A concert tour (or simply tour ) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often, concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific tour with a particular album or product. Especially in the popular music world, such tours can become large-scale enterprises that last for several months or even years, are seen by hundreds of thousands or millions of people, and bring in millions of dollars in ticket revenues. A performer who embarks on a concert tour is called a touring artist .
156-676: The Confessions Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna , launched in support of her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). The tour began on May 21, 2006, at The Forum in Inglewood , United States, and ended on September 21 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo , Japan, visiting North America and Eurasia . Additionally, it marked Madonna's first concerts in Russia , Czech Republic and Denmark . Like past tours of
312-545: A Crucifix that I ultimately come down from. This is not a mocking of the church. It is no different than a person wearing a Cross or "Taking Up the Cross" as it says in the Bible . My performance is neither anti-Christian , sacrilegious or blasphemous. Rather, it is my plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another and to see the world as a unified whole. I believe in my heart that if Jesus were alive today he would be doing
468-445: A conveyor belt built into the entire front section, used by the singer to move from one extreme to the other on certain numbers. Five moving video screens —three big ones, the largest of which was 7 tons, and two slightly smaller ones— that were moved by 160 motors formed the backdrop. Equipment also included 130 rigging points, an arsenal of moving lights and four tons worth of Claire Brothers line array sound system. Also present
624-562: A crown of thorns while being raised on a mirrored cross, simulating a crucifixion ; the backdrop screen flashed a running tally of the 12 million children in Africa orphaned by AIDS . German prosecutors in Düsseldorf threatened to sue her for blasphemy , with Protestant bishop Margot Käßmann expressing that "maybe the only way an aging superstar can attract attention is to offend people's religious sentiments", and encouraging people to "ignore"
780-502: A firedancer , a belly dancer , a tap dancer , a skateboarder , and animations of the Rider–Waite tarot cards onscreen. The interlude was followed by a cabaret -like performance of " Hanky Panky ", with the singer surrounded by female dancers and wearing the circus-inspired corset by Karl Lagerfeld. Next, a slow lounge version of " Deeper and Deeper " was performed by Madonna, Donna De Lory, and Siedah Garrett. " Die Another Day " found
936-404: A live album with 14 songs from the tour and the original rock demo of "I Love New York", and the film's DVD . Critical reception towards the live album was more positive than for the film; AllMusic 's Stephen Thomas Erlewine opined that, "as Madonna's first live CD, [ I'm Going to Tell You a Secret ] is strong and entertaining". The live album was nominated for Best Long Form Music Video at
1092-454: A riding crop , as dancers in leather bridles galloped throughout the three runways of the stage; then, a massive disco ball was lowered from the ceiling and opened like a flower bud to reveal Madonna inside, dressed in a skin-tight black riding outfit and wielding a crop. As she took her dancers' reins, she performed a mashup of "Future Lovers" and Donna Summer 's " I Feel Love " (1977). The second number, " Get Together ", saw Madonna writhing on
1248-627: A " Byzantine queen ". It was first exhibited in New York, on March 27, 2003, before traveling to London, Paris, Düsseldorf, Berlin and ending in Florence on May 3. Madonna's ninth studio album, American Life , was released on April 21. To start marketing the album, she embarked on a promotional tour across the United States and Europe; she performed at the Total Request Live studios in New York,
1404-595: A "most desperate attempt to shock". One positive review came from Wales Online , who praised the "powerful" rendition. The Confessions Tour was commercially successful; after it kicked off, it was predicted to gross $ 190 million. The Daily Telegraph reported that, within the first four days of ticket sales, the singer had sold out 28 shows, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago , Miami , Paris and London. The first two concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden sold out in 10 minutes, prompting organizers to add two more dates, which quickly sold out as well, leading to
1560-446: A "scandal created on purpose by astute merchants to attract publicity", while Mario Scialoja , president of the country's Muslim World League , said that "it's not the first time Madonna stages such an act. We deplore it". According to Riccardo Pacifici, spokesman for Rome's Jewish community , Madonna's actions were "a disrespectful act, and to do it in Rome is even worse". A spokesperson for
1716-711: A Prayer", adding that the old songs served as a reminder "of what she does best: making us forget about the bad times, come together, release the pressure, and have a holiday". From The Buffalo News , Benjamin Siegel noted that, "its her '80s hits that keep fans happy, and it looks like she's been paying attention". On her review of the concert in Atlanta, Sonia Murray from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution concluded that, "Madonna simply, finally, appealing to her ravenous audience by doing her ever-catchy hits — ' Vogue ', 'Express Yourself', 'Material Girl', after ' Into The Groove ' and all —
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#17328549514501872-491: A clear theme, comparing it to a "massive ice-cream sundae [...] the ultimate guilty pleasure, but also a load of empty calories". Benjamin Siegel expressed that, "new material is not the same as old material recycled [...] which makes the 're-invention' premise a little silly". Jim DeRogatis from the Chicago Sun-Times criticized the songs' arrangements for being "so bizarre that they played like parodies". He also panned
2028-533: A few notches" for the Confessions Tour. Ben Wener from the Orange County Register reported that, "no one – but no one – stages elaborate eye-candy productions like Madonna", adding that the "highly impressive" Confessions Tour was "multimedia, cross-cultural preaching to the choir on a scale only U2 has reached lately". According to The Palm Beach Post ' s Leslie Gray Streeter, Confessions
2184-531: A fifth date being added. According to Le Devoir , Madonna sold 30,000 tickets in under 40 minutes in Montreal . The Guardian then reported that tickets for the first two concerts at London's Wembley Arena had also sold out within ten minutes of going on sale; fans crashed the singer's website and queued outside the venue in order to get a purchase. As a result, seven more dates were added. The single concert in Cardiff
2340-467: A gay icon since she emerged in the New York City clubs more than 20 years ago, and with gay rights once again under attack, her gesture did not go unnoticed". According to Wales Online , "we were promised a spectacle and that's what we got. While the songs were powerful, [...] it was the all-round theatrics of the performance that threatened to leave the audience speechless. [Madonna] was a ringleader on
2496-427: A giant mirrored cross, wearing a crown of thorns, as a death toll of African AIDS victims counted down on the screen above her. She stepped down off the cross to perform "Forbidden Love", which saw two men dancing with each other as blood cells flashed on the backdrops. "Isaac" began with Yitzhak Sinwani playing the horn ; then, a female dancer in an oversized Middle-Eastern burqa danced inside an enormous cage with
2652-469: A great concert singer". Dave Simpson from The Guardian expressed that, although "her star is supposedly waning (recent album American Life was her first-ever flop), this audio-visual spectacular is a reminder that there's no one like Madonna". Sean Piccoli from the Sun Sentinel said that, "vocally, [Madonna] was in fine, flexible form [...] the choreography, both of dancers and of projected visuals,
2808-469: A laminated tag and access to a VIP lounge; some of these packages were then sold through brokers at prices ranging from $ 1,000 to $ 1,800. On the same vein, MTV launched the Front and Center with Madonna contest, where fans were able to win "pit tickets" near the stage at certain concerts — Los Angeles , Anaheim , San Jose , Las Vegas , Washington DC and New York City . The singer said she teamed up with
2964-512: A little bit of everything", before moving-on to stadiums and arenas; that way, she deduced, she would not feel "bored” during the performances. The tour was officially confirmed by Madonna on February 9, 2006, during a visit to The Ellen DeGeneres Show ; she added, in another statement, that she wanted to "turn the world into one big dance floor". It was set to follow her appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival , which
