Well...not yet...I lied. But she should. She's ready.

If you witnessed her on MTV last night, you'll know what I mean.

It was a thrill to see her so at ease and natural. Her voice sounded amazing and her band is tight.

There seems to be a trend right now of musical icons stripping down their live shows to focus only on the music. And it's working. I prefer Prince without all the gimmicks, props and choreography. So far I've seen Bowie and Annie Lennox do the same thing. Simplicity rules!

So, my question to you is, if Madonna announced a tour tomorrow, and you could design the show, setlist and choose the type of venue, what would your ideal concert experience be? She mentioned that she's not doing a greatest hits tour. So as a model, pick roughly 8 songs from the new album and 13 from her back catelogue to comprise your setlist.

So...

I would like to see her play 3000-5000 capacity theatres. Save the greatest hits spectacle for when the box set comes out. Make the demand high for tickets this way and give the fans a more intimate show. But this would still allow for most of her die-hards in every city to see her.

Don't worry about hiring a dancing troup, costume changes or a fancy light show. Just get Donna, Nikki, Mirwais, Monte and that amazing choir out there and do your thing. She can just stand at the mic and play guitar all night.

I don't know about the sequencing of the set yet, but these are the songs I'd pick. I might want to divide the show into 2 parts - the first focusing on the new album and the second on classics. Sorta like Act 1.

Set 1:

American Life
Hollywood
Nobody Knows Me
Mother and Father
X-Static Process
Easy Ride
Nothing Fails
Die Another Day

Set 2:

I Want You
Sanctuary
Bedtime Story
Secret Garden
The Look Of Love
Live To Tell
You'll See
Mer Girl
Power Of Goodbye
I'll Remember

Encore:

Deeper And Deeper
Like A Prayer
Take A Bow

This would be a dream come true.

The best edit ever!
[This message was edited Wed Apr 23 23:27:12 PDT 2003 by TRON]

Actually, I think I'd replace 'Mer Girl' with 'Nothing Really Matters' since she played it on her last tour.

TRON said:

replace nithing really matters with that song...borderline

I would divide the show into two parts,the first half focusing on older material,and the second half focused on the new CD and other recent stuff...



Set 1---
"Cherish"
"Don't Tell Me"
"Bedtime Story"
"Borderline"
"Rain"
"Live To Tell"
"Like A Virgin" (she performed this yesterday at the Tower Records performance!)
"Get Into The Groove"
"Take A Bow"
"You'll See"
"Like A Prayer"


Set 2---
"American Life"
"Hollywood"
"Swim"
"Sanctuary"
"Nothing Fails"
"Love Profusion"
"Easy Ride"
"Nobody Knows Me"
"Mother And Father/Keep It Together"


There are plenty of oldies so the longtime fans won't be disappointed.


...
[This message was edited Thu Apr 24 2:54:35 PDT 2003 by DavidEye]

DavidEye said:

Nice! Although I don't know how thrilled I am that she's playing LAV again. I like Swim and Sanctuary back to back. Cool to see you include the same 'Bedtime Stories' tracks.

The tricky part for me is about giving people what they want vs. what they need. Or both. And if both, in which order. Putting the new stuff up front like I did makes it seem like the core of the show. And for those who complain about the new material or prefer the oldies, it builds the suspense and excitement through to the end. But by doing it the way you do, it leaves a more lasting impression of her message by reeling everyone in with familiar stuff and then hitting them hard with the new. So it's a toss-up. Sometimes it can work to fully integrate the old and new, but sometimes things get lost in the mix that way. I'm rambling. I know. But it's interesting. Thanks for giving this some thought David.

don't forget skin!!!

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

agreed. "Skin" is in.

though i think a sandwiched show would be really cool. she could have a stripped down set at the beginning, showcasing some new material. then do the choreographed grand slam stuff in the middle (with nobody knows me somewhere in the mix). go back to a stripped down performance...maybe ending with the choir (the way it was on MTV)...

1. American Life
2. Hollywood
3. Bedtime Story
4. Nobody Knows Me
5. Skin

6. Why's It So Hard
7. Time Stood Still
8. I'll Remember
9. The Power of Goodbye
10. Promise to Try
11. Oh Father
12. Mother and Father

13. Ziggy Stardust!
14. I'm So Stupid
15. Intervention (heavy)
16. X-Static Process
17. Easy Ride

18. Burning Up
19. Music

20. Nothing Fails
21. Like a Prayer

Moonbeam said:

That's such a Moonbeamish pick!

