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Madonna news - April 2006
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More updates from Bruce's unreleased songs collection
29 April 2006Bruce Baron has mailed us about some new updates he did to his Unreleased Madonna Songs collection:
"I have recently made extensive updates to the Unreleased Madonna Songs listing at Wikipedia greatly expanding the entries, the links, credit details and descriptions. Featured highlights for your reference in this update are....
1) The documented evidence of Madonna as being the sole author of Physical Attraction almost two years before Reggie Lucas was unexplainably assigned that claim.
2) Expanded descriptions and partial lyrics to unreleased songs like "We Live In A House", "Warning Signs", "Shame", "Jitterbug" and many others taken from my original year 2000 notes from my visit to the US Copyright office.
3) The full track listing to the Rain album (as titled by the US copyright office) with song titles plus dates and song length (where available) taken from the notes of my visual inspection of the actual copyright tapes submitted by Shep Pettibone.
4) The documented evidence that Everybody was originally a co-write with Stephen Bray.
5) The documented alternate title name for the Wonderland TV Theme which is also the Italian word for "Airy".
6) The Arabic language female voice sampled in Erotica and The Beast Within is not Islamic in nature as most fans believe.
Note: This is a "living" master list started by myself about a year ago. It also accepts submissions from the public which are not always correct, detailed or properly documented as requested in the guidelines. Sometimes others catch it up when I fall behind. While there may be occasional errors and vandalism, it is also "self correcting" with time and opens the door to many sources for fan reference.
There are several rumored items listed originating from fan discussion forums that need to be documented, eventually removed or sent to the debunk list on the same page. When I see these listed, I use them for research purposes until fact or fiction status can be better determined. Enjoy!"
Get Together next week on radio?
29 April 2006I woke up this morning with Radio Donna playing... Get Together! They were giving previews of new singles and announced that Madonna's new single Get Together would go to radio next week.
German and Danish shows sold out
29 April 2006The Confessions shows in Düsseldorf, Hannover and Horsens, together good for some 200.000 tickets, have now completely sold out. No extra shows were added.
All the tour tickets went on sale now. The tour schedule now contains 49 dates, which is likely to be the final number. (the Drowned World tour had 47 dates; the Re-Invention tour 56).
More Madonna tickets available
Source: AZcentral - 28 April 2006After a tour of Glendale Arena by organizers of Madonna's Confessions Tour, additional seats in all price ranges have been released for the superstar's two Valley performances.
Extra seats to the June 8 and 10 dates became available after the space requirements for Madonna's huge stage were firmed up, according to local promoter Live Nation.
The singer's June 8 date was sold out, and the June 10 show was a near-sellout before the additional seats were released.
Tickets, priced at $55 to $350, are available at (480) 784-4444 or Ticketmaster.com.
Madonna's Valley visit marks her first local appearances since 1985.
~ Additionaly, there are more tickets available for the shows in Amsterdam (currently the last dates of the tour); check Ticketmaster.nl
Madonna spilling 'Secrets' CD/DVD in June
Source: Reuters - 28 April 2006Madonna will release her documentary I'm Going To Tell You a Secret as a CD/DVD package June 13 via Warner Bros.
The film, directed by Jonas Akerlund (Ray of Light), chronicles the diva's 2004 Re-Invention Tour. The release will also boast a 14-song CD of music culled from the film and concert, including Holiday, I Love New York, Like a Prayer and a cover of John Lennon's Imagine.
The DVD will include never-before-seen footage from the documentary as well as the director's cut of Madonna's controversial music video for 2003's American Life single. The artist canceled the release of the original clip shortly before its U.S. premiere.
Before the bow of Secret, Madonna will hit the road with her Confessions Tour, beginning May 21 at the Forum in Los Angeles. First up is her first-ever festival appearance this weekend at Coachella in Indio, Calif.
No Confessions Tour for Japan or Australia
Source: Sydney Morning Herald - 27 April 2006It's a confession no Madonna fan will want to hear: the pop star is unlikely to bring her Confessions World Tour down under.
When the tour was announced earlier this month, fans were devastated because Australia was not listed on her tour schedule.
But because Japan was one of the countries listed, many fans hoped she would simply extend her tour to Australia.
However, according to an email received by an Australian fan from the official Confessions Tour website, Madonna has more important things to tend to than visiting Australia.
"Due to Madonna's heavy workload as part of her Confessions Tour of America and Europe, plus her wishes to spend as little time away from her family, Madonna has unfortunately decided to cancel the tour to Japan and therefore there will be no tour to Australia," said the email, from confess@confessionstour.com.
"She hopes that her fans will understand her making the personal decision," the email said.
Frontier Touring, the company which had sought to bring Madonna to Australia, said it still intended to try to convince the songstress to come.
"We've been told that Madonna has no immediate plans to tour Australia but Michael Gudinski is still determined to try and convince her to come here," spokeswoman Julz de Jong said.
DVD release info for Secret
27 April 2006Fansite DrownedMadonna has posted the release info sheet for the I'm Going To Tell You A Secret DVD. This sheet mentions June 13th as release date. The DVD with the full documentary features never-before-seen footage and the director's cut of the American Life video as bonuses.
The release also includes a CD with the following selection of songs, recorded live on her Re-Invention Tour: The Beast Within, Vogue, Nobody Knows Me, American Life, I Love New York, Hollywood (remix), Die Another Day, Lament, Like A Prayer, Mother And Father, Into The Groove, Music, Holiday, Imagine. The audio cd will also be available for digital music download.
Coachella schedule revealed
27 April 2006Madonna is going to perform at the Coachella festival in Indio, California at 8 pm PT on Sunday, April 30th. Her set seems to be 45-50 minutes long (between the DJ's Paul Oakenfold and Mylo). No news about the setlist yet. (more about the festival on Coachella.com)
Madonna.com on 3rd single
26 April 2006Us, at Madonna.com, are happy to confirm that the third single to be taken from Madonna's Confessions On A Dance Floor album is Get Together!!! The official release date for this new single is to be announced very soon.
The maxi-single will includes remixes by Jacques Lu Cont, Danny Howells, Tiefschwarz and James Holden.
Keep checking Madonna.com for more related info!
ICON Presale for German and Danish shows
Source: ICON - 26 April 2006ICON is pleased to offer more pre-sale tickets to all qualifying members who were enrolled prior to Sun, Apr 2nd at 11:59 PM (PST) for the following shows:
Tues, August 20th - Dusseldorf, DE
Tues, August 22nd - Hannover, DE
Thurs, August 24th - Horsens, DK
The ICON pre-sales for the above shows will begin on Tues, Apr 25th at 10 AM local time (where the venue is located) and end on Thurs, Apr. 27th at 5 PM local time.
Your unique ICON code, valid for 2 tickets for the entire tour (you can purchase 1 ticket for two different shows), is on the 'Tour' page of ICONmadonna.com - please do not share this code.
Anyone who activates a one month trial after sun, Apr 2nd at 11:59 PM (PST) will not be able to participate in the pre-sale. Eligible ICON members will have the chance to purchase 2 ticket during the pre-sale for the entire tour.
~ General sale for these shows will open on April 28 (for German shows) and 29 (for Danish show).
Billboard confirms Get Together as 3rd single
Source: Ask Billboard - 25 April 2006Hello Keith,
After the inexplicable disappointment of Madonna's Sorry not being the huge hit in the United States that it's been in Europe, fan sites have been filled with conflicting reports and subsequent debates over what will (or should) be the next single release from Confessions on a Dance Floor.
So will the next single be Get Together or Jump?
Thanks,
Scott English
New York
Hi Scott,
Ready? The third single from Confessions on a Dance Floor will be (drumroll please)... Get Together.
I was surprised. Even though I had heard Internet rumblings that Get Together would be the third single, I thought for sure that the very catchy Jump would have been next in line.
Interestingly, the third best-selling digital song from Confessions is Get Together, with 20,000 downloads in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Jump stands at 9,000 -- the fourth most downloaded song from the album. (The best-sellers? Hung Up and Sorry, of course.)
