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Suedehead's MDNA Travelogue 2012-2013

Apples388

By Apples388
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Apples388

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WARNING! This is not a blog - it's a trave(b)logue...

03:00a.m. Abu Dhabi, 1st June, 2012 - The BITCH OUT OF ORDER has landed...

My flight lands in Abu Dhabi. And thus the journey begins... day 1 of my travelogue following the Queen of Pop on the MDNA Tour 2012/2013. I am here for both Abu Dhabi shows. Media coverage seems to be bizarrely low-key. I am told the first show sold out in record time (30 minutes), hence the quick announcement of a second show. An unprecedented feat; as even the likes of Paul McCartney and Coldplay all just managed to play the one night at Yas Arena.

However, tickets are still widely available for the 2nd show (4th June), but it is in no danger of cancellation. Apparently Flash Media (the PR company handling the shows) is banking on word of mouth from the first show to push those last few tickets for the 2nd show. We shall see.

My tickets for the first night (03 June) are Early Entry tickets, which means I will try and see if I can squeeze into the Golden Triangle. I am going with my sister and one of her work colleagues. We will all be wearing MDNA Tour t-shirts and looking fabulous so I hope we will get 'picked'! Fingers crossed.

More updates to follow.

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glad to provide so much entertainment :s98:

No, I was laughing at myself. Worst geography ever, although it is getting better.

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Love Spent Community Regular

Love Spent

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WARNING! This is not a blog - it's a trave(b)logue...

03:00a.m. Abu Dhabi, 1st June, 2012 - The BITCH OUT OF ORDER has landed...

My tickets for the first night (03 June) are Early Entry VIP tickets, which means I will try and see if I can squeeze into the Golden Triangle. I am going with my sister and one of her work colleagues. We will all be wearing MDNA Tour t-shirts and looking fabulous so I hope we will get 'picked'! Fingers crossed.

More updates to follow.

Hey there this was just reposted from Madonnarama but I thought you'd like to know before you get there. I hope this helps!

http://www.madonnarama.com/posts-en/2012/06/02/our-review-of-the-mdna-tour-madonna-gives-an-extraordinary-performance-for-70-people/

After having watched the show from the very first row at the end of the catwalk, two questions remain: who the hell had the idea of this inadequate stage and who’s responsible for one of the most ridiculous features in the history of concerts aka the Golden Triangle (which, by the way, is shaped like a semi circle)!

The triangle shaped stage has absolutely no use – Madonna isn’t driving a car this time – except for maybe keeping loyal fans, who’ve been waiting days in front of the venue, away from all the action. More than 70% of the performances happen on the main stage

Unlike the Confessions or Sticky & Sweet Tour, only two songs are fully performed on the catwalk: Papa Don’t Preach (shortest song on the setlist) and Like a Virgin with Madonna turning her back to the general public during half of the song, while the pit people are still getting all the goods.

Let’s make a list for fellow fans:

Girl Gone Wild (Main Stage)

Revolver (Catwalk/Main Stage)

Gang Bang (Main Stage)

Papa Don’t Preach (Catwalk)

Hung up (Main Stage)

I Don’t Give A (Catwalk/Main Stage)

Express Yourself (Main Stage)

Give me all your Luvin’ (Main Stage/Catwalk)

Turn up the Radio (Main Stage)

Open Your Heart (Main Stage)

Masterpiece (Main Stage)

Vogue (Main Stage/Catwalk)

Candy Shop (Main Stage)

Human Nature (Main Stage)

Like a Virgin (Catwalk)

I’m Addicted (Catwalk/Main Stage)

I’m a Sinner (Main Stage)

Like a Prayer(Main Stage/Catwalk)

Celebration (Main Stage/Catwalk)

It’s 10 songs fully on the main stage, 2 songs fully on the catwalk and 7 in-between…

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reQuiem4adream Proficient

reQuiem4adream

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Aren't his family from there? Is Abu Dabhi a city or country

Cute! :lmao: you're becoming more american.

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Apples388 Veteran

Apples388

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I'm still on my iPhone but once I have access to a proper computer (tomorrow) I will update with both shows.

