all about Madonna

Dec 11, 2008 - Santiago - CL - Estadio National

source : madonna.com

Miles Away :

Human Nature :

Madonna has given Switzerland's the biggest ever concert, eclipsing that of the Rolling Stones' show two years earlier.

Altogether 72,000 fans descended on the Dübendorf former military airfield near Zurich, 10,000 more than the Rolling Stones attracted at the same venue in 2006.

The singer was given a standing ovation as she was brought in on a throne at the start of the show. She made eight costume changes during the two-hour show and performed alongside 16 dancers and 12 musicians.

Organisers Good News said they were satisfied with the event. They counted just 2,000 cars at the venue, with the vast majority of fans travelling on 130 extra trains put on for the concert.

Police said the event ran smoothly with no serious incidents reported, although 220 people needed first aid.

Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour is travelling to 50 countries on 50 trucks - 28 fewer than were required for the Rolling Stones.

from Madonna.com :

Dear Madonna fans,
The Material Girl has embarked on her "Sticky & Sweet" Tour and is currently performing live in several European cities. While thousands of you attend the show each and every night, our girl is giving her best to each and everyone of you.
Singing and dancing along with her is a fantastic way to support her, but there's a little something some of you can do to turn the experience into the ultimate one. If you're watching the show from the first front rows, we ask that you please refrain from smoking as it blows up on the stage.
Thank you for your understanding, we appreciate your help!

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Madonna in a bathrobe at the security check of Schoenefeld airport, Berlin, Germany (August 28 2008)

Pop superstar Madonna stunned security staff at an airport in Germany on Thursday night - by turning up wearing a bathrobe.

The Holiday hitmaker arrived at Schoenefeld airport after performing at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin as part of her Sticky + Sweet world tour.

But staff at the venue were shocked to see the star wander through security checks wearing nothing more than a fluffy white robe and black trainers.

The singer's gown had the cheeky slogan "Dancing Queen" printed on the back.

source showbiz spy

Madonna arriving in Berlin (August 27 2008)

Madonna going to a soundcheck (August 28 2008)

Madonna at the Schönefeld airport, leaving Berlin (August 28 2008)

source : bz-berlin.de, morgenpost.de

Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour in Berlin (August 28 2008)

Luxottica Group announced today that their classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer (RB2140) are featured in Madonna's critically acclaimed sold out Sticky & Sweet Tour 2008 which kicked-off in Cardiff, Wales on August 23rd. Madonna and her crew of dancers don the classic black Wayfarer in the show's finale, an explosive rendition of "Give It To Me" from the artist's current Hard Candy CD. In addition, Madonna's dance team rocks the white Wayfarer while she performs her smash hit "Vogue".

Linked to music greats since its inception, the Ray-Ban Wayfarer will once again heat up the look of a rock and style icon. The style chosen for the tour is a genuine reproduction of the original 1952 model, faithfully recreating its details and distinctive shape. Worn by the biggest names in rock'n'roll and film, including Bob Dylan, Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's", John Belushi/Dan Aykroyd in "The Blues Brothers", Coldplay, and Tom Cruise in "Risky Business," the Ray-Ban Wayfarer is once again helping to make cultural history.

source : prnews

AFP, via Yahoo News

The original home of music video delves into its archive to discover and define the greatest video ever made; from the haunting works of Michel Gondry, larger than life characters from Hype Williams to the cinematic vision of John Landis.

Visit MTV.co.uk to vote for Madonna's Like A Prayer Video.

Thanks to Burzyn

As her Sticky and Sweet tour kicks into high gear, Madonna is in "great spirits," her rep, Liz Rosenberg, tells People.

And why shouldn't she be? At the second stop of her European leg, the pop icon was cheered on by famous fans Bono and Elton John in Nice, France, on Tuesday night. (It would seem that her feud with John - who accused her of lip-synching in 2004 - is officially ancient history.)

As the singer gets into the groove of her 51-date world tour, her priorities are simple: "Making sure the show is perfect - and taking care of her kids and her husband," says her rep.

And even though she recently celebrated her 50th birthday, Madonna has no plans to retire any time soon.

"The harder Madonna works the happier she is," says Rosenberg, a longtime friend. "Because she was a dancer, that's why. It's practice, practice, practice."

Behind the Scenes

Backstage, the atmosphere is peaceful and family-oriented, with a kids' play room next to the singer's dressing room. On her opening night in Cardiff, Wales, "She had a massage and a facial - things are very quiet," says the rep.

Before each show, she spends an hour in hair and makeup, then performs some vocal exercises. Next, she warms up with some form of exercise, "probably some free weights."