Confessions on a Dancefloor, which became Madonna's sixth No. 1 album upon its debut last fall, has sold 1.4 million in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's more than double what her last set, American Life has sold to date (665,000).
The album's first single, Hung Up, hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. That gave Madonna her 36th top 10 hit, tying her with Elvis Presley as the artists with the most top 10 hits in the rock era.
Follow-up single Sorry only managed a No. 58 peak on the Hot 100, but did spend two weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart, where Madonna is in the undisputed champ. She's had 35 No. 1s on the Club Play chart, more than any other artist. (Janet Jackson's in a distant second place, with 17.)
Madonna's Confessions Tour begins May 21 at the Forum in Los Angeles. It makes its way across the country through the end of July, then she heads to Europe. First up though, Madonna will play the Coachella Valley Music Festival on April 30.
~ Amazon is also listing Get Together as next single, with a US release date of June 6. European release date is still believed to be May 29th.
Madonna makes London's Capital Gold's All-Time Top 500 Albums Chart
25 April 2006The Queen Of Pop reigns supreme as the most-successful female solo artist in Capital Gold's All-Time Top 500 Albums Chart as verified by the UK's official chart company.
The chart, based on UK chart positions and the numbers of week spent in the UK Top 75 album chart, was played out in full on the UK radio station on Easter Bank Holiday Monday April 17.
Scoring a whopping seven entries, Madonna's highest position was number 27 with 1984 album Like A Virgin. To see which of her albums made it into the Top 500 (you may be surprised) and to see the full chart, go to capitalgold.com. (thx to Mario from Capital Gold)
Audioclips confess Madonna sonic history
25 April 2006Madonnafan and expert in unreleased Madonna track info Bruce Baron has sent us some interesting information about certain Madonna tracks and their link with other songs, illustrated with audio clips. Enjoy! (and thx Bruce!)
Whitley Setrakin-Hill, a former Madonna roomate at the University of Michigan (pre-New York days) still lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After years of working in successful dance theater, she has formed a local band with her husband called Whit Hill And The Postcards. The song "Maddie" from their 2003 debut album "We Are Here" is about her wild college days with Madonna You can hear a 2 minute clip of "Maddie" by checking out track #13 at towerrecords.com.
Vogue was often accused in 1990 of "borrowing" from the 1989 hit "Deep In Vogue" by Malcolm McLaren. Check out the 30 second clip on track #3 at Barnes & Noble.
For Vogue however, we should look further back to the 1983 Shep Pettibone remix of "Ooh, I Love It (Love Break)" aka "Chicago Bus Stop" by the SalSoul Orchestra written by the legend Vincent Montana Jr. from an earlier disco 1975 release. In Shep's 1983 club mix you can hear the definite pre-cursors to the bassline, strings and horns of Madonna's Vogue. Check out the 1 minute clips at the link below of Shep's 1983 mix to get an idea of the "striking" similarity at Juno.co.uk
Erotica credits include a sample of "Jungle Boogie" by Kool And The Gang. Listen to clip here at track #7 Barnes & Noble.
Erotica and the The Beast Within also feature the middle-eastern female vocal by Fairuz (aka Fairouz) from the Coptic Orthodox Good Friday song "Alyoum Olek Ala Khashaba". There are multiple western spellings for the singer and song title which can make it difficult to find. Check out the original as track #6 at tasbeha.org or stern-von-bethlehem.de
Human Nature Writing credit contains sample from rap track "What You Need" by Main Source. Listen to a clip at undergroundhiphop.com
Sanctuary Writing credit contains a sample from Herbie Hancock's 1973 Watermelon Man. Listen to clip here track #2 Barnes & Noble
Drowned World/Substitute For Love Songwriting credits a sample by "Why I Follow The Tigers" by The San Sebastian Strings. The album "For Lovers" is actually from 1969 but you can hear a clip of the 2005 re-issue by checking out track #8 at Barnes & Noble
Mer Girl songwriting credits interpolation and certain elements of the song "Space" by Gabor Szabo on the album Ray Of Light. This Szabo song is originally from his 1967 album The Sorcerer. He died in Budapest, Hungary in 1982. You can listen to a 59 second clip of "Space" from the 1997 re-issue by checking out track #5 at Tower Records.
Madonna Syndrome's miserable girl
25 April 2006She might be the queen of reinvention, but the Material Girl's pursuit of perfection means she continues to tread dangerous water - and beware if you too have the symptoms, warns Cate Williams.
We all know Madonna is an over-achiever, but while other female celebrities slow down in their 40s, Madonna just keeps going. Despite rumours that her obsession with success is destroying her marriage, she still needs to be the best at everything she does, and needs very public recognition when she does it.
And, as usual, Madonna is spearheading a trend. Throughout the country there's an increasing number of us who will recognise the symptoms of Madonna Syndrome. Over-achieving, loving the limelight (but certainly stressed), a Madonna Syndrome woman puts enormous pressure on herself to be the best at everything, whether it's holding down a successful career, or running family life like a CEO, or both.
She stays up late to entertain in style, she rises at dawn for a punishing session with her personal trainer, and her laptop is tucked in her handbag to make sure she's first to score that must-have item from e-bay.
Like Madonna, she has a Backdrop Husband (he doesn't share centre-stage or cramp her style), an impressive career history, she is toned, groomed, and searches for her spiritual side.
And while it might be good for your profile, Madonna Syndrome is not good for the rest of you.
"Needing to be competitive and in control all the time carries an emotional cost to your health and relationships," says Susan Firth, a psychologist specialising in stress.
"You find fault with your partner or friends because you constantly want them to be better than they are."
So how can you spot whether you have Madonna Syndrome? And if you've got it, how can you deal with it?
» Continue the story at Cape Argus.
Madonna plans stunts for world tour
Source: Digital Spy - 24 April 2006 Madonna is planning to perform dangerous stunts while on stage during her new world tour.
The singer has become interested in Parkour, or "free running", which includes jumping and climbing techniques, and has met up with the sport's founder Sebastien Foucan.
"She's only learning the most basic elements so far," a source told the Daily Star. "It's incredibly dangerous. She's learning how to fall properly first. Seb is a great guy and they've really hit it off."
Fans set up camp for Madonna tickets
Source: icWales - 24 April 2006Dozens of die-hard Madonna fans [Friday] braved miserable conditions to snap up the first tickets to see the Queen of Pop's Millennium Stadium concert.
Fans camped for hours outside the Ticketline office, in Westgate Street, and Cardiff International Arena on chairs and in sleeping bags to make sure they got their ticket to see the superstar.
The singer is expected to perform to more than 60,000 fans at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday, July 30 - one of only two venues on the UK leg of her Confessions World Tour.
It will be the first time she has ever played in Wales, with tickets for the concert selling for between £55 and £150.
Mother-of-two Rhiannadd James, 33, from Trowbridge, had camped outside Ticketline since 8pm [Thursday] to make sure she was first in the queue to snap up a ticket.
She said: 'I've been a Madonna fan since I first saw her on Top of the Pops when I was a kid.
'This will be the first time I'll have seen her in concert and I'm very excited. She's just phenomenal.'
Zoe Carlyon, 28, of Salisbury Road, Cathays, who joined the queue at midnight, said: 'I've been obsessed with Madonna since I first saw her on Top of the Pops when I was five-years-old.
Dafydd Mott, 31, an antiques dealer from Constellation Street, Adamsdown, had been queuing since 2.30am today to get tickets for him and his wife.
He said: 'I'm under orders from the wife to get the tickets. Madonna has a talent for reinventing herself and her music has changed with the times.'
Meanwhile Mark Collings, 26, from Nantgarw Road, Caerphilly, Sion Thomas, 19, from the Graig, Pontypridd, and Steven Edwards, 19, Llanbradach, arrived at the Cardiff International Arena at 5pm yesterday to make sure they were first in the queue to buy tickets.