3120-534: A live special on NBC titled Madonna: The Confessions Tour Live ; afterwards, it was released as a live album and on DVD under the title The Confessions Tour . In October 2005, Madonna performed " Hung Up ", the lead single from her then-upcoming tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor , at the MTV Europe Music Awards . She then brought-up the idea of a concert tour , saying that she wanted to revisit Australia, as she had not performed in
3276-582: A look worn by Romy Schneider in Luchino Visconti 's 1973 film Ludwig . According to the designer, Madonna had "strong opinions" about how the clothes had to be made to withstand the demands of the choreography. Other ensambles designed by Gaultier included a "Biblical Chic" off-the-shoulder blouse and velvet cropped pants accessorized with the crown of thorns; jodhpurs , blouses and jackets made from "luxurious" fabrics such as taffeta , duchesse , satin , Chantilly lace and silk chiffon . In keeping with
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#17328549514503432-418: A mirror and lying down on a huge scanner . As the video played, three dancers dropped from the ceiling on swings. The Acoustic segment began with " Nothing Fails ", sung by Madonna on guitar. Afterwards, she sang " Don't Tell Me ", recreating the choreography from the song's video with her dancers. The next song played was " Like a Prayer ", which featured Hebrew letters and a choir on the backdrops. During
3588-443: A much more tame performer now as a 45 year old mother than she was in her days as a provocative sex symbol", she remains "the greatest entertainer on the planet". Glenn Gamboa said that, "[her] latest reinvention may be her best one yet [...] as long as she offers amazing performances like this one, she will have an army of fans backing her up". According to Lucy O'Brien , author of Madonna: Like an Icon , "although musically it had
3744-831: A new form of theatrical entertainment, a fusion of song, performance art, innovative stage craft, and state-of-the-art technology. She managed to popularize the Las Vegas residency as a desirable way for top artists to essentially tour in place, letting their fans come to them. American singer Lady Gaga , who cancelled the 2018 European leg of her Joanne World Tour , signed for a Las Vegas residency to help manage her fibromyalgia illness, which can be exacerbated by touring. The 2015 study by charity Help Musicians found that over 60% of musicians suffered from depression or other psychological issues, with touring an issue for 71% of respondents. Re-Invention World Tour The Re-Invention World Tour (billed as Re-Invention World Tour 2004 )
3900-466: A pink sparkling jumpsuit. The tour's official poster used pictures taken by Steven Klein of Madonna during her promotional concert at London's G-A-Y. Paul Oakenfold was hired as the opening act for selected European dates. The concert was divided into four segments: Equestrian , Bedouin , Never Mind the Bollocks , and Disco . It began with a video showing Madonna walking through a stable brandishing
4056-466: A political commentator, [Madonna] made Bart Simpson seem as sophisticated as Noam Chomsky . [And her] attempts to enlighten us about her arcane spiritual belief system didn't fare much better". Peter Bowes from BBC News pointed out that, "politically, the concert hit a number of raw nerves with the audience [...] but afterwards, many expressed doubts and disappointment about the anti-war message". Howard Cohen opined that, "her anti-war clips trivialized
4212-421: A retro feel, [Re-Invention] showed how Madonna had entered a new phase with her utilization of visual art". The singer's choice to focus on her old material received praise. The Washington Post ' s Dave Segal applauded her for working "through whatever issues prevented her from performing her earliest hits". Slant Magazine ' s Sal Cinquemani highlighted " Burning Up ", " Material Girl ", and "Like
4368-557: A show like this"; the author concluded by saying: "Though nothing less has come to be expected of the Material Girl , she once again proved herself not just a singer but an entertainer extraordinaire". The Sunday Times said Confessions found Madonna "doing what she is best at, and doing it brilliantly". The Globe and Mail ' s Matthew Hays considered Confessions an "example of the artist at her best: energetic, naughty, brazenly kitschy and wildly entertaining". Hays also wrote that
4524-476: A stack of TV sets, dressed in military fatigues and a beret, to perform " American Life ". The backdrops showed footage from the song's original music video interspersed with scenes of wounded children, soldiers, and a George W. Bush look-alike lovingly resting his head on the shoulder of a Saddam Hussein look-alike. Halfway through the performance, the V-shaped catwalk was lowered from the ceiling, which allowed
4680-614: A white T-shirt and a kilt to perform the " Into the Hollywood Groove " remix of " Into the Groove " with Lorne Cousin , and rapper Missy Elliott onscreen. She then performed " Papa Don't Preach " decked out in a black T-shirt with the line "Kabbalists Do It Better" ―on certain shows, the T-shirt read "Midwesterners Do It Better", "Italians Do It Better", "Irish Do It Better" and "Brits Do It Better", respectively. Next came " Crazy for You ", which
4836-477: Is Taylor Swift 's Eras Tour , with $ 2.089 billion earned from 125 shows. In 2024, Coldplay 's Music of the Spheres World Tour became the second tour to gross $ 1 billion in revenue. In third place is Elton John 's Farewell Yellow Brick Road , with a total gross of $ 939 million from 2018–2023. On fourth place is Ed Sheeran 's ÷ Tour , with a gross of $ 776.2 million. On fifth place
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4992-400: Is U2 's 360° Tour , with $ 736.4 million. Global touring revenue reported to Billboard Boxscore exceeded $ 5.5 billion in 2016. Due to the collapse of record sales in the 21st century, concert tours have become a major source of income for recording artists. Besides the tickets, touring also generates money from the sales of merchandise and meet-and-greet packages. However,
5148-443: Is a concert tour intended to signal the retirement of a singer, the disbanding of a band, or the end of a show's run. Many of the tours end up not being the last tour, with frequent regroupings, or revivals of shows. Luciano Pavarotti 's 2004 tour and Kenny Rogers 's 2015–2017 tour are examples of farewell tours which were the last to be staged before their deaths. As of October 2024, the highest-grossing concert tour of all time
5304-439: Is a peculiar thing, it doesn't suit me particularly well. I'm a real homebody and I get so much joy in the small things." A concert residency concept is offered as an alternative to performers who just need to stay in one venue and the fans come to see them. The concept has been revitalized in the 21st century by Canadian superstar Céline Dion with the success of her A New Day... residency (2003–2007). Her residency introduced
5460-437: Is a retrospective of her career to that point, where each act of the concert represents one of her albums . In another case, artists embark on a concert tour to celebrate the anniversary of their past albums, such as U2 's 2017 tour to mark the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree (1987) and Janet Jackson 's 2019 tour to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). A farewell tour
5616-470: Is all about". The title Re-Invention was, according to Christianity Magazine , a "self-confident, ambivalent dig at all the people who for years have talked about [Madonna] 'reinventing herself'". The singer said she chose this name because she wanted to capture "the irony [of my old songs] [...] the only way I could do them was by re-inventing them, approach them from another angle". Noted as being "much lighter in tone" than Drowned World, its central theme
5772-459: Is going on during the more demanding, theatrical numbers, Madonna sounded rehearsed and on target" during the tour. For The Guardian ' s Kitty Empire , the "finest moments in her set are all about physical movement", citing the performance of "Let It Will Be" as an example. Chris Willman also highlighted "Let It Will Be" as one of the best numbers, and deemed it "as rock & roll as anything Courtney Love will ever do". Ed Gonzalez praised
5928-510: Is not ashamed that she was well paid for her hard work [...] Elton John remains on her Christmas card list whether he is nice...or naughty". Madonna herself allegedly sent John a box of chocolates with a sarcastic note. John later regretted his comments and told Entertainment Weekly that he wanted to apologize to the singer, referring to the awards show where he made the claims as "a very drunken lunch": I don't want to escalate it because I like Madonna, [...] She's been to my house for dinner. It