CinisterCee said:

It is! That's my absolute favorite Madonna song!

Moonbeam said:

umm, please, do not encourage madonna to cover ANY bowie songs. as much as i'm digging her new disc i cannot be blind to the fact that madonna covering ziggy stardust (live, no less) is a travesty waiting to happen. sorry guys, i just to be honest here.

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

I only mentioned it because there was a rumor that she was going to record a version of the song for her album. I'd be interested to see how Madonna transformed "Ziggy Stardust" into her own. It could be disastrous, but it could be great as well.

should i remind you of "American Pie"? talk about bad covers.

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

Very true! I hate the original even more though.

Set 1

American Life
Nobody Knows Me
Swim (why did she not perform this last time?)
Intervention
Hollywood
X-Static Process
Don’t Tell Me (with that extended outro)
Die Another Day
Easy Ride

Set 2

I Want You (this would be a great opener I always think)
Skin (ditto 'Swim')
Sanctuary
Secret Garden (hm, I can dream, seguing into...)
Promise To Try/Oh Father
The Power of Goodbye
Mother and Father
Till Death Do Us Part (I can't actually performing this though)
I’ll Remember
Nothing Fails (an extended choral flourish to end, then a long silence while the crowd goes mad , then...)

Encore...

Like a Prayer (...the choir starts up again )
Papa Don’t Preach
Take a Bow ( a perfect closer)

If this set actually happened I'd be so happy you wouldn't believe. I'd like to put 'Burning Up' in too but I don't think it really fits. I think the tracks work relly well together. It's very smilar to the above listings but slightly refined.

This'd be great

It makes sense to put 'Promise To Try/Oh Father' Next to 'Mother and Father' looking at it again.. Revised set 2 as follows...

I Want You
Skin
Sanctuary
Secret Garden
Promise To Try/Oh Father
Mother and Father
Till Death Do Us Part
I’ll Remember
Rain
Nothing Fails

Ok on second thought I’d probably have three sections with interludes to give the gal a break as well as help with set/costume changes and distinction between ‘sets’.

Set 1: The New Stuff (guitar led soft electronica into strings)

American Life
Hollywood
Love Profusion
Intervention
X-Static Process
Don’t Tell Me (extended outro)
Die Another Day
Easy Ride

Strings Interlude [Live To Tell?]

Set 2: The Stranger/Feistier Side of Madonna (strings and heavy electronica)

I Want You
Skin
Sanctuary*
Bedtime Story*
Nobody Knows Me
Justify My Love (I imagine it like the William Orbit 12” Mix)

Piano Interlude [Power of Goodbye?]

Set 3: A Personal Selection (piano acapella leading into pop friendly choral electronica)

Secret Garden*# (extended outro)
Promise To Try*
Oh Father*
Mother and Father
Till Death Do Us Part#
I’ll Remember
Rain (perhaps a new version with guitars)
Nothing Fails

Silence before encore

Encore… Need I Say More? (revamped classics using that choir to full effect)

Like a Prayer
Papa Don’t Preach
Take a Bow

*segueing tracks
#unrealistic dream tracks not likely to be performed

I’m finally happy! although maybe I left out some of the older stuff. Too late now, there’s not going to be a third version, I have new distractions. I need to think a little less in future

Okay,let's do something else.Let's assume that Madonna WILL do a greatest hits tour.This show will be focused on her upcoming box set.What would you like the setlist to look like?


Set 1---The 80s
"Everybody"
"Holiday"
"Borderline"
"Like A Virgin"
"Crazy For You" (acoustic version with Maddy on guitar)
"Get Into The Groove"
"Open Your Heart"
"Causing A Commotion"
"Cherish"
"Like A Prayer"

Set 2---The 90s
"Deeper And Deeper"
"Vogue"
"This Used To Be My Playground"
"Rain"
"Bedtime Story"
"I'll Remember"
"Don't Cry For Me Argentina"
"Frozen"
"Ray Of Light"
"Music"


Set 3---The American Dream
"American Life"
"Hollywood"
"Love Profusion" (acoustic version with Maddy on guitar)
"Nothing Fails" (acoustic version with Maddy on guitar)
"Die Another Day"



25 songs in a lavish,two-hour show.I think a show like this would really satisfy her longtime fans,since they are starving to hear the early hits.