Daughter Lourdes, 11, will often watch her mom from the wings. "She is quite casual about it, she can take it or leave it," says Rosenberg. "She's comfortable with the dancers. She talks to all of them."

Lola (as she's known to friends and family) might have a superstar for a mom, but she's no spoiled brat. "She's very grounded," swears the rep, who fondly remembers the girl as a makeup-obsessed 2-year-old. "I think Madonna has done a really good job."

And despite the recent rumors of marital woe, the singer's husband, director Guy Ritchie, "absolutely" supports his wife from backstage. "Guy understood who he was marrying and they have a whole separate life [away from the spotlight]," she insists. "They are completely fine."

source : people.com

Madonna can be nominated in 5 categories :

ACT OF 2008
BEST ACT EVER
MOST ADDICTIVE TRACK (4 Minutes)
HEADLINER
ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Hard Candy)

Vote at MTV.tv

Thanks to Amy

Madonna has ordered her lawyers to foil a cheeky bid to put her raunchy love notes to an ex-boyfriend on public display.

Organisers of the Simply Madonna memorabilia exhibition in London want to display 17 notes and seven photos Madge sent to boyfriend James Albright in the early 90s.

A source close to Madonna said: "The letters contain some very intimate thoughts and understandably she is concerned.

"Who would want their private sentiments to someone they loved revealed to the world?

"Her lawyers have sent out a warning which she hopes will do the trick."

Albright, who dated the singer for two years after working as her bodyguard, sold the letters last year to a firm specializing in Madonna memorabilia.

They were due to go on display at the Old Truman Brewery in east London in February next year but it's understood they may be withdrawn because of the legal threat.

source : daily record

Two human rights US Jewish organizations have condemned as "inappropriate and offensive" the use by singer Madonna of an image of Hitler as part of a concert photo montage that also included photos of John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, and Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe.

The images were projected on a screen as Madonna launched her Sticky and Sweet world tour at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday, with a live concert.

In a statement issued on Monday, Abraham H. Foxman, ADL's national director and a Holocaust survivor, issued the following statement:"Comparisons to Hitler have no place in a music concert, or in the presidential campaign. Whatever Madonna's political or personal views, it is outrageous to invoke Nazi imagery in the context of John McCain's candidacy or to make a comment on American political leadership."

source : israelenews

Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour in Nice (August 26 2008)

from Madonna.com :

A second show in Sao Paulo was recently added to the 'Sticky & Sweet' tour itinerary.
Madonna will perform a second show at Morumbi Stadium on December 20.
Public pre-registration started on August 25th and tickets will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, September 3.

A collection of Madonna's outfits are going on display in a new exhibition.
The show will open next year and will feature 300 items spanning the Queen of Pop's career.

Highlights include the black and gold tassel bustier from the 1986 video for Open Your Heart and the pink dress from Material Girl.

The show will feature more than 30 dresses worn by Madonna in her star role in the movie Evita and the Like A Virgin tour wedding gown.

As well as concert outfits and other clothing, photographs and film props will also go on public view.

The items are in a private collection belonging to Marquee Capital, a celebrity memorabilia investment company, which is expected to auction the pieces following the show.

Unfortunately for the singer's fans, the Jean Paul Gaultier cone-breasted bustier worn on Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour 18 years ago is not part of the collection.

Ted Owen, curator of the exhibition at the Old Truman Brewery in East London, said: "This is an unprecedented collection of Madonna memorabilia that represents every stage of her glittering career.

"These are museum-quality pieces but they will be presented in keeping with the glamour and sense of theatre that the Queen of Pop has made her trademark."

The exhibition, Simply Madonna, Materials of the Girl, opens in February.

source : pa

from Madonna.com:

Dec 06, 2008 - Buenos Aires - AR - River Plate Stadium

There are a lot of armchair Madonna experts doing the rounds - but few who have seen her in action as often as Guy Ritchie.

He has been watching from the wings at almost every performance on her last four tours, living through the stress, sweat and tears of his wife's gruelling military preparation.

On Saturday night in Cardiff I was lucky enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with him watching his missus in her element on stage for the first night of her brilliant Sticky & Sweet Tour.

And the RocknRolla director gave his expert opinion on Madge's big night at the Millennium Stadium.

He said: "This is my fourth tour. I went to almost every single show the last time round but I hadn't seen any of this one before tonight. I loved it. It is a great show.

"I love all her dark songs best. Some of the songs come from genuine suffering, let me tell you."

I shared the journey from London to Cardiff with Guy to see Madge's big night, stopping off for a real ale on the way.

He added: "It's quite an experience being on tour with the missus. In America you get full-on motorcades and 15-car escorts from the police.