6084-565: The East Valley Tribune highlighted the singer's vocals, her "impeccable shape", and how "[Confessions] delivered on all sensory levels, [and] fans were not disappointed". According to Edna Gundersen from USA Today , "Madonna is as fit vocally as physically, effortlessly nailing tender passages or a demanding upper register after strenuous bump-and-grind workouts". The Boston Herald ' s Christopher John Treacy affirmed that, "although it's impossible to tell how much vocal management
6240-607: The New York Post , Elizabeth Smith noted that, "unlike 2001's 'Drowned World' tour, which was dark, often hostile, 'Re-invention' returns Madonna to the light. She looks as if she is having a good time [...] [she] presents herself as a vital, joyfully relevant and committed artist [...] giving her fans a taste of the past". Similarly, Mark Guarino from the Daily Herald opined that Re-Invention, "joyfully interchanged past with present". Edna Gundersen , writing for USA Today , gave
6396-683: The Catholic Church in England and Wales said believers would be offended by the number; "the crucifixion is at the heart of the story of God becoming man and suffering to redeem us . To use it as a stage prop is a banal perversion of that magnificent event". A pastor from North Denver defended the "powerful and very reverent performance" which "calls the world to take notice that there are 12 million children who are currently orphaned"; he also applauded Madonna for "trying to wake us up to [...] care for those who are most often forgotten". The singer stood by
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6552-701: The HMV store on Oxford Street, London, and appeared at BBC One 's Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and Top of the Pops . On August 27, she opened the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards with American recording artists Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera , performing a medley of " Like a Virgin " (1984) and American Life single " Hollywood ". During a Q&A with fans through Madonna's official website in October, her manager Caresse Henry said she would "definitely" go on tour , either in summer 2004, or early 2005. In January 2004,
6708-516: The KOKO and G-A-Y nightclubs. Later that month, Madonna, again, mentioned the possibility of touring during an interview with Billboard magazine, saying "if I go [on tour], it would be next summer. And it would be all-out disco, with lots of disco balls ". In an interview with The Guardian , Madonna ultimately confirmed the tour for 2006, still deciding between "Confessions" or "Confess Your Sins" as its official title. Jamie King , who had worked with
6864-589: The Worcester Centrum . Halfway through, Billboard predicted the tour to be the top-grossing of the year , with a gross of $ 120 million ($ 193.57 million in 2023 dollars ). Although the Evening Standard reported that "thousands of seats were still available just days before" and tickets "sold far slower than expected", Re-Invention proved to be commercially successful in Europe. 14,000 tickets for
7020-651: The highest-grossing tour for a female artist . It was awarded Most Creative Stage Production at the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards as well as Top Boxscore from the Billboard Touring Conference and Awards . Additionally, it was recognized as the highest-grossing music tour per concert in the 2007 edition of the Guinness World Records . The concerts on August at London 's Wembley Arena were filmed professionally and broadcast as
7176-581: The set list for the tour would include "a lot" of songs from Confessions on a Dance Floor . The former said she was interested in focusing on the new record, as she had already done the "old stuff" on the Re-Invention World Tour while, according to the latter, "people love it [the new album] and they want to hear it". King also said he wanted the tour to be "more interactive", thus he wanted to "put [Madonna] as close to her people — her fans, her dancers, her fellow supporters — as possible". Production
7332-413: The "dishy delights of Truth or Dare . Instead, a more worldly Madge struggles to become a less sound-bite-reliant, more sincere person"; Stephen M. Deusner from Pitchfork panned it and said that, "[Madonna's] life as portrayed in this documentary is cloistered and withdrawn, marked by hours of quiet Kabbalah study but very little self-reflection". On June 20, 2006, it was released in a two-disc format:
7488-407: The "major complaints" fans had regarding 2001's Drowned World Tour was the lack of Madonna's "classic hits", thus, "[she] came to the conclusion that it was time to perform more of her entire repertoire". During an interview with TRL , Madonna explained: "We're talking old and new [...] I'm going to be doing songs from my entire career, like they've never been done before. Because that's what life
7644-483: The "most interesting". Although she singled out the "lively and festive" songs of the Disco section, Cohen ended her review on a mixed note: "The production was so tightly choreographed, it left little room for spontaneity. Even when Madonna flipped the crowd the bird , it felt scripted, not subversive". Matthew Hays noticed that Madonna sang some of her older hits, such as "Lucky Star", with "far less enthusiasm". Reviews for
7800-408: The "re-invention" tag had proved "over-ambitious", as Madonna appeared to be stuck "shadowboxing" with her past; "there were times when [she] seemed somehow oppressed by the weight of all her old selves, times when it seemed that she just wanted to wipe the slate clean and start over". Howard Cohen pointed out the singer's "enviable body of pop hits", but felt the concert as a whole didn't "cohere" into
7956-586: The "sonic cohesion that's about as stylized and chilly as its accompanying album". The Confessions Tour peaked at number fifteen on the United States' Billboard 200 albums chart and won a Best Music Film Grammy at the 50th ceremony. Madonna: Confessions , a photography book by Guy Oseary was released on October 1, 2008. It was created to "showcase[s] the provocative themes of [Madonna's] live performances"; all author proceeds were donated to Raising Malawi , Madonna's nonprofit organization . Set list, samples and notes adapted per Madonna's official website,
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#17328549514508112-441: The 2004 Billboard Touring Awards . Re-Invention proved to be a commercial success, with total sell-outs and multiple extra dates being added. It became the highest-grossing concert tour of 2004 , earning over $ 125 million from 56 shows, and an audience of over 900,000. Fellow singer Elton John then accused Madonna of lip-synching , which was denied by her representatives and John later apologized. The documentary chronicling
8268-533: The Girlie Show ". Entertainment Weekly ' s Chris Willman hailed it "two hours of unbridled horseplay - and fun", as well has her "most enthralling" concert, and gave it an A− grade. Brynn Mandel, from the Republican-American , noticed how, for two hours, "Madge kept her audience engaged, providing visual accompaniment as only she can to a list of hits, both recent and classic [...] only icons can deliver
8424-593: The Great Western Forum. Allan Dekko was selected to choreograph the performance of " Express Yourself " (1989), which was given a military theme. Of working with the singer, Dekko recalled that, "I won't say that she is a natural, but what is being asked of her she did well [...] I found her pleasant to work with". Production cost $ 1 million: the stage had a center stage turntable 13 m (43 ft) in diameter that could rise up to 3 m (9.8 ft) in height and spin up to 6.7 m/s (15 mph), as well as
8580-409: The New York skyline. " Ray of Light " was also sung with guitar and starbursts flashing on the screens. It counted with six male dancers dressed in black suits and white ties doing a synchronized choreography. For "Let It Will Be", Madonna danced energetically across the stage on her own, then sat down for a stripped rendition of " Drowned World/Substitute for Love ". "Paradise (Not For Me)" was done by
8736-576: The Top Tour award during the Backstage Pass Conference on November 9; Madonna's tour manager Caresse Henry was awarded Top Manager award. Re-Invention was named Madonna's second best concert tour by both The Advocate ' s Gina Vivinetto and VH1 's Christopher Rosa. On Billboard ' s 2024 ranking, it came in on the tenth position; Sal Cinquemani wrote that, "[Re-Invention] was nothing [Madonna] hadn't done before or wouldn't do better in
8892-402: The artist and type of tour, but the most common means of separating legs are dates (especially if there is a long break at some point), countries and/or continents, or different opening acts. In the largest concert tours, it has become more common for different legs to employ separate touring production crews and equipment, local to each geographical region. Concert tours are often administered on
