Last night my husband was taking clients to Lady Gaga and I got to tag along. I like her music and I find her persona intriguing, so I was keen to check her out and see what all the hype is about.
The show was supposed to start at 8:30 so by 8:45 we were getting antsy and excited for it to begin. 9, 9:30, 10 – nothing. Michael Jackson’s greatest hits were playing on the loudspeakers, and by the time Human Nature came on for the second time, I was ready to head home. At 10:30pm, Gaga graced the stage, but to be completely honest, at that point, I was too tired to care.
What irked me is that she claims to be “different” from other artists in her unselfish love of her fans, her devotion to the underdog and her complete “professionalism”. Whatever. Her late arrived reeked of diva-ness and the lack of apology to her fans was seriously unprofessional. Sorry for the rant-y-ness of this post, but I was peeved!
We ended up staying for just a few songs before bolting home to make sure our babysitter got home okay. We saw Just Dance, Telephone, and Born this Way featuring the 10-year old Youtube sensation, Maria, who came from Winnipeg to join Gaga onstage. That was pretty amazing and Maria’s pristine voice rocked the Air Canada Centre with its power and purity. That kid is going places.
As for Gaga, she delivered in true form. There was gore – in one video feature she devoured her own pulsing heart as blood dripped down her face and bosom. There was motivational speaking – lots of shout-outs to the underdog, the freaks and the monsters. “I was bullied once” and now I’m queen of the world etc.
Another quote of the evening occurred as she bit the head off a Barbie: “I hate Barbies. Barbies made me throw up my food when I was young.” Very subtle.
There was wicked dancing, many costume changes – my favourite being an iridescent, transparent nun costume, replete with white crosses covering her nipplies and Flying Nun-like headgear. A red cape, a leather studded bikini, lots of fishnet, and black patent leather ball gowns were just a few of the incarnations we witnessed in our short time there. Fresh off the runway in Paris where she walked fro Thierry Mugler, Gaga displayed neon yellow hair and physique that is truly unbelievable.
Her performance was good; for me, a lot of it was reminiscent of early Madonna. Kind of been there, done that. Gaga has made herself the patron saint of the underdog, and it appears that her message truly resonates with her massive fan following. She has a good voice and knows how to provoke and perform. That being said, it was just okay for me.
Here’s a clip of Maria and Gaga performing “Born this Way” together. My favourite part of the show:
It’s amazing how popular Lady Gaga is – it seems like everything she touch turns into gold, hit after hit, out of stock concerts, merchandise sale – well, I suppose Im a little bit jealous 🙂
OMG, Sara, if that’s the case about her dad, then I feel like a jackass. However, it’s weird that she wouldn’t explain, no? Maybe it’s just too personal and she didn’t want to get upset on stage. I’m also happy with a simple performance that has great talent. I saw George Michael a few years ago, and it was just that: he came out on stage and sang his heart out for 3 hours. His voice was perfect, he looked fabulous and it was amazing. My husband will say the same for Broken Social Scene – his fave!
I gather she came on late because right before her dad told her that he was going to have heart surgery and she needed to compose herself. I found it odd that she didn’t announce that. I really and truly like her voice but I’m one of these people that prefer a voice, and a guitar and a stage…all the theatrics make me wonder what talent, if any, they’re hiding. Do you know what I mean???
I guess she’s the Madonna for a younger generation. (wow, I must be feeling old today to write that! lol!)
Thanks for sharing the details of your experience, Amreen. That’s pretty much what I’d assumed she’d be like although I was particularly shocked to read that she came on so late and without apology. Nice.
I always thought her stuff was mediocre from the beginning.
I totally agree! Not original, at all.
Personally, I am just OVER The Gaga. I used to like her personal style and catchy songs and I liked that she was who was type deal and didn’t conform to be anyone but herself. But, meh, I just think she’s a Madonna-wannabe with less personality and talent.