Madonna - Sticky and Sweet tour review of the show of Nice, South of France

So, I was ready... for the show, yesterday night ! I hadn't seen "la Madone" since the Girlie show. "Un bail" as we say in french ! I must say I have been disappointed. Several reasons to this deception : first of all, it seems that this is the first time that the stage was built up in such a short time, and as Madonna says "if it's bitter at the start, then it's sweeter in the end". I mean, we’ve had too many technical problems : video shutting off or being interrupted during the show, sounds problems : unclear voice of Madonna due to micro setting obviously and not in tone “Hung up” due to a problem of guitar and sound feed back ? It was thus “bitter” for us, but I hope it’ll be sweeter, before the end of the tour, for Madonna and her fans.

I’ve been worried nevertheless for Madonna being injured on the right thigh and wearing a 10or 15 cm bandage. Hope it is not serious and won’t prevent her from going on and on. Another thing surprised me : after a few songs, she said (and she obviously was not playing a game”) :”Jesus, I’m feeling tired”, by hanging on one of her dancers. So what ? Is she gonna get it right til the end ? Hope so !

Here it is for an introduction to my review. You will find hereafter my opinion concerning each song.

Let me know what you think about it ! And if you are among the lucky ones not having seen the show yet, enjoy it when it comes !

Géraldine

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I didn’t like very much the 2 first parts. The images projected on the different screens were too rapid and violent, as for me. They are mostly realized with synthesized images so that the atmosphere created, from my point of view was too « numerical » and lacked of « humanity ». And I found that the show for these two first parts went too quickly: intro not developed enough and no conclusion but debut of the next song without intro.
I felt ill at ease during some songs of these first parts : the video montage or the play of Madonna on stage consisting of something that made me think of a kind of “auto-destruction” of herself or her images from the past.

1rst part
Intro/Candy Shop – quite the same orchestration as the album
Beat Goes On – idem
Human Nature – video montage too violent and oppressive as for me.
Vogue – strange lyrics, mixed order. I got lost !

2nd part Video Interlude- Die Another Day – video montage too violent, Madonna fighting an invisible opponent and losing the battle, being smashed on the floor, etc…

Into The Groove - different orchestration worse than the original one, as for me. Very disappointing

Heartbeat – quite the same as the album
Borderline – nothing to do with the original, but not that bad
She’s Not Me – scene game original, but not sure to have understood the role of Madonna : she seems to want to destroy images that were hers in her past
Music – I was not convinced either by this orchestration.

I preferred without any doubt the two last parts, and the public too : the public began to wake up with the beginning of the third part. Was he, like me, upset by the violence and the speed of the two first parts, or fed up by the video technical problems (no images on the screens by intermittence, that could last inconstantly…). How knowing?

3rd part Video Interlude - Rain/Here Comes The Rain Again
Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You­­ – impressive by the “weight” it gave to the atmosphere suddenly, very well interpreted
Spanish Lesson – Joy comes back on stage and Madonna (during the show of Nice) began to feel free to involve herself in her show, and control things back. Before that part, she seemed a little bit to move mechanically and sing not always in the tone.
Miles Away – quite the same orchestration as the album, and no luck for Madonna, the public seemed not to follow her during that song : it was hard for her to make us understand to clap in our hands. Strange atmosphere really, as if there was a gap between her and her fans. Was it due to the fact that it was her first date in a non English speaking country? I don’t know !
La Isla Bonita/Lela Pala Tute – very good orchestration. Special heat from the “public niçois”
Doli Doli (Live interlude - Romanian folk song) very good interlude that allowed Madonna to rest a little. She swallowed two red tubes of something, but what ? Probably something to recover full energy for the last part
You Must Love Me – Excellent too, very emotive interpretation from Madonna and tremolo voice. Rare

Video Interlude - Get Stupid (About saving the planet) – Mixing provocation and politics. No way to ignore who she’s gonna vote for, after that ! But I liked the message, clear, even though very Manichean and sometimes limit “trashy” in the images.

4 Minutes – same orchestration as demo private concerts, without Justin…
Like A Prayer – The best orchestration of the show, as for me… and experimenting it under the sky made me feel special, really.

Ray Of Light – shaded by the light and energy spread by “like a prayer”, but keeps you in the same mood
Hung Up – no comment ! a technical problem with the guitar made Madonna sing a tone lower or something like that. Awful thus, till someone gave her a new guitar, but the song was wasted… another risk of the live
Give It To Me (Finale)­­ – Madonna tried to dialog and sing with the public, but I couldn’t hear him sing much. The video montage involves you into an electronic game party, inviting you to insert coins and Madonna suddenly disappear while the montage shows a “game over” ! Too late, Now you’ve got to take your feet and get back home by foot ! Not so delighting!