The Material Girl does it again! With a sell-out crowd of over 74,000 fans and a gross of over 12 million USD, Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour easily surpassed all previous grosses at both the old and the new Wembley Stadiums. This record breaking performance adds another first following last week’s confirmation that Madonna’s Zurich performance in front of 72,000 fans was the largest audience ever for a concert in Switzerland. With upcoming European sell-outs in Lisbon, Paris and Athens, the beat definitely does go on and Sticky & Sweet is certainly destined to be the tour of the year.
But it’s not just Europe that is enthralled by the world’s tastiest sweetheart. In South America fan demand has been so great that multiple dates have now been confirmed everywhere dates were announced, resulting in three performances in Buenos Aires, two in Santiago and Rio de Janeiro and a final three performances in Sao Paulo before the tour wraps up on December 21st.
The North American continent is no exception. Sticky & Sweet kicks off October 4th in New York with over 66,500 tickets sold for five consecutive sold out arena performances including one at New Jersey’s Izod Center and four Madison Square Garden events before heading throughout the US and Canada and culminating in Mexico City where Madonna’s two Sticky & Sweet concerts November 29th & 30th sold out in record time.
Sticky & Sweet boasts two hours of non-stop hits that include new twists on old favorites (“Vogue,” “Borderline,” “La Isla Bonita,” “Like A Prayer”) coupled with sensational versions of modern classics (“Music,” “Hung Up,” “4 Minutes,” “Give It 2 Me”).
Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet tour is produced by Live Nation Global Touring.
source : prnewswire
Sticky & Sweet 
Tom Munro 
Revolver 
Hope For Haiti 
Sticky & Sweet 
Madonna - Celebration 
Madonna - Celebration
Madonna - Celebration
Madonna - Celebration
Madonna - Celebration 
I Am Because We Are 
Filth and Wisdom 
I Am Because We Are 
Miles Away 
Sticky & Sweet 
Madonna Confessions 
Madonna 2009 
Give It 2 Me 
Give It 2 Me 
Hard Candy 
Hard Candy 
4 Minutes 
4 Minutes 
[ Best Analyzing So Far ] : Sticky and Sweet Tour from 2 educated point of views:
- It was chilly but at least not raining as we arrived at the impressive Wembley Stadium at 8am on Thursday morning. This was where we had been counting down to for so long. A bit with envy to see the 30 fans waiting at the Golden Circle entrance, while we only managed to get hold of general admission tickets. But at least there were only 5 people queuing at our entrance. British fans Louise & Rob were both Madonna virgins, queuing early for their first Madonna show. Another fan had already seen her in the previous tour; as he told us he worked in a gay sauna, we quickly dubbed him Dungeon Boy. Even when security moved us into another queue out in the open air, we killed the many hours of waiting with lots of joking around. Queuing for a Madonna show is always more fun when meeting other interesting fans. Madonna makes the people come together, eh?
Skip to 6pm. Although the tickets had mentioned the doors opening at 5pm, security informed us that Madonna was still rehearsing so we had to work a bit more patience. The tension significantly grew, as security guard Freddy was making sure we all stayed calm and obeyed his rules. As he finally lift the security cordon, the madness started: the most stressful moment before a Madonna show, making sure you get into the stadium as fast as possible to conquer yourself the best spot. And we managed quite well: we ended up all together at front row at the barrier of our category, on the right side of the stage. The Golden Circle in front of us filled up with a few thousand fans but our view was still great. We were ready! Paul Oakenfold noticed soon enough, as we all warmed up to his DJ set. He stopped around 7.45pm. Madonna was due at 8.30, but it took an additional 40 minutes before the lights went out. Later on, this would bring complaints from many uptight UK fans, but we are more used to this. Among the massive crowd anticipating the grand entrance are some of Madonna’s friends: Gwyneth Palthrow, Kate Hudson & Naomi Campbell, as well as Nicole Kidman, Fergie, Katy Perry, Penelope Cruz, Norway’s Crown Princess Mette – Marit and Prince Kyril of Bulgaria’s wife Rosario. Bring it on, Madge!
Bartie: Even if it was my 18th show, the beginning of a Madonna show still sends shivers down my spine. The intro video reminded me of Blond Ambition a bit. Candy Shop itself wasn’t really the fantastic opener that previous tours had though.
Dani: I agree it wasn’t as grand but the video was suspensive enough and its meaning was revealed at the end of the show. Beat Goes On kicked off quickly, which started as a simple performance with Pharrell on the screen, but became more interesting as the 1920’s Rolls Royce rolled in.
Bartie: I love that song, it really started the party! That car and those outfits with the top hat were sexy and gangsta pimp at the same time. And it was definitely live, coz she tripped over one line. ;-) For Human Nature, she picked up the electric guitar for a more rockier version of the song. Glad that Britney’s involvement got limited to the video, though I like how she expanded the song’s meaning to Britney’s recent controversies. Liked the ‘I’m not your bitch, I’m not your bitch’ part at the end, which was of course combined with the ‘It’s Britney bitch!’.
