all about Madonna

Over the years, events giant Flash Entertainment have brought some of the world’s biggest music acts to the UAE shores. But the real test will come in the form of showgirl Madonna in June.
As they gear up to welcome the legendary hitmaker and her 50,000 fans who will descend upon du Arena over two nights (June 3 and 4), tabloid! sits down with John Lickrish, CEO of Flash Entertainment, to get the details that are being worked on.
Joining Flash in their mission is UAE’s telecom provider du who have signed a four-year naming rights deal that has resulted in the re-christening of the former Yas Arena and Yas Forum. Both will now be known as du Arena and du Forum respectively.
Madonna’s sole request to Flash, said Lickrish, is that the show “has to be perfect”.
Excerpts from the interview:
Are you all set for the Madonna concert?
Absolutely. It’s a big act. We have been preparing since October but it’s bound to be hectic at the last minute. It’s going to be a life-changing experience.
Also, Madonna is very meticulous and I tell my team that any mistake made on this show, you will feel the after-effects ten times more. So everything has to run incredibly smoothly. There’s no room for any technical glitches. It’s a test for the city and for us.
What are the logistics involved?
We are expecting 50,000 people in total. We had to take out our stage because the Madonna stage is much bigger. Now, the stage is being pushed forward to the venue from underneath the roof to accommodate the size given. Last week we got the designs and the drawings. We have to make many changes and there’s a lot of last-minute running around. We also want to make sure that people get in and out smoothly. Plus, it’s going to be warm so we will have extra cooling fans. To put it simply, we want to be more than prepared this time.
Is it true that you have requested Madonna to tone down her performance keeping cultural sensitivities in mind?
It’s incorrect. We don’t speak to the artists directly but we know their brand and their performances. Yes, I have seen her rehearse in New Jersey just to have a look at the show. The artists are closed as far as content goes, yet they are aware of what the UAE is like and its tolerance levels. They understand that from a global perspective. It won’t be an issue at all.
Do you feel you have come full circle with Madonna?
You never know what’s the next big thing for us. When we started out, we missed out on Madonna by a few days because of the dates between her Greece and New York shows. It was a holiday date here. After almost four years, we are glad it’s happening now as it shows the elevation of Flash. In the beginning, we would have been like how are we going to get around that etc.
When it comes to events, Flash Entertainment enjoys a monopoly of sorts.
We do our job well and Flash was developed to create a strong music scene. I don’t think we enjoy any sort of monopoly.
Will we see you organise more events in Dubai?
I am not sure. We have had concerts there like the Eagles in the past. It’s all about revenue streams and economics. Till June, Abu Dhabi is where we are looking at.
Does Madonna have any demands?
No quirky demands. She just wants the show to go on perfectly. Everyone has a few demands, but she is a thorough professional so I am not expecting any sort of ridiculous requests.
GulfNews

Madonna isn’t called a “Material Girl” for nothing. Here’s a breakdown of what she’s poised to pocket in 2012 — it could be as much as $500 million in one year alone.

- $300 million from her MDNA World Tour. Live Nation announced $240 Million in ticket sales before a South American leg was added, which could earn an additional $40 million-plus. An Australian leg of the tour is being announced shortly.

- Industry insiders say $75 million in tour merchandise sales is not unlikely. This has always been a huge moneymaker for Madonna, who will have an even bigger spread of merchandise available at her upcoming shows.

- $60 million is expected in sales for her new perfume, Truth or Dare, according to Women’s Wear Daily.

- Insiders report that Madonna made $10 million from her recent deal with Smirnoff. The company has been hyping her tour with TV spots and has just released a special “Madonna” edition bottle of their vodka.

- The Queen of Pop is hoping to rake in $10 million in TV and DVD worldwide rights for the broadcast of her upcoming tour.

- Retail experts say Madonna will earn $5 million in 2012 from her “Material Girl” clothing line and upcoming Macy’s lingerie line.

