i'm late to the party, but happy to say i'll be at the forum show on the 23rd. not happy about where I'm sitting, or that i paid more than to see Prince from the front row, but re-invention slayed me, and COAD just moves me like i can't explain. i'd regret not going.

not doing coachella, though. great line-up all the way around, but i just soooo ain't into fighting thru a festival.

madartista said:

Hi Madartista! Long time no see

I'll be the San Jose show on May 30,and I'm also getting tickets for the second show on May 31,which has just been added.I have an okay seat for May 30,but I think I will try for a floor seat for the May 31 show.Why not?

oh yeah....Maddy just added a third show at the LA Forum for May 24.You going to that one? Goes on sale Friday morning at 10:00 AM.You could try for better seats


.
[Edited 4/18/06 0:23am]

madartista said:

I hear ya! It's now officially my third favorite Madonna album

DavidEye said:

hmm....

DavidEye said:

Ray of Light, American Life & COAD are her triumvirate. And Like a Prayer is still my number 1.

Good

madartista said:

you mean you really have to think about it??

DavidEye said:

my wallet does!

more on the crucifix rumor:

Pop star Madonna is having a massive "disco-fied" crucifix made as one of the centerpieces for her upcoming tour. The singer has raised eyebrows before with her controversial use of religious images and now she'll shock again with the flashing cross. A source claims Madonna will descend to the stage on the glittering disco-ball crucifix, covered with diamonds and Swarovski crystals. The ball is rumored to cost $10 million, and is being constructed at a well-guarded airplane hangar in Los Angeles for her Confession On A Dance Floor tour. According to the source, "It'll create a blinding light, like she's landing on the spaceship from E.T."

(imdb.com)

sallysassalot said:

FUCKING AWESOME. Can't wait.

So that explains the ticket prices.

if its true...

i think its a lame way to create controversy. its not very intellectual, its not very artsy, its just...offensive for the sake of being offensive. isn't that better suited for marilyn manson?

i've always considered madonna a performance artist of sorts. she's always managed to be controversial in an intelligent way. she's always managed to make a statement, something that, if looked past the surface, can make you think. this thing with the cross...if its true...it just seems like doing something that is controversial yet safe. i mean at this point there's nothing safer than a controversy about religion. on top of that, it doesn't even seem to make sense.

who knows...if its true...maybe taken with the entire set, it will say something more than "Hey guys, look at me!"

Madonna adds a third show in Boston
Boston Herald

Middle-age and motherhood are treating Madonna awfully well: She's just added a third Boston date to her upcoming Confessions Tour.The additional show is July 10 at the TD Banknorth Garden.Tickets,$55-$350,go on sale Monday at 10:00 a.m. at Ticketmaster outlets,www.ticketmaster.com and 617-931-2000.Her other Boston shows,July 6 and 9,also at the Garden,are sold out.

so,let's take a look at the tour schedule with all the added dates:

May 21--Los Angeles Forum
May 23--Los Angeles Forum
May 24--Los Angeles Forum
MAy 27--Las Vegas (MGM G.G.Arena)
May 28--Las Vegas (MGM G.G.Arena)
May 30--San Jose (HP Pavilion)
May 31--San Jose (HP Pavilion)
June 5--Fresno (Save Mart Center)
June 6--Fresno (Save Mart Center)
June 8--Phoenix (Glendale Arena)
June 10--Phoenix (Glendale Arena)
June 14--Chicago (United Center)
June 15--Chicago (United Center)
June 18--Chicago (United Center)
June 21--Montreal (Bell Centre)
June 22--Montreal (Bell Center)
June 25--Hartford (Civic Centre)
June 26--Hartford (Civic Centre)
June 28--New York (Madison Square Garden)
June 29--New York (Madison Square Garden)
July 02--New York (Madison Square Garden)
July 03--New York (Madison Square Garden)
July 06--Boston (TD Bank Garden)
July 09--Boston (TD Bank Garden)
July 10--Boston (TD Bank Garden)
July 12--Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
July 13--Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
July 16--Atlantic City (Boardwalk Hall)
July 18--New York (Madison Square Garden)
July 22--Miami (American Airlines Arena)
July 23--Miami (American Airlines Arena)
July 30--Cardiff (Millenium Stadium)
August 01--London (Wembley Arena)
August 03--London (Wembley Arena)
August 06--Rome (Olympic Stadium)
August 09--London (Wembley Arena)
August 10--London (Wembley Arena)
August 12--London (Wembley Arena)
August 13--London (Wembley Arena)
August 15--London (Wembley Arena)
August 20--Dusseldorf (LTU Arena)
August 22--Hannover (Niedersachsen)
August 24--Horsens (F.Horsens Outdoor)
August 27--Paris (Bercy Stadium)
August 28--Paris (Bercy Stadium)
August 30--Paris (Bercy Stadium)
August 31--Paris (Bercy Stadium)
Sep 03--Amsterdam (Arena)
Sep 04--Amsterdam (Arena)

There are rumors that she will add a few more dates for September...possibly Japan and Mexico,but nothing has been confirmed yet.

sallysassalot said:

well,she is known for making a grand entrance at her shows

sallysassalot said:

I agree with this totally. When i first heard about it, it simply didnt make sense to me. Im sure it will be in some sort of context. Confessions on A Dancefloor - Live To Tell, maybe there will be some kind of confessional theme to it, but for me this is all retreading old ground. I dont think she could address this subject better than she did with the religious section of her Blond Ambition tour - Like A Virgin through to Papa Dont Preach. The songs and performances all made sense, and the imagery was highly significant.