Mr Collings said: 'Madonna is just amazing. All this rubbish about tickets being too expensive is a nonsense because you know what you're going to get, which is just an amazing event.'
Fan art work
23 April 2006French Madonna fan Florence has sent us some nice art work of hers, inspired by recent Madonna pictures of Sorry and the Confessions Tour.
Another fan Marijan has reworked some of our G.A.Y. pictures. Click to enlarge. And thx to Flo And Marijan to share your art with us!
No resting allowed
Source: Monsters and Critics - 23 April 2006To plot what could be the top-grossing trek ever by a female artist, Madonna's Confessions tour strategists had to navigate a global landscape in a narrow window of time.
Initial on-sales for Madonna's outing, which starts May 21 in Los Angeles,saw quick sellouts with shows added in the United States and Europe for markets fortunate enough to snag dates.
The tour is produced worldwide by Arthur Fogel, president of TNA International, Live Nation's global touring arm. (Madonna will also perform April 30 at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, Calif.)
Following the model of the $125 million Re-Invention tour in 2004 and the $75 million Drowned World tour in 2001, both also produced by TNA, Confessions will play a limited number of performances - up to 60 - rather than visit 100 global markets a la U2's Vertigo tour.
Despite the short schedule, with a gross potential in the $200 million range, Madonna's closest rival in terms of the top gross ever for a female artist would be fellow icon Cher, whose never-ending farewell tour grossed $192.5 million from an endurance-testing 273 shows between June 2002 and April 2005.
Put simply, fans often must come to Madonna rather than she to them. And come they will: In the first four days of ticket sales, she sold out four shows in Paris, seven in London, two in Amsterdam and five at New York's Madison Square Garden, as well as doubles in Los Angeles, Montreal, Miami, Chicago and Fresno, Calif.
There has apparently been no 'sticker shock' from fans to ticket prices that top out at $385. 'Our rationale was to keep the prices consistent with the last tour,' says Guy Oseary, who co-manages Madonna with Angela Becker. 'I've never heard a complaint that people didn't get their money's worth from a Madonna show.'
TNA's track record with Madonna was a major factor in the company nailing down the global promotional rights for the tour. 'There's no question that our prior history with Arthur Fogel and TNA have inspired us to continue the winning team,' Becker says.
Fogel and his team began laying out the tour last fall while still deeply entrenched in their role as worldwide producers of U2's massive Vertigo tour. All TNA decisions are made based on parameters set forth by Madonna.
'The 'when' is certainly her call,' Fogel says. 'If you look at the last two tours and this one, the time frame is pretty consistent, late May through early September. That's the time that works for her.'
It turns out the values of the once self-described Material Girl may have changed. 'Madonna's family commitments are a priority,' Becker says. 'Her children's school schedules needed to be factored into the tour plans.'
Once the commitment for the time period is in place, 'we [submit] ideas of where we might go and go back and forth any number of times while the process of the routing evolves,' Fogel explains.
With a limited time frame and workload, the idea is first to maximize draw and revenue, and second to hit markets Madonna may have missed on previous tours.
For Confessions, Madonna will play Fresno; Phoenix; Atlantic City, N.J.; and Montreal, but skip East Rutherford, N.J.; Toronto; Worcester, Mass.; and Atlanta.
'We basically traded a few markets we didn't play last time, if ever, for markets we did play last time,' Fogel says.
The best an arena manager can do to secure a date is try to stay in the loop and hope for the best. After previously reeling in tour stops for Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and U2, the new Charlotte (N.C.) Arena was on the TNA radar but could not nail down a Madonna date.
'We certainly would love to host her, and we told TNA that, but ultimately in terms of how they route it, that's TNA's call,' arena GM Marty Bechtold says.
In Canada, Toronto lost out to Montreal this time around. TNA VP Gerry Barad 'was upfront with me from the beginning,' says Patti-Ann Tarlton, director of event programming at Toronto's Air Canada Centre. 'We did hold dates for a minute, but Madonna goes where Madonna wants to go, and I have to respect that.'
Conversely, the SMG-managed Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, with a capacity of 12,800, was able to capture a first-ever Madonna date. 'We took a shot at it, we made the numbers work and it paid off for us,' says Greg Tessone, the venue's assistant GM. 'Being the smallest venue on the tour, I'm thrilled to have it.'
In Europe, Madonna will play several stadiums, following a trend of acts like U2 and Bon Jovi of playing arenas in North America and stadiums in Europe. This time, Madonna opts for U.K. venue Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, and eschews the Manchester (England) Evening News Arena. Japan's dates in Osaka and Tokyo will follow Europe in mid-September.
Madonna says, 'This summer, I'm going to make the world my own private disco.' Becker adds that the tour has a mission statement: 'The soul objective of the Confessions tour is to get the audience up on their feet from the start of the show until the end of the last song,' she says. 'No resting allowed!'
Dutch info about 3rd video
22 April 2006The video for Get Together will be finished by the beginning of May and transported to TV stations. Nothing yet confirmed whatever b-sides Get Together will include, but the track will be submitted to Dutch radio playlists in May (no exact date known yet). Source: Warner Music NL / Madonna Underground
I'm Going To Tell You A Secret DVD release confirmed
22 April 2006
Madonna's official fanclub ICON have confrimed the release of Madonna's tour documentary I'm Going To Tell You A Secret on DVD in June!
Amazon.com have the DVD listed for a release date of Tuesday 06 June in the USA.
Los Angeles magazine Odyssey also reported that the DVD will come with a live bonus audio CD from the Re-Invention tour - and interestingly Amazon.com are listing an audio CD for I'm Going To Tell You A Secret!
Now all fans need is the Re-Invention tour to finally be released on DVD... (thanx to Madonnalicious
Why everyone goes Mad for Madonna
Source: NY Daily News - 20 April 2006We make fun of her age, religion, politics, workout ethic and even that mysterious English accent of hers. But when-ever Madonna tickets go on sale, they disappear faster than diet pills at a Lindsay Lohan look-alike contest.
On April 10 at 10 a.m., tickets went on sale for two shows at Madison Square Garden in Maddy's upcoming Confessions tour. Ten minutes later, all 40,000 ducats disappeared. That prompted the announcement of two more shows, whose tickets vanished just as briskly.
Tomorrow at 10 a.m., tickets to a fifth, and perhaps final, Garden date go on sale (for a show to be given July 18).
Whaddya think is going to happen?
Which only begs the question: Why do people all keep rushing into the clutches of Madonna's live shows while pretending to be utterly aloof?
Of course, it wouldn't be the first time humans have displayed a contradictory tussle between lust and contempt. Here are the more specific reasons for our behavior.
WE ACTUALLY LIKE THE MUSIC. (REMEMBER THAT?)
Especially for this tour. Conceived as a nonstop ode to club culture, the Confessions tour promises to bring Madonna back to her early dance scene days, reminding us of why we loved her in the first place. While cultural windbags may concentrate on her persona - and pretensions - fans know that Madonna has put out more great dance records than any pop star in the last 20 years. Except, of course, for the Pet Shop Boys.
HER TOURS ROCK!!! (EVEN WHEN THEY'RE REALLY SELF-IMPORTANT.)
Yes, Madonna's shows always go for some Grand Statements, none of which have quite connected, or achieved coherence, since her peak tour (1990's Blonde Ambition). But despite the riot of information and "messages" she infuses every show with, her core production always looks smashing. And her choreography never descends into the Vegas tackiness of some other female pop stars we won't stoop to mention. (Okay: Janet Jackson). Better, on Madonna's last road show, 2004's Re-Invention Tour, she proved how much stronger her vocals have become over the years. At this point, not only can we dance to her music, she can sing it too.
WE WANT TO SEE IF THE OL' GAL CAN STILL DO IT.
