On Wednesday night Madonna played her third show in Paris at the Bercy Arena - here are some fan reports from the show:

From Laurent:
She was close to her fans. During her speech, she said: 'Ha, je suis fatiguée and you?', the audience replied: 'NO!' Then she said: 'Je suis chaude!' Sorry 'J'ai chaud and you?' The audience replied: 'Yes!' and then she asked the audience: 'Why are you hot? She answer with a great full accent and fun: 'Parce que je suis la reine?' And then everybody in the arena was screaming and everything come crazy!
She spoke about love and the world: 'We are many people here from different country, but we are tonight ONE because we are loving us and we gonna fuck George W.Bush!' After that the show goes on as disco party like I have never seen before.

From MorganistiK:
Madonna is beautiful, wonderful, powerful, very funny during the contacts with the crowd and her French sessions. She said again 'Ce soir on va tout niquer!' = 'Tonight we're going to fuck it all!' and 'Je suis fatiguée' = 'I'm tired', but no one believed her on that point.
The dancers are amazing, the yamakasis are crazy to see in action and the screenings are excellents, the decorations well found. My two moments of strong emotions were 'Future Lovers' with 'I Feel Love' and the crucifixion scene. Otherwise I just danced for 2 hours! Thank you Madonna for all that.

madonnalicious visitor Sandro took these pictures at the first Paris show on Sunday 27 August - visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view larger versions.

 

 

Madonna is to auction off her designer stage outfits to raise money for an AIDS charity.
The 'Hung Up' singer's flamboyant costumes - designed by Jean Paul Gaultier for her 'Confessions' tour - will reportedly be sold off to raise money to help AIDS victims in Africa.
A source told Britain's Closer magazine: 'She has pledged money to AIDS charities since the beginning of her career. She's thinking about doing it through eBay, or maybe an auction house in London.'
The singer has already pledged over $2 million to help orphans in Malawi.
She is reportedly also planning to visit the impoverished country later this year.

Madonna is on the cover of UK magazine Woman (04 September 2006 issue) and the magazine also features an interesting interview with Madonna's father Tony Ciccone who talks about his daughter - click on the images to enlarge.

BBC Radio 4 are running a poll to find out who is the nations favourite female singer:

As part of the build up to Woman's Hour's 60th anniversary we'd like to ask you to vote for your favourite solo singer. Since 1953, 22 women have had two number 1's or more. Who's your favourite?

To vote for Madonna visit www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour

madonnalicious visitor MorganistiK took a series of pictures of Madonna leaving her Paris hotel yesterday (Wednesday 30 August) and of Madonna's longtime friend Ingrid Casares at the hotel. Click here to view the rest of the pictures.

Anton Atrashkin, PR manager of the Russian tour of U.S. pop singer Madonna, has flatly denied media rumors about the cancellation of the singer's concert in Moscow.
'This is absolute nonsense. No educated person has ever trusted the sources of such rumors,' he told Interfax on Thursday.
Irina Grudina, PR manager of NCA company, the Russian partner of Live Nation, the main promoter of Madonna's world tour, has also denied the rumors.
'The rumors are absolutely groundless. I cannot understand who is doing spreading these rumors or for what purpose,' she said.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Madonna would perform at Luzhniki stadium on September 12.

madonnalicious visitor Matthieu took these pictures at the Monday 28 August show in Paris - visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view larger versions.

The exclusive interview that Madonna gave in Paris at the VIP Room late last year will be broadcast on French TV on Friday 01 September at 11:40pm on NRJ 12.

The interview will be repeated on Saturday 02 September at 12:25pm and 07:20pm.

Today's edition of UK newspaper the Daily Mirror published this story about Madonna performing at a private Louis Vuitton party in Prague and being the possible new face of the company in their advertising campaigns.

Czech police have said they had detained four members of a 'well-organised' group who had produced counterfeit tickets for the Madonna concerts to be held in the Czech capital on September 6 and 7.
Police seized fake tickets and conterfeiting equipment during home searches. They also found illegally owned guns and about 500,000 koruna (17,700 euros, 22,700 dollars) in cash, police spokeswoman Iva Knolova said.
The fraudsters had succeeded in producing around 300 counterfeit tickets, she added.
Madonna is performing in Prague for the first time ever as part of her global 'Confessions Tour', launched in Los Angeles in May and which is expected by organisers to bring in about 200 million dollars.
The Prague concerts will be held in the city's 16,000 capacity Sazka Arena, constructed for the 2004 Ice Hockey World Championships. Tickets for the US popstar's two shows were sold out within two hours.

Madonna is featured on the cover of the August/September 2006 issue of Italian magazine Look. The magazine also features a five page article inside.

The voting for the Best Music Website in the 2006 BT Digital Music Awards has opened and you can now vote for madonnalicious in this category.

Back in 2004 madonnalicious won the award and in 2005 it was shortlisted - hopefully with your votes it can get back to the top again!

If you like the site and want to show your appreciation for it then please take the time to vote once a day everyday until the end of September.

To vote for this site please visit www.btyahoo.com/dma06/peoples_choice or click on the banner at the top of the page.

madonnalicious (a one-person operated site) really appreciates your votes :-)

The London newspaper the Evening Standard featured a much better picture of Madonna arriving at her hotel after Monday night's show in Paris - click on the article to enlarge.

According to www.aftonbladet.se Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund has been chosen as the director for Madonna´s fortcoming video for the single Jump.

The newspaper quotes Jonas as saying that the video will be shot in Tokyo in the 'next few weeks' probably whilst the Confessions Tour is in Japan.

madonnalicious visitor Al took this picture of Madonna leaving her Parisian hotel for the POP Bercy venue on Sunday 27 August.

madonnalicious has heard from two seperate sources that Madonna may continue working with H&M.

It is suggested that she may advertise the Spring/Summer 2007 range for H&M.

Today's edition of UK newspaper the Daily Mirror features a new picture of Madonna arriving back at her hotel after a concert in Paris wearing her dressing gown and slippers....well what do you expect? Her to get out of the car still wearing her Hung Up leotard?!

Holders of tickets to Madonna's Moscow concert may exchangethem for updated tickets from September 4, said Vladimir Kiselyov, Kremlin state owned company general director and one of the concert's organizers.
The venue for the U.S. pop singer's Moscow concert has been transferred from Vorobyovy Gory to Luzhniki Stadium. The show will take place on September 12.
The Luzhniki Stadium is capable of accommodating a far larger audience than the site in front of the Moscow State University, Kiselyov said in an interview with the Trud newspaper published on Wednesday.
'For this reason, about 17,000 tickets more will be put on sale. And the tickets marked 'Vorobyovy Gory' that have already been sold can be exchanged for Luzhniki tickets at box offices starting from next Monday and virtually until the final minutes before the concert,' he said.
Emotions are not running high over Madonna's concert in Moscow, he said. 'In my opinion, nobody feels nervous. Everything is totally clear: the concert will take place. I do not see any reasons why it could be cancelled,' Kiselyov said.
Kiselyov said he has recently returned from London, where he once again discussed security issues with Madonna's team. 'The organizers took note of the position of the central interior affairs department, which believes that Luzhniki is a more suitable venue,' he said.
Asked about the singer's reaction to religious organizations' criticism regarding her show, Kiselyov said that 'as far as viewers' religious feelings are concerned, she by no means seeks to hurt them. The main idea of Madonna's art is love of people and her conviction that every person has the right to be happy. Those who disapprove of her performance have a choice - let us say, they can go to a classical music concert,' Kiselyov said.
'It is up to the pop star herself to decide on whether to change something in her show or not. We cannot tell her how to perform,' he said.
The singer is not a banknote. She cannot be loved by everybody. She has her own fans. But even among them there are certainly people who feel nostalgic for the tough and erotic Madonna as she was ten years ago. Such people believe that her present image is too 'decent,'' Kiselyov said.

Visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view larger versions of these pictures taken by madonnalicious visitor Simon at the Sunday night show in Paris.

 

 

Madonna's second show in Paris took place on Monday evening. The show seemed to go without the technical hitches that happened the previous night.

After finishing I Love New York, Madonna screamed at the crowd: 'I love Paris too. Motherfuckers!' and the crowd went wild!

During Let It Will Be a fan threw a tshirt onto the stage infront of Madonna, causing her to stop her line and kick the tshirt off as she shouted: Fuck off!. Later in her speech she said she had only had three hours sleep and it made her swear a lot when she was tired!

The speech seemed much longer tonight and Madonna asked to see all the different countries flags in the audience - she then walked down the catwalk calling out the country names. One fan was frantically waving a French flag to which she looked at and went: 'Yeah, France....d'uh!'

While singing Drowned World, Guy Oseary was taking pictures of Madonna - and mouthing the words of the song in time with Madonna too!

Here are some more madonnalicious fan reports from the show:

From David:
Madonna opened with a great 'Bonsoir mesdames et messieurs, bienvenue à notre spectacle.....ON VA TOUT NIQUER' (Welcome ladies and gentlemen to our show, we're gonna fuck it all).
'I am tired. I really am. I only slept 3 hours last night, and I am still on stage, for you! Are you tired? No, you're not! Well, I couldn't sleep. Do you wanna know what kind of things makes me unable to sleep: your throwing things on my stage: let's be clear, if I want something on my stage, I take it from you'.
Then she asked for some flags: Espana, Germany, Brazil, Argentina (gosh guys, you're the greatest) and finally Italy. The crowd went angry and whislted against them (Italy won the Soccer world cup against France). Then Madge ask us to say: 'We want peace, no more war.'
La Isla bonita, and the crazyness raised! Then Erotica, Lucky Star and Hung Up. I have never seen such a free artist, perfect one, she reached perfection and the money was worth it! A lot of 'artist' have to learn from her. Elle a tout niqué!

From Loïc:
What was in my opinion the best moment of the show was the I Love New York - Ray Of Light part, so full of energy, onstage and on the floor (and the black-and-white choreography!) I really thought my heart was about to stop beating, but when Let It Will Be started straight after, no one could surrender so we kept on dancing!
Fortunately our legs could rest a little during the ballads section, but our voices couldn't! The final disco part of the show was great to, with that fantastic Music Disco Inferno dance routine, this amazing new versions of Erotica and La Isla Bonita and of course the breathtaking ending with Lucky Star/Hung Up....
Everything was incredible, the entire show was flawless, brilliantly staged and decorated. The dancers are fantastic performers (Sofia will you marry me?!), the lights and screen projections are beautiful. I wish I could see the show again, I can't wait for a DVD release! As we say in french: 'simplement parfait! merci!'

From Xavier:
Madonna was wonderful and much more receptive than her first show in Paris. She went down the stage and made the people became crazy. Everybody was screaming, dancing and having fun during all the show.
During the speech just after Let It Will Be, she spoke about the things that some fans had thrown to the stage and that she threw back disparagingly as fast as they arrived. She said: 'If I want something from you, I just come and get it!' everybody cheered her at this.
She also said after I Love New York that she loved Paris and London too, she said: 'Paris and I have a point in common, we want peace' and she asked us to repeat this: 'We want peace, let’s have fun!' There were many connections between Madonna and the public in this show.

madonnalicious visitor Colin took these great pictures at Madonna's first show in Paris on Sunday 27 August - to view larger versions of these pictures and more visit the Confessions Tour gallery.

 

 

 

Madonna's Hung Up is used as the intro track played pre-credits on this weeks UK premier eddition of CSI:Miami. This episode is a two part cross over to CSI:NY called Felony Flight.

The episode premiered in the US on the 07 November 2005 and gets its UK premiere tonight (Tuesday 29 August) at 9:00pm on Channel 5, with the CSI: NY part two following straight after.

Here are two madonnalicious visitor fan pictures of Madonna leaving her Paris hotel on Sunday 27 August to go to the Bercy Arena for her first show there.
The first picture was taken by Grégory and the second by Daniella.

madonnalicious visitor Polina brings us more news about the Moscow show:

According to leading Russian newswires agency Interfax, Madonna approved Luzhniki as a new venue for her only Moscow concert. Date of the concert has been changed as well as the venue. Now she will perform in Moscow on Tuesday 12 September.
All tickets purchased earlier have to be exchanged though a certain procedure (although this procedure is not disclosed yet). Luzhniki is capable of accepting around 60,000 people which means more people will have a chance to see Madonna’s amazing show.
Tour management announced that extra 16,000 tickets will be issued, reports RIA Novosti. It is estimated that ticket exchange as well as extra sales will start Thursday 31 August.

The tiara Madonna wore at her 2000 wedding to Guy Ritchie is up for auction to benefit the The Kazanjian Foundation (Jewels For Charity).

This Tiara, worn by Madonna at her December 2000 wedding to Guy Richie, is made up of 765 old cut diamonds, weighing approximately 78 carats. It can be made into a necklace by removing the top swag pieces. An Edwardian piece, it dates back to circa 1910. Retailed by Asprey of London.
The Edwardian era (1910's) combination piece converts from a tiara on a fixed brown velvet wrapped frame to a fringed necklace. The lines and scrolls from seven graduating floral garlands connected on top by swinging floral festoons, and on the base by ornate scrolls.

To view the auction and learn more details about it visit www.ebay.com

Madonna played the first of four nights at Paris' Bercy arena last night. Before the show started fans were treated to a set by DJ Bob Sinclar which got the crowd even more hyped up for the show.

