On Tuesday night, Lady Gaga floated her way (crazy couture and all) into Palau San Jordi in Barcelona and I was lucky enough to be part of the audience. I've been to my fair share of concerts, but this was deliciously different. It was like being in a dark and decadent twisted theatrical dream.
Between the many costume and set changes, Lady Gaga chatted with the audience a bit. Topics included: Jesus' love for everyone (emphasis on EVERYONE), how she never has and never will lip sync (believe me-she doesn't!), her love for fashion, equal rights and her love for her fans. She made it clear that she wanted everyone to feel free to be who they are and that the Monster Ball was a place where her fans could have a good time regardless of race, age, gender, sexuality, etc etc.--a celebration of diversity, fashion, art, creativity and, of course, music.
I was impressed with the production, the stunning visuals and video clips, the costumes, the vocals. Everything was amazingly done--even the (sometimes) creepy and grotesque staging and costumes were somehow beautiful.
One of my favorite stage settings was the "evil" Central Park at night complete with creepy trees and Lady Gaga's hair monster costume (see pic below). Another stunner was the staging for one of my favorite songs "Paparazzi" where a monstrous glowing fish attacks Lady Gaga after she's abandoned by her friends and she's left to slay the monster alone.
Another showstopper was the
Living Dress, which you may have heard about. During the performance of "So happy I could die" the dress moves and lights up. Any picture or video you see doesn't even compare to seeing it live.
She ended the concert with "Bad Romance", definitely the crowd's favorite--imagine 18,000 people singing along to every single word. It was the perfect ending to The Monster Ball.
More than a concert, I would call this performance art. Lady Gaga has the vocal chops, she's got the stage presence and more than enough star quality to carry her into a long and successful career. So, if any of you are reluctant would-be Lady Gaga fans, know this: she definitely and absolutely lives up the hype. There is a reason she's ridiculously famous.
