focus on newer material, a promise on which she delivers. Veteran tour production pro Chris Lamb (Eagles, Paul McCartney) is production manager for the Re-Invention tour. He says opening night was the culmination of six months of preparation and came off perfectly. "That's Madonna -- she's a perfectionist," Lamb says. "This is a show, not a concert. This is more theater than rock 'n' roll." Unique production elements include a center-stage turntable 42 feet in diameter that rises to 10 feet in height and can spin up to 15 miles per hour, as well as a series of conveyor belts at the front of the stage. "This is an amazing show technically, very precise," Lamb tells Billboard. "The movement of the show is very unique; it goes back and forth in the front and rotates on the stage. Nobody has seen anything like this." Opening night was well received critically. USA Today entertainment writer Edna Gundersen proclaimed the concert "a rigorous, fast-paced escapade with bold sets, brazen choreography and sexy but age-appropriate costumes, plus a bagpiper, a skateboarder, a fire handler and acrobats on swings." The show is configured at 270 degrees, with no seats sold behind the stage. All seats are reserved, but two pits inside the stage area accommodate about 50 contest winners in each market. Lighting director Ray Bennett oversees moving lights and three moving LED video screens. There are four major set changes, swapped out through the turntable. There is no encore. "The entire set design starts with Madonna," Lamb says. "She says, 'This is what I'm thinking. Tell me what you can do.' " Fogel and his team learned the afternoon of May 25 that the night's performance would be postponed. "We got the word out pretty well, because only a few people showed up at the venue," he says. The makeup concert took place May 26. Though a trio of shows in Israel for late September was once considered, they will not be booked because of security concerns. The tour comprises 55 shows in 19 markets -- 39 concerts in North America and 16 in Europe. The trek boasts some impressive multiples in major markets, including five shows in L.A., four in Boston, four in Chicago, three in Toronto and eight in the New York/New Jersey region, including six at Madison Square Garden. Madonna's 2001 tour, also produced by CCE, grossed $75 million from 47 sellouts, according to Billboard Boxscore. (source: CNN) 31 May - Ticket sales for Arnhem and Lisbon Just got back from a weekend in Holland, so I've not been able to update the site about the Las Vegas shows yet - check back tomorrow. On my way to Haarlem/Amsterdam to spend a weekend away with friends, I made a stop in Breda saturday morning to try out the Arnhem ticket sales. An hour and a half waiting eventually mounted up to getting tickets for both concerts! With only 5 people left queuing in front of me I saw the first concert sell out in about 18 minutes! I got myself tickets for the second, but found someone to trade some for the first as well, YAY! :-) Anyway, both concerts sold out in record time again. Just read on Madonna.com that the Lisbon concert will go on sale on June 11th. A second date (September 13th) is already mentioned in the tour book. I also received word on another surprise during this tour; hopefully I can bring you more info about that soon. Stay tuned! 27 May - Second show in LA Last night, Madonna was back on stage in LA, completely recovered from her stomach flu. According to the fans who attended she gave a superb show. Read more details in our tour diary. And there are more press reviews from the opening night. 26 May - Tour diary We collected all the info from the reviews and wrote a complete show overview in the tour diary. Keep an eye on that page for the next shows, as we'll comment on possible changes or particular anecdotes of each show. 26 May - Ticket sale info for Arnhem Today, the last Paris concert sold out in less than an hour. There's also a presale of Arnhem tickets for ICON members. The official ticket sale for the Arnhem Gelredome will start next saturday (May 29th) at 10am (CET). They'll be available through Ticket Service, the hotline 0900-3001250 and some other sale points. Standing tickets are at € 77; seating tickets are divided into 4 categories: € 86 - € 76 - € 66 - € 56. There's a limit of 6 tickets per person. Good luck! 26 May - Reviews added Keep an eye on our tour section as we keep adding press reviews. We also received some great fan reports, some giving a very detailed look on the show. Keep them coming! After each concert we'll also post the highlights in the tour diaries. 25 May - Madonna: "I had some things to say" It was lights, camera and plenty of action at the opening night of Madonna's Re-invention tour in Los Angeles, Monday, and "Extra" was backstage where stars like Christina Aguilera snuck in a side door and David Spade and Fran Drescher milled around. Just minutes after the show, the pop icon came to tell us why she's back on stage. "To set the world on fire," she announced. "I had some things I had to say." Madonna told us that she's speaking to fans and is using all of her best songs to get her message across. "That's the whole idea of the show," she revealed. "I've taken them and I've reinvented them and they have a whole new meaning." Madonna's British husband, Guy Ritchie, gave especially high marks for Madonna's bagpipe rendition of "Get into the Groove." "I like Scotland and it's very nice," he said, adding, "But I enjoyed the whole show." Longtime friend, Debbie Mazar, enjoyed the concert as well: "I love seeing the imagery and how she puts herself on film and sings; she's a great entertainer." And Madonna's enjoying it too, especially having a few new members in her entourage ­ her kids and husband. Madonna also debunked rumors that she cancelled Israel concert dates because of a terrorist threat to kill her and her kids. With a kids' play area backstage and no new album on the horizon, many have speculated that Madonna may be close to calling it quits, but Guy insisted that there's sure to be another concert tour after this. "I don't think she's going to slow down," he observed. For now, Madonna is just happy to be on the road with her family, and she doesn't want to hear any complaining: "Do I need an album to promote? Don't people need a good show to go to?" (source: ExtraTV) 25 May - Tonight's show postponed Tonight's show at the LA Forum is postponed until tomorrow night. Madonna has the stomach flu and was ordered by her doctor to rest