9048-471: The audience couldn't even see the screens that were put up". A negative review came from The Independent ' s Simon Price, who panned the "crass, fatuous, mindless symbolism [with] precious little meaning", and the Never Mind the Bollocks act; "her attempts at being punky are embarrassing: falling to her knees with her guitar, looking less like Iggy , and more like Charlie Dimmock ". Price also dismissed
9204-485: The backdrops displaying sand dunes . On " Sorry ", which was performed with dancers inside of the cage, Madonna recreated the dance-off scene from the song's music video. "Like It or Not" closed the act and saw Madonna dancing alone with a chair. Afterwards, a video interlude depicting images of Adolf Hitler , Dick Cheney , Tony Blair , Osama bin Laden , Richard Nixon , George W. Bush , and starving African children played on
9360-442: The channel for this contest because she wanted "to give an opportunity to my biggest fans to see the show really close, up close and personal". Within the first five days, dates at Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Boston , Chicago , Toronto , Philadelphia , and Miami sold out. In New York, all six dates were completely sold out; Madonna played in front of 88,625 people and grossed $ 12,674,925. $ 23 million were grossed from
9516-586: The city to Moscow 's Luzhniki Stadium because of crowd control fears. On July, halfway through the tour, Madonna's manager Guy Oseary announced that the Australian leg had been dropped. The singer released a statement on her website: To my fans in Australia, Please forgive me. I really did hope and expect to come to Australia during the Confessions Tour and asked my managers to try to include some shows there. I have fond memories from previous tours. Unfortunately,
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#17328549514509672-490: The concert "often seemed like it was slapped together". He also added that, although it was "much less theatrical" and "more interactive", Re-Invention lacked Drowned World's "fluidity" and wasn't as "emotionally engaging". It was described as "tremendously well-crafted, but also somewhat calculated and soulless" by the Manchester Evening News ' Paul Taylor. The New York Times ' Kelefa Sanneh said that
9828-510: The concert in Denmark were mixed. It was referred to as "impressive" and "spectacular" by Berlingske Tidende , while other reviewers had "high praise" for the show's opening and closing, but said it lost its energy in the middle, where the singer slipped into a "robotic and boring act". The choice of venue was also criticized; according to The Copenhagen Post , "maybe some 10,000 of the 85,000 people who were there could see Madonna. The majority of
9984-528: The concerts at London's Wembley Arena as the network's first special with the singer; executive Kevin Reilly said that "Madonna is one of the greatest artists of our time and never fails to generate excitement [...] this is going to be a big event for television". According to CBS News , the Catholic League wrote a letter to NBC executives, urging that the crucifixion performance of "Live to Tell" be omitted from
10140-422: The concerts, but no air date was ever confirmed. On April 22, 2005, it was reported that director Hamish Hamilton and production house The Rude Corp. had sued Madonna, claiming she owed them more than $ 300,000 in production fees and expenses. The lawsuit alleged that the director and singer had entered into an oral agreement to produce and direct a European television special of the tour; according to Hamilton, it
10296-506: The country for more than twelve years (since 1993's The Girlie Show tour). Following the album's release in November 2005, Madonna embarked on a promotional campaign and appeared on several European and American television programs, such as Wetten, dass..? , Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood . She also performed for fans at several smaller, more intimate venues in London , notably
10452-495: The depiction wasn't anything new in the music world". Similarly, Greg Kot concluded that, "now that everyone from Kanye West to Madonna way back in the '80s has flirted with this particular brand of sacrilege, crucifixion just isn't what it used to be in the Shock and Awe department". The staff of Newsday wrote: "Was it tasteless? Was it offensive? One thing's for sure - it was one of the show's few dull points". Rick Massimo considered
10608-404: The disco theme of Confessions on a Dance Floor , the designer also created a white suit based on the one worn by John Travolta on Saturday Night Fever (1977); a white one-shouldered unitard with ribbons of purple Swarovski crystals across the torso, similar to the one worn by the singers of ABBA ; a white satin cape, lit from the inside, that had " Dancing Queen " embroidered on the back, and
10764-480: The first Manchester date sold out within an hour, with prices going from £75 to £150. Overall in England, $ 9.8 million were grossed from four sellouts at London 's Wembley Arena , $ 6.3 million from two additional shows at the city's Earls Court and $ 5.1 million from the two Manchester shows. In Paris, where originally only two dates were scheduled, 15,000 tickets sold out in only 30 minutes, prompting organizers to add two more concerts. More than 40,000 tickets for
10920-584: The first ten concerts. According to China Daily , the 39 concerts of the American leg were attended by an estimated 750,000 people. Other American grosses included $ 7.9 million from the concerts at Chicago 's United Centre , $ 7 million from two sellouts at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, $ 7 million from three sold-out shows at the Los Angeles Forum, and $ 6.4 million from the concerts at
11076-408: The future, but —for the first time in years— she was embracing her past [...] [and] was in top form both vocally and physically". The first tickets for the tour were allotted to the members of Icon , Madonna's official fan club. VIP tickets were sold through the singer's official website, including a $ 700 "Madonna Platinum Package" that offered seats in an area near the stage and came with a poster,
11232-590: The guitar chords for the last two and were removed. Other discarded songs included the Headcleanr Rock mix of " Love Profusion " (2004), "Swim" from Ray of Light (1998), " Take a Bow " (1994), and " Live to Tell " (1986). Originally, " Vogue " (1990) was chosen as the opening number until Madonna decided to use " The Beast Within " instead. " Nobody Knows Me " was first rehearsed in its Peter Rauhofer 's Perfect Private Life Mix. Initially, Madonna planned to perform " Die Another Day " (2002) as closing number, but it
11388-433: The hospital in an air ambulance . Caresse Henry, the singer's manager, released a statement: "The entire crew, performers and staff, especially Madonna, were very saddened to hear about the accident but are hopeful that he will make a full recovery". On May 25, 2004, CBS announced a "two-hour, live special" of the tour; according to People magazine, the network offered to pay the singer $ 10 million to broadcast one of
11544-449: The images from X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS and depicted Madonna in a seventeenth century style dress, crawling on all fours towards the camera. No opening act was used. The show was divided into five different thematic segments: Marie Antoinette , Military , Circus , Acoustic , and Scottish-Tribal . It began with " The Beast Within "; an ominous reading from the Book of Revelation played, while
11700-540: The issue and felt about a year too late", and added that, by getting "whole-hog political", the singer "is no longer Madonna the brave". For Sal Cinquemani, the political imagery felt "completely unrelated" to the songs. Robert Hilburn , from the Los Angeles Times , said that, "[Madonna] may feel her political move is trailblazing, but it felt labored [...] reflecting little of the daring and clarity of Sinéad O'Connor , Ani DiFranco and Patti Smith ", and called for
11856-546: The largest in the country. 37,000 tickets for the sole Moscow concert sold out in three days. Upon completion, Billboard , and tour producer Arthur Fogel , reported that Confessions had grossed over $ 194.7 million ($ 294,267,613 in 2023 dollars) from 60 shows and had played to an audience of 1.2 million, becoming the highest-grossing tour ever for a female artist, and breaking the record previously held by Cher 's Living Proof: The Farewell Tour (2002–2005); "Madonna has yet again delivered an incredible show for her fans, and
12012-602: The latter calling it "one of Madge's most ambitious treks ever". In 2024, Sal Cinquemani, writing for Billboard , named it Madonna's best concert tour: "[A] culmination of everything [she] had learned from Blond Ambition through Re-Invention, combining spectacle, drama and good ol' fashioned performance mojo. [T]he show struck a deft balance between dance-party hedonism and intimate introspection. [...] Madonna's most cohesive and consistently thrilling show to date". The tour's performance of " Live to Tell " (1986) faced strong reaction from religious groups, as it found Madonna wearing
