Madonna On Stage entries part one

Click on the Full Article option below to read the first tour stories/memories our readers sent in as entries to win one of the 10 copies of Madonna On Stage the book by our dear friend and collaborator Fred Gillotteau, offered by Why Not Editions. Keep sending your stories until April 30th. Winners will be selected by the MadonnaTribe team and will receive thier book at their homes courtesy of Why Not.

When I saw Madonna’s Re-Invention Tour in Philly on the 4th of July, 2004 I had great seats right next to the catwalks that she used during the show. When she came out in her “Kabbalists do it better” t-shirt, she came down to sing and dance on the scaffolding downstage right, right in front of where we were sitting. From that angle, she could see right into the first few rows of seats and there was a giant, muscle bound guy in the third or fourth row wearing a shirt that said “rocco is my homeboy.” When she saw him she said, “I like your shirt. You like mine?” When he obviously agreed, she asked if he wanted to trade and he said “hell yeah!” So she took off her t-shirt, threw it to him, caught his, and put it on and finished that set wearing it. It was casual and real and so very Madonna! She’s always been in touch with her fans and for someone so particular about the visual aspect of her performance, it was great to see her wearing a t-shirt that was 10 sizes too big just because it had her babe’s name on it! It was a great, original, unique moment and I’m so thrilled I got to see it close up! That’s my Madonna on tour memory!

Cat Miller
Philadelphia, PA

My fondest tour memory was seeing the Confessions Tour in Boston. It was my first time seeing Madonnaand definitley the best day of my life. I was going absolutley crazy with excitement from when I got the ticket right up until the show (annoying my friends and family). I’ll never forget the feeling I felt when the giant disco ball came down from the ceiling. I was literally quivering with excitement! Madonna performed a bunch of my favorite songs (Erotica, Future Lovers, Drowned World) and I had an awesome time sharing M’s energy with her. I was so sad when the lights dimmed and “Have You Confessed?” was written on the screen; it all went by so fast! She is such a magical performer and a magical woman. I hope that there wil be many more tours and many more amazing memories like this one.
Justin Quinn

The door was finally opened. I felt a weird sensation in my body: it was the mixture of big
excitement and sense of unknown. I set down and thousands of people did too. I was inside the

large stadium and my life changing experience was just two hours away. One person was fully

determined to bring all people together with just the power of music. It was Madonna.

Music has always been a huge part of my life. I cannot really imagine the life without it, I listen

to it everyday. Music seems to be an important ingredient of what makes me happy and satisfied.

It follows me everywhere, every stage of my life. I have a lot of periods in my life and I always

remember something about each. And what often helps me remember them is music. Seriously, I

can call it a soundtrack of my life. I suppose I am not the only one who has that.

Each time I listen to some music, it always refreshes memories and I get really excited.

If I listen to a song, that I’ve heard in US (I was there as an exchange student), I immediately

remember different things that I did there. It’s fascinating how music brings your sweetest

memories back. It feels like a dream when I hear a song and I see different pictures in my head.

Last year I had a hard decision to make. I could go to Spain with my family for vacation. But I

chose something that I would never regret. I chose the most unique music experience in my life.

I chose Madonna concert. It’s been a year since that concert and that day is titled as the best and

most exciting day of my life. That day was when one strong energetic person was able to bring

people together to enjoy the music and have the finest celebration of life, to learn a lesson of love

through music.

I bought the ticket and couldn’t wait until I go to the concert. Suddenly, I found myself in

Moscow standing in line to get into the stadium. It felt like I didn’t wait for so long to be there.

When security people opened the door, I became very excited and nervous. It was the first time

I’ve been to such a huge concert. The atmosphere was new for me, but I quickly realized that it

was so close to me, I felt like I was in the right place, in “my plate”.

Pretty soon the lights went down. The screaming around was so loud, I couldn’t even hear

myself saying something. But I quickly joined the crowd, shared the spirit with people. The

feeling was surreal when the screens went on and played Madonna video where she was in the

equestrian outfit walking with horses. It was surreal. Seriously, I couldn’t believe anything I

saw. When familiar music started to play, my body was already shaking and my heart was

beating fast. Wow! It’s even hard to write these as it’s getting harder to breathe when I

remember the feeling.

After 10 seconds, a giant disco ball started to descend. I went crazy. Everybody did. Video

screen showed Madonna saying that she was going to tell us about love. She told people to forget

about the problems, to come with her. Disco ball opened and we saw Madonna singing her

energetic and upbeat “Future Lovers/I Feel Love” song. We saw the person, who had inspired

people for many years. She was always a free-minded person and was never afraid of taking

chances. That inspired millions of her fans. I could feel the energy of this person. I saw the

wisdom in her eyes; I felt there is something special about her, some deep message. Soon I

realized that I was right.

The whole idea of her concert wasn’t about her, it was about the message that she was telling us

through the music. Her tour wasn’t a place, where I could see the famous person. Madonna did

not want me to see her as a star. I tried to do it and I understood what her purpose was.

