Madonna On Stage entries last part

Click on the Full Article option below to read the latest part of tour stories/memories our readers sent in as entries to win one of the 10 copies of Madonna On Stage the book by our dear friend and collaborator Fred Gillotteau, offered by Why Not Editions.

We have been receiveing so many entries that it was not possible to post them all. But all will be taken into consideration when the Tribe team will choose the 10 lucky stories. Winners will be contacted next week at their emails asking to provide a shipping address that will be given to the French publisher, Why Not Editions, who will send them the book directly to their homes.

We would like to thank our readers for taking part to this contest and kindly ask the winners to send us a feedback on the book and contest once they receive it home. Thank You Everybody!

I must say from the beginning that I have never been to a Madonna concert. And I surely hope this year will be the first time I will see her live (that, of course if she decides to have a concert in my country or somewhere really close). But seeing the gorgeous book you’re offering as prize I just had to send you an email.

I am going to talk a bit about my 2001 experience. At that time I had no internet at home, so I was going to internet-clubs (pay per hour). Usually I was going with a very good friend of mine, Ally, also a fan, and we would check some Madonna news sites. We were both so shocked when finding out that Madonna was going to go on tour. At first we even thought it was a joke.

We would later go and check for pictures and informations about the tour. I remember seeing the backstage pics from the shooting of the Geisha section backdrop videos. And that was all. We had no idea what costumes there were gonna be used, what sections there were gonna be, not even what songs were on the setlist. After the opening night we went to those internet-clubs to see pictures and infos. We saw some interesting pictures, and I remember seeing stills from the “Mer Girl” video backdrop, looking at each other and saying “That’s soooo not Madonna”. And boy, were we wrong.

From the little we have seen (only pictures on the internet and the news reports on tv; we had no idea in 2001 what audio or video bootlegs were and surely we had no home internet connection to search and download such things) we knew it must have been a great show, and our sadness of not being able to see it dissapeared when HBO announced they were gonna broadcast the Drowned World Tour Live from Detroit. It was such a long waiting. Ally had HBO, so it was Madonna night over at her house.

I remember we watched the concert on HBO, with the volume turned really loud (I was afraid her neighbours were going to call the police). We enjoyed every bit of it. It totally took us by surprise (unlike RIT or CT when we saw every pics and bootleg vids and knew her every move). Ally was writing down a list with the songs that were being performed. I couldn’t do that, I was totally mesmerized by what was going on on the screen. I was in total awe. I love Madonna, but I love the post 1998 Madonna more, so I was happy the show was so mature and dark. We were blown away by CandyPerfumeGirl, were not expecting to hear such a rock version of it; The Geisha section was magical (were not expecting to hear Mer Girl nor to see M fly) and we finally realised that those screencaps we’ve seen months earlier were indeed Madonna. The concert surely changed my opinion on Madonna the singer. I always remembered the difficulties she had when singing on BAT or GS, so hearing such nice versions of I deserve it, Secret or La Isla Bonita were a nice treat.

It was a magical night. We had no idea what to expect and we got the best show on Earth. It was something to dream about for months (as the next time we’d see it was on New year’s Eve, again on HBO, four months later).

That was my (and Ally’s) story of DWT. I know we were not in the arena (trust me, we wish we were), and I hope our story counts in the contest.

Best regards,
Mihai Mara (aka avenger13)

Hello, My name is Ashley W. Doty and my fondest memories have to be when I was 4 years old and got to go see the Blonde Ambition Tour Live here in Chicago. It was the beyond the greatest experience because up until then, I just thought Madonna was a music video artist but then I was taken to the concert and experienced her live. It was very awesome. Then, in 2006, I camped out at the Coachella music festival and awaited many hours just to see Madonna perform and she didnt fail me at all. I love Madonna in concert because her shows are ALWAYS spectacular!!!
So, please pick me!!
Booboi85

In 2006, I got to make more than one dream come true at just 16 years of age.

Going back to where it all started, I grew up with Madonna. When I was young, I would watch her in Dick Tracy, A League of Their Own and even went to see Evita at the cinema, not at my own choice but because my mother and grandmother dragged me along, and at 6 years old had no choice. But the moment I fell in love with Madonna was when I was 8 and first saw the video for Frozen in 1998. That moment changed my life…

When you love an artist, especially an entertainer of Madonna’s calibre, all you desire is to see them perform live. My only problem was that I lived in Australia. The word ‘depressing’ is an understatement when Madonna announces a tour and passes your country, especially when it’s so far away from the countries Madonna does perform at.

I will never forget the day tickets for the Confessions Tour went on sale. My parents decided that it was time I made my dream of seeing Madonna perform live came true, even if she didn’t come to Australia. Obviously there were no dates scheduled for my country, so I bought tickets to see her perform in France. It has always been a dream of mine to go to Paris, especially after watching the amazing In Bed with Madonna and I’m Going to Tell You a Secret and seeing the amazing atmosphere captured at Bercy.

I travelled to Paris with my sister and had magical experiences I will never forget. Unfortunately, my sister got very sick and had to change her flights and go back to Australia early. There was no way I was going to leave Paris. I hadn’t travelled all that way and gone through all the effort and trouble not to see Madonna. Being alone in somewhere foreign, and at only 16, was frightening. I had more of an idea how brave Madonna had been when she made the move to New York City with only $35.

I had four tickets to see Madonna live, one general admission ticket for her first and second show, and two seated tickets (one was my sisters’) for her third concert.

I lined up three days prior to the concert and was one of the first people in the line. I met so many amazing people who I must mention: Izzy, Estelle, Tascha, Amber, Mariska, Wendy, Angelique, David and SO many others. It was also great meeting the moderators of MadonnaTribe and seeing the wonderful picture they posted on their site with Izzy and I being at the front of the line.

