This past weekend, Lady Gaga charmed the people of London (aka Twickenham) as her Born This Way Ball finally came to the UK.
I attended the BTWB on Saturday, her opening night, and was basically hyperventilating with excitement as we sat impatiently through The Darkness's set, waiting for Mother Monster to finally reveal herself. She hit the stage only 15 minutes late - surely some sort of Pop Record in itself - and everyone promptly lost their shit.
For those who attended The Fame of The Monster Ball - you know that Lady Gaga puts on one hell of a show. Whether or not you love every song or even know every lyric, there is a lot to be said for a performer to sing live, "dance their pussy off" and give it everything they've got for two hours and fifteen minutes.
Never mind the set, never mind the extravagant and innovative costumes, never mind the "HOLY SHIT HOW DOES THAT WORK" moments provided by the 26-year-old performer - the bottom line is that Gaga could easily blow the roof off of any stadium she performed in just with her voice and a piano alone.
If you're a fan of Gaga - go to see her live show. If you're skeptical about her - go to see her live show. It should answer any questions you have.
The BTWB didn't have as strong of a chronological story line as the Monster Ball did, nor were there the spectacular films that entertained you while she did a wardrobe or set change, but the BTWB doesn't really need it. The music and the performances are so strong, and she now has so much material to pick from, this show is purely about the music and about the wardrobe, rather than her set, her dancers or her band.
Born This Way, Now Let's Move on...
As much as I love Lady Gaga and have argued with people about her talent, and defended her Born This Way message, seeing this new, live, evolved and mature Gaga made me eager for the future days of ARTPOP.
Gaga is a champion for "unity" and "bravery" and "loving yourself" - yet sometimes a little subtlety or acceptance that, yes, we get it, that's why we're here, would do. If you're at a Lady Gaga concert, you probably have heard her The Gospel of Gaga before. You know the lyrics to "Born This Way" and "Bad Kids" and in a way, she's literally preaching to the choir. If anyone gets it, it's us.
Slightly self-indulgent John Lennon covers and Princess Diana tributes aside - Lady Gaga pushes the boundaries in live performances. I won't tell you which songs she sings, or what her costumes look like as not to spoil the surprise for you who plan on going to her show. But what I will say, is that as much as I love the ethos and sentiment of being Born This Way, I'm ready for something new. Gaga has stated that ARTPOP has a "tremendous lack of maturity or sense of responsibility", and I pretty much can't wait.
For further dates of the Born This Way Ball, please visit LadyGaga.com