The whole show was a little world inside the big one. She created a 2-hour spectacle (which felt

like 2 minutes) to teach me and others an important lesson of love. Through her music she

showed people the world and what’s supposed to be changed today. It was the time when I

learned something from music; music brought people together and made them aware of different

issues. That’s what I like about Madonna. She doesn’t want to celebrate the happy moments, she

also wants people to think, to analyze. Her music isn’t just for fun; she uses her talent to do

something positive in this world, to make a change in people’s hearts. Madonna talked about sick

kids in Africa, about forbidden love of “different worlds” in today’s society, about freedom of

speech and about expressing the feelings. She gave an inspiration to young people of Russia and

the entire world by telling people that they don’t have to be afraid to express themselves. She

wanted people to speak their mind, to make a change in this world. When she was crucified on a

big cross during her song “Live to Tell”, that moment moved most of the people. A lot of fans

cried, when her message came to their minds through the art of music. I though I was living in

the other world, full of emotions and feelings. The concert had a strong impact on me; I have

learned some important lessons.

I understood the situation in the world a little bit more; I became aware of today’s problems.

After a few days, I was still thinking about the concert and I remember how I though that

Madonna really connected to me and other, brought everybody together through her music. I did

not actually think that music could have such a big power and could inspire people for many

things in this life. Madonna moved me and touched my heart! I still feel depressed sometimes

when I remember the night of the concert. I didn’t want this to end. I have never felt so happy in

my life; I have never enjoyed the music so much. This experience is a part of my life now! It’s

like you live somewhere for a long time and then you have to leave. But I wanted to stay.

The feelings that music builds in me are very complicated. The feeling of excitement allows me

to forget about the problems, allows me to be in the perfect world of emotions. Emotions can be

sad or happy. But it’s important that I get those emotions. It keeps me thinking, feeling, and

going forward.

Music has no language. Different nations always fight over something, always argue. But one

thing that brings people together is music. Madonna even has a song called “Music” which

describes her feelings about music. I can’t live without it (Madonna feels the same way). Music

connects all people in a very mysterious way with its unexplainable power. And I’m looking

forward to new experiences after which I will understand music more and more. I am looking

forward to moments like Madonna’s concert, because those moments are perfect for me to experience the power of music and to learn something. My life is brilliant because music is a part of me. Maybe it’s one thing that I live for.
I can’t wait until my heart starts to beat faster again. It will be soon.
Madonna’s concert was the best memory…It was the best day in my life.

Dmitry Zhelenkov

I have been to a slew of Madonna concerts in the past seven years, beginning with the Drowned World Tour in 2001. Although I have had many great and memorable experiences during these recent tours, it will always be my first Madonna concert 14 years before any of those that is permanently etched in my mind. The entire process was so memorable from the moment I bought the tickets on the phone while sitting on my waterbed to driving to and from the stadium with my Mother.
The year was 1987 and the Tour was the Who’s That Girl Tour. I was 16 years old and had already been an avid follower of Madonna for a whopping four years. At that age it seemed like an eternity, as it was a quarter of my life already. My basement bedroom was plastered with her photos and posters and I had already begun what is still an ever-growing collection of anything and everything Madonna. I had heard about the tour dates on MTV and was ready to go with my father’s credit card when the time came to buy the tickets. I remember being so panicked when the ticket operator answered that I could hardly speak and she said something like, “You sure don’t sound excited.” That was the understatement of the century!
I didn’t have many friends in those days, so I had a hard time deciding who would be the lucky recipients of the other two tickets I bought. After much trial and error, I ended up going with my Mother and a friend of hers. I still lived with my parents in Rockford, Illinois, so I had to have a ride to Chicago for the concert at Soldier Field (home of the Chicago Bears) on July 31st. In all honesty, I didn’t care who I went to the concert with, as long as I WAS GOING TO THE CONCERT!
I still cringe when I think about the outfit I wore that night. I must have been determined to give all of those Madonna-Wannabees a run for their money. I bought black Chuck Taylor high-tops for the occasion. I cut the bottoms off of some white tube socks and wore those on my legs like Madonna’s popular leggings. I wore cut-off black sweat pant shorts and a sleeveless mesh shirt over a t-shirt. That was all topped off with, of course, black mesh bike gloves and black sunglasses. Thank goodness there are no photographs that I know of to memorialize that outfit. Now I know why Madonna always cringes at her past looks even though we think there always so fabulous.
Concert night was magical. It was 2-3 hour drive to downtown Chicago during rush-hour traffic. I think of it often as I drive part of that same interstate to and from work today and whenever I drive or bike by Soldier Field as have lived in Chicago now for 12 years. Upon entering the stadium, I immediately made a bee-line for a souvenir booth and purchased the tour program, a couple tour posters and a pin-back button. The booths were quite simple compared to today’s treasure-troves. I vividly remember seeing Madonna enter the staging area by walking up a ramp to the left of the stage. Even though I was pretty far away, her shock of blonde hair was very distinguishable. The stadium was full of about 50,000 fans that night and the threat of rain was in the air. At one point Madonna said something like, “I don’t want it to rain because I want to get wet all by myself.” That’s our girl! Mother nature did as Madonna requested. Even though my Mom and her friend did enjoy the concert, I remember looking at my Mom when Madonna was restarting ‘Holiday’ for the second or third time and she just couldn’t believe Madonna had all of this energy to keep going. I wanted it to last forever.
Unfortunately, the concert did finally end and it would be another 14 years before circumstances would lead me to my next Madonna concert. Since then, I have been to approximately twelve of her concerts, plus a couple promotional shows. The thrill and excitement are ever present. No other entertainer on Earth has gained and held my attention quite like Madonna. I feel very lucky to be able to experience all that she does, most notably her live performances, the most memorable of which was the night of July 31, 1987.
Eric B. Brusch

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