Dani: Even though I love the song, this number was probably my least favorite of the show. It was obviously just a chance for Madonna to catch her breath between two dance songs and to include a song from Bedtime Stories. I quickly forget about this performance as she kicked off Vogue, intertwined with beats of 4 Minutes. This is where the show really started for me. The choreography was fantastic!
Bartie: And moreover, she sang it live for the first time! Not to forget the sexy guys like Jason and Paul beside her. Once more, she re-invented the choreography, and once more an incredible one! Really a show highlight.
Bartie: The Pimp segment rolled into the Old School part with a great new Die Another Day video featuring Madonna as a boxer. The pictures of the tour book came from this photoshoot as well. The song was sped up, adding adrenaline to the fight on the screen and between the two dancers in the boxing ring.
Dani: The video was nice but one of the biggest spectacles of the show arrived only after when Madonna came on stage jumping rope on the beats of Into The Groove. One of the high energy numbers, a cool re-invention and a superb sing-along for the whole 70.000-head crowd!
Bartie: Reminded me of Blond Ambition again. Very positive energy here! I couldn’t believe that the girl skipping rope and dancing the pole has just turned 50, instead of 16! Dancers jumping around everywhere, and colourful Keith Haring-like drawings on the screens. She was very cheeky as she said she’d get into one of her fantasies: the double Dutch. She skipped energetically as the song combined with some beats of my beloved Jump. She then fell down to the floor, all exhausted, with just a Heartbeat heard and shown on screen.
Dani: The shoe changing was a bit too literal referring to the lyrics and unfortunately this song was completely mimed. I loved the ’see my booty get down’-part though! It was time for the electric guitar again as she kicked into a rock version of Borderline, a song that hasn’t been performed on tour for 23 years. Nice to hear it, but maybe it was a bit too guitar-driven.
Bartie: Yes, I must admit I expected a bit more from this song. The sweetness of the original is gone in this version. She’s Not Me on the other hand was another highlight for me. “This one’s for the ladies” she quipped “Have you ever had a friend who always did everything with you, and then turned out she was fucking your boyfriend?” But although referring to the original meaning of the song, the performance added another layer: 4 dancers dressed as Madonna dolls portraying a different Madonna era stood at the end of the catwalk. One in the Virgin wedding dress, one for Open Your Heart, one Material Girl and a Blond Ambition girl. Madonna attacked and ridiculed them, calling them ‘bitch’, and all of a sudden the line ’she’s not me’ got a whole new meaning. I love that multi-layering in Madonna’s work!
Dani: I agree, not only was it one of the show’s highlights but it might be one of her smartest live performances ever. She proves to all her fans and critics that she often plays an act and none of them are her true self. Don’t judge, don’t categorize. A message she previously used in Human Nature and Nobody Knows Me. She then ripped off her outfit to change to purple hotpants to the beats of ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’ and crawled back to the main stage. The screens imitated a NYC subway, which opened up to let in the gang of dancers, who joined Madonna for a mashup of Music with Fedde Le Grand’s ‘Put Your Hands Up For Detroit’.
Bartie: Glad that she managed to make another great re-invention of this song, the Street theme really worked. It felt like a grand finale though, I guess that song has just ‘finale’ written all over. Fortunately for us, the show was only halfway. The 2nd segment got closed by the computer animation for Rain, although it was actually Eurythmics’ ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’ with only adding Madonna whispering the word ‘Rain’. Too bad this gorgeous Erotica song didn’t receive a proper performance.
Dani: Well, it allowed us to catch our breath and to get ready for our favourite song from Hard Candy: Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You. Madonna came back in a black robe, sitting on top of a piano, behind the pixel screens as if it was a cage. I was so glad to hear this song live, it was so different from anything she has done before!
Bartie: Beautiful & haunting, everything I imagined this performance to be. The water effects on the screen surrounding her added another mystery aspect. At the end she gets freed from her cage and she rips open her cape to reveal her colourful Givenchy gypsy outfit. The only horror was that this breathtaking highlight was followed by the underwhelming Spanish Lesson, certainly my lowpoint of the show.
Dani: This is where I must disagree because this number is a typical Madonna live performance: she takes an album filler and breathes new life into it. The choreography was very funny. Madonna did a bit of tango with the cloaked dancers. Afterwards, it was time for the acoustic guitar for Miles Away. This song got a new meaning as the screens showed the travelling life of gypsies, intertwined with travel documents, Visa, etc.
Bartie: I got a bit silent as she opened with “This is for all who know the struggle of long distance relationships. I know you’re out there.” Such a beautiful singalong ballad. The crowd clapped synchronously along. It showed how good of a single choice this really is. The gypsy musicians were sitting at the end of the catwalk and got up for the follow-up La Isla Bonita/Lela Pala Tute. Fortunately I got more into this one than at Live Earth.