12168-434: The local level by concert promoters or by performing arts presenters . Usually, small concert tours are managed by a road manager whereas large concert tours are managed by a tour manager . The main challenge in concert tours is how to move the performance's logistics from one venue to another venue, especially for a transcontinental tour. Tour logistics should be very organized and everything has to happen on time and in
12324-492: The logistics just didn't work out this time around. We looked into going from Japan to Australia and ending the show there but I have to get my kids back into school in England and they are, as you can understand, my most important priority. The important thing to remember is that I'm not retiring anytime soon and I am gonna get to Australia as soon as I can. You remain in my heart and Thank you for your continued love & support. —Love, Madonna Both Madonna and Jamie King confirmed
12480-507: The main catwalk. For " Like a Virgin ", she rode a black leather-studded saddle while the backdrops depicted X-rays of her injuries. A steel monkey bars -like structure was lowered from the ceiling for " Jump "; Madonna sang while the dancers did parkour moves. Towards the end, the singer disappeared into the stage, giving way to an interlude called "Confessions", which featured three dancers narrating personal tragedies. The Bedouin act began with " Live to Tell "; Madonna sang suspended from
12636-606: The most exciting live performers of our time", the press release read. According to Dirk Timmerman, author of Madonna Live! Secret Re-inventions and Confessions on Tour , working on X-STaTIC PRO=CeSS inspired the singer to come up with the tour. Her first concert tour in three years, it was set to launch in May and run through August, visiting cities in the United States and Europe. Additionally, it marked Madonna's first visit to Ireland. Concerts in Tel Aviv were scheduled but cancelled, as
12792-514: The music was "almost incidental - it could have been piped in. This show was about production values, and though Madonna was the star, the stage was the true focal point". In a similar, albeit less enthusiast review, Greg Kot pointed out that, "nothing in Madonna's world, at least on stage, is less than expertly managed. And it gave most of the show the air of a somewhat joyless big production [...] A good time may have been had by all, but no real connection
12948-556: The notes and track listing of The Confessions Tour , and additional sources. Act 1: Equestrian Act 2: Bedouin Act 3: Never Mind the Bollocks Act 4: Disco Notes Adapted from the Confessions Tour program. Concert tour Different segments of longer concert tours are known as "legs". The different legs of a tour are denoted in different ways, dependent on
13104-491: The number an example of the "jump-cut philosophy" that made the singer's previous Re-Invention World Tour a "weird mess". While Chris Willman chastised Madonna for trying "to make like Bono " and "channel[ing] global suffering", Ed Gonzalez was doubtful of her "sincerity" and named "Live to Tell" the tour's "one serious moral lapse". For the East Bay Times , the message came off as "deep as a bumper sticker [...] On one hand it
13260-515: The number, claiming that Jesus wouldn't be mad at "the message I'm trying to send"; she also released a statement: I am very grateful that my show was so well received all over the world. But there seems to be many misinterpretations about my appearance on the cross and I wanted to explain it myself once and for all. There is a segment in my show where three of my dancers "confess" or share harrowing experiences from their childhood that they ultimately overcame. My "confession" follows and takes place on
13416-580: The numbers "in which [Madonna] dispensed with lavish theatrics to play artist", such as " Frozen ", "Burning Up", "Material Girl", and "Like a Prayer". Jay Lustig from The Star-Ledger singled out "Burning Up", "Material Girl", " Deeper and Deeper ", and "Into the Groove", referring to Re-Invention as the singer's most "dizzying and dazzling" show. Joan Anderman, from the Boston Globe , applauded Madonna's ability to control "her spectacle and her music with equal clarity", and "reinvent her reinventions", citing
13572-468: The opening sequence. The second segment, which was inspired by the American Life album and described by Phillips as "real rock 'n' roll", featured military-inspired garments. The third act, based on the work of Federico Fellini and carnavals , featured chorus girl -inspired corsets of "strong and graphic [...] sexy and sassy" colors, created by Lagerfield. The fourth act was the "emotional" point of
13728-464: The performance of "Like a Virgin". The troupe included Madonna's lifelong backup singer and dancer Donna De Lory , vocalist Nicki Richards , Yitzhak Sinwani from the London Kabbalah Centre, Monte Pittman on guitar, Stuart Price as keyboards player, and 12 dancers, including Sofia Boutella and parkour veteran Sébastien Foucan , with whom the singer took parkour lessons. The concert
13884-476: The performance of the combined "Mother and Father" and "Intervention", Madonna once again played guitar as Catholic icons and images of her mother flashed onscreen. " Imagine " closed the segment; footage of war-ravaged children, bombed-out villages and artillery was displayed in the backdrops as Madonna sang. The final segment, Scottish-Tribal , started with bagpipers marching around the stage in kilts and holding wooden posts. Madonna then appeared onstage wearing
14040-501: The performances of " Get Together ", "I Love New York", " Ray of Light ", " Erotica " and " Lucky Star "; Brynn Mandel singled out the "requisite" " Like a Virgin ", while Leslie Gray Streeter praised the " Music " number, included on the "delightful" and "campy" Disco segment. Writing for the Chicago Tribune , Greg Kot highlighted the gay themes included on "Forbidden Love"; "the intent was unmistakable, and moving. Madonna has been
14196-433: The performances of "Lament" and " Imagine ": The former for proving how "Madonna was poorly suited to perform in musicals like Evita ", and the latter for being "anemic, histrionic and soulless". Neva Chonin and Jay Lustig both criticized the performance of "Express Yourself"; Chonin felt Madona "shot herself in the foot" when she sang the phrase What you need is a big, strong hand/ To lift you to your higher ground as she
14352-402: The performances of "Material Girl", "Express Yourself", and "Into the Groove" as examples. Glenn Gamboa highlighted the "playfulness and innocence" of numbers such as " Papa Don't Preach ". The Toronto Sun ' s Jane Stevenson referred to "American Life" as the "biggest production number", but was critical of the third segment, Circus , which she considered the show's "weakest link", that
14508-482: The remaining concerts of the tour. " Ray of Light " was also rehearsed during the initial phases, but the singer later decided to eliminate it, as performing the song at the beginning of the show would hurt her voice beforehand. At the end, twenty-four of thirty rehearsed songs made the final set list. According to Dirk Timmerman, two new songs were created for the tour: "The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You", written by Madonna and Joe Henry , and "I Love New York", written by
14664-467: The right order as planned. Autoweek magazine estimated 30 to 50 trucks were required by Taylor Swift 's The 1989 World Tour to bring all the stage, sound equipment, instruments, props, and clothes. When Beyoncé visited the United Kingdom with her 2016 The Formation World Tour , it took seven Boeing 747 air freighters and a fleet of more than 70 trucks to get her stage set and other gear to
14820-468: The same thing. My specific intent is to bring attention to the millions of children in Africa who are dying every day, and are living without care, without medicine and without hope. I am asking people to open their hearts and minds to get involved in whatever way they can. The song ends with a quote from the Bible's Book of Matthew : "For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I
14976-689: The screens displayed clips of tropical islands. A "modernized" " Lucky Star " was performed by Madonna, Donna De Lory and Nicki Richards. Towards the end of the number, the song's beat slowly changed to that of " Hung Up ", the concert's final number. This performance featured a sing-along with the audience and, at one point, confetti and golden balloons fell from the roof. The show ended as the phrase "Have you confessed?" appeared onscreen. The Confessions Tour received generally positive reviews. Writing for The San Diego Union-Tribune , Don Chareunsy opined that Madonna's previous tours, Drowned World and Re-Invention, "were excellent concerts [...] but she stepped it up
15132-476: The screens flashed images and footage from X-STaTIC PRO=CeSS . As the video ended, the singer emerged on a rising platform, wearing the Lacroix corset and striking yoga poses to perform " Vogue ". " Nobody Knows Me " followed, and saw Madonna energetically dancing by herself on the conveyor belt with some of the song's lyrics appearing onscreen. " Frozen " closed the act; the singer stood alone onstage and sang while