As she approaches 50 (well, 48), it's a bigger and bigger dare for Madge to do the kind of nose-bleed headstands, body-bisecting leg splits and yoga-inspired pretzel twists we expect from her - and that she ruthlessly demands of herself. Madonna's insistence on keeping such a dizzying level of physical engagement at her shows means she's now defying age in the same way she once did sexual taboos. And that desire has a cultural resonance: As our whole boomer-defined culture grays, we all have a stake in Madonna's mission to hold back the clock.
WE'RE FASCINATED BY HER CONTINUED NEED TO WHIP UP SUCH AN INSANE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION AROUND HERSELF.
Madonna's greed for recognition has always drawn a crowd. That her need hasn't abated after more than 20 years in the punishing media light only underscores the "me-me-me-ness"of it all. Which speaks to the inner egoist in us all.
Madonna performance throws a loop at Coachella
Source: USA Today - 20 April 2006Imagine if Elvis had decided to make a pit stop at Woodstock.
It's perhaps the best way to put into perspective the hotly anticipated performance by Madonna — perhaps one of the most famous faces on the planet — at this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., a three-day musical extravaganza best known for its lineup of indie-rock bands and dance-oriented DJs.
Outside of Madonna, the biggest acts on the bill are Depeche Mode and Tool — though successful, hardly on the superstar pop level of Madonna. Others include the punk rockers Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Orthodox Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu and the electronica dance duo Daft Punk.
Certainly Madonna's appeal is universal and organizers are pleased as punch to have there. She brings with her, however, a magnetic megastar effect — some will want to see her simply out of curiosity.
"Coachella this year is going to be known as the Madonna festival," joked Tom Smith, lead singer of Editors, an up-and-coming rock foursome hailing from Birmingham, England. '"Good on her' I say." Others are mystified she's there at all.
"Madonna's a pretty mainstream artist... I'd expect a bigger alternative kind of artist," said Chris Ross of the emerging rock group Wolfmother. "It's kind of interesting."
Coachella's website message board heated up when Madonna announced she would play the festival, prompting some unseemly posts like "I hope Madonna chokes on a crumpet."
Some fear a logjam of humanity at the smaller stage where she's set to appear — the Sahara dance tent, catering to an audience and a feel more in line with the her recent works rooted in the same electronica genre.
How exactly did The Madonna Factor come into play? Paul Tollette, co-founder of Goldenvoice, the company that puts on Coachella, said he was still looking for a big name for the popular dance tent and they started considering one of the biggest names of them all.
"We didn't have anyone for the second night. We got to talking and we said, 'What do you think about Madonna?'" Tollette recalled. A few phone calls and mutual friends later and Madonna was a go for Coachella (Madonna declined to be interviewed for this article).
Tollette acknowledged that adding Madonna to the bill has presented some logistical challenges — more people craning their neck to see her. To address that, he's put in place some spatial changes at the Sahara tent to accommodate more people — more than the thousands that usually fit inside.
To maintain the integrity of that plan, Tollette chose not to elaborate on those changes, but he's well aware the magnitude of Madonna commands full attention.
"There will be some people here specifically for her," Tollette said, adding the caveat "They'll be overwhelmed by Coachella people." (It's worth noting that he drew a distinction between the two camps).
There are no main stage acts going on at the same time as Madonna, but there are some acts on smaller stages during her set. Tollette predicts that there will be plenty of people taking in those other acts while Madonna does her thing.
Is Madonna the biggest act to ever hit the stage at Coachella? "That depends on your definition of big," Tollette said. "She's probably sold more records than anyone we've had at Coachella."
Tollette admits many people can't understand why Madonna — whose summer tour this year is perhaps the most anticipated — would play there.
But Tollette added: "She knows a lot of the DJs that have played the Sahara tent, so this isn't anything new for her."
World renown DJ Paul Oakenfold plays on the same night as Madonna in the dance tent. They're friends, have toured together, and Oakenfold has done several well-received remixes of Madonna's songs.
He said Madonna likely could have requested to play on a big stage at Coachella, but wisely choose to stick with the electronica-themed "Sahara" tent.
"That's an incredible boost for the electronic scene," Oakenfold said. "To choose the less is more. It's a smaller situation, but it's going to be unbelievable."
"I think this is extremely cutting edge for an artist of that pedigree," he added. "It's going to draw a lot of attention to that tent."
New sales date for Horsens tickets
Source: Madonna I Horsens.dk - 19 April 2006
The public onsale of tickets for Madonna's August 24th show in Horsens was delayed to April 29th, Saturday, 9:30 AM.
Madonna prays that fans confess
Source: Contactmusic - 19 April 2006Superstar Madonna wants fans to reveal their private thoughts in confessional video booths for her forthcoming world tour. The spiritual Like A Prayer singer is planning to give fans a chance to spill their deepest, darkest secrets as she travels the world on her Confessions tour, which kicks off in Los Angeles next month (May '06).
The queen of pop will then choose the best ones and play them out to the crowd during the breaks in the show. A concert insider says, "It will be awesome as you could propose to someone, or dump them, or simply tell Madonna how much you love her."
Madonna's Children Design Handbags For Charity
Source: Yahoo - 19 April 2006Madonna's children Rocco and Lourdes have decorated handbags for fashion house Celine that will be auctioned off for charity next month.
The fashion company asked 19 celebrity offspring including the children of Emmanuelle Beart and Audrey Marnay, to customise its canvas Poulbot bag.
The proceeds from the sale will go to actress/singer Vanessa Paradis' charity Reves, which helps sick children realise their dreams.
Paradis' children with actor Johnny Depp, Jack and Lily-Rose, have also designed bags for the cause.
The French fashion house sent the necessary design tools, from felt-tip pens to feathers to the children to help with their projects.
Madonna's daughter nine-year-old daughter Lourdes covered her bag with red lips, while her five-year-old son Rocco sketched colourful drawings of small animals on his bag.
The bags will be auctioned off at a dinner at the Hotel Bristol in Paris, France, on 30 May (06).
How Madonna's Banknorth Garden dates grow
Source: Boston Herald - 19 April 2006Middle age and motherhood are treating Madonna awfully well: She's just added a third Boston date to her upcoming Confessions Tour. The additional show is July 10 at the TD Banknorth Garden.
Tickets, $55-$350, go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com and 617-931-2000. Her other Boston shows, July 6 and 9, also at the Garden, are sold out.
New date for Nevada
Source: Review Journal - 18 April 2006A second Madonna show has been added to her Confessions Tour stop in Las Vegas over Memorial Day weekend. Added to her May 27 date at the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be a Sunday, May 28 show.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office and all Ticketmaster outlets (Smith's, Tower Records, RobinsonsMay and Ritmo Latino).
~ Currently the tour has 30 North American and 18 European dates.
Donna Delory officially backing up Madonna
Source: DonnaDelory.net - 18 April 2006It's Official! After weeks of keeping our lips sealed we can officially announce that Donna will be touring with Madonna this summer.
With the re-launch of donnadelory.net, Donna would also like to share some exciting news with her fans around the world. Donna is happy to confirm that she will be touring the globe with Madonna on her Confessions World Tour.
In between rehearsal time for the Confessions Tour, Donna has been working with Mac Quayle on her next full length studio album. Donna's assistant, Paul Yanez, says "Donna is excited to be touring with Madonna again. It gives her the chance to connect with her fans and Madonna's fans around the world.
Donna plans on performing several solo gigs on her days off on the Madonna tour in various venues and yoga centers."
~ The other background singer is confirmed to be Nicki Richards.
Two more californian dates added
Source: OCregister.com - 18 April 2006Madonna, who has already sold out two nights at the Forum in Inglewood, will play a third show at the venue on May 24, tour promoter Live Nation announced Monday.
Tickets for the show, priced at $57.50-$352.50 plus service charges, will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at www.LiveNation.com as well as all Ticketmaster outlets and www.ticketmaster.com. They also may be purchased by phone at (714) 740-2000. There is a limit of six tickets per order.
Madonna's three concerts in Southern California, May 21, 23 and 24, will launch her Confessions tour, which currently includes 30 U.S. dates, to be followed by at least 18 shows in Europe. Most of those performances have quickly sold out.