"In London you're lucky if you get one rozzer. It's something else on show night. There will be 20 levels of staff before you get through to see the missus."

Guy presented Madge with a bouquet of flowers before the gig, leaving pals in hospitality drinking 12-year-old malt whisky. Then, when showtime started, he took us to the stage, shaking hands on the way with all the guests and massive crew for the tour.

Madge pulled up to the stage in her blacked-out Merc -- stopping for a quick kiss with her man before taking the stage to a deafening roar.

For the last six months I have seen photos almost every day of Madonna leaving the gym in pieces after putting herself through hell to be in perfect condition for her gigs.

And Guy, along with 60,000 other fans, was well impressed by just how incredibly fit she looks for a 50-year-old mum-of-two when she took to the stage for opening number Candy Shop.

He said: "Her legs are Olympic standard. She is in amazing shape. You won't find a fitter bird than her. Her legs are so toned. She's fitter than dancers on her tour who are half her age."

Britney has a cameo role in the show, as The Sun revealed earlier this month. A video of the singer trapped in a lift is played during the performance of Human Nature.

Guy explained: "Britney in the lift is based on real footage the missus saw of someone stuck in a lift for 48 hours. The dancing is inspired by what happened inside."

During an intricate dance routine with a skipping rope during Into The Groove, Guy joked: "Have you ever tried skipping? It's not easy."

He also pointed out some of the characters involved in the show: "She nicked my old guitar teacher off me. His name's Monte.

"He was in a heavy metal band. Now she's nicked him for the show. He teaches her too."

Guy nodded his approval throughout -- especially during the clever links between the show's four sections, with pumping dance music mixed in with her classic tracks. He said: "That's one thing about the missus's shows. They are non-stop.

"You get in, she's on and then you have two hours of non-stop entertainment."

Guy, who turns 40 in two weeks, watched the entire show wearing a pair of classy shades -- not because he's a poser but because his eyesight isn't what it used to be.

He added: "I haven't seen a lot of the shows properly before because I always forget my glasses."

You can't blame a man married to Madonna for having trouble with his eyesight.

I couldn't believe my eyes for most of the show on Saturday night.

source : the sun

Sticky & Sweet is the third Madonna tour I have seen.

I expected controversy and her trademark raunch in Cardiff, but for the first time there was no talking point like the Crucifixion scene from Confessions in 2006 or the electric chair on Re-Invention in 2004.

She had a tough task improving on those shows but she has done it yet again.

Madonna didn't stop dancing in a show that had most of her fans pausing for breath.

The four main acts were punctuated by video.

Get Stupid was a satire of political leaders - ending on an image of Barack Obama.

The Rain interlude was a computerised, sexless version of Madonna made to resemble her hero David Bowie to the sound of Eurythmics classic Here Comes The Rain Again.

More clever samples and mash-ups filtered through the set list.

Felix's rave anthem Don't You Want Me mixed brilliantly with Like A Prayer, turning the stadium into a gigantic dancefloor.

Fedde Le Grand's Put Your Hands Up For Detroit was a smart choice for the girl from Michigan to borrow for a techno version of Music.

Timberlake, Timbaland, Kanye and Pharrell were all present - in video form.

I hate seeing Madonna play guitar but her rock version of Borderline became a thrash of Stooges-style chords.

The gipsy section went over a few heads but it was class.

She was joined by a Ukrainian folk trio she knows through Gogol Bordello star Eugene Hutz.

She's Not Me was another highlight.

Madge attacks four of her dancers dressed as her images from the past.

Madonna's energy and performance is incredible. I doff my cap to a 50-year-old pole-dancing and double-dutch skipping mother.

Without question, Madonna is still the Queen Of Pop. Long live the Queen.

Reuters :

Australia 7 News :

BBC :

John McCain's campaign hit back at Madonna on Sunday after the pop diva began her world tour with a concert that bracketed the US presidential candidate with Adolf Hitler.

McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds angrily condemned the segment of Madonna's concert in Cardiff yesterday that appeared to draw a comparison between McCain, Hitler and Zimbabwean strongman Robert Mugabe.

"The comparisons are outrageous, unacceptable and crudely divisive all at the same time," Bounds said in a statement reported by Fox News.

"It clearly shows that when it comes to supporting Barack Obama, his fellow worldwide celebrities refuse to consider any smear or attack off limits."

Madonna's apparent swipe at McCain came during a performance of the song Get Stupid, when the Republican contender's image was flashed up alongside images of destruction and global warming and of Hitler and Mugabe.

