Where does Gaga go? A little to seldom to places Madonna never has been before. Concert: Lady Gaga Stadium: Telenor Arena Attendance: 11 000 (Capacity 25 000) Album: Born this way Things happen in a Lady Gaga concert that would never have been allowed at a concert with the control-freak Madonna. Gaga brings colorful people, «Little Monsters» in Gaga-terminology, up on stage, kisses and hugs them, sits down behind the piano – fastened on a motorcycle off course – and starts up a couple of ballads like it was a couple of scenes from “the muppet show”. Her show is warmer than what Madonna presented at the same hall earlier this year. Funnier and more energetic too. But if we are going to talk about content, it is similar. Gaga hardly says anything Madonna didn't say 25 years ago. Freedom, bravery and sex=Good. Freedom, bravery and sex between two people of the same sex= if possible even better. Not-freedom and religious dogmas= Ugh! These are easy things to agree with, but Madonna said the same things with more, and less tacky, hits in her catalog. The stage is a Medieval Castle, the theme is some science-fiction-ish mumbo jumbo about a new human race within the human race and it's creativity through rebellion. The first 45 minutes is like a ride on a haunted train, rich on effects and big broiler-ish pop and a lot of costume changes. How cool it is depends on how good the songs are. Very cool I think, during her first, and still best song “Just Dance”. Not so cool during “Black Jesus/Amen fashion” which is so Madonna anno “Like a prayer” . The sound is big and hollow, as if someone is playing inside a big steel-drum. A very pregnant blow-up-doll is rolled out, through which Gaga lets herself be born - “Born this way” you know! Crotches get rubbed, automatic weapons waved around and funny hats tried on. It is self-serving eccentricity. There is dancing on three levels of the castle, and at it's best it looks like a glamorous piece from an old musical. The previously mentioned piano-sequence is good as bonding, but musically boring. She sings very good. Lady Gaga has both a past and a future as a sensitive theatrical piano player/ballad singer aka the Freddy Mercury/Elton John-school. Right now it seems as if she got accepted into “good company” too soon. That it became to many articles and commentaries, to many pats on the back from the “art-crowd”, to many vanity fair covers and to many premature comparisons to Madonna and Bowie in to short of a time, The best thing about her is how she's not working to get the male heterosexual crowd. You gotta say that is refreshing. But I have a feeling that she is a less interesting pop-artist than many of us had hoped for. Lady Gaga so often praised for being “original”, is mostly very un-original. But good on her for effort, and generosity for her own. Source article in Norwegian HERE. Thank you Ellen for the translation!! |