~ A second show for San Jose was added too, for May 31st. Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 21st 10 am via Ticketmaster.
Madonna adds second Philly concert
Source: NBC10.com - 17 April 2006If you weren't able to get choice tickets for Madonna's Philadelphia concert, it looks like you'll get another shot at the front row.
The Wachovia Center's calendar lists a second Madonna concert on July 13 at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale April 24 at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $55, $95, $165 and $350.
You can get tickets at the Wachovia Complex Box Office, Ticketmaster.com, or by phone at (215) 336-2000, (856) 338-9000, or (302) 984-2000.
The Confessions Tour already had a scheduled stop in the City of Brotherly Love on July 12 and at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., on July 16. Other stops include Las Vegas, Phoenix, Chicago, Montreal, New York, Boston and Miami.
The Material Girl last performed in Philadelphia for two sold-out nights at the Wachovia Center in 2004 over Independence Day, as part of the Re-Invention Tour, her last tour.
This tour will be supporting her 2005 album, Confessions on a Dance Floor.
Spoiler about the show entrance
17 April 2006Today a newspaper article hinted at the opening of Madonna's upcoming tour entrance. Click here to visit our tour spoilers page.
Artists raise money for musical instruments after hurricanes
Source: PR Newswire - 14 April 2006More than one hundred musical artists including Madonna, Celine Dion, Elton John, INXS. Gretchen Wilson, Toby Keith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bonnie Raitt, Staind, Ozomatli and more, have joined on to participate in online ticket auctions to raise funds to replace musical instruments and equipment destroyed during the Gulf Coast hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The performing artists have donated tickets to their concerts for Music Rising online auctions through Ticketmaster.
Music fans may bid for tickets to top summer concert events all across the country with net proceeds going to Music Rising. More than 65 auctions are currently underway and additional auctions are launching each weekend during the month of April through this first-ever alliance between four of the nation's largest concert promoters, Live Nation, House of Blues, AEG Live, and Nederlander Concerts, along with participating artists, Ticketmaster and Gibson Guitar.
The majority of Music Rising Auctions include four (4) premium location tickets for venues with reserved seating (general admission tickets for general admission events) and one Epiphone guitar, which for most auctions will be autographed by one or more of the show's performers. Gibson Guitar, a founding partner of Music Rising, is providing the Epiphone guitars included in the auctions.
Music Rising Auctions launched April 1, 2006 and the first series closes this week. Among some of the current and upcoming Music Rising Auctions (with new auctions to be announced each week in April) include Madonna's concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City.
Rome sales date revealed
13 April 2006Tickets for Madonna's August 6th Confessions Tour show in Rome will go on sale via www.ticketone.it on Thursday, April 20th 9 am CET. Fanclub presale will happen on Tuesday, April 18th 9 am CET on www.iconmadonna.com.
~ Also, it seems that sales for the August 20th Dusseldorf show will happen with the Hannover show, on Friday April 28th.
Coachella Festival to be broadcasted online
Source: AT&T Blue Room - 13 April 2006The AT&T blue room will be bringing you hours of free uninterrupted live streaming coverage from Coachella. The webcast will feature live performances from your favorite Coachella artists as well as exclusive live performance footage that will be available on the blue room after the show. Stay tuned for all of this plus more starting on April 29th, 2006 and for updates on the webcast schedule sign up for the AT&T blue room newsletter at http://blueroom.att.com/newsletter/index.php.
Coachella is one of the most innovative forward thinking music and arts festivals in America. Every year some of the world's finest talent converges in Indio, California for two incredible days of music, art and fun. Every year the line-up for Coachella is more and more impressive and this year’s live webcast on the blue room will no doubt be one of the most exciting online events of the year. For more information on festival artist line-ups visit www.coachella.com.
~ Madonna is performing at Coachella Festival on Sunday, April 30th in the dance tent. She's rumoured to have a 45 minute long setlist.
Madonna marriage may have had bumpy period
Source: Yahoo - 12 April 2006Madonna and Guy Ritchie have retreated to Los Angeles where they are patching things up after a bumpy period in their marriage, her father-in-law says in a magazine interview released Tuesday.
"L.A. seems to have helped them. It's easier out there because there is less pressure. They seem to have left the bumps they were having over here behind them," John Ritchie was quoted as saying in an interview with Closer magazine.
"You can never know that things will work, but they do seem to be fitting into each other more," he was quoted as saying.
"They have put everything behind them and have gone to L.A. to enjoy themselves. They're able to go home at night and be together. They both want to see the children. They are going to have a good time out there and be a family."
Reports of a rift in the marriage circulated recently, especially after Madonna didn't include her film director husband in her thank yous after winning a Brit Award in February.
The couple have a son, Rocco, 5, and the singer also has a daughter, Lourdes, 9.
"It's the children that will keep them together. The children are everything to them," John Ritchie told the magazine.
Semtex-maker Explosia not to sue Madonna
Source: Prague Monitor - 12 April 2006The Czech company Explosia from Pardubice, which was considering suing US pop star Madonna for having used the name of the company's product Semtex, will not bring a lawsuit in this case, the daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) writes in its local supplement today.
In January, Madonna established her company Semtex Girls Ltd. in London, where she lives. She used the name of an ill-fame explosive for which Explosia holds trademark.
However, Explosia lawyers decided that a lawsuit should not be raised in this case.
The paper says that the Explosia management puts the trademark at CZK 130 million, but that in this case Madonna only wants to draw the public attention.
"The Semtex trademark is very well known from the media. We consider the company's name just a commercial trick and an attempt to shock people," Ladislav Lehky from Explosia's research institute said.
Madonna has so far kept her business plans secret, but the addressed lawyers said that she would most probably not deal with explosives production.
If she did, Explosia's lawyers could demand a financial compensation from her.
The paper writes, referring to the lawyers' opinions that Madonna probably intends to promote her tour round Europe and that her company will work in showbusiness.
Explosia holds this trademark practically for all fields, but not for showbusiness.
"We would have to prove that Madonna damaged our trademark, which would cost a lot of money," Lehky noted.
Explosia succeeded in another dispute about this trademark in the 1990s when the Czech company Pinelli launched energy drink Semtex and had to pay for the trademark retroactively.
Madonna's representatives have not participated in any negotiations over the trademark in the Czech Republic.
Madonna has not revealed details about her company as yet. She has only explained the meaning of "Semtex Girl."
"The Semtex Girl is a girl who is dynamic, a girl who explodes, who doesn't know the meaning of nine to five, a girl who is unstoppable and who doesn't take no for an answer. And has excellent taste," she said on www.contactmusic.com sometime ago.
In any case, Explosia, which has almost not manufactured Semtex any longer, has got into the limelight in connection with Madonna's activities.
Madonna tour tickets 'snapped up'
Source: BBC - 12 April 2006Fans of Madonna have snapped up almost all tickets for her forthcoming world tour, despite extra shows added in several cities, reports say.
The tour, which starts on 21 May, is full in several venues, including seven shows at London's Wembley Arena, according to US magazine Billboard.
Other sold-out shows in her tour include dates in Paris, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Jose and Montreal.
The Confessions on a Dancefloor tour is named after Madonna's number one album.
The album topped the charts on its debut in 29 countries and spawned two number one singles in the UK.
In 2004, her Re-Invention tour grossed $125m (£71.7m) and drew more than 900,000 fans to 56 shows.
The singer sold out 55 of the shows, making about $2.23m (£1.28m) a night, Billboard reported.
So far, Madonna has announced 40 shows in 21 venues across the US, Canada and Europe, in her latest tour, with many already sold out.
Fans who have missed out on tickets can bid for the best seats at selected shows in the US.
They are being officially sold by auction over the next seven days, with bids for her opening Los Angeles date reaching $1,060 (£608) for a pair after less than a day on sale.
Ticket Trade Forum
11 April 2006No luck on the ticket sales? Still searching for one or more tickets? Or got some spare tickets to sell or trade?