this evening. She will be back at 100% and can't wait to entertain her fans!!!! If you have tickets for tonight's show, they will be honored tomorrow night. (source: Madonna.com) 25 May - Arnhem and Lisbon dates confirmed Madonna.com has confirmed the tour stops for Portugal and The Netherlands: Wednesday, September 8 - Arnhem Gelredome Sunday, September 12 - Lisbon Atlantic Pavillion For the Arnhem date, there will be an ICON presale tomorrow May 26th at 3pm. General sale details for both shows will be announced soon. Expect an additional date for each city. 25 May - Tour facts & figures From Madonna.com: "We are all excited and Madonna.com will be there back stage to give you all the highlights! Stay tuned to this site for our review from the opening night and press reviews from every city! While waiting in anticipation, here are some interesting facts and figures about the tour: 750,000 Fans will see her show 110 People will travel on the road with the tour 58 Minutes for Madonna to get hair and makeup completed before show 56 security guards backstage 55 Tons of above ground equipment including sound, lights, videos and speakers 40 Tons is the weight of the stage 30 Trunks will carry wardrobe of entire touring company 25 Cases of Kaballah Water provided backstage nightly (backstage beverage of choice) 18 Semi Trucks will carry equipment including special 'Turntable' stage 18 Dressing Rooms in each venue for touring entourage 12 Tons of sound equipment in air 12 Dancers 8 Minutes for Madonna to do warmup on Pilates stretch ball 6 Madison Square Garden Shows sold out in one day 5 Costume changes 5 Musicians 4 Wembley Arena Shows sold out in one day 3 Toronto Shows sold out in one day 3 Ricola cough drops consumed by Madonna prior to start of show 2 Background vocalists 1 Full truck to house Madonna's wardrobe and makeup 1 Skateboarder 1 Large cup of Throat Coat Honey Lemon Tea consumed by Madonna prior to start of show 1 Children's Play room backstage 1 Bagpipe player " 25 May - First full show review MadonnaTribe forum member titlebottom attended the first show in LA and has written the following complete show review: "It’s quite clear that right wing Fox News and the New York Post tried to smear the show days before it even happened by saying it was a shockathon filled with naked people, electric chairs, dead bodies, etc. This was FAR from the truth. The show wasn’t the least bit shocking, at least compared with Madonna’s other tours. It was visually stunning, but for once, the music was really the center of the show. Madonna did lip-sync a couple songs, but most of it was done live and it was easy to tell which was live, cause she actually sounds better live. She sounded beautiful and showed a range she has never showed before. This was especially evident when she sung Frozen, in which she cried at the same time. Perhaps, it was makeup running down her eyes because she somehow looked 35 instead of 45. The show opened up with The Beast Within on video screens, followed by Madonna rising up and looking like a statue. This immediately led into Vogue, which was reminiscent of her 1990 MTV Video Music Awards performance. It was very impressive. Slightly less impressive was the next performance, Nobody Knows Me, which was lip-synced. She still was able to thrill the crowd, as she was with her first non-lip-synched song of the night, Frozen. She sounded absolutely beautiful in this. It was one of the best vocal performances of her career. Surprisingly, American Life was the best performance of the night, complete with the military theme, incredible dancing, and a stage that extended to the first twenty rows. Even the rap was exciting here! She did not overdo the military theme like initial rumors indicated. Express Yourself was also done military style and Madonna and her dancers twirled their rifles. One of the biggest surprises of the night was Burning Up, which Madonna confidently performed with a guitar. Her guitar skills have greatly improved since the Drowned World Tour, although she’s no Eric Clapton yet. She then continued playing guitar while singing Material Girl, in which she announced that she was not a material girl. That’s hard to believe when most people had to pay $300 per ticket. The first non-Madonna performance of the evening was Hollywood in which her dancers, with skateboard routines and all, did an impressive job. Although Madonna was obviously the star of the concert, her non-presence didn’t make this performance any less enjoyable. Hanky Panky was hilarious, with Madonna singing very strongly and dressed, along with her dancers, in skimpy outfits. She followed that with a surprisingly show-tune performance of Deeper and Deeper, in which there were no lesbian sex scenes, as previously rumored. Die Another Day started off with Madonna’s microphone being screwed up, but she was quickly able to get back into the groove. This was followed by the beautiful Lament from Evita, in which Madonna dies in the electric chair. There were not any crazy special effects, as indicated by the media. This section ended with a video interlude for Bedtime Story. When Madonna came back on stage, in the right corner, she was strumming her guitar and singing the only off-key vocal performance of the evening Nothing Fails. Her voice quickly picked up in a gorgeous version of Don’t Tell Me, which was very much like the performance in the Drowned World Tour, only better. She followed this with a rocking version of Like A Prayer, in which the crowd was going nuts. There were no special effects or anything for this; her voice and the music carried this incredible performance all the way through. She then sang a slower version of Mother and Father in which she sang her heart out and hit the high notes like never before. She mixed that with lines from Intervention. A couple years back, when Madonna remade American Pie, most hoped she would never remake a classic again. However, her version of John Lennon’s Imagine was very touching, with pictures of starving kids in the background. She sounded beautiful and John Lennon would probably be happy with this remake. Then came the wife-beater outfits with Madonna singing a Scottish version of Into The Groove. The dance routine here was wild, as it was for Papa Don’t Preach, which had the whole crowd singing along. By the way, there were no naked pregnant women dancing like the rumors had it. The nostalgic moment of the show was a speedier version of Crazy For You, which Madonna dedicated to the