15288-413: The screens showed an excerpt from Flex (2000), a video instalation with an androgynous naked couple wrestling in water. The film was directed by Chris Cunningham , who also directed the song's original video. The Military segment began with the sound of a helicopter in the background as several dancers dressed as soldiers crawled on their bellies and hugged each other. Madonna then appeared on top of
15444-405: The screens. Set to a remixed "Sorry", it featured dancers krumping on the runways. "I Love New York" opened the Never Mind the Bollocks segment. The singer played electric guitar , decked out in a high-collared black leather jacket, and changed the song's line "Just go to Texas / Isn't that where they golf" to a derogatory term aimed at George W. Bush; the backdrops for the performance depicted
15600-422: The show four out of four stars; "whereas her last outing had technical strengths but lacked warmth, Re-invention finds Madonna reinvested emotionally [...] opting for more heart than cleavage and more personality than profanity. For Newsday ' s Glenn Gamboa, the tour showed "a side of Madonna that she hasn't shown very often — the one that has fun, the one that enjoys the roar of the crowd". On his review of
15756-426: The show to "add a 3D element", according to Bennett. Props included five disco balls hung from a central point that were lowered and raised for specific songs, a black mechanical saddle for " Like a Virgin " (1984); a narrow contraption of monkey bars , used for the performance of " Jump "; a crown of thorns supplied by Cotters Church Supply, a huge mirrored cross, and a massive fighting cage. The most expensive prop
15912-467: The show, thus the costumes, designed by McCartney, were quieter and focused on displaying the silhouettes of the performers. The finale included mostly kilts , provided by USA Kilts; Phillips decided to merge " hip-hop sensibilities with traditional Scottish elements ", something Madonna had already explored on her previous tour. Additional clothing included T-shirts, designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, and shoes by Miu Miu . The official poster used one of
16068-455: The singer "seemed intent on proving something [...] that she still knows how to have fun [...] To accomplish that, she needed to captivate [...] to nod to her past while maintaining the aura of an artist whose best is before her [and] she delivered". Writing for PopMatters , Christian John Wikane concluded that, "even the most rabid anti-Madonna listener or cynical music lover would find elements of 'The Confessions Tour' impressive". The staff of
16224-460: The singer and Stuart Price. The latter was reworked into a dance track for Madonna's tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005), while the former was included in her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy (2008). The tour's wardrobe was in charge of Arianne Phillips . When creating the costumes, Phillips recalled: "[Madonna] goes back and revisits older songs and reinvents them, so we used that same philosophy". The designer confirmed
16380-445: The singer and Yitzhak Sinwani. She played acoustic guitar as images of Cherry blossoms flashed onscreen. The final segment, Disco , began with a video interlude of Madonna's past videos, set to a radio-style mashup of " Borderline ", " Erotica ", " Dress You Up ", " Holiday ", and The Trammps ' " Disco Inferno " (1976). Several dancers in roller skates then appeared skating on the runways. Madonna emerged on scene dressed in
16536-455: The singer and dancers to walk above the audience. Next came " Express Yourself ", in which Madonna switched the opening Come on girls! for Come on boys! , and twirled rifles along with the dancers. Rock versions of " Burning Up " and " Material Girl ", with the singer playing electric guitar , closed the act. A remix interlude of " Hollywood " began the Circus act. It featured a breakdancer ,
16692-441: The singer dedicated to her fans. The final numbers were " Music " and " Holiday "; the former was set to a slower, hip-hop mix and had a lighted staircase surrounding a DJ , while the latter had the singer and dancers walk on top of the catwalk as confetti fell from the roof. At the end, the screens flashed out the phrase "Re-invent Yourself". Critical reviews for the Re-Invention World Tour ranged from positive to mixed. Writing for
16848-402: The singer engaging in a Tango -inspired choreography with dancers, the backdrops showing an old man in his deathbed. Towards the end of the number, several male dancers surround her and strap her into an electric chair on a rising platform, giving way to "Lament". The segment ended with a video interlude set to a remixed " Bedtime Story "; it showed the singer dressed in white, singing in front of
17004-428: The singer got the idea of incorporating a horse riding theme after one time when Gaultier took her to Paris ' Zingaro theatrical horse show, which she "loved". Gaultier then decided to have the show's male dancers portray horses, with built-in saddles, harnesses and small saddle-like accoutrements perched on one shoulder. For Madonna's outfit, which included a black top hat with a horse's tail, he took inspiration from
17160-567: The singer herself said she had "ideas for shows in [my] head", and was waiting for the "best time to step into a world tour". That month, the Las Vegas Sun sent out a press release announcing that Madonna would kick off the 32-city US leg of a world tour on June 1 in San Francisco, California , but nothing was further confirmed. In March, Scottish bagpiper Calum Frase, whom Madonna had invited to play at her son Rocco's christening , said he
17316-599: The singer on her previous concert tours— Re-Invention (2004) and Drowned World (2001)—told MTV that Madonna wanted to play smaller, intimate venues, like New York City 's Roseland Ballroom , or the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles , saying "she likes things large, she likes things theatrical, but this time, being that [ Confessions on a Dance Floor ] is an intimate album, we want to try to make people have an intimate experience". Madonna, herself, said that she wanted "to do
17472-520: The singer received death threats from an "unnamed Palestinian group". Madonna told Access Hollywood that her manager advised her to not travel to Israel because of the attack on the leader of Hamas . Nonetheless, she said that, "if I had my way, I'd go". The Re-Invention World Tour officially began in Los Angeles on May 24 and ended in Lisbon on September 14, 2004. According to Caresse Henry, one of
17628-475: The singer to "bring back the sex". He condemned the "weakly political Re-Invention concert [as] unsexy and uninspiring". Finally, Orla Healy from the New York Post wrote that, "Madonna's blond ambition is fading to bland [...] instead of a sexy, flashy, fun-filled show, concertgoers Monday night got an endless dose of political and social commentary". At the 2004 Billboard Touring Awards , Re-Invention received
17784-422: The singer would be making five costume changes throughout the show. Designers working on the tour included Stella McCartney , Christian Lacroix , and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel . Lacroix had worked with the singer on X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS and was called back to recreate one of the corsets Madonna had worn on the installation. The result was a Baroque -inspired, champagne-colored crystal-studded corset, used for
17940-422: The singer would not be seen until she gets off the cross. Madonna: The Confessions Tour Live aired on November 22, one night before thanksgiving ; ratings were low, with the special ending up fourth in its time slot. On January 30, 2007, it was released as a live album and DVD under the title The Confessions Tour ; it received generally positive reviews, with AllMusic 's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praising
18096-502: The singer's "attempts at being sexy [...] When she takes her top off, or shoves her hand inside her pants, I involuntarily think of the gran who gets her toes sucked in Little Britain ". At the 2006 Pollstar Concert Industry Awards , Confessions was awarded Most Creative Stage Production. In 2015, Confessions was named the singer's third best concert tour by both The Advocate ' s Gina Vivinetto and VH1 's Christopher Rosa, with
18252-584: The singer's first concert in Ireland were sold within 30 minutes of going on sale; due to demand, Ticketmaster doubled their staff, added 500 additional telephone lines to their existing 400 and, for the first time ever, doubled the volume of space on their official website. Tickets for the final Lisbon shows went on sale Friday, July 30, with fan club pre-sale taking place three days earlier; 15,000 tickets sold out on eight hours. Upon completion, it grossed $ 125 million ($ 201.64 million in 2023 dollars ) and