It’s good to be Queen!

The Huffington Post

“The tabloids complain about her looking old, and people laugh at her for that. Then Madonna goes and fixes her face, and they laugh at her for that. Even thought they begrudgingly say she looks amazing, they’ll still laugh at her for trying to look young. Then she steps out, looking amazing, and the tabloids go and blow up a picture of her aging hand. Nobody’s doing that to George Clooney, blowing up pictures of his hands! I look at these magazines, and I want to say to them, What’s your point? That she’s aged? Does that surprise you? Or is your ‘point’ an attempt to undercut what she’s achieved? I think it is, even if it’s on a subconscious level. And you probably wouldn’t turn down those hands if they were grabbing you under the table, you fucking idiots.”

bullettmedia

Producers at the Beeb are trying to get the pop legend on an upcoming Sunday night results show in a bid to attract higher TV ratings.

“Getting Madge on to sing is bound to pull in the viewers. You don’t get much bigger than her – she’s a living legend,” a source told the paper.

“The show has regularly been getting ratings of over ten million. Having Madonna, plus the all-important results, could push it past the 12 million mark.

“X Factor’s finest hour was getting Britney Spears on – but there’s no doubt Madonna is a much bigger name. Simon Cowell will be furious if The Voice upstages him with a massive guest performer like Madonna in its first series.”

RTE

33. Madonna – ‘Like A Prayer’

Released: March 1989
Madonna was still at the top of her game when it came to upsetting the prudes. This time around she scandalised the church with the black Jesus in the ‘Like A Prayer’ video and all that appropriation of religious imagery and vocabulary. It didn’t harm the song’s prospects that it was a belting pop tune, a welcome return to form after the sub-par tosh of her Who’s That Girl soundtrack efforts.

Complete list

Ongoing chatter that the Madonna tour, and by extension her multi-rights deal with Live Nation, are underperforming is “baseless,” according to sales figures provided by tour producer Arthur Fogel, chairman of Live Nation Global Touring.

The precipitous drop of MDNA in its second week, while certainly not something an artist would want (though the nature of the beast when pricing strategies are geared toward impressive first-week sales), actually has little to do with the performance of Live Nation’s 10-year, $120 million multi-rights deal with Madonna. The days of tours supporting records are long gone; for some time now, touring drives record sales, not the reverse, and the Madonna touring business is more than solid.

As for the multi-rights deal, while MDNA is the first album under the 360, the upcoming trek is not the first tour. That would be “Sticky and Sweet” of 2008-2009, which grossed $408 million, according to Billboard Boxscore, the third-highest gross all-time and the highest ever notched by a solo artist. Merchandising is also a component of this tour and in Madonna’s case is a significant revenue producer. Finally, given that the entire 360 deal is, at its core, performance-based and assuredly tour-driven in its concept, Madonna is delivering.

According to Fogel — the guy who would know — these are the facts: 76 Madonna shows at arenas and stadiums are on sale in North America and Europe combined. More than 1.4 million tickets have been sold, banking about $214 million for an average in the $2.7 million per show in a mix of stadiums and arenas. And the tour doesn’t even begin until May 29 in Tel Aviv, first hitting America in Philadelphia Aug. 28.

Fogel’s not sure what to make of the detractors. “This tour is completely on track to end up in the top 10 tours of all time, especially considering we haven’t put South America or Australia on sale,” he tells Billboard.biz. “To say this tour is not performing is so off base I don’t even know what to say. When this tour is said and done, combined with ‘Sticky and Sweet,’ you’re talking $750 million in gross ticket sales. That sounds pretty impressive to me.”

If tickets are still available for certain shows, that by no means spells disaster. “One of the things some people don’t get is, I don’t necessarily want to be sold out at this point; I keep trying to find tickets to sell,” says Fogel. “Every day our people are trying to fine-tune the site lines and production kills. That’s my job. It’s great when you can say ‘sold out,’ but right now I want to keep finding tickets to sell. That’s the game.”