For now you can read my posts in the Abu Dhabi thread about last night's incredible experience. To summarise,

03 June - aka the night I touched Madonna's hand!

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Abu Dhabi 3rd June, 2012

MDNA World Tour (2nd show)

We arrived at the venue at 4:00pm, with Early Entry Gold Circle tickets. There was already a modest queue forming at the gate. We decided to wait in the shade for an hour before joining the queue as it was simply too hot. By 5ish, we joined the queue as did many others and it was starting to get longer and longer. Doors open at 7:00pm for regular ticket holders, and we were told that Early Entry means we get in at 6:15pm. Complete rubbish as you'll see later, but it was still good in its own way. Flash Media (local organisers) are absolutely rubbish.

Anyway, at around 6ish members from Madonna's team were coming to us in the queue with an iPad 'lottery' to grant Golden Triangle access. Basically, you touch the iPad - if you win, you get a Golden Triangle wristband for yourself and a guest. We didn't win.

Doors opened at 7:00pm (so much for Early Entry!), and the queue was formed of everyone who had golden circle tickets, and it was only at the gate that they turned away the non-Early Entry ticket holders (you can imagine the pandemonium that ensued). Having said that, I tip my hat to the local security officers that made sure the crowd was under control. We inched our way precariously to the very entrance of the arena (I don't know why they call it an arena when it's an outdoor venue, but anyway) and then they let us in. I ran for my life of course and secured a place at the left tip of the triangular catwalk (best 'seat' in the house if you're not in the golden triangle itself).

Benny Bennassi's set started at 8:30pm and it was as generic and boring as you'd expect. He went on for a whole hour as well. During his set, Guy Oseary came around and took pictures of the crowd.

During that infamous hour-long wait for Madonna, a member of her team came round to us (and by that I mean the people that are at the very, very front of the golden circle, right at the tip of the catwalk) with an envelope containing Golden Triangle wristbands. Of course we all started shouting and screaming and begging. She was sweet because she had obviously been told to 'tease' us with the passes to make us work for it. Personally I think this is M and Guy Oseary's thing - they clearly know that the people who forked out the most for Early Entry tickets are the die-hard fans that had been waiting hours at the venue's entrance, and as such they want to make sure that it is US that are in the Golden Triangle, so for all the shit that Guy Oseary gets, if this is his doing, then I say thank you sir.

I couldn't believe that we actually got Golden Triangle wristbands! Getting there was a bitch though as we had walk through the entire golden circle to the other side (only one entry into the Triangle via the left hand side) in the process pissing off many people. Once we got in the Golden Triangle, it was actually quite 'roomy' - lots of space to move around. I easily went straight up to the very front. I could actually see the MC downstairs in his little chair (you know, the one that we see in The Girlie Show DVD).

People were getting restless but I didn't care. That time until she came on stage just flew by for me because I was too excited. Once the church bells started, people just completely lost it. It was absolutely stunning.

The show itself has already been talked about a lot, but I'd say that it is easily, easily much better than Sticky and Sweet, Reinvention and perhaps even Confessions. Like the album, it has a lot of self-referential elements (to her tours.) The Transgression segment really is Blonde Ambition "Church" segment meets Drowned World "Cyber-punk" segment.

She was I think taken aback a little by the intense heat, and made a few comments about it. "It's too hot, but we'll have fun anyway."

She made a lot of eye contact with me during many songs, particularly "Turn up the Radio" and "Girl Gone Wild" and I was one of the people that got to touch her hand during "Like a Prayer".

My favourite performances are "Girl Gone Wild", "Gang Bang", "Masterpiece", "Candy Shop/Erotica" and "Like a Prayer". "Hung Up" is wonderfully reinvented (even if I'm not a huge fan of the gargled-up frog autotune vocal effects) - she sings this song as if she's talking to God, and walking the slackline is as if she's walking the tightrope into heaven or hell or something. The whole Transgression segment can be interpreted in so many ways (and not just the whole Guy Ritchie marriage thing - although a big part of it is). I think it is about the 'death' of her relationship with the Christian idea of God in many ways (as a lapsed Catholic.) I'll have to think more clearly about it though. But it is so multi-layered in so many ways.

"I'm a Sinner" works very well live, and the crowd really got into it even though a lot of them probably didn't know the song. The psychedelic vibe appealed to a lot of the '2.4 children' crowd I think.

"I'm Addicted" is a bit of a wasted opportunity, I think. I'm not sure about that martial arts thing and I think she could have done something better with the song. I also would have preferred if she sang another verse from "Papa Don't Preach" - it just felt a bit thrown in for good measure, like "Oh here you go - here's an old one to keep you quiet for a bit" seeing as the bulk of that segment is made up of songs most of the casual fans wouldn't know.