Confessions Tour costume designer Jean-Paul Gaultier was sitting fifth row and even purchased a copy of the Confessions Tour program!

Madonna's voice sounded particulary husky and throaty tonight during the Bedouin sequence....maybe due to the fact some people in the audience were smoking!

During Sorry where Madonna gives the audience the finger, she started to laugh and nearly lost her place in the song as a lot of the audience gave her the finger in return!

Then Madonna started her speech and complained about it being hot, and saying (to a cheer) that I am hot enough already!
Also during her speech Madonna spoke of all the different people from different nations in the audience getting along, so why can't this happen elsewhere. She also tried her hand at French, and ended up asking the audience (who didn't really answer): Is my French that bad? Then just before Drowned World began she said quietly: Note to self: Learn to speak French!

During Paradise (Not For Me) something must have gone wrong with the vocoder bit as it sounded really strange and caused Madonna to look at Stuart several times thinking 'somethings not right here!'

Here are some madonnalicious fan reports from the show - to read their full reports visit the Paris Fan Reviews section:

From Evelien:
Me and my friend were at the side of the stage and we could actually look behind the stage.
Before Live To Tell we could see Madonna climbing on the cross with two men assisting her with little lights. She really had to rush. She was not even 100% ready and the cross already started to go vertical.
Before the show started, Madonna and her dancers walked passing our seats and when we screamed and yelled at her, she looked up at us, making the gesture of being really nervous. She was so little and cute....in between these muscled men.

From Georgia:
Her performance was amazing, and during Like A Virgin, she looked up and smiled at me! Also, when climbing around on the mechanical bull, the look on her face was so cute, as it was scrunched up with concentration, and she was holding on very tightly!

From Julien:
I was next to the middle stage and very near the giant disco ball when it came from the sky! It was a magical moment went she went out the ball with a big smile on her face.
She spoke a little French telling us she was doing a very big effort but there was nothing new in her vocabulary!
The crowd went wild when the Disco Inferno part started and everybody danced and jumped in a mass hysteria! It was amazing!
That was, I think, a better show than the Re-Invention tour because Madonna seemed very happy and danced as if we were back in 1990!

From Nelly:
I went to see Madonna's first show in Paris last night! She was full of energy but the people around me (Category 2) did not move their asses, and that was disappointing!
Madonna made an effort to speak French (that's what she said and she did it greatly!) The show is so GOOD! To all the fans: enjoy the show you're lucky to attend.

From Sandro:
I went to see Madonna's first date in Paris this evening! It was very crowded but I had the chance to be very close to the stage. She looks absolutely beautiful! At one point after Get Together she said in French 'Ce soir on vas niquer la place!' (Tonight we're going to fuck this place!).
She really seemed to be in a very good mood. At one moment when she's dancing on the radio during Hung Up I saw her laughing hysterically! She smiled to everybody and went very close to the fans that obviously went wild! AMAZING!

Here is the first press picture from Madonna's Sunday night performance in Paris.

Posters throughout the Russian capital had proclaimed the venue and date for a month, and 40,000 tickets had already been sold.
But a long-awaited concert by Madonna had become mired in security concerns, and it was anyone's guess where and when the show would take place, if at all.
After more than a week of negotiations — spiced up by protests against the 48-year-old pop star performing anywhere in Moscow — an agreement was struck Monday for the show to be held Sept. 12 at the Luzhniki stadium.
Originally, promoters said it would be Sept. 11 in Vorobyovye Gory, the hills that rise on the south bank of the Moscow River, in a vast space framed by the tower of Moscow State University.
It's not clear whether promoters had firm permission for that site, but city officials began raising an array of objections, primarily that the huge space would be impossible to police properly.
The city had pushed for an alternative site — the Tushino airfield, a charmless venue where other outdoor concerts have been held.
'Luzhniki is more convenient from the point of view of security — we are sure that this is very good news for all Madonna fans in Russia,' Anton Atrashkin, the press secretary for the Russian leg of Madonna's 'Confessions' tour, told The Associated Press.
The new Sept. 12 date would mean there was 'no connotation or parallel with this tragic date in world history,' he said, referring to the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States.
In addition, Luzhniki can seat 80,000 people — about double the 40,000 tickets that had been sold for the earlier venue.
The Russian Orthodox Church has urged a boycott of Madonna, who has created controversy because of a mock crucifixion scene in her 'Confessions' tour concerts.
Twelve young Orthodox protesters were fined after an unsanctioned anti-Madonna demonstration last week.

The Russian edition of Hello! magazine featured an article with some nice recent pictures of Madonna and her family out celebrating Rocco's birthday in London.

Jump has been added to many more radio stations in Canada, fans can vote for the song at the following links:

O97.3: www.o973.com/content/francais/big_20
CHLC: www.chlc.com
CKOI: www.ckoi.com
Radio Énergie - Top 5: www.radioenergie.com/musique/top5
Radio Énergie - Top 6: www.radioenergie.com/musique/top6

Eager fans have already started camping this morning outside Bercy for Madonna's first Paris show tomorrow (Sunday 27 August).

Bob Sinclar's website has announced that DJ's Bob Sinclar and David Guetta will perform in Paris as an opening act to Madonna's concerts at Bercy.

Bob Sinclar will appear on Sunday 27 and Monday 28 August and David Guetta on Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 August.

For more information visit www.bobsinclar.com/news

madonnalicious visitor Maddiboy took some fantastic pictures at Madonna's AWD Arena concert in Hannover on Tuesday 22 August. Below are just a small selection of his pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the run up to the MTV Video Music Awards, MTV.com are telling the story behind the making of Madonna's Hung Up video:

Johan Renck was having a crazy enough day as it was, trying to shoot an H&M commercial with Kate Moss just hours after a photograph of the model cutting up lines of cocaine hit the tabloids' front pages.
Fighting off paparazzi that were climbing a fence for a shot of the scandalized beauty, Renck was at the end of his rope — when out of the blue he got a call on his cell from Madonna. The two had collaborated in 1999 on her geisha-inspired clip for 'Nothing Really Matters,' and now, six years later, the singer wanted to work with the Swedish director again — now. 'She was desperate,' Renck said.

To read the rest of the article visit www.mtv.com/news/articles

Here is a look at the Japanese Tour Edition of Confessions On A Dance Floor which has just been released. The set contains the original CD and a DVD with the videos for Hung Up and Sorry and their making of featurettes.

This special edition can be purchased from www.hmv.co.jp who ship worldwide.

Also included in the set is a booklet called Confessions Tour and History which looks at the current tour and contains a discography, timeline and DVD releases.

Visit www.fairytale-magazine.com to read an interview with Barbara Klemm, a photographer who photographed Madonna watching the Versace fashion show back in Paris in 1993.

Fans should check out the official H&M myspace website at myspace.com/hmusa which features wallpapers to download of your favourite crew members.

Madonna's Moscow show will take place at the Luzhniki stadium, a source in the Russian authorities close to organizers of the concert told Interfax on Friday.
The concert had been scheduled to be held at Vorobyovy Gory, 'but law enforcement bodies objected to the venue, saying it would be impossible to guarantee security there,' the source said.
The Tushino airfield was also mooted as a possible venue, he said.
'Luzhniki stadium is a suitable venue, there everything is in place to ensure the security of visitors and musicians,' the source said.
'The venue for the concert will be announced early next week,' he said.

Madonna played Denmark for the very first time last night at the Horsens Forum. The Danish press found the venue to be unsuitable for a concert of this type.

Here are some madonnalicious fan reports from the show:

From *Fahad:
At 22.00 the sun finally sets over the massive field where 85.000 people, most of them Danes, are gathered to see H&M (Her Majesty) appear from a shiny discoball.
The discoball emerges from the ceiling and out comes our Queen. The temperature most have risen 50 degrees at that moment, cause Horsens was set aflame at that moment! People went wild!
There was no errors on stage, except when Madonna pulled a Naomi Campbell and tripped on a balloon on the catwalk. She was quick to get back on her feet and finished 'Hung Up'.
Let there be now doubt, Madonna rocked Horsens in Denmark and we hope to see her back for the VMA's in Copenhagen this November!

From Heiko:
First of all there were like 85000 people and I was lucky to be 25m away from the disco ball, and I was able to see her majesty herself for the first time in my life!
She looked amazing, like an 20year old girl....and damn what an energy and what a voice! She was great in every way, and every song had a special message to bring to the audience.
She seemed relaxed and happy, and she spoke to the audience a few times. Before she sang Drowned World/Substitute For Love she asked the audience to repeat after her, 'George Bush FUCK YOU....and George Bush is a whore!' The crowd went crazy.

From Louise:
OMG! It's was my first Madonna concert, and I loved it! It was amazing and funny, I didn't even notice that there were 85.000 people around me!
The best part was when she started her speech saying 'SKÅL!' which means 'Cheers!' in English, she also said some other things on Danish but I didn't get all of it...I wasn't to close to the stage to hear it, and she said 'I haven't been in Denmark before, I hope you forgive me' and the crowd went wild and yelled 'WE DO!'.

madonnalicious visitor Julia took these great pictures at Madonna's Hannover show at the AWD Arena on Tuesday 22 August - to view larger versions of these pictures visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view larger versions of these pictures.

 

 

Fame (the biggest music store in Holland) and MadonnaNed (the Madonna Fanclub for Dutch and Belgian fans – www.madonna.nl) are proud to announce an exclusive instore performance / signing of Madonna’s background singer Donna DeLory.

Donna will be in Fame Music Store on Saturday 02 September at 20:00 hrs.

Fame will start selling Donna’s new CD 'Sky Is Open' from Saturday 26 August at 10:00am. The first 200 people who buy the CD will get an entrance pass which will give them access to the exclusive instore performance.

Rotterdam's busiest metro station Beurs can now safely be renamed Madonna Central! The H&M campaign has taken over the whole station, no other products are advertised and Madonna music plays all day long!

A report from E! Online about Madonna's Moscow concert also briefly mentions at the end of the report a comment about her upcoming NBC broadcast:

For those who missed out, a two-hour special, titled Live to Tell, was taped at London's Wembley Arena this month an will air on NBC in November, marking the entertainer's first network broadcast concert.

Madonna's 48th Birthday Party is featured in a two-page article in the latest edition of UK magazine Hello! (29 August issue 933) - click to enlarge.

Moscow police officials have officially announced that Madonna’s September 11 concert can not take place at Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills) as it was planned earlier.

'The permission for Madonna concert on Sparrow Hills has not been granted. The concert will take place in some other part of the city, possibly in Tushino,' the head of the Western District Police Directorate said.

Tushino Air Field is suggested as alternative but according to the newswires an agreement on that has not been received.

Here's a closer look at the plectrum tour guitarist Monte Pittman uses during the show and then throws to a lucky audience member.

Another country, another scandal for Madonna! Please note this report was based on a newspaper report and is only a rumour at the moment:

Some Prague officials are 'outraged' that the city's most celebrated bridge is scheduled for a one-day shutdown next month for a private party featuring pop star Madonna, a newspaper said Friday.
The American diva is scheduled to belt out a few songs for a fashion-company party on the cobblestone deck of the 14th-century Charles Bridge, a gothic monument in the heart of the city, sources told the Pravo newspaper.
The Sep 8 gala for French fashion designer Louis Vuitton would close the pedestrians-only bridge after Madonna's scheduled concerts at a Prague arena on the previous two nights.
The concerts will be the first in the Czech Republic for Madonna, who's carved an entertainment niche by raising eyebrows and stretching the limits of good taste.
Pravo said some city council members were 'outraged that one of the largest Czech monuments will be rented all day long'.
The stone bridge is one of the city's favourite tourist attractions and frequently crossed by visiting dignitaries

The tracksuit especially designed for Madonna by H&M hit stores in most countries yesterday. The tracksuit is a limited edition and comes in black, white and the more rarer purple.

The tags inside the clothes say Madonna (Heart) H&M and each tracksuit item contains a tag saying This tracksuit was specially designed for me - Madonna.

Stores in Sweden gave out a free Get Together CD to fans who bought the complete tracksuit, and the stores are playing Madonna tracks all the time. A special Madonna and Crew carrier bag is given to customers who buy products from the Madonna and Crew range - although many stores had run out of these bags!

Below is a mailout from H&M announcing the sale to it's US customers:

A request from madonnalicious visitor S S to get Madonna on the radio:

Hey USA Madonna fans, please call Movin 93.9 and request them to play songs from Madonna's new CD Confessions on a Dance Floor.
This is a brand new radio station in Los Angeles and it is not owned by Clear Channel so here is our chance to make Jump and Confessions On A Dance Floor a big success in America.
Call 1800-977-1939 and leave a message requesting them to play tracks like Hung Up, Sorry, Get Together, and most importantly Jump.
This is a new station so our requests will make a difference. Don't just call and request Madonna, be specific and request her new songs. Lets all join together and do this for our QUEEN.
Movin 93.9 plans on expanding all across America but if we can get them to play Madonna's new tracks on their station in Los Angeles it will influence other stations in America to play her new songs as well.

madonnalicious visitor Christian sent in this picture of Madonna leaving the Sheraton Hotel in Hannover on Wednesday morning.