people who have been her fans for twenty years. This was heartfelt and brought tears to the eyes of many of her older fans. After this somber moment, Madonna led into Music, in which the dancing was more aggressive than the same performance in the Drowned World Tour. She completely reinvented Holiday, which ended the show. Once again, the stage grew out to the first twenty rows as Madonna, as well as the audience, eagerly danced. The show ended with George W. Bush talking about America. I don’t remember exactly what he said because I wanted more from Madonna. If there is one criticism from this show, it’s that there were no encores. Music and Holiday were spaced out on the Drowned World Tour, but not this time. The show seemed to end abruptly. Perhaps this will all be worked out as the tour goes on. While walking out, just about everybody was raving about how incredible the show was and that it was even better than they expected. If Madonna is truly experiencing a career slump or downslide, as some media members have often stated these past couple years, this is sure one incredible slump. Most pop stars would only dream of captivating a crowd during their career highs as Madonna had done during her so-called "slump". " 25 May - First tour pictures online Check our first picture gallery, which contains pictures of the first three songs of the show in LA. You can also download some news footage from CNN and GMTV at the fansites MadonnaTribeand Madonnalicious. Meanwhile, Mad-Eyes offers you the first tour avatars. We've received a first fan review; you can send in your own here. We'll be adding more tour news during the day; stay tuned! 25 May - Entourage of more than 100 on the road with Madonna Madonna kicks off her world tour in America on Monday, ready to show fans her new image. She will spend three nights performing at the Forum in Los Angeles before moving on to Las Vegas. The 50-date Re-invention Tour will also travel to Canada, the UK and Paris, ending in September. During the tour, Madonna will be involved in making a documentary chronicling behind-the scenes action for a later cinema release. More than 750,000 fans are expected to see the show as it makes its way across North America and Europe, where she will showcase music from her 20-year career. Madonna had signalled her intention to perform in Israel but has now called off these dates. She has said she wanted to concentrate on the European dates, but The Sun newspaper reported they were cancelled due to safety fears. Madonna's entourage includes more than 100 personnel including technicians and stage hands. There will be 12 dancers and five musicians accompanying her. Scottish bagpipe player Calum "Spud" Fraser will also be a regular performer after he played at the christening of the singer's son Rocco in 2000. Among the designers brought in to create costumes for Madonna are Karl Lagerfield, Stella McCartney, Jean Paul Gaultier and Prada. This will be Madonna's first live dates since 2001, when she embarked on the Drowned World tour. (source: BBC) 25 May - Liz Rosenberg denies terrorist threats Madonna hit the road last night on her latest concert jaunt - brushing off talk that she and her family are in danger. Her Madgesty, who launched her Re-Invention Tour in Los Angeles, has scratched plans to visit Israel. But her rep insists it wasn't because Palestinian terrorists threatened to kill the singer and her children, Lourdes, 7, and Rocco, 3. The London Sun claimed Madonna "freaked out" when her L.A. office received "scary" letters from an unnamed Palestinian group. "She thought she was being targeted because of her Jewish Kabbalah religion," the tabloid quoted a source as saying. "But this group were threatening her because she represents many things they hate about the West." Madonna spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg called the report totally false. "She never received threats." Rosenberg said Madonna considered playing Tel Aviv "months ago," but "never committed to any dates." Rosenberg added that the singer's security team advised her against playing the Holy Land in light of recent violence there. Israel is clearly on her mind, though. The new show does feature video footage of a Palestinian boy and an Israeli boy walking arm-in-arm. The Democratic diva also includes a clip from her Bush-bashing American Life video and topical news images. But Rosenberg insists, "it's not an overtly political show. There's room for many interpretations." (source: NY Daily News) 24 May - Arnhem confirmed for september 8 Dutch concert organiser Mojo has confirmed the re-Invention concert in Arnhem on September 8th. If there's enough demand (no doubt), they'll most probably add a second date. Here's a report from the Mojo website (translation from Dutch by Mad-Eyes): "Is she or isn't she coming? That was the question on every fan's lips the past few weeks. Many rumours spread on Internet forums, but now the speculations finally come to an end. Because it's really true: the one and only Madonna is coming to Holland! Fourteen years after her much-publicised concert in the Feijenoord Stadium in Rotterdam, Madonna Louisa Veronica Ciccone is returning to Dutch soil. Under the name re-Invention Tour the Material Girl reviews her entire career. There's no doubt that after the US, she'll also get Britain, France and Holland in her power. Are you member of the Madonna fanclub? Then you can buy tickets in presale on saturday May 29th. For more info, check Madonna.com. Attention: there's no opening act. Start of the show at 8.15pm. Ticket rates: € 56 - € 66 - € 76 - € 77 - € 86. Max. 6 tickets per person." ~ Since the Dutch concert has been confirmed for the 8th, the earlier reported Lisbon concerts will not take place on september 8th and 9th, but probably a few days later. More info expected soon. 24 May - Latest news from rehearsals "Yesterday the show has been rehearsed two times in a row as previously reported, a first one starting after noon and the second one at 05.30 PM. The setlist hasn't really changed, with Vogue played in a way similar to the Immaculate Collection version, and sung completely live, while Nobody Knows Me appeared to be lip-synched. The live version of Frozen is indeed close to the album version, with some additional guitars and is really awesome. The second part of the show begins with American Life that becomes very rocky style in its second half, Express Yourself recalls the Blond Ambition Tour version closely. Mother and Father is incredibly