Dani: I say it loud & proud: I can’t get enough of this song! This version is so energetic, I have to say I think is Madonna at her best. The crowd got more doses of Gypsy music as the band took over to play the Romani/Gypsy folk song ‘Doli Doli’ while Madonna sat down to catch her breath and have a drink with Paul. Love it how Madonna pays tribute to different cultures on her shows!
Bartie: Wasn’t very fond of the song itself but indeed nice that she shared the limelight with others. The same musicians accompany her into a haunting rendition of You Must Love Me. This performance got ruined when I saw it in Nice, as fans tried to sing ‘Happy Birthday’. Fortunately this time I got to enjoy it fully. Her voice came out beautifully!
Dani: I’d have never expected that I have to call an Evita song as an absolute highlight. I have no words to describe her performance. It got me so emotional. What a perfect way to close the gypsy segment, which just has to be one of her all time best show sections! The mood quickly changed as the politically charged Get Stupid video came on screen. I don’t really care for her political views but I thought the message does raise awareness.
Bartie: The final Obama shot was a bit over the top but at least she gets people thinking and talking about it. Let’s hope it has at least a bit of positive effect on the upcoming elections.
Bartie: Madonna came back on stage in her gladiator outfit and kicked off the futuristic Rave segment with 4 Minutes. We had seen the performance on the promo tour already but it got the crowd cheering. Too bad Justin was only there on screen… ;-)
Dani: It was definitely a crowd pleaser. She followed this hit single by the classic Like A Prayer, which received a huge make-over, mixing it with Meck’s ‘Feels Like Home’. Of course, this line links both songs perfectly. This version was a bit weird for me but halfway I got really into it.
Bartie: I couldn’t believe my ears when I first heard this version. To combine this classic with such a rave song and make it work so superbly, only Madonna can pull this off! This was the ultimate highlight for me, going completely mad on it. The performance served purpose for all: it got the crowd dancin’ and ravin’ and yet it managed to give out a powerful message too: the screens portrayed lines from different religious books and declared unity between religions and cultures around the world. “The lamps might be different but the Light is the same, for we all come from the Light and return back to it.” Wow! Loved it! She smartly carries on this theme with Ray Of Light, where she ventures further into her guitar obsession. One of my favorite songs, so I didn’t mind it being in the setlist again. Only too bad that it was a bad copy of the Confessions performance. Not only was the version very similar, copying the background video was a shocker!
Dani: Ignore the critics, there’s no Madonna show without this incredible track. To me this version sounded more polished than 2 years ago. She didn’t even have to say it, the fans were jumping up & down, making it a Madonna tour staple. She finally took the time to address the audience after this song. “Are you having a good time?” (YEAH!!!) “Did you have enough?” (NOOO!!) “Good! Now let’s thank God because it didn’t f*cking rain on my show!” It was the moment for the song request. Some fans had printed out signs with ‘Gambler’ on it but she quickly dismissed them, saying she can’t remember the words to it. She wasn’t really taking requests, as she did the usual Express Yourself snippet.
Bartie: Only Madonna is in control at a Madonna show, right? She kept the guitar on for a heavy rock version of Hung Up. In a way, it was a nice experience, though it does ruin a great song that served as such a fantastic tour closer last time around.
Dani: Well, she had to do something new with it and even though the breakdown, the screens and the chess quote were all very random, I was still enjoying this megahit. The long outro was heavy metal-influenced. Without a break, it rolled into the club/house version of Give It 2 Me. The screens were like a Japanese video game. It quickly turned out to be a great finale with Madonna making 70.000 fans shouting ‘give it to me!’. Only Madonna can have this effect on us!
Bartie: Not her best closer ever, but the best choice for this tour. A feel-good dance track, taking all the final energy of Madonna, her dancers and her thousands of fans, before they leave into the night, her mind boggled with all those attacks on the senses. The many screens united back into the original cube to show the message ‘Game Over’, continuing the tradition of closing lines on tour. Exhausted but excited we all burst into the streets around Wembley, discussing our tour favorites.
Dani: Madonna didn’t disappoint. She delivered an incredible show, blending pop, rock, dance/house, r’n'b/hip hop & folk perfectly!
Bartie: I must admit that the show doesn’t completely live up to the standards that she has set with her previous tours. Yet the show contains many mind-blowing performances, showing off her incredible talents as an entertainer. From high energy dance choreographies to hauntingly beautiful emo-moments. Game Over, sure, but not for Madonna!
~ Live from London, yours truly, the Mad-Eyes team. x x x
[ Thanks you [ Bartie] and [ Dani] , Very good I engoy it hope now more fans get that image of how Sticky and Sweet was . nicky “-”.
from (www.mad-eyes.net)
saw m at wembley. just an incredible show.
MADONNA RULES!
She’s the best ! LOVE YOU Madonna
LOL thats my girl
i was there at wembley thursday night it was brill, out of this world show
she rocked big time. the best.xx
THE QUEEN DOES IT AGAIN! =D
hahahaha this my QUEEN :P