MADONNA PARTY IN PARIS (Free Entrance)
Tuesday 29 August 2006 From 10:00pm to 6:00am

L EVASION
11 RUE DE CHATEAUDUN
75009 PARIS
METRO/SUBWAY: CADET

If you are in Paris and wish to attend then please email lanuitconfessions@free.fr

Madonna is the cover star of UK magazine first (23 August issue) which also features a four page article inside, including pictures from Madonna's 48th birthday party in London.

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
July 30, 2006
$7,788,845
55,795 / 55,795
1 show / 1 sellout

Wembley Arena, London, England
Aug. 1, 3, 9-10, 12-13, 15-16, 2006
$22,090,582
86,061 / 86,061
8 shows / 8 sellouts

LTU Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany
Aug. 20, 2006
$5,926,105
44,744 / 44,744
1 show / 1 sellout

Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
Aug. 6, 2006
$5,268,886
63,054 / 63,054
1 show / 1 sellout

These are based on the initial 'for sale' allocation. Any VIP/media seats that went back on sale (production seats) don't count towards the venue capacity.

The latest edition of US magazine In Touch Weekly (04 September issue) which hits newsstands this Friday features this article about Madonna's 48th birthday party in London and includes this lovely picture - click to enlarge.

Madonna's eight Wembley Arena sell-out concerts have trumped Billy Joel's 12-night stand at New York's Madison Square Garden to top the highest Billboard Boxscore gross of 2006. Madonnna's August (06) concerts at Wembley grossed over $22 million (GBP12.2 million) - $3 million (GBP1.7 million) more than Luis Miguel's run of shows at Mexico City's Auditorio Nacional and Joel's record-breaking stand in New York.

Madonna arrived in Denmark on Wednesday 23 August in the early evening - below are some pictures of her arriving at the Hotel Royal in Aarhus.

She is one of the most loved and respected singers in the music industry, but if there's one person close to the queen of pop Madonna who doesn't think too highly of her music, it would be her director hubby Guy Ritchie.
Madonna, who is currently gearing up for the Russian leg of her Confessions world tour, recently revealed that though her kids - daughter Lourdes and son Rocco - were huge fans of her music, her husband, on the other hand, didn't much care for it.
'My children adore all that I do, they love dance music. My husband isn't a great fan,' the Daily Mail quoted her, as saying.

madonnalicious visitor Juergen caught the moment Madonna had to wear her favourite parka coat to keep warm during her speech and Drowned World/Substitute For Love performance last night at the AWD Arena in Hannover.

Madonna played the AWD Arena in a freezing cold and damp Hannover, Germany last night. The open air arena even caused Madonna to have to wear a coat during the quieter moments of the show! Here are some madonnalicious fan reports:

From Alex:
So much more to tell but every scene was brilliant, every part of the show amazing, the videos, the lights, the dancers, the sound and of course Her Majesty herself!
I just let you know, that I will never ever forget this night. Thank you Madonna for beeing in my hometown and making this evening to an unforgetable experience to me!

From Demian:
The Queen was in a fantastic mood, smiling, joking and she spoke German again, like she did in Düsseldorf. She also said 'Danke' for supporting her so much and for coming to the open-air-show, while it was a cold and rainy evening. At least it didn´t rain during the whole show.
After all, I still know, what I love her for - intelligent, creative, catchy Pop-Music and this increadible talent to rework the songs and making something even more special of it. Great!

From Enzo:
So when she did Let It Will Be in the Paperfaces Mix I just went mental. Singing and dancing like a mad man! And while she was strutting down the catwalk she turned around and looked at me! I still get chills thinking about it. I looked into her eyes and she certainly looked at me, coz everybody told me so too. Very very surreal!
Later in Hung Up she also kneeled down front of us to hold the microphone towards us when everybody was almost shouting 'Time goes by so slowly....' It was amazing. I don't think she'll ever remember my face but those two moments, where I know she was looking at me/us just made the whole experience even more perfect than anything I had ever expected of the concert!

From Jean-Baptiste:
Then she thanked us for coming, hoping we weren't too cold, and how lucky we were, it didn't rain (that was a roofless stadium). After 'Let It Will Be', she said 'Did you hear about a prediction of rain tonight? And it didn't happen! This is a miracle! So fuck you the rain!' during her traditionnal speech (she also asked us to repeat 'Fuck you George Bush!').
When she started singing 'Drowned World', she wore a big bomber jacket, and she looked pretty....cool actually!

From Simon:
The show was amazing! I never saw a show like that before in my whole life! As we sat on the floor during the *perfecto* DJ Paul Oakenfold, there was a little bit of rain. But, as the show of Madonna started, the rain was gone and we all see the blue sky!
After the performance of 'Future Lovers' she said 'Willkommen, meine Damen und Herren' (the same as she said in Dusseldorf) and the crowd was soooo happy again!
The crowd on the floor was happy during the whole show! During 'Ray Of Light' we had to jump and give her an applause! Her voice was amazing!

madonnalicious visitor Flo filmed some short clips of Madonna's soundcheck at the LTU Arena in Dusseldorf on Sunday - fans can now download these clips.

Pop superstar Madonna has been invited to a private dinner with Russian President Vladimir Putin when her Confessions tours hits Moscow next month. The Material Girl has been eyeing a date with the political heavyweight for months, but it was Putin's daughters Maria and Katya, both huge Madonna fans, who eventually convinced him to make it happen.
A source tells British newspaper The Sun, 'This has been on the cards for a while. She really wanted to meet him but he wasn't sure initially.' Madonna's invitation distances Putin from the Russian Orthodox Church's stance on her impending show - the singer has already been lambasted by religious leaders in the country for her controversial 'crucifixion' stunt, with one churchman insisting she 'needs spiritual assistance'.

madonnalicious visitor Markus captured these pictures when Madonna had to perform a soundcheck in front of fans at the LTU Arena in Dusseldorf on Sunday.

Visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view larger versions of these pictures.

 

 

 

 

Madonna may be forced to change the venue of her Moscow concert because of fears students at the nearby university could fall from the windows while craning to watch her, officials said.
'The question of where the Madonna concert will eventually take place has still not been resolved,' said the head of Moscow's security department, Nikolai Koulikov.
'More than 250,000 tickets have already been sold and we fear the students of the (Lomossov) university....could fall from the windows,' he told a press conference.
Koulikov said the authorities were considering moving the venue from a hill overlooking the capital and facing the university, to the more spacious Tushino airfield in northwest Moscow.
But he said they had no plans to cancel the concert despite a bomb attack on a Moscow market that killed 10 people on Monday.
'Life must go on despite these explosions,' he said.
The US pop star will make her first appearance in Moscow on September 11 as part of her 'Confessions' world tour.
Organizers say she plans to bring 200 tonnes of equipment on 57 lorries.

madonnalicious visitor Jeyan has sent in the full fan sing-along Happy Birthday led by backing singers Donna and Nicki and the full speech Madonna gave afterwards at London's Wembley Arena on Wednesday 16 August.

As reported earlier this week on madonnalicious the September 2006 issue of In Style magazine features female stars paying tribute to Madonna:

Madonna is the talk of fashion and lifestyle magazine InStyle - stars like Marcia Cross, Salma Hayek and Eva Mendes have paid tribute to the Material Girl through a string of anecdotes.
InStyle editors asked a slew of stars for their Madonna memories and have splashed the comeback across four pages of the September (06) issue of the glossy, together with photos of the many incarnations of the pop superstar.
Desperate Housewives star Cross coos, 'We used to swim at the same pool. She'd get out and put all of this jewellery on.' Actress Zooey Deschanel recalls, 'The first album I ever got was Like A Virgin. It was during the Iran Contra conflict. I thought she was saying, 'Like a Persian.''
Sexy Mendes admits she once tried to look like the Material Girl: 'I wore a black miniskirt, white half-gloves, a ribbon in my hair and a big cross. My mother was mortified.' Fellow Latina Hayek credits Madonna for paying respect to her roots: 'I was grateful somebody like her appreciated our culture.'
And Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie reveals she liked Madonna best when she was a little chubbier. She explains, 'I liked when she had a bit of a belly, a cute little womanly pooch (corr).' Other stars paying tribute to Madonna in the magazine piece include Jessica Biel, Marg Helgeberger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Mischa Barton and the pop star's pal Gwyneth Paltrow.

Visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view more and larger versions of these pictures taken by madonnalicious visitor Jean-Baptiste at the concert in Dusseldorf.

 

 

 

 

 

British singer Robbie Williams is afraid he will remain single forever, because no girl can ever live up to his ideal woman - Madonna.
The Feel singer admits he is jealous of the Material girl's film-maker husband Guy Ritchie. He says, 'I've been in bed with somebody that I'm having a very romantic mini-break with, a couple of weeks relationship with, and then I watch the late shows in America and there will be a girl on there I'd rather be with. Madonna is the ultimate in our day and age of the grass being greenest. Guy Ritchie is a lucky man. I do happen to fancy Madonna. She rehearses her a**e off. Goes to the gym every day. She does all that stuff to get it spot-on and then she delivers. I'm in awe of her drive.'

Here is the first look at Madonna's unscheduled public soundcheck before the LTU Arena concert in Dusseldorf on Sunday - this picture was taken by madonnalicious visitor Edwige during the soundcheck.

Security concerns have prompted Moscow authorities to consider an alternate site for Madonna's upcoming concert, a government official said Tuesday.
The pop diva is expected in Moscow September 11. Madonna's show, part of the controversial 'Confessions on a Dance Floor' tour, was originally supposed to take place in front of the Moscow University building, on a hill overlooking the capital.
'The concert venue was among the issues considered at a session of Moscow's Anti-Terrorist Commission August 19,' Nikolai Kulikov said.
He said the large number of expected fans - up to 250,000 - could mean the concert would have to be moved from Vorobyovy Gory to the more spacious Tushino airfield in northwest Moscow.
Kulikov said authorities in Rome, where Madonna has already performed, also had to transfer the performance from a city square to a stadium.
'We have considered holding the concert at the Luzhniki stadium, but it will be hosting an international football match,' he said.
However, Kulikov assured ticket holders that the concert would not be canceled under any circumstances, even in light of a bomb attack at a Moscow market Monday that claimed at least 10 lives.
'Life must go on despite these blasts,' he said. 'No events planned for City Day are going to be canceled either, but security will be tighter.'
Moscow celebrates its birthday the first weekend of September. This year the city will turn 859. The only time celebrations were canceled was following the Beslan school massacre in September 2004, which left 331 people, including 186 children, dead.

Madonna is on the cover of French TV listings magazine Tele TNT (26 August 2006 issue).

Madonna is featured on the cover as the NRJ Interview she did last year in Paris to promote Confessions On A Dance Floor will be broadcast on channel NRJ12 on Friday 01 September.

Click on the cover to enlarge.

Robbie Williams talks about his Pet Shop Boys produced track She's Madonna:

My life seems to be like a never ending edition of Jim'll Fix It. I am truly blessed. The odds of Robbie Williams making a ninth album ten years ago would have been more than long against. To be writing this album and having my heroes work with me feels phenomenal. I played Tour De France by Kraftwerk and said 'I like this, Can we do something like this, but not much like this,' but then everything else came together pretty quickly.
In case anyone asks....There is nothing tongue in cheek about this song at all, I have always fancied Madonna. I'd have hoped for it to be this good, but you can never tell before venturing into the studio. It is just a bonus that it worked out so well.

Here are some pictures of Madonna's crew (Leroy, Cloud, Stuart and Guy) as store displays at the State Street H&M store in Chicago.

Madonna's upcoming visit to Moscow on tour is featured in the Russian press - below is a small article from Joy and a Madonna cover and article from Sobesednik.

Madonna played her first Confessions Tour date in Germany last night at the LTU Arena in Dusseldorf. Fans got to witness Madonna do a dress rehearsal due to delays caused by difficulties with the local Police department!

Here are some madonnalicious fan reports from the show:

From AMnjd:
People went crazy especially for Ray Of Light and Hung Up, I saw 45.000 people jumping and screaming.
She tried to get in contact with the crowd but I guess people did not speak enough English to understand her and she made some funny jokes about it.

From Cedric:
The show was perfect. After 'Future Lovers', she immediately started smiling and talking and cheering us on. She made eye contact with the crowd thoughout the whole show, including me. She looked looked like she was having a great time.
At one point she gave everyone the finger and one of the fans gave one back. She noticed and started swearing 'Well, fuck you too....motherfucker' or something....but she was laughing all the time. She also said that we could 'Suck George Bush's dick', then the crowd went wild.

From Didier:
During the show, she explained that she didn't speak German, so she hopes we understand English, and then she went on her knees and ask to someone in the crowd, really slowly: 'Do you speak english?'

From Jean-Baptiste:
But for once, something rare happened: when we came in the LTU Arena around 6 p.m, Madonna was standing there, without any make-up or wardrobe, rehearsing! Of course, when we saw her, we started applauding her, but she asked us (very politely) to be quiet (several times in fact): 'I said be quiet please, this is very technical, this is not the show. Thank you' she said, point her sparkling ridng crop at us!
Then she explained that there was a problem with local police and that's why the rehearsals were late. So, we listened to 'Future lovers' and 'Get together' two hours before the beginning! HUGE!

