Chilis hotter than Madonna

Pop queen, Madonna, is still in ‘Vogue’ with local music fans – even though promoters for her spectacular Irish live debut admit that they can’t yet put up those ‘sold-out’ signs.

Organisers for the US music icon’s Slane Castle appearance, on August 29, have hit back at allegations that the concert has been a relative pop flop.

According to UK media claims, Irish ticket sales for the former Material Girl, turned maternal megastar, have been “far slower than expected”.

One report said: “The show was predicted to sell-out in record time. But not even half of the tickets were sold by the end of the first day.

“Last year, the Red Hot Chili Peppers sold-out the same venue in two-and-a-half hours.”

However, MCD spokesman, Justin Green, dismissed allegations that Madonna’s Irish ticket sales had been disappointing and pointed out that there are now “only a limited number” left for the 80,000 capacity gig.

He said: “We are delighted with the sales to date and only wish every artist could sell tickets and break box office records like Madonna has done this year.

“There are only a limited number of tickets available at this stage and thus, this has allowed us to reduce our planned advertising spend by 50pc.”

When tickets for the 45-year-old singer’s Re-invention tour show at Slane went on sale Ireland’s main outlet, Ticketmaster, hired an extra 300 staff to cope with the expected deluge of demand.

More than 30,000 tickets were snapped up within 30 minutes of going on sale on June 18 – with 70pc sold within five days.

But surprisingly, Madonna – the biggest selling female artist of all time – has not measured up to the astonishing Slane box office records set by U2.

In 2001, Bono and the boys sold TWO shows out in 40 minutes and 94 minutes, respectively.

Last year, US funk metallers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, also proved to be a Slane sell-out in just two-and-a-half hours.

It is thought that the 88.50 euro (£58.40) price tag for the Madonna show may have put some concert punters off – costing £19 (29 euro) more than the Red Hot Chili Peppers and U2 Slane gigs.

Tickets for indoor Madonna Re-invention concerts in Holland this September cost between £37 to £57.

The 120-date Re-invention World Tour is expected to gross a whopping £70m.

Madonna – 46 years old on August 16 – will take away an estimated two million euro profit from just one night’s work at Slane.

Article by John McGurk, Sunday Life