beautiful, with a kick ass dance arrangement, and it is set to close the section. Into The Groove is being played in a "GAP" style with bagpipes, that are also playing Papa Don't Preach. Music is once again similar to the album version, with the "Hey Mr. Dee-jay" being moved from the beginning to the end of the song. Holiday is indeed the grand final of the show as madonnatribe reported a while ago, starting with "Holiday, Celebration" and reprising the instrumental intro lines for three times at the end of the song. The tour schedule for the cast and crew has also been updated including The Netherlands and Portugal at the end of the European leg, with Lisbon confirmed as the Portuguese stop of the tour." (source: MadonnaTribe's RunawayBoy, live from LA) 24 May - Israel cancellation due to terrorist threats? It's official: Madonna's Reinvention Tour, which began on May 24, will not include Israel as one of its stopovers. Despite rumors confirming and reconfirming the star singer's performances here, Madonna has axed her three planned gigs because terrorists threatened to kill her and her children, Britain s The Sun newspaper reported earlier this week. According to the tabloid, Madonna "freaked out" when she learned of the plot to kill her children, Lourdes and Rocco, if she performed in Israel. Madonna was tentatively scheduled to perform in Tel Aviv in September. The paper says she first planned to defy the extremists but cancelled after the unnamed Palestinian group mentioned specific details about her children in a bombardment of poison-pen letters. "At first she was prepared to go on stage and hire extra security," writes the paper. "But she was not ready to take chances with her kids; they are her whole world." According to the article, Madonna thought she was being targeted because of her ties to Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), "but this group was threatening her because she represents many things they hate about the West." Madonna last performed in Israel in 1993. (source: Israel Post) 23 May - Send in your reviews! Tomorrow, monday Madonna will kick off her re-Invention tour at The Forum in LA. Are you one of the lucky fans that will attend? Or do you have tickets for one of the next gigs? Sends us your review and pictures, and we'll place them in our review section! Click here to contact Mad-Eyes. 23 May - Family & friends attend dress rehearsal Friday saw the Friends and Family dress rehearsal take place at the Forum. Demi Moore, Josh Groban, Camryn Manheim and of course Guy Ritchie attended. Before the show began Madonna came out and greeted and chatted to the audience. The only technical glitch occurred during the performance of Mother and Father when one of the video screens did not work - this was soon fixed though. The performance of American Life really touched the audience deeply. The show received a standing ovation. (source: Madonnalicious) ~ MadonnaTribe reports that Madonna rehearsed the entire show twice today. 23 May - Madonna dumps original bag piper Madonna has dumped the piper who played at her wedding from her world tour. The US superstar has replaced Callum 'Spud' Fraser from Aviemore with no warning after he was lined up to appear on stage with her. Yesterday, he claimed he'll lose a fortune after being dropped from her spectacular Reinvention gigs. He told me: 'I'm very p****d off. 'Touring with Madonna would have been the chance of a lifetime. It would have put me right at the top. 'I've lost a few quid, too. What can I do? I'd have done the tour in a minute.' Spud, 38, was approached by Madonna's staff after he played at the singer's wedding to Guy Ritchie at Skibo Castle, near Dornoch, in 2002. He said: 'I received an email from a lady in Madonna's organisation in Los Angeles called Caresse Henry. I checked out the name and discovered it was the singer's manager. I replied immediately and said I'd love to do the dates 32 in America and 15 in Europe. 'They said they'd be in touch. But that's the last I heard about it. When footage appeared on television last week I got about 100 calls from people saying, 'Are you the piper?' But it's not me.' Spud played Madonna's first big hit, Like A Virgin, at the wedding. He said: 'She recognised it immediately and smiled. Later, Madonna mentioned it in a book. I can only assume she remembered me and tracked me down.' The TV footage of tour rehearsals in Los Angeles featured a piper who appeared to be miming. He wore an ill-fitting kilt and danced a clumsy version of the Highland fling. Spud hit out: 'Madonna's people told me she'd been happy when I played Like A Virgin. I also played outside Skibo Castle when her guests were arriving. I'm very disappointed.' Madonna, 45, has been rehearsing flat out in the LA Forum arena for the tour, which starts tomorrow in Los Angeles. It is estimated that Madonna will perform to a total of 750,000 fans during the tour. A section of the spectacular 90-minute concert has a strong Scottish flavour, with the singer and her dancers all wearing tartan kilts. The piper in the rehearsal footage is said to be Edinburgh lawyer Lorne Cousin, an award-winning piper from Campbeltown, Argyll. But Robbie Wallace, 52, principal of The College of Piping in Glasgow, 52, said: 'Lorne is one of Scotland's top young players and I would bet my house that it's not him in this footage. 'It isn't possible to play the bagpipes while jumping around a stage. This guy is gallivanting around like a peat bog fairy. It is just a piece of pop nonsense but his kilt is an affront to Highland dress" (source: Sunday Mail, MadonnaTribe) 23 May - Perfectionist Madonna turns hard taskmaster Madonna's perfectionism is posing problems for her organizers. The heartthrob singer is reportedly throwing tantrums while the rehearsals of her opening-night concert at the Great Western Forum in California are on. "She's being difficult in rehearsals. She's a perfectionist and she's bitching. Mostly she's never satisfied with the way the dancers are dancing," a source was quoted by Star as saying. Despite her frequent outbursts and walkout from the rehearsals, the show promises to be a treat for fans. The "show will be incredible", the source added. An array of stars including Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are expected to make an appearance at the show. (source: WebIndia123) 22 May - Complete setlist available Check our re-Invention tour page to read the entire setlist, as it will be performed starting Monday, May 24. 