From Ken:
Went to Dusseldorf today and what an amazing evening! We went to the arena at 14.00h and stood in the sunshine and in the rain until 18.00h , they let us finally in after a run to the mainfloor you never could imagine what happened to us! We came in and the mirrorball was down and open and nobody else than the Queen herself was on the end of the catwalk; no make up, but looking not happy!
Of course we couldn't believe our eyes! She spoke to the audience; I had a terrible fight with the police all day so I didn't had time to do my rehearsals, so I am going to do that now so I am not happy that you are already here so consider it as a huge privilege and I appreciate your silence! So Future Lovers began and Get Together! Everybody was amazed seeing this! Between the two songs she shouted; shut up and thank you for your silence!

From Olga:
'Are you ready? I said, are you ready?' screamed Madonna at the beginning of the show. And than a little bit later. 'Willkommen, meine Damen und Herren!' (Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen) welcomed us Madonna in German.
It was a great show. 'Ray Of Light' really rocked the house. Madonna kept on screaming 'I wanna see you jumping. Are you still jumping?'
At the end of her speech she became unsure whether we understand. She said she didn't speak much German so we have to try to understand. 'And I hope you understand. Do you speak English?', she asked doubtfully. Before starting to sing again she thanked Germany for being a great support through her entire carreer.

From Rosa:
Well, Sunday the show started at 19:30pm with Paul Oakenfold, a 'perfecto' DJ and he was really perfect. He put us into a cocked mood and everyone wanted to have more....more....MADONNA! Then, at 21:15pm the light went out (after a break of Paul) and Future Lovers started! The crowd went wild!

Madonna and Steven Klein's photographic exhibition will be on display in Moscow from Monday 11 September until Wednesday 11 October at the Gary Tatintsian gallery. Below is a billboard advertising the event.

Fans can view three German TV reports on Madonna's first concert in Germany at the LTU Arena in Dusseldorf last night - click on the link to watch:

ARD Brisant / ZDF Leute Heute / RTL Exklusiv

Madonna's artistic freedom has won out. German prosecutors decided they won't open an investigation into the pop star after her weekend concerts in Dusseldorf. Madonna has come under fire recently for performing a mock crucifixion during her Confessions tour. However, officials said while the scene might be 'hurtful to religious people,' there was no indication of a criminal offense.

Here's another look at how the Madonna and Crew H&M campaign is reaching across Europe and Canada.

In Montreal, Canada the shop window and store are all decked out Madonna and Crew style. (Thanks to Koukla).

Below are pictures from Paris with Madonna featured on a billboard by the Eiffel Tower and on the back of a bus! (Thanks to Wadie).

 

The H&M Beurplein shop in Rotterdam, Holland has this window display (see below) with the 'Madonna' tracksuit featured. (Thanks to Dave).

 

Madonna's 2004 tour documentary I'm Going To Tell You A Secret will be broadcast on Portuguese television station RTP1 on Saturday 02 September.

For more information visit www.rtp.pt

Madonna is on the cover of the latest issue of Dutch magazine Esta. The article focuses on her career and how she always manages to be ahead of her time.

For more information about the magazine visit www.esta-online.nl

Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie have been lobbying the government and nuclear industry over a scheme to clean up radioactive waste with a supposedly magic Kabbalah fluid.
The couple, both followers of the Jewish spiritual movement, approached Downing Street, Whitehall and British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) promoting a 'mystical' liquid tested in a Ukrainian lake.

To read the rest of the article visit www.timesonline.co.uk

Visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view larger versions and more great pictures taken by madonnalicious visitor Ant at the last London show at Wembley Arena on Wednesday 16 August.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Madonna is nominated in 5 different categories for this year's MTV Video Music Awards, which will be held in New York on August 31. It is now time to support Madonna by casting your vote!

To vote for Madonna click on the links below before Sunday 20 August:

Video Of The Year / Best Female Video / Best Dance Video / Best Pop Video

The world's largest Madonna poster was installed yesterday evening on the Radisson SAS Hotel in Hamburg city centre.

The poster measures 20.75m x 60m = 1245m² and is part of the massive H&M Madonna and Crew advertising campaign shot by Rankin.

Below are two pictures showing the poster, including one which shows Madonna towering over the Hamburg city skyline!

Madonna's latest tour roared out of the gate Sunday, May 22, at Inglewood, CA's Forum, and she did everything from ride a pseudo-S&M merry-go-round to hang on a cross replete with her own crown of thorns. Controversial much? While the material girl strikes a pose here, there, and everywhere on the Confessions Tour, Roy Bennett took the reigns of the lighting design and confessed that the look of the tour was designed by committee with much of it dictated from the divine Miss M herself.
'As far as this tour, my job description is pretty much lighting,' Bennett says. 'I am the lighting designer, but I do get involved with creative bits and pieces here and there. As far as the design of the show, it is done by committee. A lot of it emanates from her first and then filters down to director Jamie King.' Other members of the creative team are also veterans of the Madonna universe, with John McGraw once again serving as set designer on this tour and Christian Lamb serving as video director.

To read the rest of this article focusing on the stage and lighting technical aspects of the Confessions Tour visit www.livedesignonline.com/mag/material_whirl

The US release date of Madonna's new single Jump has also been pushed back to align with the rest of the world - it will now be released on Tuesday 19 September.

madonnalicious has also received this picture of the Japanese promo for Jump - this promo contains a picture of the Jump single cover - however fans should note that this may be a temporary cover until the real one is finalised.

LOGOonline.com are running an online poll to find the Ultimate Sexiest Video - Madonna has two videos in the running - Express Yourself and Take A Bow.

To vote for Madonna visit www.logoonline.com

Well while American radio stations have hung up on Madonna's new record, it's good to say that to can still hear her album while you shop!
While out shopping you won't be sorry about being a lil' naughty at Victoria's Secret, they've added Sorry (PSB Maxi Edit mix) and Let It Will Be to their playlist, and why not express yourself with fashion from Express stores, they are also playing Let It Will Be. Get a taste of New York style fashion at New York & Co. and jam to Push, and feel young at Forever 21 where you can here How High as you shop.

For those in Chicago this coming weekend, Berlin Dance Club will be the place to be.

Celebrating Madonna's 48th Confession, Club Berlin in Chicago will be having a Madonna Party! Berlin is located at 954 W. Belmont Ave, Chicago IL.

Check their website for more information at www.berlinchicago.com

Madonna ended months of speculation surrounding the state of her marriage when she delivered an emotional tribute to husband Guy Ritchie at her birthday party on Tuesday 15 August.
The Like A Virgin singer threw a lavish celebration in London the day before she turned 48, and invited a host of stars including Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey.
And she took the opportunity to express her love for the Snatch director, whom she described as 'the love of my life'.
She added, 'He has changed my life for the better since I met him. I can only thank him for all his support.'

Here is a short clip of fans singing Happy Birthday to Madonna last night, filmed by madonnalicious - also included in the clip are some small snippets of her speech.

Fans at last night's Birthday Show at Wembley Arena got the chance to sing Happy Birthday to Madonna with a little help from Donna and Nicki.

Below are pictures taken by madonnalicious of the moment Donna and Nicki came up stage to lead the audience in a rendition of Happy Birthday.

 

Madonna's eight nights at London's Wembley Arena came to end last night - and what a way to end. Not only was the show filmed for TV broadcast and a DVD but fans from around the world got to sing Happy Birthday to Madonna!

Last night the space around the catwalk, that was put in place on Tuesday for the film cameras, had gone, meaning fans along to catwalk got to get close again to Madonna and the dancers.

According to the filming crew, the filming of the Tuesday night show was mainly close-ups of Madonna and last night's filming was concentrating on the whole visual aspects of the show....and probably the audience!

It was another great performance from Madonna and crew, which means fans are in for a treat when the show hits TV.

Just before her speech after Let It Will Be the crowd spontaneously starting singing Happy Birthday - however pretty quickly Donna and Nicki appeared and led the audience in a more disiplined version of the song (see story above).

Madonna did looked touched by this sing-along and started her speech:

I couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday and to tell you the truth it's a hell of a lot better than the way I spent it last year!
If somebody had told me that a year ago when I was in bed with ten broken bones, pumped up with morphine, that I would have such an amazing year I would say 'Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England!'
I feel so grateful, blessed and loved. I also want to say to everybody watching the show tonight, I look into the audience tonight and I see flags from all nations, I see people from all walks of life, different colour skins, different languages, different belief systems, different educations, different opinions - we are all so different - and yet we are all here together as one. That is proof that we can do it in the rest of the world. The best birthday present you can give to me is to leave this place tonight with that feeling in your heart - that we are one.

Madonna attended an after show and birthday party at the Lounge Lover bar in East London last night - below is an article from London newspaper, the Evening Standard, about the night. Click on the article to enlarge.

Madonna was treated to a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday on Wednesday night - by 12,000 people.
The pop queen - who has just turned 48 - was in the middle of a concert at London's Wembley Arena when her backing singers urged the excited crowd to sing to her.
The entire audience started warbling happy birthday as the slim blonde stood smiling on the stage.
Madonna, who is on her Confessions tour, thanked fans and then said her best birthday present would be world peace.
'I cannot think of a better way to spend my birthday than with you tonight,' she added.
Wembley also presented the star with a beautiful mirror ball of roses.
The gig wrapped up the London leg of Madonna's tour.

This limited-edition tshirt was on sale last night for one night only at Wembley Arena to celebrate Madonna's Birthday Show.

The tshirts cost £30 and there were limited quantities, and not surprisingly they were sold out by the end of the night. Below are pictures of the front and back prints on the tshirt.

The controversy surrounding Madonna's 'crucifixtion' during her Confessions Tour has now travelled to The Netherlands:

Dutch Christian conservative party SGP has asked Minister of Justice Mr Donner for censorship on the crucifixtion during Madonna's two shows in the Amsterdam Arena on Sunday 03 September and Monday 04 September.
They call the scene blasphemous and demand it to be taken out of the show. Government officials say the cannot forbid they act beforehand, but can take actions after the show.

To read the original story (in Dutch) visit www.nu.nl/news

More pictures of Madonna from the Rankin photoshoot for clothing company H&M have been released - click to enlarge.

 

 

Visit Rosie O'Donnell's website at www.rosie.com to watch a short Happy Birthday montage of pictures taken by Rosie of Madonna performing Music on the Confessions Tour with a BeeGees Stayin' Alive soundtrack.

Madonna celebrated her birthday in style last night - together with 12,000 of her fans - playing her 8th and final sell out show at London's Wembley Arena. The Material Girl's backing singers led the packed house in a rendition of Happy Birthday part way through the megastars set while Wembley presented her with a beautiful mirror ball of roses.
Madonna also scooped the much coveted Wembley Arena's 'Female Artist of the Year Award' for her eight sold out shows playing to over 88,000 fans - the second time she has received the award, the first being in 2004 for her four sold out dates during the Re-Invention tour.

One of Russia's biggest mobile telephone companies Bee-Line are the official sponsor of Madonna's tour dates in Moscow.

Earlier this week they started a big press and TV campaign advertising the show.

 

The Beeline website also contains links to download various TV adverts for the campaign - visit www.madonna.beeline.ru/meet/film

madonnalicious and all it's visitors wishes Madonna a very Happy 48th Birthday!

Fans had to contend with Madonna's Semtex TV Productions crew filming the show last night (and tonight) - but we will have the ultimate collectable in the end....a TV broadcast and DVD of the show!

madonnalicious took some pictures at the venue showing the legal notice to film, the film crew at work during Paradise (Not For Me), the digital clapperboard, the set list on the base of a film camera, and a picture to illustrate how big they had made the gap between the middle catwalk and the audience to accomodate the cameras.

 

Yesterday Madonna played her seventh night at London's Wembley Arena.

As the show was being taped for NBC and a DVD release the staging configuration had changed slightly, meaning a much larger space around the main stage and catwalks to allow for cameras to follow the action around the stage.

Cameras were also all over the arena and director Jonas Akerlund was seen directing the action from near the middle catwalk. Madonna herself apologised for the cameras and said she would make it up to us!

Madonna and crew gave a flawless performance last night, and madonnalicious doesn't think Madonna has ever smiled so much during a show!

In her speech Madonna thanked all her band, crew, managers, backstage people who help put the show together and keep the show on the road.
She also thanked her fans for supporting her and said: There is a song where I sing 'I can do it alone'....but that's not true....'I can't do it alone!

Here are some short fan reports from the show:

From Awneyx:
I've heard it all before? I don't think so! This is the tour where, after mass audience pleasing Reinvention Tour, Madonna took care of her fans. This was Confessions on a Dance Floor - LIVE! Non stop dance madness and I nearly passed out from dancing so much. It was so hot but sooooooooooooooooo worth it. Worth every penny. I'd pay 10 times that to see her tomorrow on her birthday!
She apologised for the cameras, saying she would make it up to us. And she delivered.

From Jason N And Jason W:
We have officially lost our voices now with all the screaming and shouting we did. Fave bits: Disco Inferno mix of Music, we funked our heads off; Sorry and when she emerged out of the glitter ball at the start of the show, and gave us both a wink.
Her talk was longer too, she thanked her entire backstage crew and then her fans. There's no one in the world who can make us scream and shout so much, and experience true euphoria. Thank you so much Madonna. We love you.