The wait was nerve-racking and all I wanted was to get inside and secure a spot at the front (I knew the exact spot I wanted). The wait was finally over and I sprinted with Izzy, Mariska, Wendy and I got the spot – I wanted to be right in front of the main stage and next to the steps Madonna sits on when she performed Drowned World/Substitute For Love. I felt like I was dying in the mosh pit. When I made it, I was overwhelmed and got teary. I couldn’t believe I was going to be so close to Madonna, I almost didn’t believe I was front row, in Paris and was going to see her. It didn’t seem real – but it was.

It was so hot and humid; I was dying of thirst and from pains in my legs, being pushed, and the thought of seeing Madonna. The wait was torturous, but I forgot about the pain when the lights dimmed. The amazing intro of Future Lovers started and I was screaming like I was being chassed by a murderer in a horror film. The incredible disco ball slowly came on the stage, and then it opened. I couldn’t believe I was hearing and seeing Madonna live. She seemed too far, and I couldn’t wait for the song to end, just so she could come closer. I will never forget how fast my heart was racing when she walked down the catwalk, closer and closer to me. Seeing Madonna’s photo’s and on tv does not do her justice. I had this larger than life image of her, as if she was God-like. But she was there, right in front of me, one of the most beautiful beings. My absolute highlights were seeing her perform Live To Tell (I don’t think I have ever been so emotional – the dancers sharing their stories, the footage of the orphans from Malawi and of course Madonna on the cross), Forbidden Love (my favourite song on Confessions on a Dance Floor), Paradise (Not For Me) (one of my all time favourites) and of course Erotica. Madonna always has the power to shock, surprise and leave you breathless. And Erotica was no exception. I never thought Madonna would perform this song ever (for obvious reasons). But her rendition, with the additional lyrics of You Thrill Me was show-stopping. The whole show was spectacular and was nothing like I have ever seen.

Madonna blew me away. Seeing a 47 year old do such precise and complicated choreography, play the guitar, do more than just ride a mechanical horse, jump around, kicking and punching the air during Let It Will Be, as well as do more than just sing – BELT OUT her classic songs made me happy to see that Madonna has so much left in her. Watching her made me feel so exhausted. I was only 16 and there was no way I would ever have the energy to do what she does.

But the absolute highlight of the night was when she performed Drowned World/Substitute For Love. She pointed at Izzy, and she stood from the steps and walked over to us. She was so close, thinking about it now still gives me chills. All I wanted was for Madonna to see me, to know I existed. During the show, I got exactly what I wanted. I got so much eye contact with Madonna and it was amazing, an experience I won’t EVER forget.

At the end of the show, I went back in line and was ready to relive it all again. This time I was once again with Izzy, and with Estelle. We were right where we were the night before, but on the opposite side of the steps. Guy O’Seary came to greet the fans as he did the previous night when Izzy introduced us. I had something to give him, a newspaper article that a newspaper in my city of Adelaide wrote about me travelling to Paris to see Madonna. He took it and told me he would show Madonna and he asked to take photos of me.

I don’t know how, but the show seemed even more amazing than it did the night before. During the second verse of Get Together, Madonna was directly in front on the main stage and that was when I experienced the most of amazing moment of my life. Madonna was pointing at me and looked right into my eyes. It only lasted ten seconds, but that time froze for me and felt like it lasted for ten minutes. Izzy was shouting “George, George! She’s looking at you!” and at the end of the show, people told me I was on the big screen.

After Let It Will Be, Madonna looked out at all the different flags in the audience. She spotted Estelle’s, “Canada”, then Izzy’s and mine, “Australia! YEAH!”

I didn’t want the show to end. It really was the best night of my life, and I knew it was the last time I would be so close to Madonna, since I had seats for my last show.

I went to see how everyone in line was going before my last show. With the help of Izzy, I managed to get a front row seated ticket, as a scalper wanted my two seated tickets in exchange for the front row ticket (and he paid for my sisters’ ticket), which was right where Madonna performed Like A Virgin. My luck kept getting better. It was an amazing night. I wasn’t as close to Madonna as I had been during the first two shows, but I did get to sleep in my hotel bed leading up to the show.

‘Incredible’ is understating the experience I had. All I can say is that I can’t wait for Madonna to go on tour again to experience what a true live performance should be.

George Kellis

Il ricordo del mio primo concerto di Madonna é una spirale di suoni, luci, colori, urla e lacrime che vorticosamente arriva sempre alla solita immagine: lei in ginocchio sul palco, mentre la pedana si alza davanti a me.
Un’apparizione mistica, divina; ma quante lacrime riescono ad uscire dagli occhi in così poco tempo, per un’emozione tanto positiva?
E poi il suono tremendo delle bombe su American Life: il cuore stretto, aiuto, é terribile questo rumore.
La sedia elettrica in alto, lei che canta Lament; troppo presto si sono spente le luci.
Fuori da Bercy una troupe del documentario “I’m going to tell you a secret” riprende i fan che cantano: mi metto in mezzo, magari per un secondo lei mi vedrà, posso farle un sorriso per ringraziarla di tutto.
Ancora oggi metto su quel dvd e mi rivedo nelle immagini, che fortuna essere finita dentro la “memoria ufficiale” di tutte le memorie.
Ed ogni volta che sento Vogue torno a Bercy davanti a quel palco con lo stesso batticuore, con la stessa certezza: si é inginocchiata verso di me per salutarmi, per ringraziarmi di essere arrivata da così lontano. Forse.

Sara, Italy