Mad-Eyes introduces the Ticket Trade Forum, where you can post your ad to buy, sell or trade tickets with other fans.
Please respect each other - messages containing outrageous prices will be removed immediately.
Fifth New York date added!
Source: New York Daily News - 11 April 2006Faster than a ray of light, Madonna sold out every ticket - even those going for $400 a pop - to her initial run of shows at Madison Square Garden for her upcoming Confessions tour.
Ten minutes after they went on sale yesterday morning, all seats were gone for the first two announced New York dates, June 28 and 29.
A short time later, the promoter announced two more dates, July 2 and 3, and those sold out by early afternoon.
A fifth show has just been added for July 18. Tickets for that date go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
The 47-year-old material mom also quickly sold out all seven shows at London's Wembley Arena, four concerts in Paris, plus all dates in Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal and Chicago.
Fans who've been shut out shouldn't give up. It's common for seats held for various production and promotion purposes to be released for sale closer to the concert dates.
Madonna's dance-oriented Confessions show opens at Los Angeles' The Forum on May 21.
~ The 5th show in New York is not posted on Ticketmaster yet.
Confessions Tour the top-grossing tour ever for a female artist?
Source: Billboard - 11 April 2006Initial ticket sales for Madonnna's upcoming Confessions tour have been predictably huge, with shows added in several cities and virtually all dates selling out.
The tour, which begins May 21 in Los Angeles, has sold out four shows in Paris at Bercy Stadium beginning Aug. 27, seven shows at London's Wembley Arena beginning Aug. 1, two shows at the 40,000-capacity Amsterdam Arena beginning Sept. 3, and four shows in New York's Madison Square Garden beginning June 28, as well as doubles in Los Angeles, Montreal, Miami and Chicago.
Also sold out are Las Vegas (May 27), Philadelphia (July 12), Hartford, Conn. (June 25), Phoenix (June 8) and San Jose (May 30).
Tour producer Arthur Fogel, president of TNA International, tells Billboard.com there has clearly been no resistance to ticket prices that range from $50 to $350. "What you have is a recognition that she creates and delivers a spectacular show every time she goes on the road," says Fogel. "And this tour will be no different."
With a gross potential in the $200 million range, Confessions could be the top-grossing tour ever for a female artist. In 2004, Madonna's Re-Invention tour grossed $125 million and drew more than 900,000 fans to 56 shows.
Hannover sales date announced
10 April 2006German sponsor of Confessions Tour, NDR2 announces that the sales for Madonna's August 22th show in Hannover are happening on April 28th.
10 April 2006 Brazilian fans ask Madonna not to hesitate
Australian fans are not the only ones petitioning to get the Confessions Tour to their country. Brazilian fans, who have also been very supportive to Madonna, are hoping to get the chance to see her live on tour this summer.
There have been some rumours about a concert at the Copa Cabana beach, although that seems highly unlikely. Our friends from the Brazilian fansite Madonna Online have made a very cool website, which asks fans to sign the petition. It's really worth visiting, so take a minute to sign up: www.madonnanobrasil.com.br.
New dates for Phoenix and Chicago announced!
Source: Glendale Arena News - 10 April 2006Madonna's Confessions Tour continues its spectacular sales streak with a total of 7 sold out performances at London's Wembley Arena over the weekend. This followed the exceptional sales last Friday in Paris where 4 Bercy performances sold out in one day and in Chicago where 2 shows sold out and a 3rd was immediately announced for on-sale later this week.
Over the weekend, the sales pace continued with second shows announced and on sale in Amsterdam, Fresno, Montreal and Los Angeles.
This morning, the 2 New York performances June 28th and 29th sold out leading to the announcement of a 3rd Madison Square Garden performance on July 2nd. This too quickly sold out and a 4th show July 3rd is also now sold out!
In Phoenix, the June 8th performance was a complete sell-out. Due to overwhelming demand a 2nd show has now been confirmed for Saturday, June 10th.
Tickets for the June 10th show at Glendale Arena, go on sale Next Monday, April 17th at 10a.m.
Tickets will be $355.05, $170.05, $100.05 and $60.05 and are limited to 6 tickets per person.
Tickets available at www.livenation.com, the Glendale Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. To charge call 480-784-4444 (Phoenix Metro Area) or 520.321.1000 (Outside Phoenix Area).
All dates, acts, and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, and service and handling charges. For more show information, check out www.livenation.com.
June 10 Phoenix (Glendale Arena - On Sale April 17)
June 18 Chicago (United Center - On Sale April 13)
~ The article also mentions all the sold out shows, check them out on our Confessions Tour details page!
Madonna tickets proving hard to come across
Source: All Headline News - 10 April 2006High-ticket prices are not stopping Madonna fans from trying to secure seating for Madge's Confessions tour this summer.
At latest check the Chicago, Las Vegas, Montreal, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and unfortunately Miami were sold out, with just a smattering of nosebleed seats still available.
Madonna fans in New York are handing over up to $384.50 a ticket for her June shows at Madison Square Garden.
At 10 am Monday morning other fans globally were also shelling out big bucks for tickets. However after just a couple of minutes it soon became clear that seeing the "Material Mom" krump (an underground urban dance) on stage was not going to be easy.
The only show that does not seem to have a flurry of fans buying tickets is in Fresno, California.
In 2004 her Re-Invention tour - the concert tour of the year - raked in $125 million.
US sales update
10 April 2006 Confessions Tour tickets for New York City's Madison Square Garden went on sale at 9 am local time and the two shows sold out in about twenty minutes. A new date for July 2nd was added on Ticketmaster!
A date for July 3rd is added too on Ticketmaster.
July 23rd added for Miami, Florida 15 minutes after July 22nd went on sale.
July 9th added for Boston, Massachusetts.
Tickets for Hartford, Connecticut; Atlantic City, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are on sale too.
The remaining US dates of Phoenix, Arizona and San Jose, California went on sale at 10 am pacific time. The dates of Miami and New York City seem to be sold out.
First dates of Phoenix and San Jose sold out in less than 20 minutes.
Guitar lessons to play Sound of Music
Source: ContactMusic - 10 April 2006Pop superstar Madonna took guitar lessons so she could play The Sound Of Music to her children Lourdes and Rocco. The Material Girl visited London guitar teacher Bobby Tider three times a week for four months in 2001, and was soon out-strumming her film-maker husband Guy Ritchie.
Tider says, "I got a call from Guy. I didn't know who he was, just some rich dude. I used to go to his flat and I was sitting there one day when Madonna came in.
She asked me to give her lessons too. "Because I had been charging Guy GBP30-per-hour I had to charge Madonna the same - she was used to paying GBP60.
"I taught Madonna the scales. She wanted to learn The Sound Of Music for her kids. She also wanted to play early David Bowie songs. "She was very good and worked very hard. You have to put in the hours. Guy was slow but Madonna was a good pupil."
Docu DVD released on June 6?
10 April 2006According to online store Amazon, the DVD for Madonna tour documentary I'm Going To Tell You A Secret will be released on June 6th, 2006 (Region 1 US, Canada). The Mad-Eyes team tried to verify this info with Madonna's management, but they refused comment.
Concerning the live DVD for the Re-Invention tour, there is no release date known yet, but because of contractual agreements it can only be released after the documentary DVD.
Madonna is Warner's Queen
Source: CNN, thx to MIR - 10 April 2006CEO Edgar Bronfman's effort to adapt a storied label for the digital age could provide a blueprint for the salvation of the recording industry - and of the reputation of one of America's most intriguing moguls.
The lights were dim. Scented white candles guttered and glowed, arrayed around a towering arrangement of white flowers that were themselves encircled by chairs draped in white linens. Madonna was in the house.
The house in this instance was a conference room at the New York headquarters of Warner Music Group last June, and despite the efforts to set the mood, the vibe was anything but relaxed. CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. and a handful of top Warner executives had gathered to hear Madonna's as-yet-unreleased album, Confessions on a Dance Floor.