European dates, which are mostly in stadiums, have come under particular scrutiny. Fogel says the $214 million gross banked so far is spread “pretty evenly” between North America and Europe, and there are 43 shows on sale in North America versus 33 in Europe. “You can do the math,” Fogel says, reeling off sales figures. “46,000 in Istanbul, 44,000 in Milan, 39,000 in Florence. We sold out two arenas in Barcelona, two in Berlin, two in Amsterdam, we sold 42,000 in Edinburgh, 40,000 in Helsinki, 51,000 in Paris. If that’s trouble, give me more.”

Fogel concedes Europe didn’t blow up the way North America did, but cites buying patterns for stadium general admission tickets in Europe, and the huge promotional boost of the Super Bowl performance in America as key factors in that disparity.

“She’s at the top of her game and she ain’t goin’ away,” he concludes.

Billboard

Madonna has revealed that she originally wanted Adele to feature in her Super Bowl performance earlier this year.

The singer said she approached the UK star to join her on stage at the Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis back in February, but Adele had to decline due to her voice recovery.

Asked if she would like to work with Adele, Madonna told ITV1′s Daybreak: “Yes, I would love to. I would love to meet her, I think she’s brilliant, I love her.”

She added: “I wanted her to be in the Super Bowl with me, but I think she was having her throat problem or throat operation or something.”

Madonna was eventually joined by LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, MIA and Cee Lo Green for renditions of ‘Vogue’, ‘Give Me All Your Luvin” and ‘Like A Prayer’ among others.

Madonna will embark on her new world tour in support of latest album MDNA in May and has told fans to expect “amazing music and incredible dancing”.

DigitalSpy

Much like her pop-star peers, Katy Perry cites Madonna as a big influence, especially on her “Part of Me” 3-D concert movie, which hits theaters July 5, which was partially inspired by the Queen of Pop’s 1991 film “Truth or Dare.”

In a recent interview with Teen Vogue, the always-colorful starlet spoke about her upcoming big-screen adventure and how “Truth or Dare” led to its creation.

“Madonna is everything to me, and that movie is amazing, because it caught her at a time when she was a bit more vulnerable,” Perry said of the film, which chronicled the icon’s Blond Ambition Tour. “I wanted to do that too, to capture a snapshot of who I am now so that I can remind myself what I’ve lost if I ever do become totally jaded.”

MTV

When Madonna’s twelfth album, MDNA, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 today with Nielsen SoundScan-certified sales of 359,000, she’ll not only have the biggest first week of the year, but will instantly reinstate her place at the top of the pop heap.

That’s right, in this digital age of naysayers, haters, critics and cynics, Madonna is on her third decade of relevance. With MDNA, she trails only Barbra Streisand for the most chart-toppers ever by a female artist (Babs has nine, Madge is one shy) — an extraordinary musical and cultural feat. Still, some will inevitably credit controversy for MDNA’s out-the-gate success.

Have your pick of which one from recent months — the album title, which is a letter away from MDMA, the common name for the drug ecstasy; the Super Bowl halftime performance during which guest M.I.A. gave some 150 million people the finger; a permanent ban by Piers Morgan and subsequent Twitter spat between the talk show host and Madonna’s manager Guy Oseary; or a surprise appearance at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival in March, where Madonna took the stage alongside Avicii and instantly riled up a crowd of 100,000 by asking if anyone had seen “Molly,” the street name for ecstasy, a comment that prompted superstar DJ Deadmau5 to take her to task publicly. All have kept Madonna’s name in the headlines just as new music hit the market.