From Mark:
Madonna was hot last night and on terrific form. The energy and enthusiasm she put into her performance was inspiring. She was also very chatty with the crowd commenting on the film camera's and crew who were recording the show for a future broadcast, she apologised if they were proving a nuisance and promised to make it up to us.
She also at one point lay down on the stage for a few minutes rest saying she needed it. She gave a big speech thanking her band and the people who put the show together and gave a really touching speech thanking her fans loyalty and energy. She was clearly exhausted by the end of the show but was having the time of her life.

Visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view larger versions of these great pictures taken by madonnalicious visitor Jonathan at the Sunday 13 August show.

 

 

 

 

Prosecutors plan to keep an eye on Madonna's weekend concert in Duesseldorf to see if the pop diva repeats the mock crucifixion scene that has drawn fire from religious leaders.
Johannes Mocken, a spokesman for prosecutors in Dusseldorf, said Tuesday that a repeat of that scene during Sunday's concert could be construed as insulting religious beliefs.
Madonna, who is known for her theatrical, action-packed shows, wears a crown of fake thorns while performing on a mirrored cross.
The stunt, which has been included from the outset of her worldwide 'Confessions' tour, has been criticized as an act of hostility toward the Roman Catholic Church.
Representatives for the singer, who will be 48 on Wednesday, have said the scene is not disrespectful toward the church.
Mocken said authorities would rely on media reports rather than sending observers to the concert and that the show might be covered by laws protecting artistic freedoms.
Earlier this month, religious leaders in Rome condemned the concert stunt. Some 70,000 fans attended Madonna's performance at Olympic Stadium, some two miles from the Vatican.

Visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view larger versions of these great pictures taken by madonnalicious visitors Joanne and Katerina at the Saturday 12 August show in London.

In the September 2006 issue of In Style (US edition), there is a four page article showing all of Madonna's different transformations with different celebrities being quoted as to what their favorite Madonna era is and why. The article covers from Like A Virgin all the way to the Confessions Tour.

Madonna is the cover star of the September 2006 issue of Australian magazine Shop Til You Drop and German lifestyle magazine Germany People - this magazine features a twenty page article about the H&M campaign and the Confessions Tour.

 

Clear Channel just launched a new radio format in Philadelphia and it could mark the return of Madonna on U.S. Radio Airwaves if the format spreads to other markets. Called Rhythmic Adult Contemporary for Women - Madonna was played in the first hour of airplay!
Jump will now launch at Adult Contemporary formats first and this could signal a new avenue for Madonna to get US Airplay from the Media Giant!

madonnalicious visitor Lisa S took these pictures at the Saturday 12 August show in London - visit the Confessions Tour gallery for more and larger versions of her pictures.

 

 

 

A Madonna Night will take place at Slide on Oxford St in Sydney Australia on Saturday 20 August from 7:00pm to celebrate Madonna's birthday.
The DJ will be challenged to play 48 Madonna songs....one for each year of her life!

This H&M advert at the Potsdamer Platz station in Berlin features a new picture that was not published with the original press release.

This picture has been seen as a smaller picture in some Madonna and crew adverts in New York City - but not as one large Madonna-only advert.

Madonna is ecstatic after her favourite jewellers designed a custom-made diamond bauble for the singer. The Material Girl has worn baubles by Chopard to the Brit Awards, The Grammys and the Academy Awards over the past eight months, and was stunned when they presented her with a special gem to commemorate her latest album. The French company have designed an 18 carat white gold necklace with 1.95 carats of white diamonds and a mobile diamond mounted on an Indian-style chain of eight brilliants, which forms the words Hung Up - the first single from her latest disc Confessions On A Dance Floor.

Below is a picture taken by madonnalicious visitor Lisa S of Madonna wearing the necklace at the Saturday 12 August show at Wembley Arena.

UK radio station Capital Gold are giving away the final pair of tickets to see Madonna perform at Wembley Arena on Wednesday August 16.
You can win them by listening to David Jensen's morning show which kicks off at 10am. Visit www.capitalgold.com for more information.

Here are two posters that can be seen on the streets of Moscow - including this unusual one featuring a picture of Madonna performing Future Lovers and the text saying Sorry, Moscow!!!

Madonna's video Get Together was placed at #6 last week and #5 the week before on the US TV network LOGO Click List and is now moving down the chart.
To help bring it back up the chart again vote at www.logoonline.com

Towards the beginning of the show, Madonna scanned the front of the crowd and said I see some have come back for seconds!....yes Madonna it's true we have come back for seconds, thirds and in some cases even more helpings of the Confessions Tour!

Last night in London it was a sixth night at London's Wembley Arena, and again the energy from Madonna and crew seemed high. As the Wembley run of shows continues the show is getting hotter, hopefully meaning a great show is recorded on film for the NBC broadcast....and hopefully DVD!

Interestingly there were film crews present in the arena filming for the NBC broadcast at the end of the middle catwalk, and a runner with film cannisters was seen going up and down along the catwalk all night replacing cannisters, and some fans saw posters saying the 13, 15 and 16 August shows would be filmed.

Early into the show, Madonna said she had three things to say, One, can people stop smoking, three, (to which she laughed when she realised what she had said) I have forgotten how to count....

During Madonna's speech tonight, she thanked all her London fans, and complained about people smoking, saying it fucked up her throat, she complained about some people on the front row who looked like they were at a 'fucking snack bar!' and said thank god for her fans! And that she wanted to see happy smiley people!

Also Madonna's complaints about the lint roller she uses to clean her black trousers during a speech, being a piece of 'shit' proved true tonight when the end of the roller fell off, and much to her resignation, she continued to just use the end!

Here are some fan reports from the show from madonnalicious visitors:

From Dil:
Last nights show was brilliant! Her little chat after 'Let It Will Be' last night was about the guys in the front row that did not seem to be deliriously happy to be there. Madonna asked them 'Did you get free tickets? I like to see smiling happy people in my front row!' I would have killed to be standing where they were!
Then Madonna gave out about the smokers that did not stop smoking through the entire performance 'It fucks up my throat! Fuckers!'
Her Dancing Queen cape didn’t flash as it should have – this made her smile sheepishly!

From Flavio:
I went yesterday to Madonna's concert in Wembley and I'm still shaking! She asked the audience twice to stop smoking that it was damaging her throat. She was very relaxed but seemed tired (but still gorgeous).
Some people were complaining that she sang few old songs, but I knew all of them. I loved 'Live To tell', 'Jump' and 'Paradise (Not For Me)'.
Anyway, I had a great time and I could pay twice more to see the concert. And f**** who didn't like it. Madonna is definitely the 'Dancing Queen'.

From Vicki:
Anyway - I went back for second helpings tonight (Sunday) and Our Lady was on form - telling the smokers off (rightly so!) and saying people at the front looked like they were standing at a 'fucking snack bar!' Very amusing - she did look pissed off though!
My seat tonight was nowhere near a balloon so it was with a sigh that I saw people with handfuls of them etc etc and made my way home. On the train I was looking at the tour book (which is lovely) and a French guy sat down, we get chatting about Madonna - he is going to Paris and said he hoped that they had the merchandise carrier bags I said I am sure they would but gave him mine anyway. Then he went to his bag and gave me a ticket holder that was given out on the first night at Wembley!
I was so so thrilled as I had been looking out for them without luck. My faith in human nature is restored - I never got his name but I just wanted to say THANKYOU, it ended the evening perfectly and I hope he enjoys Paris!

This gigantic six storey high H&M billboard has been put on the side of the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.

As all the tickets for the first Madonna concert in Moscow on Monday 11 September are now sold out, the tour promotion company is due to announce a second date very soon for a show on Tuesday 12 September.

Madonna nearly cancelled one of her performances in London last week because builders working on houses either side of her residence in the capital are stopping her from sleeping.
The usually sprightly pop queen surprised fans at one of her Confessions tour shows at Wembley Arena when she sat down to rest, and told of her fatigue.
She said, 'I only got three hours sleep last night because I have got construction work going on in stereo at my house.'
'This morning I was so tired I thought: 'F**k, I can't do my show.' But I'm getting lots of energy from the smiles on your faces.'
The site manager for one of the construction firms says, 'Usually we work from 8.30am, but we agreed to be quiet before 10am so Madonna could get her lie-in.
'We have a job to do. I am surprised she has decided to complain.'

The article also featured this recent picture of Madonna in London.

Last night was Madonna's fifth night at Wembley Arena in London, here are a few comments and reports from the show by madonnalicious:

Madonna seemed in a great mood last night, constantly smiling, winking, flirting with the guys and even sticking her tongue out at the front row last night.

There seemed so much energy last night from the whole crew, and it felt like this should have been the show to record for broadcast!

Madonna sang the wrong verse at one point in Forbidden Love, which gave her and Stuart the giggles.

She got stuck taking her leather jacket off after Sorry and missed the first line of Like It Or Not - causing her to laugh again.

During her speech after Let It Will Be Madonna said she had hurt her elbow, the audience gave a sarcastic Aah only to be told off by Madonna saying Is that sympathy?! - a more sympathic Aah followed!

So yesterday I celebrated Rocco's sixth birthday yesterday, and it scares me to think of the kind of world he is going to have to grow up into. And it's a really scary place right now, right?
I look around and I see people with different backgrounds and nationalities, people who speak different languages, different religions, different educations, different coloured skin and we have all come together here. I hope when you go home tonight you think about that.

Today's edition of UK newspaper the Sunday Mirror features this great new picture of Madonna and Guy at an ice rink in West London as a sixth birthday treat for their son Rocco on Friday - click on the article to enlarge.

Madonna faced her fiercest critic over her raunchy video for single Hung Up - her daughter Lourdes. The nine-year-old isn't afraid to tell her famous mother what she thinks of her behaviour, and didn't approve of watching the 47-year-old gyrating in a leotard. Lourdes said, 'Yuck, that's disgusting. Why are you behaving like that?' Madonna tells PageSix.com, 'She's even asked me if I am gay. She'd seen me kiss Britney Spears at the MTV Awards. I tried to explain, 'No, darling, I just kissed her to give her my energy.'

These great pictures were taken by madonnalicious visitor Petra at the Wednesday 09 August show in London - visit the Confessions Tour gallery for more and larger versions of her pictures.

 

 

 

 

Here are five links to vote for and request Jump on Canadian radio:

99.9 MIX FM | www.999mixfm.com
CKOI | www.ckoi.com
The Mix | www.themix.com
Z95-3 | www.z95.com
Z103.5 | www.z1035.com

Madonna is the cover star of the September 2006 issue of Mexican magazine Celebrity - click on the cover to enlarge.

Madonna recently received 5 MTV Video Music Award (VMA) 2006 Nominations for Video of the Year, Best Female Video, Best Dance Video, Best Pop Video, and Best Choreography for her hit single, 'Hung Up.'

In order for her to win the awards (excluding Best Choreography, which is voted by MTV), Madonna fans need to vote for her on the MTV Video Music Awards website at www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2006

Everyone needs to hurry with their votes because the site closes to the public on Sunday 20 August! Fans can vote multiple times on the website for her.

Visit the Confessions Tour gallery for more and larger versions of madonnalicious visitor Sarah's pictures that she took at the Thursday 10 August show in London.

 

 

All weekend, the Century FM Network is saluting Madonna in honour of her 48th birthday on Wednesday and the end of the UK leg of her tour.
Classic Madonna, new Madonna and all inbetween will be played over the weekend. (105.4 Century FM in the North West, 100-102 Century Fm in the North-East and on Century Digital)

There is also a Madonna Weekend on South African Radio - check out www.jacarandafm.com

The current edition of UK magazine Hello! (15 August issue 931) features a four page article on Madonna and Guy and features some recent out and about pictures of the Ritchie family.

Jump is now being played on 104.5 CHUM FM in Toronto, Canada....so fans start to request it on the station.

madonnalicious visitor Karen took these fantastic shots of the opening number at the London show on Wednesday 09 August - visit the Confessions Tour gallery for more and larger versions of her pictures.

Back by popular demand, a special night dedicated to the world's Biggest Selling Female Artist
Madonna Mania
Friday 18th August
Two rooms of madonna, past, present and future?
DJ Malc in the long bar and DJ Kenny K in Red Square

Visit www.kremlin-belfast.com for more information.

Below are two flyers for Madonna parties happening next week in Atlanta and Chile, click on the flyers to enlarge and read the information.

 

Madonna and crew put on another fantastic show last night at Wembley Arena!

Madonna's speech last night was great fun, commenting on her lack of sleep, construction going on 'in stereo' at her home and tattoos on a fan!

You don't mind if a rest awhile do you? It's kinda hard my job, you know?
I only got about three hours sleep last night, and I also have construction going on right now in stereo in my house, so there's not a lot of sleeping going on.
When I woke up this morning I said 'Oh fuck! I can't do my show, I'm too tired'....I say that quite often! But then I get here and you're all so full of energy and love, that somehow a miracle occurs and I can do my show. So thank you for that.
Are you all having a good time? I really can't hear you, are you have a good time?
Wow! (Looking at a fan's tattoo) That's devotion....you're a bit mad! I'm tattooed all over his body....thanks!