Bronfman was particularly edgy; Madonna's last record had bombed, and the onetime undisputed diva, now 47 years old, seemed perilously poised between one last shot at clawing back into the limelight or sliding further into faded stardom - and, more to the point for Warner, commercial oblivion.
Yet as he listened, Bronfman was relieved, then thrilled. Track after track sounded like classic Madonna, the kind of music that had made her a global superstar, selling roughly 200 million albums for Warner over her career. When the CD ended, Bronfman stood up, turned to Madonna, and said, "You are our queen."
The moment was more than the beginning of one pop luminary's comeback. It may ultimately be looked back on as the moment when the recording industry, so baffled for so long by all things digital, started to get its own act together. With Confessions, Bronfman and his lieutenants put an entirely new way of selling music to the test.
It involved not just traditional marketing - most notably a campaign with Motorola to promote the Rokr phone - but also a string of digital firsts. Warner teamed up with France Telecom and other carriers to release a ringtone of the single Hung Up a month before the song was released.
The impact was swift: In France, for instance, so many fans downloaded the 20-second tune to their phones that DJs, unable to get their hands on the CD itself, began broadcasting the ringtone on radio. The ringtone release also helped draw in a younger audience.
Then, instead of releasing the entire album at once, Warner let France Telecom's Internet customers and iTunes users download the single if they preordered the album. It also sold the single along with a video and, with the official release of the album last November, offered a digital dance-mix version in which all the tracks blend together.
The upshot? All variations of Madonna's release jumped to the top of the charts--in the physical world as well as the digital. Remarkably, this happened as Confessions got less than half as much radio play as releases from other top artists, according to Warner research. Even more encouraging for Warner was that many fans paid $3 extra to download the video from iTunes along with the album.
Now, just four months after its release, Confessions has sold more than 7 million CDs worldwide, generating by analysts' estimates roughly $100 million for Warner--and that doesn't include the tens of millions in additional revenues from digital downloads.
Madonna owes Australia
Source: Herald Sun - 10 April 2006Music guru Molly Meldrum says superstar Madonna owes her Australian fans a tour.
Meldrum, who helped Madonna achieve her first No.1 hit in Australia, revealed he had worked hard to have Australia on her tour schedule.
Madonna's world tour dates, announced last week, do not include Australia.
Her Confessions tour will open this month in California and end in Europe in September.
Meldrum, a friend of Madonna, said yesterday Australians should be recognised for their loyalty to the star.
"Australia has been without doubt, without question, one of the strongest markets of her career," he said. "Even when Madonna was having what you might term a slump, Australia was still there with support, support, support.
"Australia deserves this tour. It deserves to see the hits - hits we helped make - performed in the true sense."
Meldrum met Madonna in Japan recently and pressed the tour issue.
He suggested she tour this summer to allow for a break with her family.
"She thought it was a great idea and I hope she follows through on it," Meldrum said.
Madonna has done seven world tours, but only the 1993 Girlie Show came to Australia.
Frontier Touring boss Michael Gudinski said Madonna would perform in Japan in July but it was unlikely she would add any Australian shows to her already hectic schedule.
"Seriously, in our winter, the cost and time it takes to get everything here makes it virtually impossible," he said.
But he promised to fight for a tour. "It's a matter of holding tight and hoping she enjoys the first dates enough to consider a second run."
Madonna had her first No.1 hit here with Holiday – and it was Meldrum who made it happen. When he interviewed the then-unknown singer in 1983, Meldrum told her Holiday was a hit to happen.
She asked how long he needed to make it No.1. Meldrum, then Countdown host, said five weeks. It took two.
Three days of succesful sales so far
9 April 2006As expected, the tickets for the Confessions Tour are selling like crazy. The Mad-Eyes team went ticket hunting in France on Thursday. The first two concerts in Bercy sold out in about 15 minutes. A third show was announced for August 30th, which sold out soon after. In the afternoon a 4th and final date for August 31th was added and had the same faith. The first 68.000 tickets sold out.
On Friday there was a crazy sale for London, Wembley. After the shows of August 1st and 3rd sold out, there were shows added consequently for the 9th, 10th, 12th, 13th and 15th. No word on other venues. Apparently the rumours on Manchester, Barcelona and Madrid turned out false.
On the same day, the first US shows went on sale. Successfull sales led to an extra show in Fresno and in Chicago.
Saturday was when fans could try their chances for the show in the Amsterdam ArenA. Standing places sold out in the first few minutes, with the other categories following soon after. A second show was added for September 4th, which stands as the last European show so far.
Canadian fans went mad when two shows for Montreal (good for 30.000 tickets) sold out in only 30 minutes. The Las Vegas sold out soon quickly but didn't get a second date.
The opening show in LA will go on sale today at 10am (local time). Other US dates will go on sale tomorrow.
Madonna concerts sell out in 10 minutes!
Source: Madonna.com - 8 April 2006Tickets for Madonna's UK leg of her Confessions Tour sold out today in just 10 minutes. Fans snapped up every ticket for the first two Wembley Arena gigs as soon as the box office opened at 9am.
A further four Wembley dates were swiftly added - and all had sold out by lunchtime. Now a seventh gig has been added for August 15.
To sing, Madonna needs a lot of notes
Source: NY Daily - 7 April 2006Madonna fans who'll shell out up to $384.50 a pop for her June shows at Madison Square Garden can at least take solace that the do-re-mi is going to a good cause: Madge's creature comforts on the road.
The tireless terpsichorean, who rehearsal spywitnesses say at 47 is in better shape than ever, will perform crowd-pleasing classics like Ray Of Light and Like A Virgin, and hits from her 1.4 million-selling Confessions on a Dance Floor. And she'll puddle-jump between 21 cities from L.A. to Amsterdam, in a private jet, natch.
Kids Lourdes, 9, and Rocco, 5, will be running around the world's finest hotels like Eloise at the Plaza, since the diva has insisted they and hubby Guy Ritchie and nannies need an entire floor wherever they go.
Every one of her dancers and band members down to the last maraca player will wear couture by Stella McCartney and Jean Paul Gaultier, with numerous costume changes. And she'll need those oxygen facials every day, along with a team of skin specialists in tow, our sources say.
The profits will also go to prophets: The Artist Occasionally Known as Esther has demanded 40 free tickets for rabbis and fellow kabbala-following pals at each venue, with 50 more for celebrity schnorrers, er, friends, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Lindsay Lohan. She also wants 15 cases of Kabbalah water for every show, sources say.
But all this is just a drop in the bucket from what her shows are projected to earn. Her 2004 Re-Invention tour - the concert tour of the year - raked in $125 million.
Ticket sale dates
3 April 2006Venue - Sale date
ICON presale US dates: Tue, April 04 09:00 am
May 21 Los Angeles Forum: Sun, April 09 10:00 am PDT
May 27 Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena: Sat, April 08 10:00 am PDT
May 30 San Jose HP Pavilion: Mon, April 10 10:00 am PDT
June 05 Fresno Save Mart Center: Fri, April 07 10:00 am PDT
June 08 Phoenix Glendale Arena: Mon, April 10 10:00 am MST
June 14 Chicago United Center: Fri, April 07 10:00 am CDT
June 21 Montreal Bell Centre: Sat, April 08 12:00 pm
June 25 Hartford Civic Centre: Mon, April 10 10:00 am EDT
June 28 New York Madison Square Garden: Mon, April 10 09:00 am EDT
June 29 New York Madison Square Garden: Mon, April 10 09:00 am EDT
July 06 Boston TD Bank Garden: Mon, April 10 10:00 am EDT
July 12 Philadelphia Wachovia Center: Mon, April 10 10:00 am EDT
July 16 Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall: Mon, April 10 10:00 am EDT
July 22 Miami American Airlines Arena: Mon, April 10 10:00 am EDT
July 30 Cardiff Millenium Stadium: Fri, April 21 09:00 am GMT
August 01 London Wembley Arena: Fri, April 07 09:00 am GMT
August 24 Horsens (Denmark) Forum Horsens Outdoor: Sat, April 22 09:30 am CET
August 28-29 Paris Bercy: Thu, April 06 09:00 am CET
September 03 Amsterdam ArenA : Sat, April 08 10:00 am CET
Madonna Tour Dates Announced!
