Madonna @ The O2 Arena
Madonna & Graham Norton
The original Queen of Pop Madonna brought her Rebel Heart tour to London's O2 Arena for the first of two nights in support of her 13th studio album. Putting her dramatic on-stage tumble at the same venue earlier this year during a Brit Awards performance behind her, she ruled the East London venue with the sheer tour de force for the live show she is so renowned for.
Giving Rebel Heart a good airing, the 57-year-old opened the show with new album track Iconic, appearing in steel cage while dancers paraded around dressed as medieval executioners in gold and black outfits carrying large gold pikes, following a video introduction featuring guest vocalist Mike Tyson. This was quickly followed up with Bitch I’m Madonna before the crowd were treated to her second single, 1983 track Burning Up, with the star playing a black Flying-V guitar.
After an acoustic rendition of Devil Pray, the Michigan-native disappeared for the first of a few times during the show where the crowd were left with backing dancers performing and a video playing as she changed outfits for the next segment of the show.
The scene was then changed as Madonna appeared on the hood of a 1965 Ford Falcon for new album track Body Shop, the stage was set up as a 1950’s automotive workshop, adorned with tires, her dancers looking like they’d stepped out of a production of Grease. The crowd cheered ecstatically as she took up position centre-stage playing a ukulele for an acoustic rendition of 1986 hit True Blue.
The audience towards the rear of the arena were treated next as a spiral staircase descended onto the stage with Madonna duelling with a dancer for HeartBreakCity which featured snippets of Miles Gregory’s Love Don't Live Here Anymore.
A Spanish theme followed as the Vogue hit-maker donned a bullfighter’s outfit for 1987 hit La Isla Bonita. The crowd were then treated to a medley of some of her earlier hits in a matching flamenco style including Dress You Up, Into the Groove and Lucky Star, hopes of extensive cuts from her “Immaculate Collection” dashed.
Taking a seat at her “Heart” stage at the end of a long catwalk running up the centre of the arena floor, she said “It’s nice to sit down for a while. Sometimes I outdo myself, even I admit that.”
“I wish someone would give me a spanking, but I never do anything wrong” she said, enticing a roar from the crowd.
Referring to the unusual shape of the stage, she continued her risqué banter: “Usually when I get down to the head of the penis, things get pretty heated up. That’s what I call this area. It’s funny how a heart and a penis have a similar shape, God’s infinite plan for my happiness.”
She made the London crowd feel extra special, recounting a story of how she would steal money from an early bar job to fund a trip to the British capital, a city she called home for some years in later life when she married English film director Guy Ritchie. “London, I love you. I’ve played so many amazing places from Wembley to Hyde Park, Brixton Academy, The O2 Centre, wherever you’ll have me. And thank you for having me.”
The star then made an emotional speech recognising World Aids Day she mentioned the family of her adopted son David who had all succumbed to the disease before stating "It is not a disease that had gone away. We need to remember that. Let's acknowledge all the people who have passed, and those who have fought to raise awareness. We shall overcome one day." In a break from the standard Rebel Heart tour setlist, she then broke into solo rendition of 1989 hit single Like A Prayer.
A 1920s theme closed out the main set with the best-selling female recording artist of all time treating her longer-standing fans with Music and Material Girl from her extensive back catalogue before taking up position on a raised mini-stage in the centre of her cross-shaped stage for a rendition of Édith Piaf’s La Vie en Rose, the star once again taking up the ukulele.
TV host Graham Norton was pulled on onto the stage from somewhere or other to join her with some rather erratic dancing during Unapologetic Bitch, some slightly tired innuendo surrounding a banana adding more humour to the night before both Norton and Madonna disappeared and the vast arena was thrown into darkness.
Madonna returned in a American flag-inspired star top and draped in a British Union flag for an upbeat close to the show with her third single Holiday.
While the crowd in attendance seemed to react differently to the mixed set played, the boys upfront going nuts to the dancier new material from Rebel Heart while those towards the back of the arena cheering more for Madonna’s older material, what was unquestionable was the star’s staying power, agility and passion. Even though she’s been hitting up arenas and stadiums around the world for three decades, tonight didn’t feel like a chore for her.
Her Blonde Ambition tour in 1990 set a precedent for the modern pop spectacle we have all come to expect of arena pop tours. 25 years on, Madonna proves she can still innovate, gyrate and contend with even the newest of today’s pop superstars, with big screens, huge set pieces, unique stage setups and incredible dancers juxtaposed with filling a capacity arena with just her voice accompanied by a ukulele.
Madonna plays a second show at the O2 Arena on December 2nd and heads out to Amsterdam, Paris and Zurich before returning to British shores for shows in Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow to close out the year.