The cowboy hat moment in Let It Will Be was a bit more spontaneous than usual, Madonna first went for a pink cowboy hat, looked at it, went 'Urgh' and then choose a blue one instead - check out madonnalicious visitor James' report below about him catching the hat!

From James:
Throughout the show she kept looking at my tshirt which I had made just for the show and gave me eye contact on several occasions.
The most fantastic part of night was when she took a pink cowboy hat off of one of the audience members to then throw it straight in the crowd in favour of a blue cowboy hat that someone else was wearing....it was very funny!
Madonna then put on the blue hat, walked down the catwalk towards me and the threw the hat out into the crowd, I reached out as far as I could and the hat landed in my hands. A few people then tried to grab it off me but there was not a hope in hells chance that I was going to let it go. I stood there for a minute in shock that I now own a hat worn by Madonna.
The rest of the show was a blur as I was so emotional. Madonna really is the queen of pop, rock and my life.

From Lisa:
We saw Madonna last night and her show was flawless, absolutely amazing despite her saying she was tired as she was getting no sleep. She told us all she was having some reconstruction done at home 'in stereo' which was keeping her from sleeping.
She went on to say, 'and I got up this morning and I was soooo tired, and I said to myself, f**k, I'm not doing my show, I'm too tired, But then I come here and see all your smiling faces and the love that you show....'
What an amazing night. Managed to grab an action shot as she took someones hat from the audience, danced around a bit, then threw it back out to some lucky person.

From Merboy2k:
She also stated that she only had 3 hours sleep the night before and woke up thinking she couldn't do the show that night, but after feeling all the love and energy from everyone it got her through.
She also saw a tattoo of herself on someones arm and commented on his dedication to her.
For a woman of her age to have so much energy should inspire us all, worth every penny, an amazing show and experience!

madonnalicious has just had this request in from a US journalist after help from fans over the American radio boycott of Madonna:

I'm doing a US newspaper piece on Madonna's problems getting airplay, and I need help. If anyone has called radio stations requesting her songs in the US, I'd love to hear what happened. If anyone (particularly fellow Americans) has strong feelings about Madonna getting snubbed in the US, I'd also love to hear about that. My deadline is over the weekend. My email is LTIWDT@aol.com

Madonna is featured in the Snapshots page of the August 21 issue of US magazine Life & Style which hits newstands today.

She is pictured at the Square of Fame ceremony at Wembley Arena sticking her tongue out for the press!

Fans in London can party at a Madonna night at the Pink Bar at 93 Feet East, Brick Lane, London, next Monday 14th August from 7:00-11:00pm (Free Entry).

(Who's that) Token Girl & Lex Pretend present a tribute to MADONNA QUEEN OF POP playing an historic mix of music by Madonna collaborators and sympathisers, bargain bootlegs, old school jukebox favourites plus hott new tracks & ridiculous remixes classic live footage from '85-'05 will be projected in the bar.

For more information visit www.93feeteast.co.uk or www.tokengirl.co.uk

Here are the second part of fan pictures from the Sunday night show in Rome taken by madonnalicious visitor Laura - visit the Confessions Tour gallery for more.

 

 

 

 

Fans can still vote for the Best #1 Album (in the UK) from 1956 onwards.
The results will be revealed on August Bank Holiday (Monday 28 August).

To vote visit www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/musicclub/album_chart_top_100

madonnalicious managed to take this picture of Madonna giving her fans the thumbs up at our attempts at singing Hung Up at last night's show in London.

Madonna returned to Wembley Arena last night after one date in Rome.

After Let It Will Be during her speech, she started to clean off her black trousers with a lint roller, looking at the roller and saying And they give me this cheap little piece of shit, you can't accuse me of being spoiled, okay?!

She asked if we were glad to have her back, saying that she had done a date in Rome in a big stadium, but You know what....it wasn't London.

During Lucky Star, she must have messed up a line or something, as she started to laugh, making Stuart, Donna and Nicki laugh and it really looked like she would burst into a real fit of giggles. Eventually she composed herself and said after finishing a line in the song: Yeah, so I made a mistake!

From Barry:
Just got back from the Wembley show and boy what a show. I am on such a high. Madonna was great as normal.
After Let It Will Be she said 'Are you pleased to have me back?' Madonna said they had just got back from Rome but pleased to be back in London. She made us all repeat after her 'Oh yeah' in a sexy tone.
Going back tomorrow. Can't wait.

From Marc:
Oh my god, had the most amazing time at the 3rd night at wembley following her trip to Rome. The crowd was fantastic....I really don't think I have seen such an excited crowd. To which Madonna loved and really played up to them.
She was very chatty and told London they should be offended by 'I Love New York' and said she always loves playing in London as she always get such a good crowd and she certainly did last night.

From Marilyn:
When she was sitting on the stairs she said she was hot (she was in front of a blowing fan), but with the air conditioning on, she was cold, and she's never pleased either way and that's the problem with her life! She was taking the mick out of herself.
Then she was given a plastic lint roller by her crew and said, 'if you exorcise your demons onstage, over there, as I do, every night, then you get this' and there was dirt all over her knees. She started to clean it off and said, 'and they give me this piece of sh*t', and then, when she was done, 'Because presentation is everything'.
Also around the time she played I Love New York she said something like, 'I was in Rome a few days ago. Played a Stadium there - a LOT of people. I love Rome, but it's not London.' And the crowd CHEERED!

From Tim:
My partner Tom and myself were at Wembley last night to see Lady M herself, and all I can say (with a very hoarse voice) is WOW! We were in Block B3, Row 3 – right in front of the end of the catwalk – and they were amazing seats.
I can’t pinpoint one single highlight of the show....Was it when the Disco ball 'landed' just feet away from us – and our host for the evening appeared before us? Or maybe 'Ray Of Light' which blew me away and got me jumping up and down like a mad man possessed....Or was it when she was doing her amazing 'Saturday Night Fever' dance routine with the two female dancers during Music?
I could go on and on and on....but for fear that my voice will disappear completely, I’ll shut up now!

At the overwhelming request of fans the IN MADONNA WE TRUST tshirts may soon become available for purchase. Fernando has sent this message into madonnalicious in answer to all the queries we have received:

Fernando runs a design company with his business partner.
His design is copyrighted and is currently trying to work with management to gain permission to get these shirts accessible to the fans.
The shirts will replica quality, fit and design (real swarvoski crystals). Please be aware of imposters trying to sell the design. I am the original and as a true admirer of M’s, will do my best to make this happen for all other fans....stay tuned!

H&M Germany is running a competition with eventim.de and Warner Music Group Germany. Fans can win the last tickets for the Hannover show on August 22nd.
To enter send an SMS with MADONNA to 83333 (49 Cent) from Germany only.

More great competitions for German fans to win some great Madonna and H&M promotional items can be found at www.madonnasuperfan.de

Fans should head over to AOL to vote for Madonna in an online poll asking who is sexier over 40 - Madonna or Janet Jackson.

To vote visit music.aol.com - there are several polls at that link involving Madonna....so go and vote!

This beautiful shot was taken of Madonna arriving at Villa Fendi for a party to celebrate her time in Rome on Monday 07 August.

Soon after the Russian Church condemned pop queen Madonna’s crucifixion performance in Rome, the 'Material Girl' is surrounded with yet another controversy.
She has attracted criticism from the Catholics over her H&M clothing ad draped over the scaffolding of Milan's landmark Duomo.
An advertisement from Madonna's latest modelling job, as the face of the autumn/winter range of Swedish fashion firm H&M, appears on the side of the world's largest gothic cathedral.
But despite increasing protests over the H&M banner, the revenue from which is helping bankroll restoration of the cathedral, the Duomo's Monsignor Luigi Manganini said the ad would stay up for the duration of H&M's contract.
'It's just an ad, certainly not a canonization. When it was accepted, the poster seemed all correct and appropriate for its place, and it still is', E!online quoted Manganini, as telling Italy's Ansa news agency.
The head of culture for Milan's city council also agreed, claiming that the complaints, primarily by Catholic parents' association and Milan's Advertising Progress Foundation, are creating fuss over nothing.
'The other parts of the building are full of devils and demons,' Vittorio Sgarbi told the city's Corriere della Sera newspaper. 'So an infernal Madonna shouldn't hurt us too badly', he said.

MTV UK are running an online poll to find out the Top 100 Sexiest Ladies - Madonna is included in the list to choose from - so go and vote now at www.mtv.co.uk

More than a third of the tickets for U.S. pop star Madonna's sole Moscow concert had been sold by the end of the second day of sales, organizers said Thursday.
Some 16,000 tickets for the September 11 show, part of the diva's world tour to promote her 'Confessions on a Dance Floor' albums had been sold by the end of August 9. Ildar Bakiyev, responsible for ticket sales, said the most expensive tickets would be distributed by order and members of the Madonna fan club would be able to buy tickets to the dance floor in front of the stage.
'We agreed that they would write an official letter with a list of all the fan club members, so that I was sure that the tickets would not go to touts,' he said.
A total of 10,500 tickets were sold Wednesday and 6,000 for the dance floor were sold for 1,500 rubles ($56), well under the European-low of $90, on Tuesday when sales began. Tickets for Madonna's concert in Moscow are the cheapest in the world.
The 40,000 tickets for the show fall into six price categories, from 3,000 rubles ($110) to 25,000 rubles ($935).
Anton Artashkin, Russia's PR manager of Madonna's tour, said Web sites selling tickets experienced many technical failures as many people were willing to order tickets online.

madonnalicious visitor Mosdog took this picture below of the queue (click to enlarge) and adds more to the ticket sale story from Moscow:

Tickets went on sale on Tueday at 10am local time. There are 30000 general admission tickets + 10000 seated tickets.
Despite the information that general admission tickets can be purchased online, via the phone and in 2 tickets offices - this was not true!
The only way to get these tickets was through the single ticket office that is opened 10am-9pm. Fans started to queue at 6pm the previous day - 16 hours before the actual sale begun! Why they could not be bought online or via the phone - nobody knows.

FMQB Radio Industry News is reporting that Madonna's 'Jump' will go to Hot AC radio formats on September 11 2006 in the US.
As many of you may have read the Billboard article 'U.S. Radio Hangs Up on Madonna' a few weeks back where Warner Brothers stated they are determined to make 'Jump' a hit by starting at AC and Hot AC radio formats before going to Mainstream top 40.
Lets keep our fingers crossed and of course request the song heavily when it begins playing!

Madonna is on the cover of the August issue of Beau Monde in Romania.

Inside there is a three page article about her, another one page article about her style and a short article about 'Stars over 40 that look better than at 20'.

Visit www.kamera.com to view streaming footage (without a voiceover) of fans queuing outside the Olympic Stadium in Rome and footage of Madonna performing.

This weekend in Rome Madonna was spotted wearing a tshirt saying In Madonna We Trust - what many fans may not know is that this tshirt was designed by a fan!

madonnalicious visitor and tour reporter Fernando Lemus of theory NYC, designed a tshirt to wear at the US shows. The tshirt said In Madonna We Trust, not only did this catch the eyes of many other fans, it also caught the eye of Madonna's team.

I spoke to Guy Oseary at one of the New York City shows (see picture below of Fernando and Guy) whilst I was wearing this tshirt, and Guy, Liz Rosenberg and all her staff told me that Madonna would love it! I told Guy I wanted to make one for Madonna and I did (see picture below). I hand delivered the shirt to Guy Oseary at the Miami show and sure enough, Madonna is wearing it!

Capital Gold are giving away more Madonna tickets! The New 'Confession A Day' competition is now live - running for one week only (Monday August 7 - Friday August 11), head over to www.capitalgold.com/madonna to pick up the daily clues for the chance to see Madonna live in London on August 15.
There are more front row tickets up for grabs to see the Queen of Pop perform on her birthday on August 16 (keep listening to the station to find out how you can win them) as well as more top price tickets for you to win.

Here is a first look at the tickets for Madonna's first ever Russian show in Moscow on Monday 11 September - and also pictures from Reuters of the fans queuing this morning in Central Moscow to buy the tickets.

Fans should check on VH1 Europe on the weekend of Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 August when there will be a Madonna weekend.
There will be Madonna's story in six parts and a full videography from 1983 to the present day.

Visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view larger versions of these pictures taken by madonnalicious visitor Laura at the second London show on Thursday 03 August.

 

 

CNN are running a poll to ask people if they think Madonna's staging of a mock crucifixion in Rome: is 'Insulting', 'Entertainment' or a 'Stunt' - click here to vote.

This stunning shot of Madonna disappearing into the stage surrounded by her fans was taken at the Thursday 03 August show by madonnalicious visitor Josep - click to enlarge....just may just see yourself in the picture!

Superstar Madonna surprised a bride and groom in Rome, Italy, over the weekend, when she interrupted their reception to congratulate the newlyweds.
Brit couple Imogen and Neil McCarthy held the wedding reception at the Hotel De Russie restaurant when they realised Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie were also dining at the eatery.
After the DJ put Madonna's hit Hung Up on the turntable, the Material Girl decided to pay the happy pair a visit and wished them good luck for their future lives together.
Wedding DJ Luca Lacovello enthuses, 'Madonna was completely unexpected and it was an added bonus for their wedding day.'

More Madonna and Crew H&M posters are on display in Munich, Germany.

