Once again the award for the most creative headline about Madonna goes to the UK press. Here’s a scan from last Wednesday’s edition of the Daily Mirror with one of their funniest captions: “The Queen Mum of Pop“.

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They came to celebrate their Queen but what they found was more like the Queen Mother of Pop…

Madonna kicked off her Reinvention world tour in Los Angeles by presenting herself as a cosy family favourite.

The 45-year-old, who has shocked almost as many people as she’s rocked during her 20-year career, showed clear signs of mellowing on the opening night of her 35-date world tour.

Gone were the mum-of-two’s steamy dance routines and erotic clinches. In came shameless plugs for her Kabbalah faith, husband-friendly moves and a set of safe, crowd-pleasers.

But the audience took some pleasing. Husband Guy Ritchie even had to rally the troops. The Lock, Stock director was clearly anxious that his wife’s big night went with a bang, fronting up to nearby onlookers who failed to get off their seats.

No wonder Her Madge was keen to pay tribute to him, by donning a kilt for one part of the show – a nod to her other half’s Scottish roots. She even attempted a Highland Fling during Get Into The Groove – and had Guy in fits of laughter.

But if Mr Madonna made his presence felt, so, too, did Kabbalah. Madge is said to have insisted that none of her tour dates fall on a Friday – in observance of the Sabbath. Throughout her five costume changes, she sported a red-thread bracelet. She also knocked back specially-blessed, £8-a-litre Kabbalah water, flashed up Hebrew symbols, plugged its charity and wore its T-shirt…

Her other outfits didn’t leave us gasping either, although she certainly still has the figure to wear a Christian Lacroix sequinned bustier and hot pants.

These days, most A-list stars feature stunning pyrotechnics and gimmicks as standard. Not Madge. Even the hyped segment in which she’s lifted into an electric chair during Die Another Day failed to shock.

The 18,000-strong audience, including Christina Aguilera and Brittany Murphy, didn’t even seem to mind that a couple of numbers were mimed, and screeched along to old favourites during the two-hour set. Of course, there had to be moments of questionable taste, if not quite controversy…

Wearing a military-style outfit, Madge sang American Life and wielded a rifle while her dancers included miniskirt and stiletto-clad nuns.

After Material Girl – “I’m not really a material girl,” she told us – there was an impressive stab at John Lennon’s Imagine, complete with a backdrop of Arab-Israeli visuals.

Yes, some people walked out and a pro-war speech by George W Bush was roundly booed. Catholics may be annoyed by an image of Jesus on the cross during Nobody Else.

But as one bemused fan put it: “Madge has obviously got most of it out of her system but I’d have been really disappointed if she’d given up trying to shock altogether.”
Tonight’s show at the LA Forum has been postponed until tomorrow night for ticket holders. Madonna has the stomach flu.

Source: Caroline Hedley, 3am, The Mirror