22 May - Madonna's male dancers learn 'What It Feels Like For A Girl' Madonna promises an "assault of the senses" for her upcoming Re-Invention Tour, and that assault includes men in skirts. The singer's dancers aren't following Brad Pitt's movie fashion cues, but time spent living in the U.K. has definitely affected Madonna's sense of style, as kilts and bagpipes are among the props she uses to retool her hit Into the Groove. Calling in to "TRL" on Wednesday, Madonna promised the tour would find her revisiting a wealth of material from her past as well as performing songs off her latest album. "We're talking old and new," she said. "I'm going to be doing songs from my entire career, like they've never been done before. Because that's what life is all about." Reinvention isn't just the theme for her tour — it's been the theme for her entire career. Madonna said that "constantly evolving and growing, the idea of doing old stuff in a new way" is the focus of all the numbers, in which songs get the remix treatment several times over. "Into the Groove," an early song that's seen almost as much reinvention as Madonna has, morphs from Missy Elliott's remix to a Scottish treatment. Other songs on the set list — some to be performed in their original form and some reinterpreted — include Papa Don't Preach, Express Yourself, Like a Prayer and Vogue. Most of the concert dates are already sold out, but fans will have a few extra opportunities to catch the singer up close. CBS plans to broadcast a two-hour taped concert special, but no air date has been set yet, a network spokesperson said. MTV, meanwhile, is sponsoring the Front and Center With Madonna Contest in which fans can win tickets to an onstage pit area at one of the singer's shows. "I wanted to give an opportunity to my biggest fans to see the show really close, up close and personal," Madonna said on "TRL." "These special pits we've built next to the stage are only for very special people who get to see from an angle nobody else gets to see." (source: MTV) ~ Check Madonnalicious for rehearsal footage and MTV for rehearsal pictures. 22 May - CBS pays record fee for Madonna gig broadcast Madonna is being paid a whopping £6m (€8.9m) by the CBS American TV network for a two-hour concert special, the highest ever fee for a rock broadcast. She gets £2m (€2.9m) more than Michael Jackson received for a concert a couple of years ago. Her Madgesty’s Re-Invention Tour begins in California next Monday and final rehearsals are said to be getting rather tense, with the material one eager to counteract rumblings that she may have passed her prime. (source: Irish Examiner) 21 May - More on Lisbon concerts *rumour* Mad-Eyes reader Michael Moulin informs us on a supposed e-mail from Caresse Henry, stating: "Madonna will perform in Lisbon with the "Re-Invention World Tour" in: Sept 8 - Atlantic Pavilion Sept 9 - Atlantic Pavilion Tickets go on sale in May 26 More informations in the next days... www.madonna.com Take care, Caresse Henry" 21 May - Spoiler on performances and setlist *rumour* David Figueiredo (MIR) gives following information on the performances and setlist. Since we posted the entire setlist before, we filled in the blanks for all the songs included. "The show starts with Vogue, as informed. The arrangement is more modern but still very similar to the original song. There is no change in the lyrics of the song. No mention of Britney or anyone else new. She is indeed singing Hanky Panky, as well as a song from Evita, but not one of the showcase songs. It is one that is very near the end of the movie [Lament]. American Life is one of the first group of songs sung. It starts with sounds of helicopters and machine guns and it includes the rap part. 'Imagine' sounds beautiful. Very simple with a dramatic, electronic slow beat. She sings one of her nineties dance hits in a jazzy way. Very nice. She is not singing Bad Girl or Dress You Up as previously reported. Into the Groove starts with guys playing Bag Pipes. Holiday is the closing song and is totally new. The arrangement is totally different. She sings 7 songs from American Life, not including Intervention, which she sings as a medley with Mother and Father. Hollywood is a mix and it appears to be a dance break for her to change clothes. She shot a video (like Paradise in the Drowned World Tour) to use as a another break to change clothes. She is singing two songs from the first album [Holiday and Burning Up], two songs from the Like a Virgin era (but not from the album) [Into The Groove and Crazy For You], one song from True Blue [Papa Don't Preach], two songs from Like a Prayer [Like A Prayer and Express Yourself], two songs from I'm Breathless [Vogue and Hanky Panky], one song from Erotica [Deeper And Deeper], one song from Bedtime Stories [Bedtime Story], one song from Evita [Lament], one song from Ray of Light [Frozen], two songs from Music [Music and Don't Tell Me], 7 from American Life and a cover of Imagine. American Life is sung like the remix on the Remixed and Revisited Version. Very angst rock. At the end she starts shouting the part of "do i have to change my name"? Burning Up is part of the set also. It is done in a very rockish style, kind of like Gambler in the virgin tour. Surprisingly, (at least to me) she sings I'm So Stupid. The mix is a bit different than the album song. The beginning is very cool. Express Yourself is amazing. The new version has a great groove and it ends in a military style beat, kind of like Holiday in the girlie show. The new arrangement of Music is very contagious. Love it. It is indeed the last song, followed by the encore, Holiday. Like a Prayer is beautiful. It is dancey, but very peaceful also. Missy does rap in Into the Groove as previously reported. I'm guessing (I'm not sure on this one) that the rumour of dancers wearing bellies as if they were pregnant might be true. She is doing Papa Don't Preach (to which she adds a verse of American Life at the end). Die Another Day is very similar to the Album Version. Nobody Knows Me is great. 2nd song right after Vogue. Frozen is beautiful (as usual) Mother & Father is sung slower and more acoustic and she adds a verse from Intervention in the middle." ~ As you can see, there are conflicting reports on the use of I'm So Stupid, Dress You Up and Love Profusion. 