There has already been some talk in the fanbase about the amount of lipsynching in this tour, and I would say that, yes, this is the Madonna tour in which there is the biggest amount of lipsynching / singing over a backing track. Personally, I don't mind it so much. This is a gruelling world tour which is physically very demanding for her, and she is nearly 54 lest we forget. Plus, even if she had just been standing and singing, that type of touring schedule is a recipe for vocal cord injuries (just ask any otolaryngologist and they'd confirm it). So, some lipsynching is justified not only because of the dance routines, but also to conserve her voice. It seems that the mainstream media hasn't caught wind of it yet but I imagine as she hits the UK and US the knives will be sharpened and she will get some flack but I don't expect that she really cares. And nor should we, really. If I wanted to go to a concert to just hear someone sing, I'd go see Adele. But I wouldn't, because that's not what I want to see.

All in all, a breath-taking show and yet another reason why she's still the Number 1 live act in the world today. No one even dares to come close.

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Abu Dhabi, 04 June

MDNA World Tour (3rd show)

Once more for the cheap seats in the back...

I hadn't originally intended on attending the second show, but a very dear old friend of mine who now happens to work in Abu Dhabi contacted me when she knew I was in town for the first show and said she had tickets for the 2nd show (general admissions standing, aka the cheapest seats in the house!) and obviously I couldn't turn her down!

It was nice to go in the span of 24 hours from the best seat in the house to the nosebleed section. In a way, it was more relaxing - I knew what to expect this time, there was no anxiety of getting into the Golden Triangle, making eye contact with Madonna, etc. and I could just enjoy the show and internalise the whole thing.

So, knowing what I knew from last night, my friend and I went for a lovely relaxing dinner, then went to a shopping trip to IKEA, as it is also located on Yas Island where the venue is (!!) as she needed some of those things that you keep plastic bags in and only got to the venue for 10:00pm because I knew she wouldn't be on until 10:30 in the earliest. We got our beers, chilled, did some catching up and of course by 10:40ish she got on stage.

Watching the show from the cheap seats has some merits in that you get to see the phenomenal lighting, which is particularly out of this world for "Celebration". The sound was equally good in the back, in fact that bass was less intense so it was more 'pleasant' if you will. The disadvantage is that we were surrounded by low-class British expats who were getting more and more drunk as the evening went on but it's a small price to pay I suppose.

My friend had never been to see Madonna before and she was absolutely gobsmacked. She loved every minute of it and even on the way back to the car she kept saying that she still feels in "shock" and that it was the experience of a lifetime. So don't be too hesitant to recommend cheap tickets to your friends if that's all they can afford, because they can still have a good experience - and this time the screens are quite big and you get to see a fair amount of what's going on the main stage even from far aback. Having said that, this arena only houses up to 30,000, so it's not exactly like being in the back of Hyde Park or Stade de France!

As for Madonna herself, I felt the heat was getting a bit to her tonight but she was more interactive with the crowd. There were more fuck-ups than last night. Last night, she dropped the mic in "Girl Gone Wild" (didn't catch it from the dancer) but in this show there were other fuck-ups: the trap-door didn't seem to work too well for "Turn up the Radio" so she missed a verse.

I thought there was some kind of spillage on the catwalk at some point, when she stopped "Papa Don't Preach" and grabbed a towel and started wiping the floor and saying "It's EVERYWHERE!" to one of her crew. But I think it was actually just sweat that had been dripping from her and the dancers! Thus she missed the first verse of "I Don't Give A" because she was walking back too slowly and carefully from the catwalk to the main stage. She said, "Sorry - the floor is very slippery."

Nice speech in "Masterpiece", where she introduced the song by asking "Have you ever been in love? But have you ever been in love with someone you can't have? But... but you can have me!! I'm all yours forever and ever!"

She grabbed a hand-fan from one of the front-row fans during "Open Your Heart" and started fanning herself with it, it was too cute, and then she said to him or her: "Thanks! You're my number one fan!"

Another fantastic show and even the crowds in the back were loving it and dancing in their own circles. Again, from the newer material "Masterpiece" and "I'm a Sinner" went down really well with the crowd, as did "Give me All Your Luvin' " actually.

I liked how a lot of people in the crowd didn't even seem to realise that "Born This Way" wasn't necessarily another song but just thought it was part of "Express Yourself."

That's it for now then. Next MDNA Travelogue entry will be Hyde Park in just over a month's time!

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