“All those things didn’t start with us,” Oseary says, shrugging off any insinuation that scandal is a step in the roll-out plan. “It’s just part of the gig.” Indeed, Oseary and his client of 22 years can explain away each one — the title has multiple meanings and came about like this, according to Oseary: “[Madonna] told me one day, ‘Here’s what I’m calling my album.’ And I went, ‘Cool.’ She had a vision.” As for M.I.A.? She acted on her own accord; Piers Morgan’s people continue to reach out for a booking despite the ban; and Madonna was referring to a song by producer and DJ Cedric Gervais called “Have You Seen Molly,” not the staple drug of all-night dance parties. What may be harder to wrap the head around is the continued omnipotence of the eighties-bred pop star, who’s already topped the iTunes charts in 35 countries with MDNA presales alone.
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With her “MDNA” tour set to kick off in Tel Aviv on May 29, manager Guy Oseary tells THR that neither threat of military action nor abhorrent local laws, like St. Petersburg’s anti-gay legislation, would stop the pop star from performing.

Call it unflinching fearlessness or a solo mission of shuttle diplomacy, but when it comes to the Middle East, Madonna knows no borderlines. In fact, she’s willing to entertain all sides during her MDNA tour, which kicks off May 29 in Israel. “We would love to go play Iran,” Madonna’s longtime manager Guy Oseary tells The Hollywood Reporter. “We would love to play Lebanon, Egypt and Syria at some point. … Obviously, it’s just not possible.”

Indeed, Syria is on the brink of civil war, while Iran continues a tense standoff with the U.S. and Israel over its nuclear program. In fact, the looming threat of pre-emptive action was so grim that it prompted some 1,000 Israeli Madonna fans to form a Facebook page whose sole purpose is to plead with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay any engagement until after her Tel Aviv dates (she later added a second show, aptly titled the “Concert for Peace”).

But Oseary says it would take something more concrete than the mere threat of imminent war to deter his client of 22 years. “It would have to be really serious, where the lives of people working with us are in danger,” he says. “If we got a letter from the government saying it’s a bad time to go, we would still go. This woman doesn’t cancel anything, she just goes.”

That runs contrary to many foreign acts who call off dates in Israel not only because of potential violence, but as a result of political criticism from their fans (Elvis Costello and Santana, among them — more recently, indie rock darlings Cat Power and Tuneyards canceled shows in Tel Aviv as did Grammy-winning jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, who bowed out of her Holy Land concert two days before the curtain was scheduled to rise).

Madonna applied the same logic to uproar over recently enacted anti-gay legislation in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she’s scheduled to play in August. Says Oseary: “With St. Petersburg, she was, like, ‘Why would I ever give up my podium to stand up for someone?’” (Madonna declared on Facebook that she would “come to St. Petersburg and speak up for the gay community and … give strength and inspiration to anyone who is or feels oppressed,” an action that could get her charged under the new law that prohibits “the propaganda of homosexuality and pedophilia among minors.”)

In the meantime, Madonna will simply have to relish in her latest accomplishment: her eighth No. 1 album, MDNA (and first for Interscope after 30 years at Warner Bros.), which is set to sell more 359,000 copies its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and debut atop the Billboard 200. She’s still one No. 1 shy of Barbra Streisand for the most chart-topping albums by a female artist, but you really can’t compare. After all, Babs not only has 20 more years in the game, she rarely ventured beyond continental Europe.

Hollywood reporter

Madonna
1958–

There are performers, and then there are superstars. When Madonna (born Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone in 1958) burst onto the music scene in the 1980s, she was not only openly welcomed into that exclusive latter set but essentially redefined what it meant to be famous in America. After struggling for years to make ends meet as a dancer, singer and model in New York City, Madonna finally caught her break when she was invited to perform “Holiday” on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand in 1984. Clad in a torn black tee and a black skirt over cropped leggings — plus a whole lot of accessories — Madonna’s debut outfit was somewhat tame considering her future incarnations, but audiences were immediately enraptured by her striking spirit. Embraced early as a fashion idol — especially for the young generation — Madonna never ceased to amaze, nor has she ever lost control of her look or her career. From bridal gowns to cone bras and from sexy menswear to Asian inspirations, anything Madonna touched was emulated by her legions of fans around the world. While her musical career has taken a backseat to family in recent years, she stepped up her role in fashion by teaming up with 14-year-old daughter Lourdes in 2010 to create Material Girl, a juniors fashion line available at Macy’s. Now a new generation of girls who didn’t get a chance to fawn over the Queen of Pop’s every outfit can still mirror her style, if not her dance moves.