21 May - Controversial show already slammed Madonna last night sparked controversy as it emerged she is to use Iraq war images to boost world tour ticket sales. As West troops prepare to return to the Gulf, the Queen of Pop is planning to beam pictures of the victims of the conflict from her stage. The region's MPs last night made a plea to the multi-millionaire pop diva to abandon the stunt. Madonna is no stranger to scandal, enraging the Catholic Church by kissing a Jesus effigy in her Like A Prayer video and last year puckering up to pop princess Britney Spears in a publicity ploy at the MTV awards. But her latest stage performance is thought to be her most outrageous yet. Fans of the megastar, who has an estate in Wiltshire, will see her "electrocuted" on stage and involved in simulated sex scenes with a female dancer. Yet it is the war footage that has caused the most offence. The images will be shown at a time of heightened sensitivity over the Iraq conflict and come in the wake of a series of shocking photographs of soldiers abusing prisoners in the Middle East. Following six weeks of fury last year, Madonna withdrew a video for the single American Life which shows her singing against a screen of bombings and warplanes. Speaking in March 2003, she said she made the decision "out of sensitivity and respect to the forces". But now it appears the singer has changed her mind again - this time for her provocative Re-Invention tour which comes to the UK this summer. It is another controversy from the singer who is upsetting West ramblers by banning them from walking on her Ashcombe estate. And MPs last night questioned her latest move. Adrian Flook, whose Taunton constituency covers the base of 40 Commando who are set to return to the Gulf, slammed Madonna's show as attention seeking. He said the 45-year-old singer would do anything to attract attention. "If you haul yourself around the world for 20 years you will pull off any stunt to get noticed," he said. "As the ultimate material girl she's got to keep satisfying her audience. It's a strange show, but she must have the rights to use the footage. If she wants to call it art then that's her view." Ian Liddell-Granger, MP for Bridgwater and a former Army major, said: "I think it's not the most appropriate time to do this. I think she's perhaps misread the situation. It is art, but artists must have responsibility. I would ask her to reconsider." The Tory added: "We have 40 Commando down here who may be sent to the Gulf and I think her timing is not right. Their families will be preparing for the prospect of them going out there and this will be particularly sensitive for them. I think she's got it very badly wrong, she's misread public opinion. Art is not an excuse to think you can do whatever you want." Wiltshire MP James Gray also questioned Madonna's motives. He said: "I haven't seen the video, but one wonders why she is doing this. If she is a pacifist making an artistic statement about the horrors of war, then it is somewhat legitimate, but if she is using the sights of war to sell concert tickets, then that is not on. But, would one attack Wilfred Owen and the war poets for using the horrors of World War I to cynically sell their poetry books?" Mother-of-two Madonna, who is married to film director Guy Ritchie, will also be seen "rising from the dead" on her tour while singing Bedtime Story, influenced by her Kabbalah faith. As she sings a cover version of John Lennon's Imagine, she will break down in tears in front of pictures of starving children. Madonna, whose fortune exceeds £180million, is currently embroiled in a costly legal wrangle with Warner Music over her failing record company Maverick, which is millions in debt. A timely tour of some 50 dates worldwide will yield hundreds of millions of dollars, which will help fund the bitter legal battle. Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie have both converted to the Kabbalah faith, an offshoot of Judaism. The Kabbalah claims to explain how we can make the best of ourselves and our lives. And in secular terms that is something Madonna is particularly good at. Her personal wealth is estimated at £180million and she has made more money than any other female entertainer in the music business. People such as Leonardo da Vinci and Shakespeare are said to have been influenced by the Kabbalah teachings. Other high-profile converts include model Jerry Hall and Kirk Douglas. Madonna became involved in the Kabbalah Centre in Los Angeles which was founded by Philip Berg. Other celebrity members include Roseanne Barr, Sandra Bernhard, Elizabeth Taylor, Laura Dern and Barbra Streisand. (source: West Daily Press, thanks to DrownedMadonna) 21 May - New tour poster Check the wonderful Madonnalicious for a new tour poster, which will be send to VIP Platinum Package Ticket holders. 21 May - Manchester sells out in 1 hour Tickets for Madonna's gig in Manchester went on sale on Friday, May 21 - and all 14,000 sold out within an hour. Hundreds of Madonna fans queued at the M.E.N. Arena on Friday morning as the rush to snap up tickets for her first concert in the city in 20 years reached fever pitch. Some had been in line from 9am yesterday morning for tickets for the August 15 extravaganza, which has already been hailed as the biggest Arena show ever. Meanwhile, online and telephone ticket sellers struggled to cope with the number of users trying to get their hands on tickets for Madonna's first Manchester gig in two decades. The cheapest ticket was on sale for £75, while the most expensive was £150. (source: Manchester Online) 20 May - Madonna on TRL Madonna called into MTV's TRL yesterday from her rehearsals at the Forum. She spoke about what we can expect from the re-Invention tour and also announced the pit passes competition. Visit Madonnalicious to download the audio clip. 20 May - Tour to end in Lisbon? *rumour* Fansite Madonnalicious reports : "Madonnalicious has just received news that the last two dates of the re-Invention tour will take place in Lisbon, Portugal shortly after the Bercy, Paris dates. There is no more time in the tour schedule to do further countries on this tour - and this news suggests that the much-rumoured Israel dates fell through. An official announcement about ticket details should be released soon." ~ This information hasn't been officially confirmed yet. Other sources say that the arrangements for the Arnhem date are almost complete. Expect some official info next week. 20 May - Pit passes for ICON members If you are a ICON member you are eligible for a very special treat. Madonna and her manager, Caresse Henry, called us today and told us to randomly pick icon members and give them pit passes to