Music sounds better live! Part III

Alright, time to go on with my posts about tour experiences! After The Re-Invention Tour, it only took Madonna two years to get going again, and with an amazing album, too; in my humble opinion, Confessions On A Dance Floor was Madonna's best album since Ray Of Light, and the tour definitely matched the greatness of the record.

So, it was the year 2006 and I was wondering where to go and see her this time. I ended up with standing tickets for the September 4th show at Amsterdam Arena in Holland. I don't know how and I have no recollections of buying the tickets - I do remember that I was a happy owner of a credit card by then, though. However, there were no specific Golden Circle tickets sold for the arena, which meant that, with enough queueing and a bit of luck, you could actually make it to the Golden Circle, which is the front area of the arena. It's in the shape of a circle - hence the name - and only a limited number of people are let in. Usually, they sell special GC tickets, but sometimes it works like it did in Amsterdam and anyone with a general standing ticket has the chance of ending up there. Of course, by then, I'd never been close enough to see Madonna's face yet and I'd never been in the Golden Circle. Needless to say, I was very much determined to get there! Luckily for me, I have tons of friends in Holland, and one of them, an avid concert-goer by the name of Marjon, told me that the best way to make it inside the arena among the first people once the gates are opened is to stay close to the fences on the sides, and by grabbing the fences, you manage to move on quicker than if you are stuck in the middle of groups of people trying to push their way into the security check. That piece of advice was GOLDEN!! Pun intended.

But, before the Madonna show, something else great happened. Madonna's long-term backup singer Donna DeLory had a meet & greet session at one of Amsterdam's many record stores! Woot! Now, to get in, you'd have had to buy her latest album so I didn't do that (bear in mind I was still a poor student in those days - it's a miracle I've even managed to make these concert trips happen in the first place!) but I did go outside the record shop to see her from up close. VERY COOL! I remember thinking that SO many cool things are happening in other countries and I'm missing out because I'm living in Finland...Anyway, here's Donna!

Okay, back to the concert itself! Except that since I still didn't bring my camera to the show, here's a silly picture of me with my ticket :D!

Right, on we go, then. So, we started queueing at noon and it was a long day since the concert started after 9 pm, if I remember right. Once we were let inside the venue, we did what Marjon had told us to do, and were indeed among the first ones to start running up the steep steps that lead into the arena and towards the Golden Circle - AND WE MADE IT!!! I cannot tell you how incredible I felt there and then - we were in the Golden Circle, I'd be seeing Madonna up close in a few hours!! My heart was beating so fast and I was crying! 14 years of being a fan and I was finally actually seeing her! Even to date, after many more shows, the Amsterdam show is my best Madonna experience because it honestly has been Madonna at her best since Blond Ambition and it was simply that special to finally see her properly.

The show started with Future Lovers/I Feel Love, and Madonna made her entrance at the end of the catwalk. We were in front of the main stage, on the right, so didn't see her properly once the huge discoball opened and she got out. It was a crazy moment as I knew she was there and that it was only a matter of time before she'd be in front of me. The tension was building like nothing else, and finally, she started moving towards the main stage.....I can't even write about it without going crazy all over again! Here's the London version...watch it and know how incredible it was, to actually be there! At 7:25, I saw Madonna for the first time ever and fell in love all over again...she looked very nervous, was tiny and just EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I LOVE HER!!!!!

And then she'd go on to sing Get Together right in front of me...<3<3<3...Sorry about not being able to write a proper text here, there's just too much love, and love like this knows no words. Among the most incredible moments in my life, this concert is! Also, I love the way Madonna moves her body and how all of her dance moves are sharp and edgy and so much more than anyone else's in her shows, and it was just such a pleasure to see it all properly. Her body was and is amazing! Her muscles - I continue to be in love with her arms...Oh yes.

Well, some of the best moments...Like A Virgin, with Madonna on fake horseback, Jump with amazing parkour action all over the stage and the audience as well, Live To Tell live from the cross....one of the most touching performances I've ever seen, I was crying all over the place. In case you don't know, Live To Tell is only one of the best Madonna songs ever...

There were religious people having a mini-demonstration outside the venue when we were queueing, attacking this specific performance as obviously it's blasphemy to sing a song while hanging on a crucifix...It enrages me to come across with such biggoted people, to be honest, as the point of this performance was pure beauty and love: "In Africa, 12 million children are orphaned by AIDS."  And then the words from Matthew 25:35 : "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, and God replied, Whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers, you did it for me." It's only to demonstrate how any one of us can be like Jesus and be good to those around us. It's portrayed in an extremely powerful way to leave you with deep feelings and the need to do your share in making the world a better place. I certainly had a lot of thoughts going on through my head during this show.

On we go to Isaac - what a beautiful, beautiful performance, and my two absolute favourites: Drowned World/Substitute For Love and Paradise (Not For Me). So much love in the air, Madonna asked us to repeat after her "we are one!!" etc. and to hug the person next to us, and we were hugging random people around us and feeling such connection to one another, it was the most religious experience I've ever had, and all for love and caring about one another.

The atmosphere at the show was unbelievable. The fans were polite and talked to each other, everyone was given lots of space to dance and have a good time, and everyone was smiling, singing and jumping around like mad!  I had an amazing time, and I only needed that one experience as it was more special like that. I have high hopes for the new tour, though, so who knows, maybe Confessions actually has a rival in Girl Gone Wild? If that's the name of the 2012 tour, that is. But nothing will ever overcome this experience for me, I don't think.