If this is just throwing a cross in for effect it wont work, but having thought about it, Im sure Madonna wouldn't be happy just throwing this in without any thought or context. Ill reserve judgement till i see the show (not that ive got tickets). All these rumours, whilst at times extremely accurate, the message or effect can get lost in translation.

Crozza,you still don't have tickets? Is she playing your area?

DavidEye said:

Nah, she played two gigs in Manchester last time, but seems to favour the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff this time around. I'm toying with the idea of going for tickets when released on the 21st, they're cheaper as they're all standing, but ive got to make a judgement call on having a holiday or seeing madonna. I cant decide at the moment which I need more.

CrozzaUK said:

seeing Madonna is a holiday I'm spending two nights with her next month

DavidEye said:

Does Guy know about this??? I know they're having problems but surely this is taking advantage of the situation.

Well im assessing my credit card situation right now. I start a new job soon, and should have more money to do both. Id toyed with the idea of making my holiday New York (again) and seeing her play at Madison Square Gardens, but she sold out in like 2 minutes. Ill bet theres a shit load of industry going over those 5 nights.....bastards .

CrozzaUK said:

The 5th show in New York (July 18) hasn't even gone on sale yet.It goes on sale Friday,if I'm not mistaken.You can still get tickets!

ok. so i've decided when tickets go on sale tomorrow for the 2nd san jose show, i'm going to buy seats (if i can get them) in the 165 price range. if i can work out a better deal later on, closer to the date, then great. if not, at least i'll have seats and i can be done with it.*









(*i am incredibly random and reserve the right to change my mind at any moment)
[Edited 4/19/06 10:33am]

any tips from any Chicago people .. where the best place to stay / best way to get to the concert at the United Center.

Thinking of hotel in burbs then taxi it to and from ...but that taxi ride could be pricey.

DavidEye said:

Adds zero shows to Detroit! It's looking so tight that I guess there is no chance of that, huh? Bitch! Not playing Japan like she promised (so far), huh?

newpower99 said:

oooh, the price of that taxi ride would end up costing more than staying in the city. you could always stay in a cheaper hotel (nothing fancy, just a clean bed and some coffee) and take public transport.

check out hotels.com or expedia for cheap rates.

LATEST UPDATES

***A second Vegas show has just been announced....May 28th and tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10:00 AM.

***According to Madonnatribe,the songs "Deeper and Deeper" and "Everybody" have been replaced by two other songs.

***They also claim that,contrary to reports on other forums,the songs "Secret" and "Where's The Party" are not on the setlist.

***Another fansite,Madonnalicious,reveals the following info:Guy Ritchie has been attending alot of the tour rehearsals,and last week all the dancers,backup singers and Madonna performed "Erotica" to Guy as a special treat.This song is on the current setlist and has been completely re-done.Could this be the song that replaces "Deeper And Deeper"?

sallysassalot said:

I guess you don't need new shoes after all?

Mad about Madonna
NY DAILY NEWS
APRIL 20,2006

We make fun of her age,religion,politics,workout ethic and even that mysterious English accent of hers.But whenever Madonna tickets go on sale,they disappear faster than diet pills at a Lindsay Lohan look-alike contest.

On april 10 at 10:00 a.m.,tickets went on sale for two shows at Madison Square Garden in Maddy's upcoming "Confessions On A Dancefloor" tour.Ten minutes later,all 40,000 ducats disappeared.That prompted the announcement of two more shows,whose tickets vanished just as briskly.

Tomorrow at 10 a.m.,tickets to a fifth,and perhaps final,Garden date go on sale (for a show to be given July 18).

Whaddya think is going to happen?

Which only begs the question: Why do people all keep rushing into the clutches of Madonna's live shows while pretending to be utterly aloof?

Of course,it wouldn't be the first time humans have displayed a contradictory tussle between lust and contempt.Here are the more specific reasons for our behavior.

WE ACTUALLY LIKE THE MUSIC.(REMEMBER THAT?)

Especially for this tour.Conceived as a nonstop ode to club culture,the "Confessions" Tour promises to bring Madonna back to her early dance scene days,reminding us of why we loved her in the first place.While cultural windbags may concentrate on her persona-and pretensions-fans know that Madonna has put out more great dance records than any pop star in the last 20 years.Except,of course,for the Pet Shop Boys.

HER TOURS ROCK!!! (EVEN WHEN THEY'RE REALLY SELF-IMPORTANT)

Yes,Madonna's shows always go for some Grand Statements,none of which have quite connected,or achieved coherence,since her peak tour (1990's "Blond Ambition").But despite the riot of information and "messages" she infuses each show with,her core production always looks smashing.And her choreography never descends into the Vegas tackiness of some other female pop stars we won't stoop to mention (Okay:Janet Jackson).Better,on Madonna's last road show,2004's 'Re-Invention Tour",she proved how much stronger her vocals have become over the years.At this point,not only can we dance to her music,she can sing it too.