Madonna's re-Invention tour. The pit is in the stage and will be a awesome location to see the show!!!! Pit passes can not be bought you can only win them. If you have been chosen you will get a email very soon notifying you of the details. (source: Madonna.com) 20 May - LA fan information service The Everybody Fan Club has set-up an information page for attendees of the Los Angeles concerts. You will find the details of other fans attending the shows - the page also offers carpool and airport pick-up details, and gives pre-concert party information. (source: Madonna.com) 20 May - Costume sketch by Christian Lacroix Los Angeles - When Madonna kicks off her re-Invention tour here Monday night, she'll be bringing along lots of her friends - at least fashion-wise. The icon has asked such designers as Christian Lacroix, who did the crystal-studded corset seen here; Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel; Dolce & Gabbana, and Stella McCartney to reinterpret some of the key looks from her past extravaganzas. And the styles are sure to reverberate through the fashion world. As Arianne Phillips, stylist and costume designer for the tour, told WWD: "No one can deny the unique relationship Madonna has with fashion and fashion has with Madonna.". (source: Women's Wear Daily magazine, thanks to MadonnaTribe) 20 May - Madonna cancels Israel appearance Madonna has cancelled her scheduled appearance in Israel, according to a report on MSNBC. Madonna made international headlines in March when it was revealed that she had tentatively made plans to give a concert here. "I know Madonna really wanted to go there but perhaps the political climate has been a bit difficult to plan such a huge undertaking in that area," spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg told The Scoop. "I think her management decided that having the routing include other European markets would make more sense." (source: Jerusalem Post) 20 May - Madonna plans most shocking show ever Madonna is planning her most shocking stage performance yet – by being "executed" live on stage. Backstage insiders have lifted the lid on the Queen of Pop's explicit new re-Invention tour, which hits the UK this summer. And I can reveal Madonna pushes the boundaries to new limits — even by her outrageous standards. Fans at the shows will see: - Her being "frazzled" in an electric chair. - Images of corpses of people slaughtered in Iraq beamed on to a huge video screen. - Simulated steamy lesbian sex as Madonna tangos with a female dancer. - A parade of scantily-clad pregnant women while she sings Papa Don't Preach. One source reveals: "This show will make people's hair stand on end. Madonna has pulled out all the stops to make it her most controversial yet. The electric chair scene is breathtaking. The concerts are really going to cause a stir on the same level as her controversial Sex book and the Erotica album. But tempers have frayed and she has been swearing every five minutes at the team putting the show together. The atmosphere is really fraught." Madonna has been putting the finishing touches to the massive production, which is costing more than £ 1 million. Preparations have been shrouded in secrecy. But the set alone has cost a fortune, including thousands of pounds on pyrotechnics for the execution scene. After her performance of Lament, from the musical Evita, the stage will be plunged into darkness. There will be a thunderous flash of fireworks to reveal her strapped in the electric chair. Her stage version of single American Life will be a big anti-war statement. The sound of bombs dropping will be linked with onstage video footage of troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. During her cover of John Lennon's Imagine, she will break down in tears in front of pictures of starving children. While singing Bedtime Story, influenced by her Kabbalah faith, Madonna will be seen "rising from the dead". But fans needn't worry about the show being all death and destruction. Madonna will model a series of provocative outfits and there will be a big finale combining her hits Holiday and Music. The tour opens in California next Monday and I'll be there to witness it. I can't wait. (source: The Sun) ~ Notice that the picture used by The Sun is of course fake, based on a picture from the Blond Ambition Tour. 20 May - Arianne Phillips reveals costume details Look for volumes of Vogue, ample Erotica and a whole lotta Hollywood when Madonna dresses up for her re-Invention tour, which opens Monday in Los Angeles. The titan of transformation is making five eye-popping costume changes, stylist Arianne Phillips says. "Madonna goes back and revisits older songs and reinvents them, so we used that same philosophy and theme with her costumes." Perhaps the ever-evolving Madonna, 45, is delving into her past because her 2003 American Life album has sold an underwhelming 636,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan. But Phillips has another explanation for the diva's nod to nostalgia: "Madonna has always pooh-poohed the concept of reinvention and doesn't strategize or premeditate her new look in a boardroom, so this is the greatest ironic statement of all." Not that Phillips, who has been working on Madonna's get-ups since March 1, is giving much away. We do know that Madonna doesn't don a single dress during her show. And she wears T-shirts by Jean Paul Gaultier and shoes by Miu Miu. But Madonna's costumes do reflect the show's five distinct flavors: • The champagne-colored opening ensemble was created by French designer Christian Lacroix, and the baroque look is "a real dazzler, a mix of historical period and contemporary modernism," Phillips says. • The military rock 'n' roll-flavored second outfit was whipped up by Phillips herself and inspired by American Life. • The classic, cool third ensemble is courtesy of pal Stella McCartney. "This is the emotional focal point of the show," says Phillips, "and the costumes are quieter and more about silhouettes. Think of Madonna in her performance moments doing Vogue." • Phase Four "has a European carnival feeling," Phillips says. And Madonna's Chanel attire is "very dramatic and really fun." The colors are strong and graphic, and Madonna "gets to be a chorus girl. There's a lot of shaking and bouncing — it's very sexy and sassy." • Madonna takes a bow in the final portion by donning another of Phillips' creations, this one a bit of an optical illusion to go along with the party vibe. "She wears something that can