Source: Madonna.com - 3 April 2006Madonna will be dancing and singing across the stages of the world this spring and summer, it was announced today. The Confessions Tour with concerts across major US cities, Canada, Europe and Japan will begin in Los Angeles on May 21st. Confessions tour dates were officially confirmed by Madonna managers Angela Becker and Guy Oseary, along with Arthur Fogel, President of The Next Adventure (a Live Nation Company), the tours worldwide promoter.
Tour stops in North America for the Confessions Tour will include arenas in Chicago, Boston, San Jose, Phoenix, Fresno, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Miami, Montreal and New York. Overseas appearances will take place in arenas, stadiums and outdoor venues in Paris, France; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Cardiff, Wales; Rome, Italy; Dusseldorf and Hannover Germany; Horsens, Denmark; Osaka and Tokyo Japan.
The Confessions Tour will be directed by longtime Madonna collaborator Jamie King with Stuart Price once again on board as Musical Director. Arianne Phillips and Jean Paul Gaultier, long standing members of Madonna's creative team, will respectively oversee and design costumes for the tour.
Madonna's previous tour, the 2004 Re-Invention Tour was the most successful tour of that year, according to Billboard Magazine.
The Warner Bros. Records mega star, whose current CD Confessions on a Dance Floor debuted at No.1 in 29 countries, has already begun rehearsals in Los Angeles with her talented troupe of musicians and dancers. With a staggering 35 No. 1 hits on Billboard dance charts during the course of her unparalleled career, it's no surprise that Madonna issued the following mission statement regarding the Confessions Tour: I'm going to turn the world into one big dance floor, exhorted the Material Girl.
The multi-Grammy Award winning artist, songwriter, childrens book author, producer and video visionary with an unrivaled reputation for astonishing stage spectacles, has made musical history many times over including international record sales of over 200 million albums. A cultural innovator of astonishing diversity and enduring appeal, Madonna has defined our era with a sound, style and vision that has inspired countless artists and millions of fans around the globe. In the process, she has pioneered a new model of creative empowerment, overseeing a multi-faceted career that encompasses virtually every aspect of contemporary culture.
Existing Madonna Fan Club Icon Members will receive a special pre-sale opportunity prior to the public sales dates outlined below. Members can check www.madonna.com for complete details.
About Live Nation Live Nation is a leading live content and distribution company focused on creating superior experiences for artists, performers, corporations and fans. Live Nation owns, operates or has booking rights for 150 venues worldwide and promoted or produced over 28,500 events in 2005. Live Nation is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Live Nation is listed on The New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol LYV. For more information regarding Live Nation and its businesses, please visit the company's web site at www.livenation.com
MADONNA CONFESSIONS TOUR DATES
North America:
May 21 Los Angeles Forum
May 27 Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena
May 30 San Jose HP Pavilion
June 5 Fresno Save Mart Center
June 8 Phoenix Glendale Arena
June 14 Chicago United Center
June 21 Montreal Bell Centre
June 25 Hartford Civic Centre
June 28 New York Madison Square Garden
June 29 New York Madison Square Garden
July 08 Boston TD Bank Garden
July 12 Philadelphia Wachovia Center
July 16 Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
July 22 Miami American Airlines Arena
Europe:
July 30 Cardiff Millenium Stadium
Aug. 1 London Wembley Arena
Aug. 3 London Wembley Arena
Aug. 6 Rome Olympic Stadium
Aug. 20 Dusseldorf LTU Arena
Aug. 22 Hannover Niedersachsen
Aug. 24 Horsens (Denmark) Forum Horsens Outdoor
Aug. 27 Paris Bercy Stadium
Aug. 28 Paris Bercy Stadium
Sept. 3 Amsterdam Arena
Additional dates forthcoming
For Official Tour and Fan Club Information, visit: www.confessionstour.com
Third single
2 April 2006There are many conflicting rumours about the third single from the album Confessions On A Dance Floor. Some say it will be Jump, others claim it will be Get Together.
The website chartsingles.net has now posted a release date of May 29th for the single "Get Together/Jump".
Does this mean it might be a double single, like Nothing Fails/Love Profusion? Hopefully we'll get some official information about this soon. (thx to Jack for the link)
Madonna wins at Greek awards
2 April 2006Mad-Eyes reader George informs us about Madonna's success in Greece: she has won two Arion Awards (considered as the Greek Grammies) for 'Best Selling International Album' (COADF) and 'Best Selling International Single' (Hung Up). That mans she has won in all the international categories; the other categories are all for Greek artists.
Confessions is a big success in Greece; it spend seven weeks at the top of the official international chart and is now still in the Top 5. It has already been certified 2x Platinum, which is quite extraordinary for an international album in Greece. Let's hope Madonna thanks her loyal Greek fans with a show in Athens!
Cardiff first European show? *rumour*
1 April 2006Fansite DrownedMadonna reports: "The European leg of the tour is expected to start at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff at the end of July. It should then be followed by shows at London Wembley Arena starting on August 1st."
~ Please bare in mind that this isn't confirmed yet. Earlier rumours suggested a stop at Murrayfield, Edinburgh at the end of July.
The Announcement
1 April 2006After an official announcement has been awaited for quite a while now, it is expected that Madonna's team will finally give details on the upcoming tour this next monday, april 3rd. Stay tuned!
Madonna and Studio 54 doorman featured in upcoming NYC Nightlife book
Source: PR Web - 1 April 2006It was announced this week that Madonna will be recreating hedonistic scenes from the notorious New York nightclub, Studio 54, in a stage set for her upcoming tour.
This is not her first connection to the legendary discothèque.
In 1983, Madonna performed at Studio 54 at a party for the Italian fashion house, Fiorucci. Surveying the dancefloor with budding actor David Alan Grier, Ms. Ciccone remarked: "You and me are going to be big stars, baby, and leave these other suckers in the dust."
This summer, in the midst of Madonna's tour, St. Martin's Press will release "Confessions from the Velvet Ropes: The Glamorous, Grueling Life of Thomas Onorato, New York's Top Club Doorman" by Glenn Belverio. Among the book's collection of wild and entertaining tales is the story of the night Madonna made a surprise DJ appearance at the exclusive NY hipster club, MisShapes.
"I was a bit uncomfortable referring to Madonna as 'Madonna'," says Onorato, the doorman to the red-hot club. "But I found out that night, to my relief, that her friends just refer to her as 'M'. I was raised Catholic so calling her Madonna just made me feel really guilty in that bad way, like when your mom catches you masturbating."
"Confessions from the Velvet Ropes" also features an exclusive interview with Studio 54's original - and elusive - guardian of the velvet ropes, Marc Benecke. In the book, Benecke debunks some of the famous club's most notorious myths. Did Benecke really deny Cher entrance to the club? Did a man really die when he tried to sneak into the club by sliding down an airshaft? Benecke sets the record straight on these eternal gossip tidbits and more.
"The synergistic spectacle of Madonna and Studio 54 is exactly what the culture needs right now," says Confessions author, Glenn Belverio. "Many of the kids who go out to clubs today are hungry for details about nightlife's history - and who better to give them a lesson in nightclubbing than Madonna?"
"Confessions from the Velvet Ropes" - which will be released on July 11th - features other moments from NY's club and fashion scenes, such as the night Adrien Brody's birthday party was bombarded with eggs by irate neighbors and the near-riots and threats of violence at a Kimora Lee Simmons' fashion show.
Hung Up inspires kids clothing
1 April 2006Aïshti, the most expensive store for kids fashion in Beirut, Lebanon was clearly inspired by Madonna's outfit in the Hung Up video. Check out this ad; thx to Tony for the scan.