18408-422: The singer, it was divided into different thematic acts: Equestrian , Bedouin , Never Mind the Bollocks , and Disco . It received generally positive reviews, although Madonna's performance of her 1986 single " Live to Tell ", which found her hanging on a giant mirrored cross wearing a crown of thorns , was met with strong negative reaction from religious groups ; the performance at Rome's Stadio Olimpico
18564-629: The singer. The Russian Orthodox Church and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR) described the number as amoral, and urged the public not to attend the concert in Moscow . The performance done at Rome 's Olympic Stadium —located near the Vatican — was condemned as an act of hostility toward the Roman Catholic Church by religious leaders; Italian cardinal Ersilio Tonini considered it
18720-403: The special. When asked, Kevin Reilly said that the number would probably be included in the broadcast, adding that Madonna "felt strongly about it", he further explained: "We viewed it and, although Madonna is known for being provocative, we didn't see it as being inappropriate". Ultimately, the performance was cut from the transmission, albeit not entirely; different camera angles were used so that
18876-552: The stage drawing everyone into her world, if only for two hours". The Miami Herald concluded that, although Confessions "lacks the surprise of 2001's Drowned World Tour and some of the better tunes from 2004's Re-Invention Tour [...] [Madonna] seemed to be enjoying herself more on this one and so did we". Eric R. Danton, from the Hartford Courant , classified Confessions as a "club-friendly two-hour set, packed with throbbing beats and ethereal, trance-like vocals", but noted that
19032-409: The success of the tour is the ultimate statement [...] she absolutely belongs at number one", expressed Fogel. Additionally, the Confessions Tour earned Madonna a place in the 2007 edition of the Guinness World Records : highest-grossing music tour per concert. It won Top Boxscore at the 2006 Billboard Touring Conference and Awards. On July 21, Access Hollywood reported that NBC would broadcast
19188-447: The tour and X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS exhibition, the idea emerged from the singer's urge to show her artistic side and her devotion towards Jewish mysticism Kabbalah ; unlike 1991's Madonna: Truth or Dare , which portrayed Hollywood glamour, I'm Going to Tell You a Secret focused on the singer's views on life and spirituality. It premiered on MTV on October 21, 2005. Critical reception was mixed; Barry Walters pointed out that it lacked
19344-515: The tour's opening night, Rolling Stone ' s Barry Walters opined it was "thematically simpler and more focused" than Madonna's past tours. Highlighting the contrast between "the barbarism of war and the necessity of love" in performances such as " American Life " and " Express Yourself ", and praising the artist's "remarkably fun-loving and self-assured" mood throughout the entire night, Walters concluded his review by writing that Madonna had done "the most unexpected thing she could: She came back as
19500-439: The tour, I'm Going to Tell You a Secret , was directed by Jonas Åkerlund and released in 2005. In August 2002, Madonna and Steven Klein teamed up together for an art installation project titled X-STaTIC PRO=CeSS . Created to "deconstruct" the "cult of Madonna while trading on her star power", it was shot inside "stark" interiors and featured "twitchy" footage of the singer decked out in "enigmatic" that made her look like
19656-494: The touring business suffered in the early 2020s because of the COVID-19 pandemic . Pollstar estimated the total lost revenue for the industry in 2020 at more than $ 30 billion. The mobility of concert tours requires a lot of costs, time, and energy. It is very common for musicians to not see family members for over a year during their touring. British singer Adele expressed her unhappiness of concert tours, saying "Touring
19812-577: The venues. The logistics phase of that tour did not include transportation of the backstage staff, musicians, performers, and the singer herself. The majority of concert tours are part of a promotional campaign to support an album release. Hence, new songs from the respective album are included on its tour's setlist . Some tours are known as "greatest hits tours" or "reunion tour" without any new material or specific album release, such as Fleetwood Mac 's 2009 Unleashed tour and No Doubt 's 2009 Summer Tour . Taylor Swift 's The Eras Tour (2023–2024)
19968-466: The well-being of the world, her whole onstage persona rings false". The author also pointed out that Madonna didn't look like she was "having fun", and criticized the "hollow" rendition of "Imagine". Writing for Metromix , Greg Kot concluded that, despite "some inspired moments", Re-Invention "is a mess, a hodgepodge of ideas that never quite establishes its tenuous theme". The show's political tones also attained criticism. JimDe Rogatis wrote that, "as
20124-426: The white Travolta-inspired suit to perform " Music "; the song included a sample of her 1986 song "Where's The Party" at the beginning. For "Erotica", she stripped down the suit to reveal a white leotard with purple stripes; the song's remix featured lyrics from the original demo known as "You Thrill Me", and saw the singer and troupe dancing ballroom -style. The next song was a dance version of " La Isla Bonita ", where
20280-415: Was "an exciting testament to energy, longevity and the sheer love of a beat". Slant Magazine ' s Ed Gonzalez wrote that, "though spotty and compromised but often breathtaking, [Confessions] is something of a coup after the fierce but icy theatrics of her Drowned World Tour and the shrill aggression of her Re-Invention Tour", and noted that Madonna "risked a personal connection with her fans unseen since
20436-468: Was "saved" by the "wonderfully inventive" performance of " Die Another Day ". Tony Clayton-Lea from The Irish Times questioned the inclusion of the singer's "least appealing hits" such as "Die Another Day" and " Hanky Panky ", and said of the Slane concert: "Did Madonna rock? No, but she proved why she's the best and most successful female pop star in the world". In less enthusiast reviews, Sal Cinquemani felt
20592-812: Was "unity vs. violence". Henry described it as a "brilliant performance show [...] extravagant, but more in line with how shows used to be and scaled back, but filled with plenty of eye candy". Similar to Madonna's past tours, it was divided into different thematic acts: Marie Antoinette , Military , Circus , Acoustic , and Scottish-Tribal . Jamie King was once again appointed creative director . Other personnel included Madonna's lifelong backup singer and dancer Donna De Lory , vocalist Siedah Garrett , bagpiper Lorne Cousin , Monte Pittman on guitar, Stuart Price on keyboards , and 12 dancers, including three trapeze artists . Auditions for dancers took place from February to March in New York and Los Angeles's Culver Studios , with rehearsals taking place at
20748-516: Was a "pay-or-play" deal, which meant he would get paid whether not Madonna used his complete services. At her request, the director attended and filmed the tour's rehearsals and various concerts, but was never paid what was promised. The documentary film which chronicled the tour, I'm Going to Tell You a Secret , was directed by Jonas Åkerlund , who had worked with Madonna in the music videos for "Ray of Light", "Music", and "American Life". Originally titled The Re-Invented Process , in reference to
20904-496: Was a 22 metres (72 ft), V-shaped truss catwalk that was lowered from the ceiling above the front of the audience. Props for the show included a half-pipe skateboarding ramp and an electric chair . Images and footage from X-STaTIC PRO=CeSS were used as backdrop videos. During rehearsals, a general set list was decided; it featured " Material Girl " (1984), " Dress You Up " (1985), and "I'm So Stupid" from American Life . However, Madonna found it difficult to learn
21060-434: Was a giant disco ball, from which the singer emerged at the beginning of each concert, encrusted with $ 2 million worth of Swarovski crystals. In total, 70 tons of equipment were used on top of the main stage; it took 2 private planes, 24 semi-trucks, 5 buses, 18 vans and cars to move the equipment from city to city. X-ray radiographies of the injuries Madonna suffered on a horse-riding accident were used as backdrops during
21216-461: Was approached by the singer to join her on a five-month tour, tentatively named Whore of Babylon World Tour 2004. Later that month, it was reported by MTV that the singer was "in rehearsals for a summer swing". The Re-Invention World Tour was officially confirmed by Caresse Henry on March 23; "[Madonna] can't wait to get back on stage [...] There is no doubt that this tour will be the pinnacle of her long standing and well deserved reputation as one of