A H&M poster has also been put up on the renovation scaffolding covering Duomo Church in Milan, Italy - to read the story (in Italian) click here.

Madonna played her one and only show in Italy last night at the Olympic Stadium in Rome - here are some fan reports from the show:

From Adam:
I went to see Madonna in Rome last night and I must say she was great. I've seen all her concerts and I must say that although the Blond Ambition remains my favourite, it's getting harder and harder to make a list.
Even in Rome, as in Cardiff there was the Golden Circle but unfortunately I wasn't a part of it as people had been sleeping by the stadium since Friday night. However she does a lot of walking up and down the catwalk, so if you manage place yourself by it and you'll have a great show. For sure!

From endriu76:
In Like A Virgin she sad 'Ciao Roma!' and later in the show she said there was two miracles in Rome: First Italy won the world football cup and second the rain stopped to fall just before her show!
In Ray Of Light she had some problems with her guitar, which didn't work from last quarter of the song, and in the maxi screen for a few seconds we saw Stuart Price trying to adjust the guitar sound on a panel.
She was not worried and finished the song giving some joking punches at her guitar!

From Francesca:
When she got out of the disco ball for the opening song the entire stadium went crazy. She kept asking people to dance 'cause everybody seemed like hypnotized looking at her, just adoring her and taking pictures instead of dancing. She said 'It's true, I love New York, but I also love Rome! I've been waiting to play in a stadium in Rome for my entire career, ok, so....'

From Taylor:
I just got back from the August 6th show in Rome, which was incredible.
But throughout the show I got the feeling that the controversy surrounding this particular performance got to the show.
I met Lenny Kravitz at the show and he was super nice.
'Sorry' is as always one of the highlights, it was practically a sing along where I was sitting.

From Trevor:
The show was excellent, she was on top form, and very professional. She mentioned the 'two miracles', Italy winning the World Cup and rain disappearing as soon as she got on stage.
Sadly, the crowd was disappointing: people were staring at her, rather than singing, dancing and having fun, expecially during the LIVE TO TELL thing: no one in my row was singing except a few, and you could hear a coin drop, because they were all busy taking pictures on their mobiles - the weirdest thing I've ever witnessed.

Here are the first set of fan pictures from last night's show in Rome, these were taken by madonnalicious visitor Laura.

 

 

 

 

Visit CNN.com to watch a short clip of Madonna performance last night in Rome.

Madonna and her two dancers were featured on the cover of Mexican newspaper El Grafico today. They are pictured at the Rome concert last night with the Star of David and Crescent Moon symbols painted on them - click to enlarge.

Religious leaders may have snubbed Madonna, but Italian fans cheered the pop star as she staged a mock crucifixion at her concert in Rome.
A crowd of 70,000 attended Sunday night's performance at Olympic Stadium, some two miles from the Vatican. The scene of Madonna on a mirrored cross and wearing a crown of thorns, part of her worldwide 'Confessions' tour, had drawn fire from religious leaders, who condemned it as an act of hostility toward the Roman Catholic Church.
'She does it to play, not to offend,' said Benedetta Mori, a 31-year-old fan wearing a T-shirt with an image of Madonna on the cross. 'If they allowed her to stage the show here they must also play by her rules.'
Madonna's representatives have said the performance on the cross, which has been included from the outset of the tour in May, is not disrespectful toward the church.
The 47-year-old singer is known for her theatrical, action-packed shows. Besides her rendition of 'Live to Tell' while on the cross, her two-hour performance included two dancers with a Star of David and a Muslim crescent painted on their torsos who embraced and held hands.
A figure wearing a robe and turban did a solo on the shofar, a ram's horn traditionally blown during the Jewish high holidays, then joined Madonna, who is a kabbalist, to perform 'Isaac,' a song about Yitzhak Luria, a 16th-century Jewish mystic and kabbalah scholar.
'Did you know two miracles have taken place in Rome?' Madonna told the crowd. 'Italy won the World Cup and it stopped raining before my show.'
Keeping in touch with her Material Girl side, she got the crowd moving with her gyrating dancing and disco-flavored numbers.
'Ciao Roma! Are you ready to ride with me?' said the equestrian-styled singer as she opened a concert that included 'Hung Up,' 'Music,' 'Like a Virgin' and 'La Isla Bonita.'

These massive billboards advertising H&M are on display just south of Columbus Circle in New York City.

Fans should vote now for Madonna in an online poll by MSNBC asking Which concert would you rather see?. The options are Madonna, Mariah Carey or Neither.

Vote now at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14190770/

madonnalicious visitor Michael took some great pictures of Madonna's Square of Fame handprint ceremony at Wembley Arena on Tuesday 01 August.

 

 

 

Economic guru Jeffery Sachs has leaped to the defence of pop superstar Madonna, insisting her charity efforts in Africa are sincere.
The Material Girl was spurred to raise at least $3 million (GBP1.7 million) to help orphans in Malawi after reading Sachs' book The End Of Poverty, but many have branded her philanthropic efforts nothing more than a publicity stunt.
However, Sachs, who has also worked with U2 star Bono and Angelina Jolie, is adamant her intentions are honourable.
'Of course there are no doubt people who on a fling say something, but that's not what Madonna's doing, it's not what Angelina's doing, it's not what Bono's doing,' he was quoted by Contactmusic, as saying.
'In the very noisy and complicated world that we have, people that reach large numbers of people, like Madonna does, have an extraordinarily important role to play. When they're devoting their time, their money, their name, a lot of effort, a lot of organization skill to all of this, it makes a huge difference. The cynics are just wrong. They don't get it,' he added.

Here are the first set of fan pictures taken at the Thursday 03 August show in London by madonnalicious visitor Andrew - visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view larger versions.

 

 

 

 

Desperately seeking Madonna. Hundreds of Italians gathered in front of her hotel and rushed to Rome's most chic street in hopes of getting a glimpse of the American pop star, who was to perform in a concert Sunday night at the Olympic stadium.
Fans started pouring in to the stadium early in the afternoon; some had camped out to get a spot right in front of the stage. Some 70,000 people were expected at the concert, the only Italian date of her 'Confessions' tour.
A few hundred people also gathered in front of Madonna's hotel in downtown Rome on Saturday. A rumor that she was shopping on Via Condotti, Rome's fashion street, sent hundreds of fans there, newspaper Il Messaggero and other dailies reported Sunday.
The concert has drawn criticism in Roman Catholic Italy, especially because of Madonna's plans to appear crucified on a mirrored cross while wearing a crown of thorns.
Religious leaders have condemned the mock crucifixion as an act of hostility toward the Roman Catholic Church and as a publicity stunt in bad taste.
But Madonna's New York-based spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg, said in an e-mail that 'the context of Madonna's performance on the crucifix is not negative nor disrespectful toward the church.'

Here are some pictures of Madonna being driven away from the St. Regis Hotel in Rome yesterday.

Vote for Madonna's Get Together on MTV Adria at www.mtvadria.com

Today's edition of UK newspaper the Sunday Mirror features a review of Madonna's opening night show at Wembley Arena.

Click to enlarge and read the review.

Religious leaders have accused Madonna of 'blasphemy' for staging a mock-crucifixion - minutes from The Vatican.
The pop singer wears a crowns of thorns and poses on a mirrored cross in a scene from her Confessions world tour which comes to Rome today.
Outraged Christians are calling for the singer to be 'excommunicated' from the Catholic Church.
But Madonna has responded by inviting Pope Benedict XVI to her show.
Cardinal Ersilio Tonino, speaking with the Pope's approval, was quoted by Italian newspaper La Stampa as saying: 'This is a blasphemous challenge to the faith and a profanation of the Cross. She should be excommunicated. To crucify herself in the city of popes and martyrs is an act of open hostility.'
In a show of religious solidarity Muslin and Jewish leaders have also criticized the 47-year-old star - now a staunch follower of the Kabbalah faith.
Mario Scialoja, president of the Muslim World League in Italy said: 'We deplore it, we feel it is an act of bad taste. She would do better to go home.'
Madonna previously upset the Catholic Church with her 1989 music video for 'Like A Prayer', featuring burning crosses and a black Jesus.

A two-page editorial on Madonna features in the current issue of Japanese magazine INROCK - click on the article to enlarge.

ICON is pleased to offer more pre-sale tickets to all qualifying members who were enrolled prior to Sun, Apr 2nd at 11:59 PM (PST) for the following shows:

Mon, Sept 11th Moscow, RU. - Moscow University
(Begins Fri, Aug. 4th at 12:30 PM local Russia time/Aug 4th (1:30 am-PST U.S. time)
Ends Sun, Aug 6th 5:00 PM Russia local time/Aug 7th 4 am U.S. time)

Your unique ICON code, valid for 2 tickets for the entire tour (you can purchase 1 ticket for two different shows), is on the 'Tour' page of ICONmadonna.com - please do not share this code.

Visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view more pictures taken by madonnalicious visitor Catherine at the first London show last Tuesday.

During the Thursday's show at Wembley Arena, staff from NBC were seen hanging out at different places on the floor during the show to help them work out where they will place cameras for the filming of the concert.

This filming will take place on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 August - from which NBC will choose the best performances to broadcast.

Here is the complete speech Madonna gave at the first concert at Wembley Arena on Tuesday 01 August filmed by madonnalicious visitor Vickster.

Madonna talks about how she has missed London and even berates one of the Wembley stewards (Man in the orange shirt!) for hassling her fans!

It takes a brave person to overrule Madonna's exacting backstage demands. And embarking on her Confessions World Tour, stadium bosses were only to happy to oblige when the singer imposed an air-conditioning ban to 'preserve' her vocal chords.
But when it comes to officiousness, it would seem that Madonna has found an unlikely equal - the British health and safety officer.
After fans started wilting in the heat at her concert on Tuesday night, council officers at Wembley Arena bravely overruled the 47-year-old singer and immediately ordered the air conditioning be turned back on.
The decision was prompted after some fans started to faint, with temperatures hitting the high 90s Fahrenheit. And in an unprecedented move, Wembley chiefs have now put themselves on a collision course with the star by snubbing her air-conditioning demands for her next six shows.
Wembley Arena marketing manager Colin Roberts said: 'A lot of people realise that 12,000 people in a confined space will generate a lot of heat, as well as the production itself and the lights. There's a health and safety issue with regards to the audience and that's why we will be reviewing the situation and her requirements.'
Despite concert-goers on her American tour dates describing the heat as 'suffocating', US organisers refused to overrule her demands. But Wembley bosses insist that they have a duty to uphold health and safety guidelines.
Mr Roberts added: 'For the future shows, I think it is more appropriate to have it on throughout. Asking for the air conditioning to be turned off is not something that we are regularly asked to do but the artists do have an element of control and we have to take directions from them. However this is now being reviewed.'
A Brent Council spokeswoman said that they had a responsibility for 'public safety standards' and carried out inspections both before and during the concert.
'Our public safety manager found the venue to be too hot during the performance and asked the arena manager to put on the air conditioning which is used in the building, which he did,' a spokeswoman said.
A spokeswoman for Madonna admitted that there was no air conditioning but said that there was an air filter system working throughout the concert.

madonnalicious adds: At both shows, there seemed to be a turn on of the air conditioning during Drowned World although we are not sure if it stayed on for the rest of the show - or whether it was just a brief blast of cool air.

The current edition of UK magazine heat (05-11 August 2006 issue) features three pages of Madonna on the beach in Miami last month.

Russia's Orthodox Church accused US superstar Madonna of exploiting Christian symbols for her own ends and called for a boycott of her first-ever concert in Moscow.
'The US singer Madonna exploits Christian symbols - the cross, rosary beads and the crucifix - and tries to equate human passions, including her own personal passions, with something sacred,' the spokesman for the patriarch of Moscow said.
'I don't think that Orthodox believers should support this lady by going to her concert,' father Vsevolod Chaplin said on Echo of Moscow radio station.
She 'needs spiritual help because she swings between Christianity and Kabbalah,' he said, referring to a branch of Jewish mysticism that the singer follows.
Madonna will perform in Russia for the first time on September 11 as part of her 'Confessions' world tour. The concert will take place on a specially constructed stage on Sparrow Hills overlooking the city centre, close to Moscow State University.
The pop diva will arrive in the Russian capital with 57 trucks and 200 tonnes of equipment in tow, the organisers said. Tickets cost between 1,500 rubles (55 dollars, 45 euros) and a hefty 25,000 rubles (930 dollars, 730 euros).
Madonna kicked off the European leg of her world tour in the Welsh city of Cardiff on July 30 where she gyrated on a saddle floating above the stage and sang from a crucifix in a performance involving provocative dance routines.
She has often sparked outrage among religious leaders with raunchy video clips, notably when she kissed a black Christ in front of a burning cross in her 1989 hit 'Like a Prayer'.

madonnalicious visitor Stephen took some great pictures at the first show at Wembley Arena on Tuesday 01 August - to view larger versions and more of his pictures visit the Confessions Tour gallery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jessica Simpson has confessed her latest single was accidentally influenced by pop superstar Madonna's Holiday.
After posting A Public Affair on her website in June, Simpson has received a barrage of criticism claiming the song is too close to Madonna's 1984 hit.
But Simpson retorts that's exactly what her fans need and is refusing to apologise for the retro sound.
She tells MTV, 'I think people are ready to hear something that Madonna used to do. We all need to hear that every now and again.'
'It wasn't a sample or something I meant to do, but she did influence me and still does today. I hope to have the longevity of her career.'

madonnalicious visitor Tracey took these great pictures of Madonna at her handprints unveiling at the Square of Fame outside Wembley Arena on Tuesday:

Included is a great picture of Madonna, Angela Becker and Liz Rosenberg.