Full List

Madonna is the latest celebrity to launch her own fragrance – and we’ve got all the goss from the queen of pop’s ad shoot for new scent Truth Or Dare.

Madge’s debut perfume represents the dual forces in all of us – the black and the white, the light and the dark.

Truth Or Dare has a classic white floral scent mixed with notes of woods, vanilla and amber.

The advert features Madonna shot in her favourite black and white and plays like a saucy pop video.

Madge, 53, is seen dancing in a sexy corset and fishnet stockings and singing the words ‘I’m a bad girl’ over and over.

The commercial was shot in a studio in New York and is set to a remixed version of her new single Girl Gone Wild.

We hear that while on set Madonna munched on a a Moroccan lunch and listened to music by the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Adele.

Her daughter Lourdes also popped by after her ballet lessons.

Madonna’s hair was styled by Garren, her stylist for over 20 years, and her make-up was by Stephane Marais.

The Material Girl says of the perfume: ‘I have always been obsessed by fragrance and for years wanted to create something personal that was an expression of me, but that other people could relate to as well.
Something classical and timeless and yet modern.’

Truth Or Dare by Madonna is out this month.

Now

You’ve worked with the three major pop divas of today: Lady GaGa, Madonna, and Britney Spears. How do you stay creatively inspired and separate each job from another?

They are three very different personalities with three strong opinions so there is no similarity in any way. Each artist comes with inspiration and it usually spirals from there and turns into a concept.

You have worked with my idol Madonna for years—how did you begin working with her and were you incredibly nervous to be working with such an icon?

I started working with Madonna in 2006. My first job was the music video “Sorry” and our relationship has escalated from there. I don’t get nervous working for anybody, more so she gets my blood pumping to be better at my job.

When you do a major job like the Super Bowl where you have to source 500 costumes, where do you even begin? How do you wrap your brain around what’s to come?

It was a very long and collaborative process with Madonna and we worked from the group up, beginning with inspiration boards, that later turned into sketches and then reality.

For some reason I really loved the challenge of the Super Bowl, and it felt a bit un-human and unrealistic to accomplish. That made me even more motivated to make it the greatest show on earth!

fashionetc

Thanks to John

Madonna’s cleavage is just too much for Disney-owned ABC. The network says Madonna’s ads for her Truth or Dare perfume are too racy to run and have insisted that shots of her breasts and behind be covered up. ABC execs ordered producers of the perfume ad to digitally alter offending shots of her body in the 30-second black-and-white ad, which leaked on the Internet yesterday and shows her cavorting in a low-cut corset and fishnet stockings, wearing a cross and singing over a dance beat, “I’m a bad girl.” A source told us: “ABC viewed the ad [and] came back with a list of changes. They say they want her bra digitally made bigger, and to extend higher to cover more of her chest, and her corset longer to cover more of her bottom. ABC also wants to cut another suggestive scene where Madonna writhes around.” Ironically, Madonna’s team wanted the ads to run during the shows “GCB” and “Scandal.” But even once the requested changes are made, ABC brass think Madonna’s sexy black-and-white ad can only run after 9 p.m. — oddly with the exception of daytime show “The View” (perhaps because its viewers are unshockable). Page Six earlier reported that Madonna’s video for her new song, “Girl Gone Wild,” had to be re-edited after YouTube banned it from open view and slapped it with an “18 years and over” rating because of racy content. A second source confirmed to us, “ABC has requested some changes be made to the content of the Truth or Dare perfume commercial.”
NYPost