WE WANT TO SEE IF THE OL' GIRL CAN STILL DO IT

As she approaches 50(well,48),it's a bigger and bigger dare for Madge to do the kind of nose-bleed headstands,body-bisecting leg splits and yoga-inspired pretzel twists we expect from her-and that she ruthlessly demands of herself.Madonna's insistence on keeping such a dizzying level of physical engagement at her shows means she's now defying age in the same way she once did sexual taboos.And that desire has a cultural resonance: As our whole boomer-defined culture grays,we all have a stake in Madonna's mission to hold back the clock.

WE'RE FASCINATED BY HER CONTINUED NEED TO WHIP UP SUCH AN INSANE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION AROUND HERSELF

Madonna's greed for recognition has always drawn a crowd.That her need hasn't abated after more than 20 years in the punishing media light only underscores the "me-me-me-ness" of it all.Which speaks to the inner egoist in us all.

Madonna performance throws a loop
By RON HARRIS,Associated Press Writer

MADONNA PLAYS COACHELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL
SAN FRANCISCO-Imagine if Elvis had decided to make a pit stop at Woodstock.

It's perhaps the best way to put into perspective the hotly anticipated performance by Madonna--perhaps one of the most famous faces on the planet--at this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio,Calif.,a three-day musical extravaganza best known for its lineup of indie-rock bands and dance-oriented DJs.

Outside of Madonna,the biggest acts on the bill are Depeche Mode and Tool--though successful,hardly on the superstar pop level of Madonna.Others include the punk rockers Yeah Yeah Yeahs,the Orthodox Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu and the electronica dance duo Daft Punk.

Certainly Madonna's appeal is universal and organizers are pleased as punch to have her there.She brings with her,however,a magnetic megastar effect--some will want to see her simply out of curiosity.

"Coachella this year is going to known as the Madonna festival," joked Tom Smith,lead singer of Editors,an up-and-coming rock foursome from Birmingham,England.'Good for her' I say".

Others are mystified she's there at all.

"Madonna's a pretty mainstream artist...I'd expect a bigger alternative kind of artist," said Chris Rock of the emerging rock group Wolfmother."It's kind of interesting".

Coachella's web site message board heated up when Madonna announced she would play the festival,prompting some unseemly posts like "I hope Madonna chokes on a crumpet".

Some fear a logjam of humanity at the smaller stage where she's set to appear--the "Sahara" dance tent,catering to an audience and a feel more in line with her recent works rooted in the same electronica genre.

How exactly did The Madonna Factor come into play? Paul Tollette,co-founder of Goldenvoice,the company that puts on Coachella,said he was still looking for a big name for the popular dance tent and they started considering one of the biggest names of them all.

"We didn't have anyone for the second night.We got to talking and said 'What do you think about Madonna?' Tollette recalled.A few phone calls and mutual friends later and Madonna was a go for Coachella (Madonna declined to be interviewed for this article).

Tollette acknowledged that adding Madonna to the bill has presented some logistical challenges--more people craning their necks to see her.To address that,he's put in place some spatial changes at the Sahara tent to accomodate more people--more than the thousands that usually fit inside.

To maintain the integrity of that plan,Tollette chose not to elaborate on those changes,but he's well aware the magnitude of Madonna commands full attention.

"There will be some people here specifically for her," Tollette said,adding the caveat "They'll be overwhelmed by Coachella people." (It's worth noting that he drew a distinction between the two camps).

There are no main stage acts going on at the same time as Madonna,but there are some acts on smaller stages during her set.Tollette predicts that there will be plenty of people taking in those other acts while Madonna does her thing.

Is Madonna the biggest act to ever hit the stage at Coachella?

"That depends on your definition of big," Tollette said."She's probably sold more records than anyone we've ever had at Coachella".

Tollette admits many people can't understand why Madonna--whose summer tour this year is perhaps the most anticipated--would play there.

But he added: "She knows alot of the DJs that have played the Sahara Tent,so this isn't anything new to her".

World known DJ Paul Oakenfold plays on the same night as Madonna in the dance tent.They're friends,have toured together,and Oakenfold has done several well-received remixes of Madonna's songs.

He said Madonna likely could have requested to play on a big stage at Coachella,but wisely chose to stick with the electronica-themed "Sahara" tent.

"That's an incredible boost for the electronic scene," Oakenfold said."To choose the less is more.It's a smaller situation,but it's going to be unbelievable".

"I think this is extremely cutting edge for an artist of that pedigree," he added."It's going to draw alot of people to that tent".

DavidEye said:

i know, right! luckily i bought my new, summer ndc's a month or so ago.
[Edited 4/20/06 8:28am]

Well for those who were against Madonna performing on the cross, your hearts may be broken..... take a look at the background of this first picture from tour rehearsals:








It may be just a prop, but there's relation to what everyone condemned a bullshit story.