all about Madonna

Leonardo DiCaprio came to the rescue of a wheelchair-bound fan at a Madonna concert.
The “Titanic” star rushed to help Francesco Clark, after he got into difficulty when the crowd surged forward and almost toppled him out of his chair at the singer’s Madison Square Garden show last week.
Clark’s friend, writer Elisa Lipsky-Karasz revealed to America’s New York Post newspaper: “Francesco couldn’t see anything because people were all standing around him. He tried to move to the front, but no one would budge, and nobody cared. Then the security guard came over and was being rude and told him to move. At that point, Leo came over and said, ‘Why don’t you come sit with me and I’ll just move over.’”
Clark – who was involved in a car accident which left him a quadriplegic, and now runs the Clark’s Botanicals skin-care company – took up the star’s kind offer and moved into the area which was located directly in front of a no-standing zone.
DiCaprio also extended his generous invitation to another wheelchair-bound fan who was struggling to get a good view of the stage.

Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” was voted the most groundbreaking video of all time in a survey by 24-hour music channel MTV, beating Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.
The top 10 “videos that broke the rules” was released on Monday ahead of an MTV broadcast of the top 100 videos on August 1 to mark the channel’s 25th anniversary.
Three Madonna tracks appear in the top 10, with “Ray of Light” and “Vogue” in fourth and fifth positions respectively.
“Featuring burning crosses, statues crying blood and Madonna seducing a black Jesus, (Like a Prayer) even brought condemnation from the Vatican for its use of religious imagery,” MTV said.
In sixth position were Michael and Janet Jackson with “Scream”, followed by Robbie Williams and “Rock DJ” in which the singer appears to be peeling off his own skin.
More than 10,000 MTV viewers voted in the poll.

Top Ten Videos That Broke The Rules:
1. Madonna – Like A Prayer (1989)
2. Britney Spears – Baby One More Time (1999)
3. Michael Jackson – Thriller (1983)
4. Madonna – Ray of Light (1998)
5. Madonna – Vogue (1988)
6. Michael & Janet Jackson – Scream (1995)
7. Robbie Williams – Rock DJ (2000)
8. Eric Prydz – Call On Me (2004)
9. Jamiroquai – Virtual Insanity (1997)
10. Spice Girls – Wannabe (1996)

source : reuters

20 Pictures – Madonna on beach in Miami (July 23 2006) – are added to the gallery.

41 Pictures – Madonna performs in New York during “Confessions” World Tour (Madison Square Garden, New York, July 18 2006) – are added to the gallery.

Fans travelling to Cardiff for the Madonna concert on Sunday July 30 need to plan their journey ahead of time and be aware there will be road closures operating in the city centre.
With a huge crowd expected at the Millennium Stadium and many central road closures operating between 7.30pm and 11.30pm, the best way to travel to Cardiff is by car share or by using the various park and rides sites.
Cars should exit at junction 33 of the M4 and follow signs for Millennium Stadium Park and Ride car parks. It costs L10 per car. The drop-off points in the city centre are within 5 minutes walk of the Stadium.
The car parks will be manned from 2pm, with the first bus at 2.30pm. The last bus will leave the pick-up point at 11.30pm after the concert, with the car parks closing at midnight. Stewards will be on hand to help any disabled drivers needing assistance.
Due to the city centre road closures, the public are advised that ALL buses travelling in, out and around the city WILL be affected.
More information is available from www.traffic-wales.com , Traveline Cymru on 0870 608 2 608 or www.traveline-cymru.org.uk, Cardiff Bus at www.cardiffbus.com www.liftshare.com or www.sewtacarshare.com
source : newswales