Towards the end of the song, pictures of Beatles star John Lennon, former US vice-president Al Gore, Indian Mahatma Gandhi and McCain's Democrat rival Barack Obama appeared.

source : afp

Lynne, wearing her best silky cowboy shirt and pink, flashing angel wings, is outraged. 'It's bollocks, that's what it is,' she said. 'One and a half hours late and she still hasn't bothered to come on stage? It's disrespectful. I've driven down two hours from Birmingham. This just isn't right.'

In the semi-filled Cardiff Millennium Stadium, Lynne is not alone in her frustration. At 8pm last night, after an hour's wait, the crowd tried to encourage Madonna on to the stage with cheers and whoops. By 9pm, after two hours' wait, the boos began; starting cautiously in the stands but quickly gaining deafening momentum throughout the stadium.

'I didn't pay £75 for the joy of sitting on a cold, concrete floor, eating hot dogs,' said Tom Allan, one of the most enthusiastic of the booing brigade. 'I do my job properly, why can't she?'

Finally, at 9.10pm the lights went down and the crowd leapt to its feet, instantly forgiving the Queen of Pop as a giant screen appeared and the Material Girl herself burst onto the stage, throwing her heart and soul into confounding and exceeding fans' expectations yet again.

The long-awaited Sweet and Sticky tour had begun.

'This is more like it!' Lynne screamed. 'This is what I came for. I never doubted her really. Madonna rocks. There's no one like her. No one. She's an icon. Her best is yet to come.'

On a stage bookended by two enormous Ms filled with £1m-worth of Swarovski crystals, the world's most successful female recording artist of all time leapt, trampolined and pole-danced with an energy that pulled the audience into her pocket.

A past master at seducing and enthralling her fans, she introduced a whole new definition of 'audience participation' by skipping with a glittering rope in time to their ecstatic rendition of 'Into the Groove'.

With the help of Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci, Miu Miu, Stella McCartney, Yves Saint Laurent and Roberto Cavalli, not to mention 12 trampolines and 100 pairs of fishnet stockings, Madonna launched her eighth world concert tour at the 74,600-seat Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Having turned 50 last weekend, Madonna remains defiant amid rumours about the state of her marriage to film director Guy Ritchie, gossip fanned by a warts-and-all biography by her younger brother, Christopher Ciccone, in which he claims that the couple only stay together with the help of a marriage-counselling rabbi.

Swatting such carping aside with the aplomb of the ultimate showgirl, she has crafted a show of exuberance that conceals a tightly controlled narrative. In a micro-managed, four-part stage set, the singer takes fans on a whistlestop tour of the stages of her career.

Those roots go back to when the aspiring singer reportedly showed up in New York City with just $35 in her pocket. Yet three decades on she is still writhing, shaking and shimmying in the limelight.

The Material Girl opens the two-hour spectacle dressed in the first of her eight outfits, 'a mashed-up homage to gangsta pimp and Art Deco'. The first set is a nod to her early years as a new-wave disco nymphette who made her name as a performer more respected in her first British performance at Manchester's Haçienda nightclub for her bravura than her ability to hold a note.

Pausing to transform herself from a Givenchy-clad, dominatrix-style gangsta pimp into a Gothic goddess, Madonna references her early days as part of the Eighties New York dance scene with songs including 'Into the Groove' and 'Borderline'.

A brief 'Romanian folk interlude' features a paean to Romany romance, featuring three gypsy musicians playing tracks including 'Devil Wouldn't Recognize You', 'Spanish Lesson', 'Miles Away' and 'La Isla Bonita' on acoustic guitars. Madge presides over this section in a black Gothic-style Givenchy cloak, peeled off to reveal a flowery top, baggy skirt and knee-high boots.

The evening has nine of the 12 songs on her 11th studio album, Hard Candy, which went straight to the top of the charts in 31 countries. It culminates in a grand finale focusing on what could be described as Madge's 'post-imperial' phase: a futuristic, Japanese-influenced rave set in which she sports diamond-studded trousers, a colourful throw top and black vest, singing hits including '4 Minutes', 'Like a Prayer', 'Ray of Light', 'Hung Up' and 'Give It To Me'.

Arlene Phillips, a Strictly Come Dancing judge and friend of Madonna, who helped to design the look of last night's extravaganza, said the singer had been determined to produce a show as spectacularly steamy as possible.

Having reached her half-century, the singer might now travel with her own chiropractor, personal trainer and masseuse, but Phillips had been quoted as saying: 'Getting older has had little effect on her sense of fashion adventure. She may have turned 50, but has no plans to tone it down. This is going to blow everyone away.'

From Cardiff, the show will cross Europe and the Americas, finishing in São Paulo on 18 December.