Madonna @ The O2 Arena
Madonna & Graham Norton
The original Queen of Pop Madonna brought her Rebel Heart tour to London's O2 Arena for the first of two nights in support of her 13th studio album. Putting her dramatic on-stage tumble at the same venue earlier this year during a Brit Awards performance behind her, she ruled the East London venue with the sheer tour de force for the live show she is so renowned for.
Giving Rebel Heart a good airing, the 57-year-old opened the show with new album track Iconic, appearing in steel cage while dancers paraded around dressed as medieval executioners in gold and black outfits carrying large gold pikes, following a video introduction featuring guest vocalist Mike Tyson. This was quickly followed up with Bitch I’m Madonna before the crowd were treated to her second single, 1983 track Burning Up, with the star playing a black Flying-V guitar.
After an acoustic rendition of Devil Pray, the Michigan-native disappeared for the first of a few times during the show where the crowd were left with backing dancers performing and a video playing as she changed outfits for the next segment of the show.
The scene was then changed as Madonna appeared on the hood of a 1965 Ford Falcon for new album track Body Shop, the stage was set up as a 1950’s automotive workshop, adorned with tires, her dancers looking like they’d stepped out of a production of Grease. The crowd cheered ecstatically as she took up position centre-stage playing a ukulele for an acoustic rendition of 1986 hit True Blue.
The audience towards the rear of the arena were treated next as a spiral staircase descended onto the stage with Madonna duelling with a dancer for HeartBreakCity which featured snippets of Miles Gregory’s Love Don't Live Here Anymore.
A Spanish theme followed as the Vogue hit-maker donned a bullfighter’s outfit for 1987 hit La Isla Bonita. The crowd were then treated to a medley of some of her earlier hits in a matching flamenco style including Dress You Up, Into the Groove and Lucky Star, hopes of extensive cuts from her “Immaculate Collection” dashed.
Taking a seat at her “Heart” stage at the end of a long catwalk running up the centre of the arena floor, she said “It’s nice to sit down for a while. Sometimes I outdo myself, even I admit that.”
“I wish someone would give me a spanking, but I never do anything wrong” she said, enticing a roar from the crowd.
Referring to the unusual shape of the stage, she continued her risqué banter: “Usually when I get down to the head of the penis, things get pretty heated up. That’s what I call this area. It’s funny how a heart and a penis have a similar shape, God’s infinite plan for my happiness.”
She made the London crowd feel extra special, recounting a story of how she would steal money from an early bar job to fund a trip to the British capital, a city she called home for some years in later life when she married English film director Guy Ritchie. “London, I love you. I’ve played so many amazing places from Wembley to Hyde Park, Brixton Academy, The O2 Centre, wherever you’ll have me. And thank you for having me.”
The star then made an emotional speech recognising World Aids Day she mentioned the family of her adopted son David who had all succumbed to the disease before stating "It is not a disease that had gone away. We need to remember that. Let's acknowledge all the people who have passed, and those who have fought to raise awareness. We shall overcome one day." In a break from the standard Rebel Heart tour setlist, she then broke into solo rendition of 1989 hit single Like A Prayer.
A 1920s theme closed out the main set with the best-selling female recording artist of all time treating her longer-standing fans with Music and Material Girl from her extensive back catalogue before taking up position on a raised mini-stage in the centre of her cross-shaped stage for a rendition of Édith Piaf’s La Vie en Rose, the star once again taking up the ukulele.
TV host Graham Norton was pulled on onto the stage from somewhere or other to join her with some rather erratic dancing during Unapologetic Bitch, some slightly tired innuendo surrounding a banana adding more humour to the night before both Norton and Madonna disappeared and the vast arena was thrown into darkness.
Madonna returned in a American flag-inspired star top and draped in a British Union flag for an upbeat close to the show with her third single Holiday.
While the crowd in attendance seemed to react differently to the mixed set played, the boys upfront going nuts to the dancier new material from Rebel Heart while those towards the back of the arena cheering more for Madonna’s older material, what was unquestionable was the star’s staying power, agility and passion. Even though she’s been hitting up arenas and stadiums around the world for three decades, tonight didn’t feel like a chore for her.
Her Blonde Ambition tour in 1990 set a precedent for the modern pop spectacle we have all come to expect of arena pop tours. 25 years on, Madonna proves she can still innovate, gyrate and contend with even the newest of today’s pop superstars, with big screens, huge set pieces, unique stage setups and incredible dancers juxtaposed with filling a capacity arena with just her voice accompanied by a ukulele.
Madonna plays a second show at the O2 Arena on December 2nd and heads out to Amsterdam, Paris and Zurich before returning to British shores for shows in Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow to close out the year.