be viewed as traditional but the way she wears it skews the way you see it," Phillips says. First, Phillips says, Madonna puts together her top-secret set list. The clothes come second. And practical considerations did guide Madonna's choices. "She has to be able to move and have the freedom to sing because yes, Madonna does sing live," Phillips says. "She plays guitar. And she dances really hard and the choreography is very difficult." She also wears corsets, which "restrict breathing but we have to work it out so they look good and she can still sing." But music's ultimate hipster did put fashion before function. "She definitely suffers for her beauty," Phillips says. "She wears high heels through the whole show." (source: USA Today) 19 May - News bits: win tickets / new picture / CBS broadcast Check the website of Launch to win front pit tickets for the re-Invention tour (competition for US residents only). The pits are used for VIP's and contest winners; tickets for these pits can't be purchased through the regular channels. However, Caresse Henry assures us that not all the front rows are taken up by these pits. ~ MTV.com has a similar contest and has also posted a new promo photo for the re-Invention tour, probably another product from Steven Klein which will appear in the tour book. (thanx to DrownedMadonna) ~ CBS announced its plans for the 2004-05 TV season this morning and it includes... a two-hour live concert event with Madonna. (sources: DrownedMadonna, MadonnaMad) 19 May - Madonna.com shows new Steven Klein photo Madonna.com has updated their homepage with a preview of a new gorgeous Steven Klein photo, probably used in the tour book. The picture is also used for the cover of the official Madonna calendar 2005, which can be pre-ordered here. The tour schedule on the official site is updated including the new shows in Paris and Manchester. 17 May - Madonna to play Manchester Material girl Madonna has announced a sensational concert date at the Manchester Evening News Arena. The American star has finally bowed to public demand by her Manchester fans for what is already being hailed as the biggest Arena show ever, despite past superstar names like Sir Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and Sir Elton John who have all appeared at the venue. Promoters of the Sunday, August 15 show are anticipating an unprecedented stampede for tickets when they go on sale on Friday, May 21. Arena general manager John Knight said: "After names like Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and Elton John, plus all the other world stars the Arena has had in the past, this is the biggest announcement, and demand for tickets will be the greatest ever. "This will without doubt be the biggest grossing box office event the M.E.N. Arena has ever had. Although the top price tickets at £150 are the same as they were for Sir Paul McCartney, we expect to sell more at that price because it is Madonna." (source: Manchester Online) Due to overwhelming demand and to the delight of Madonna fans in the North, Madonna has announced she will play Manchester's MEN Arena, August 15th as part of her world re-Invention Tour. This is the first time Madonna has ever played Manchester. Tickets for the Manchester date go on sale May 21st at 9am. They are priced at £150, £90, £75 plus booking fee and are available from: Ticketmaster - Whatsonwembleyticket.com - cc Hotline 0870 4000 880 - MEN Arena Box Office 0870 190 8000 The Manchester date will kick-start the UK leg of Madonna's world, re-Invention Tour and will be the first time she has performed in the North since she played Roundhay Park in Leeds on 1987's, Who's That Girl European tour. Public demand has been overwhelming. The two Earl's Court dates sold out in a morning. The four Wembley dates sold out in a day. At one point 250,000 people tried to get through on a ticket website and 200 people queued outside Wembley Arena on Thursday night desperate to get hold of the hottest tickets in town. Sharon McKoy-Beckett, Sales and Marketing Director, "We are extremely delighted that Madonna has chosen the M.E.N. Arena as her only UK date outside London, it's great news for Manchester and her fan sin the North. Madonna's appearance continues the trend for the biggest names in the music industry to perform at the venue, including Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Beyonce and Simon and Garfunkel who will appear in July". (sources: MEN Arena, MIR, MadonnaTribe) 16 May - Madonna reclaims old songs from Warner *rumour* StereoMover @ MadonnaVillage reports: "The tour may stretch out until the end of September and you'll be happy to know that there is still a chance for some countries currently left out. The "new" song in the show might be an American Life reject. Warner has alot of convincing to do as M is not too thrilled at the moment. The case will be heard in court in the coming weeks; when all is settled, we will know more about additional dates and new releases. Studio time has been booked in L.A. by Warner for Madonna. Tracks hidden in the vaults at Sire records have been pulled out by Madonna... she went back to get her old stuff... don't know why. She had reclaimed some pre-recorded material from them a few years ago when working on Ray Of Light, i think." 16 May - News on additional dates We received a lot of e-mails from fans, asking for more information on additional dates. Apparently, Madonna's manager Caresse Henry has also received a lot of fan mails and she announced more information on additional dates soon. So at least we can be sure that there WILL be some additional dates. Here's what we know so far: - A fourth and last date has been officially announced for Paris. This concert will take place on sunday, september 5th. Tickets go on sale on May 26th. An official ad appeared in the French press. - A licence has been applied for the concert at Slane Castle in Dublin, Ireland. A decision is expected early June. - Caresse Henry has officially denied concert stops in Germany, Italy and Australia. In the same statement she hinted at a tour stop in Arnhem, The Netherlands, without giving anymore details. A rumoured date for this concert is September 8th. If it's true, it will be in the Gelredome, one of the biggest venues of The Netherlands. - Finally, there are still unconfirmed rumours about a date in Barcelona, Spain, either in Palau Sant Jordi, either in a smaller venue. We hope to get more confirmations soon.

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