Madonna is in the midst of a sold-out North American trek that may end up being the top-grossing tour ever by a female artist. But this on-the-road success is not carrying over to American radio, which largely snubbed the first three singles from her latest album.
“Hung Up” got middling airplay on mainstream top 40 outlets, “Sorry” was barely played, and “Get Together” has been all but ignored by pop stations. (Her album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” has sold a healthy 1.5 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.)
Naturally, the disconnect has left executives at her Warner Bros. label — and more than a few fans — wondering, what gives?
More than 3,300 fans have signed an appeal at http://www.petitiononline.com. The “End the Madonna on U.S. Radio Boycott” petition is addressed to Clear Channel Communications CEO Mark P. Mays.
Message boards at Entertainment Weekly and VH1, among others, are rife with everything from support for Madonna to conspiracy theories about why she can’t crack the radio dial.
Warner Bros. was aware that the songs on “Confessions” could present challenges at mainstream top 40 radio, acknowledges Tom Biery, the label’s senior VP of promotions. “Top 40 radio is so hip-hop-driven,” he says. “We were coming in with a global pop star who made a dance record.”
Guy Zapoleon, president of radio consulting firm Zapoleon Media Strategies, calls it an “interesting dilemma for the woman who certainly held the ‘Queen of Pop’ title for almost 15 years.” Madonna’s ability to redefine herself is well-documented, and Zapoleon says that this has helped her keep a “leading edge” to the new group of pop music fans that comes along every three to five years.
But this time, Madonna may have turned left while the pop climate was turning right. Other pop chameleons such as Nelly Furtado and Mariah Carey reinvented themselves with recent rhythmic/hip-hop-leaning singles. Madonna opted instead to return to her dance-pop roots.
According to Dom Theodore, regional VP of programming for Clear Channel and program director of top 40 WKQI Detroit, today’s programmers consider each Madonna song on a case-by-case basis to determine if it fits mainstream top 40, adult top 40 or both. Or neither.
For Theodore, the sound of “Confessions on a Dance Floor” skews more retro-adult top 40 than mainstream top 40, while recent club tracks like Rihanna’s “SOS” have “more hip-hop credibility.” The Rihanna jam may reference an early-’80s dance hit (Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love”) but Theodore believes it does not have the same “retro ’70s feel” as the Madonna tracks.
Madonna has had no such problems internationally. Since its release last November, “Confessions on a Dance Floor” has topped the charts in 29 countries and sold more than 8 million copies worldwide, according to Warner Bros.
George Ergatoudis, head of music at BBC Radio 1 in the United Kingdom, says that while U.S. mainstream top 40 radio may be driven by urban, rock and straight-ahead pop, dance records — house music, in particular — are very much part of the top 40 radio culture in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Except for dance radio outlets like KNGY San Francisco, KNRJ Phoenix and KNHC Seattle, Madonna is missing from the terrestrial radio landscape in the United States.
As Warner Bros. gears up for the release of the album’s fourth single, “Jump,” Biery remains optimistic, especially since the song was heard in TV and radio spots for the hit film “The Devil Wears Prada.”
source : yahoo

NBC will broadcast “Madonna: The Confessions Tour Live” – a two-hour special set to air in November 2006, the network announced Friday.
The special will be taped this summer at Wembley Stadium in London, UK during the pop icon’sworldwide sold-out 25-city “Confessions Tour.”
The special marks the first-ever broadcast network performance by the international superstar.
“Madonna is one of the greatest artists of our time and never fails to generate excitement,” said Kevin Reilly, NBC Entertainment President. “We think this is going to be a big event for television.”
The concert special will feature songs from Madonna’s recent multi-platinum Warner Bros. Records release “Confessions On A Dance Floor,” which debuted at No. 1 in 29 countries and has sold overeight million copies around the globe.
The broadcast will also include some of Madonna’s greatest hits from her legendary career.
In the course of that career, thestar has racked up a staggering 35 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Dance charts.
The multi-Grammy winning artist, songwriter, producer, best-selling children’s book author, video visionary and cultural icon has sustained an unrivaled reputation for astonishing stage spectacles and has made musical history many times over, including international record sales of over 200 million albums.
source : accesshollywood

US pop queen Madonna will perform in Russia for the first time on September 11 and 12 as part of her Confessions world tour, a Russian organiser said.
Madonna’s two concerts will take place on a specially-constructed stage on the Sparrow Hills overlooking the city centre, close to where Moscow State University is located, ITAR-TASS news agency reported.
“Decorations and costumes for the singer will arrive in Russia on 27 trailers,” the organiser was quoted by ITAR-TASS as saying.
Madonna is set to perform in Britain, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands as part of her 2006 tour, according to the star’s official website.
source : yahoo

From MTV.co.uk : Guitars = cool. Madonna = really cool. Seeing Madonna live on her birthday and taking her guitar home with you = bonkers! And that’s exactly what we’re offering…
Once again Madonna is heading out on a huge World Tour – the Confessions Tour.
On her travels, her Madgesty will take to the stage around the UK, including a special London date on her birthday – Wembley on August 16.
We’re giving one lucky winner a pair of tickets to be the special London show on Madonna’s birthday, plus travel to and from London (if you’re not from London already!) and a plush hotel to stay in that night.
But does it stop there? Hell no! For more info visit MTV.co.uk

39 Pictures – Madonna performs in New York during “Confessions” World Tour (Madison Square Garden, New York, July 18 2006) – are added to the gallery.