21372-555: Was being elevated on the back of a rifle, while according to Lustig, "theatrics didn't make much sense accompanying a song about personal empowerment". For Chart Attack ' s Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, "with a name like 'The Re-Invention Tour', one would expect to see Madonna at her absolute finest"; she was critical of the artist's attitude: "Back in the Blonde Ambition [ sic ] days, her general coldness read as ballsy bitchiness [...] with her new sense of concern for
21528-590: Was condemned as an act of hostility toward the Roman Catholic Church by religious leaders. Madonna responded saying that her main intention with the performance was to bring attention to the millions of children dying in Africa. Despite the controversy, the tour was a commercial success; tickets quickly sold out as soon as dates were announced, prompting organizers to add more. With a gross of over US$ 194.7 million ($ 294.27 million in 2023 dollars) from 60 shows with 1.2 million spectators, Confessions surpassed Cher 's Living Proof: The Farewell Tour (2002–2005) as
21684-534: Was confirmed until March 2004. According to some, the title Re-Invention was a dig at Madonna's critics who, throughout her career, had talked about her "reinventing herself"; the singer said she chose this name because she wanted to "re-invent" her old material. A number of songs were rehearsed for the tour, with twenty-four making the final setlist. Like past Madonna tours, Re-Invention was divided into different thematic acts: Marie Antoinette , Military , Circus , Acoustic , and Scottish-Tribal . The wardrobe
21840-408: Was created by designers Arianne Phillips , Stella McCartney , Christian Lacroix , and Karl Lagerfeld . Critical reviews ranged from positive to mixed. The singer was praised for performing the "classic" songs from her catalogue ―which had been absent from her previous Drowned World Tour (2001)― but the concert's themes and political tones were criticized. Nonetheless, it was awarded Top Tour at
21996-507: Was described as a "warm-up" for the tour. Titled Confessions Tour, dates were published on the singer's official website on April 3, with concerts on cities in the US, Canada, Europe and Japan. It officially kicked off at Inglewood 's Great Western Forum , on May 21, and ended at the Tokyo Dome on September 21. The venue for the singer's first concert in Russia was switched from a hilltop site overlooking
22152-409: Was divided into different thematic segments, a custom for the singer's tours: Equestrian , Bedouin , Never Mind the Bollocks , and Disco . Jean Paul Gaultier was in charge of creating the tour's wardrobe. Designer Arianne Phillips , who collaborated with Gaultier, expressed that they based on "everything from Saturday Night Fever to Starlight Express to Fame ". For the first act,
22308-467: Was energizing and erotic in a playfully grown-up way that would never occur to Britney Spears". Similarly, from the Delaware County Daily Times , Anthony J. Sanfilippo praised the "precise" choreographies, the singer's vocals, costumes, and the "great renditions of her classics". Sanfilippo highlighted the performances of " Like a Prayer " and " Music ", concluding that, although Madonna "is
22464-503: Was estimated to have been attended by an audience of more than 60,000; Wales Online reported that fans went as far as to set up camp outside the box office. A second concert was added in Prague after tickets for the first one sold out in a record time of less than two hours; prices ranged from 3,060 to 5,010 Kčs . The single concert in Horsens , Denmark attracted 85,000 people and became one of
22620-422: Was headed by Chris Lamb while decisions were made "by committee", with Madonna having the final word. According to lighting designer Roy Bennett, the show was "extremely theatrical and very big", comparing it to "being in a nightclub or a disco". The stage was twice the size of Re-Invention's and included three runways that lead off to B-stages out in front and to each side of the venue; the main and largest one
22776-415: Was kind of fun just for the shock value. On the other, the stunt aspect and bad sound nearly obliterated the effect of a song that's so much better when standing quietly alone". Eric R. Danton deemed it "more funny than controversial", and compared it to a "press conference from Calvary as imagined by Monty Python ". The Philadelphia Inquirer panned the performance for being "disappointingly static" and
22932-420: Was lighted and ended in a small dance floor, while the smaller side runways had fences on them. The stage came equipped with a semi-circular, hydraulic rising and rotating center-stage that had been used on Re-Invention, and three V9 LED screens that served as backdrops. Hung from above was a semi-circular LED "curtain" screen, that dropped down and covered the front of the center-stage during several numbers of
23088-436: Was made". Although Ben Wener praised the second segment, Bedouin , he was critical of what followed, concluding that only " Drowned World/Substitute for Love " and "Paradise (Not For Me)" evoked the "thought-provoking sentiments" from previous moments. Sandy Cohen from The Washington Post opined that Madonna "looked happiest when she was dancing, microphone at her side", and highlighted the numbers featuring Yitzhak Sinwani as
23244-460: Was named 2004's top-grossing tour. Lucy O'Brien noted that, despite being commercially successful, Re-Invention "somehow slipped beneath the mass media radar", and Madonna had to "promote [it] hard, particularly in the US"; she contributed this to "vastly inflated" ticket prices and the lackluster reception towards American Life . When presenting at the 2004 Q Awards in London, Elton John said he
23400-475: Was replaced with " Holiday " (1983). The John Lennon song " Imagine " (1971) was also added to the set list; when asked why she chose to cover this song, Madonna simply said: "I wanted to make a statement with the ultimate peace song". " Don't Tell Me " (2000) was rehearsed in two versions —one that featured the video of a French skyline as backdrop, used on the American leg and Paris shows, and one that sampled The Verve 's " Bitter Sweet Symphony " (1997), used on
23556-422: Was right '. I just said someone was lip-synching. I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I'm not going to mellow with age. I get more enraged about things as I get older because you see that these injustices go on. While setting up the stage for one of the London concerts, a member of the crew was injured after falling from approximately 30 ft. The man suffered injuries to his shoulder and arm and had to be flown to
23712-532: Was sick and you took care of me and God replied, 'Whatever you did for the least of my brothers ... you did it to me. ' " Please do not pass judgment without seeing my show". Despite the controversy, critical reception towards the number ranged from lukewarm to negative; Leslie Gray Streeter, who gave the overall concert a positive review, opined that it "slowed down, in an unsatisfying way" in "preachy" performances such as "Live to Tell". The Mercury News ' Marian Liu felt that, "while visually stunning,
23868-416: Was something that was said in the heat of the moment, and probably should not have been said. [...] Would I apologize to her if I saw her? Yeah, because I don't want to hurt any artist's feelings. It was my fault. I instigated the whole thing. But it applies to all those bloody teenage singers. [...] The reaction to it was so hysterical, It was like I said, 'I think all gays should be killed' or 'I think Hitler
24024-590: Was surprised at Madonna's nomination for Best Live Act as, according to him, she had lip-synched on the Re-Invention Tour; "anyone who lip-synchs in public on stage when you pay $ 134 to see them should be shot. That's me off her fucking Christmas card list. [...] But do I give a toss? No", expressed John. Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, denied John's allegations and said that, "[Madonna] does not lip-sync nor does she spend her time trashing other artists [...] She sang every note of her Re-Invention tour live and
24180-601: Was the sixth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna , in support of her ninth studio album American Life (2003). The tour began on May 24, 2004, at The Forum in Inglewood , United States, and ended on September 14 at the Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon , Portugal. Additionally, it marked Madonna's first concerts in Portugal and Ireland . Rumors of a concert tour first began circulating in October 2003, but nothing
24336-484: Was without question the biggest pleaser". Howard Cohen from the Miami Herald opined that the tour "celebrates what that iconic name [Madonna] has meant for 20 years by dusting off many of her greatest hits", while Rochelle Brenner from The Palm Beach Post , felt that, "the old songs took on a new sound that seemed more fitting to the more mature" singer. The San Francisco Chronicle ' s Neva Chonin singled out
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