Second night at Wembley Arena last night was as good as the first - the crowd were on their feet and jumping (without even being instructed to do by Madonna!)

Madonna gave another great speech saying again that it's so good to be home and that she didn't like London at first because she didn't understand it. And you have to fear something before you can love it.

She also thanked her fans saying I see a lot of my special fans in the audience tonight, I have so many great fans in London!

A new addition to the show was added to the two dancers who do the 'arm-dance' during Forbidden Love - one had the Israeli Star Of David painted on his torso - the other had the Arabic Cresent Moon on his torso....a simple but efficient statement.

Before Ray of Light Madonna again told the audience: To show me you don't take that song (I Love New York) personally, I want you to jump up and down....and don't worry I'll get round to writing a song about London one day!

From Debs:
The stage layout was fantastic. She has never had the runway before (not that long anyway) and also two smaller runways going up the side of the stage. These enabled her to really get a great rapport with her fans, the one's that were lucky enough to get seats that close.

From Ian:
Like the Tuesday show at Wembley, Madonna said to her fans again tonight how good it is to be home. She said she didn't like England when she first came here. 'But that's a metaphor for life. You have to understand something before you can appreciate it.'

From Joanne:
Before the Queen herself appeared there were pandemonium in the arena, 10 minutes before the show starts who should walk in but Posh herself Victoria Beckham, minus David. Everyone were going mad to get to her (I'm sure people thought David was there). She stood 3 rows from the end of the catwalk.
Then Came The Queen herself, what an entrance, she looked amazing. Where does she get all that energy from? The crowd loved every minute of it, I know I did, can't wait to see her again when she returns next week.

From Vicky:
It was two years since I saw Madonna at Wembley, and, what can I say she just gets better and better, it was a fantastic show, just wish it never ended.
The crowd was hyper and fuelled more so by Madonna, she just knows how to turn on a crowd, after 22 years she has, and always will have what it takes to be an excellent performer.

Here are some more great pictures from the opening night at Wembley Arena on Tuesday - these were taken by madonnalicious visitor Simon.

 

 

 

Move over, Angelina and Bono. Another superstar is bound for Africa, this one with money and spiritualism in a plan to care for orphans.

Visit Time Magazine to read a new interview with Madonna about her involvement with the Raising Malawi charity.

The Madonna and Crew H&M advert campaign has now hit the press - it is featured in both UK and US September editions of many fashion magazines.

Below is a scan from the September 2006 issue of UK Vogue - click to enlarge.

Here is the official press release about the Moscow tour date, venue and prices:

Madonna's Confessions Tour which has already been seen by well over half a million US fans and received critical raves around the world is headed to Russia's Vorobievy Gory in Moscow on September 11th. A long time dream come true for one of the most successful artists and cultural innovators of our time, this appearance marks The Material Girl's concert debut in Russia.
The September 11th performance follows the opening of the European leg of her tour in Cardiff on July 30th, eight sold out shows in London's Wembley Arena and additional stops in Germany, Denmark, France, Holland and the Czech Republic.
The Moscow performance is sponsored by H&M and Beeline. Alexander Izosimov, CEO of VImpelCom (Beeline Trademark) commented, 'This show is the beginning of Beeline's long-term music projects with further details to be announced shortly. The vision of our company is to provide our clients with the best. Madonna is the brightest light in the music world. We admire her work, her many talents and her ability to continue to create new and exciting music. She is No. 1 on the world stage. We are happy that the dream of Russians to see the star live on stage is coming true.'
Madonna tickets for the September 11th performance at Vorobievy Gory will go on sale August 8th at TicketPro, www.ticketpro.ru and 648-6161.
Madonna Confession Tour is produced and promoted by The Next Adventure (A Live Nation Company) in association with CEE and NCA.

Platinum Seats 1 - $970 USD
Platinum Seats 2 - $770 USD
Golden Seats 1 - $384 USD
Golden Seats 2 - $387 USD
Silver Seats - $173 USD
Bronze Seats - $115 USD
Front Of Stage Standing - $57 USD
General Admission Standing - $57 USD

Madonna is featured in the new book But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn.
Jancee worked for Rolling Stone magazine and the book is about her life growing up in New Jersey and her experiences with celebrities during her time at Rolling Stone.
One of the chapters is titled How to Control the Panic When Your Subject Is Absurdly Famous and is all about Jancee's experience meeting and interviewing Madonna.

Tickets for Madonna's first show in Moscow on Monday 11 September will be available to buy via www.ticketpro.ru and on 648-6161.

A second date of Tuesday 12 September is also due, but it is unsure whether it will go onsale when the first date sells out, or will be sold at a later date.

This second date of Tuesday 12 September is listed on the tour lanyards for sale at the London shows - see picture below:

Religious leaders in Rome have united against the mock-crucifixion featured in US pop star Madonna's latest show.
In the sequence, Madonna appears on a giant cross wearing a crown of thorns.
Father Manfredo Leone of Rome's Santa Maria Liberatrice church told Reuters news agency it was 'disrespectful, in bad taste and provocative'.
Muslim and Jewish leaders have also raised objections. Madonna performs in Rome on 6 August ahead of six further dates at London's Wembley Arena.
The 47-year-old received similar complaints during the American leg of her Confessions world tour, with one critic accusing her of 'blatant insensitivity'.
The singer has defended the imagery by saying it forms part of an appeal to her audience to donate to Aids charities.
'Being raised on a cross with a crown of thorns like a modern Christ is absurd,' continued Father Leone. 'Doing it in the cradle of Christianity comes close to blasphemy.'
Mario Scialoja, head of Italy's Muslim League, told Reuters Madonna would 'do better to go home', a sentiment echoed by a spokesman for Rome's Jewish community.
Madonna has invited controversy before, notably with her 1989 Like a Prayer video, which featured a black Christ-like figure and burning crosses, and a 1990 tour in which she simulated masturbation on stage.

Here is a press review from the first night at Wembley Arena from London free newspaper the Metro. The reviewer comes up with the great quote....Her concert tickets are infamously steep, but here's the clincher - you never fully realise what an electrifying entertainer Madonna is until you've seen her live.

Pop superstar Madonna has donated at least $3 million (GBP1.7 million) to help orphans in Malawi. The Hung Up singer hopes her joint venture with economic guru Jeffrey Sachs will help feed up to 1,000 children every day.
She tells Time magazine the project is 'a privilege....the ultimate gift of being famous, or a byproduct....I know that, yeah, this is why I am famous.' And Madonna insists having her own children - Lourdes, nine, and Rocco, five - has changed her 'perspective on life', and she is fully committed to doing all she can to help underprivileged youngsters.

madonnalicious visitor Vickster sent in some great pictures from Madonna's first night in London - visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view more of her pictures.

Madonna played the first of eight shows in London's Wembley Arena last night and it was HOT....both the show and the arena!

Madonna stated that it was good to be home, and she missed the countryside, her home and her horse! She was very chatty and the audience were on their feet for most of the show....even those in the tiered side blocks!

Stella McCartney had a prime spot infront of the middle catwalk and was seen dancing all night and reaching out her hand to get Madonna to touch it!

And to whoever allowed small personal cameras into the venue for once....thank you! We all love to take home our own little momento of the show!

Here are some selected highlights from the show as reported by madonnalicious visitors - to read their full reports visit the London Fan Reviews section:

From Anders:
After experiencing her live for the first time, there's no doubt in my mind that Madonna can sing and dance better than anyone despite her age and despite what people say. She totally rocks and the show was worth all £160!

From Chris:
The tracks that stood out for me were Ray Of Light, Sorry, Live To Tell and Hung Up. During Ray Of Light Madonna got the whole arena to put their hands in the air and jump up and down, it was truly amazing.

From Dave:
I don't think I have ever heard her interact with the audience as much as she did last night either, telling us she missed London even the congestion charge, then muttering 'I am going to have to do something about that! And joking with us that for the first time she asked for the aircon to be turned only to be told that the arena doesn't have it! 'Life's funny that way!'
She truly had the audience eating out of the palm of her hand and she loved it, she looked relaxed and very happy and the at the top of her game.

From Giorgio:
I went to see Madonna last night in London and I was so happy with the show. The opening number was incredible. I would say it is at the same level as Express Yourself from the Blond Ambition tour. She is so fit and beautiful. Her body is built like a rock.

From Lee:
I went to see madonna last night at Wembley, from start to finish I was amazed with her performance, the crowd was buzzing and dancing. I've been to all of her tours in the past but I have to say that the Confessions Tour is the best by far.

From Neil:
The best part was when she berated Wembley Security. For those of us who were near victims of the Wembley Camera Nazis during Reinvention, such sweet justice. The security guard in the front row was pushing people back from the catwalk. M saw him, berated him and told him to leave people alone and let them enjoy themselves!

From Neil L:
Just after Let It Will be, she had a little chat with the audience, saying how much she's missed London. 'It's good to be home! I missed my house, I missed the ountryside. I even missed the Congestion Charge! No, that was a joke. We're gonna have to do something about that.' - really funny and all the Londoners around me were screaming in agreement!
She told the stewards to stop being nasty to her fans as well! 'You in the orange shirt,' she said, 'I hope you're not being horrible to my fans - look how loved up they are - and love is a two way street, baby!'.

From PaulieV:
At one point in Let It Will Be as she walked down the catwalk she took some guys cowboy hat, wore it, danced for a bit then tossed into the other part of the crowd. I could see all the people round him saying that she’d just chucked his hat, but you could tell he was simply resigned....Madonna took it, whatareyougonnado?!

From Scott:
Madonna's first night at Wembley was amazing! The show is slick, sexy and loads of fun. Jump was my highlight, along with Isaac, which gave the show a surreal feeling. The political statements were hard hitting, and dark, but also necessary. 'We live in a world full of people who walk the walk, but who actually talks the talk?' she asked. Madonna obviously believes passionately that she is making a difference, it is up to the audience to decide if she does or not. What can you do today?

From Stephen:
I had the pleasure of attending the first night at Wembley. Having seen every tour that Madonna has done since 1987, the thing that struck me on entering the venue was the intimacy of the gig.

Fans can now download Madonna's speech at her European opening night show at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. This clip filmed by madonnalicous visitor Chris.

A quick reminder to fans that they can vote as many times as they want for Madonna and her video for Hung Up at the MTV Video Music Awards.

To vote for Madonna visit www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2006/voting

Today's edition of London newspaper the Evening Standard Lite published this review of last night's opening night at Wembley Arena.

The single Get Together entered the Latvian European Hit Radio chart Top 40 chart 5 weeks ago and has risen to #5 from #7 last week.
Fans can vote for the song to help make it #1 at: www.europeanhitradio.com

Visit the Confessions Tour gallery to view larger versions of these fantastic pictures taken by madonnalicious visitor materialcowboy at Cardiff on Sunday.

Ticket website www.eventim.de have just released the last batch of seats for both German concerts in Dusseldorf and Hannover.

Here is a close up look of Madonna's handprint plaque at Wembley Arena.

Madonna has unveiled a bronze cast of her hands outside Wembley Arena, becoming the first star to be honoured in the venue's new Square of Fame.
The singer, who played the first of eight dates at the venue on Tuesday, said it was a 'great honour' that made her 'feel like an honorary Brit'.
Venue owners Quintain Estates wants the square to be a 'Hollywood-style feature' to honour top performers.
It hopes to add Kylie Minogue and George Michael casts in coming months.
Madonna said: 'I look forward to seeing other artists adding their handprints alongside mine.'
Following the unveiling, she returned to rehearsals for the first London show of her hit Confessions Tour.
'No matter how many concerts you do, you still have to do rehearsals,' the 47-year-old said.
Cast-makers had taken imprints of the star's hands in New York during the US leg of her world tour.
The tour began in Los Angeles in May, and 21 European dates kicked off in Cardiff on Sunday.
The European leg will include Madonna's first concert in Russia, at Moscow University, on 11 September.
Quintain Estates deputy chief executive Nick Shattock said: 'Madonna is officially the greatest female star in the world and we are delighted that she is the first of what will only be a few major names to be celebrated in the Square of Fame.'
Wembley Arena reopened in April following a £35m refurbishment.

As reported earlier by madonnalicious about a handprint ceremony outside Wembley Arena - here are the first pictures of the event.

 

UK music online retailer HMV are listing Madonna's fourth single, Jump, as having a release date in the UK of Monday 06 November.

The release date maybe so far away to take advantage of it's use in the soundtrack of The Devil Wears Prada which is due out in the UK the week before!

madonnalicious visitor Brent sent in these pictures he took at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday - to view more visit the Confessions Tour gallery.

 

 

 

madonnalicious has received news that earlier this afternoon at Wembley Arena, there was a ceremony where Madonna placed her handprints in cement (similar to Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles).

This is probably to celebrate the renovation of the Arena and to celebrate Madonna's eight shows at the venue....more news soon.

Here are our second set of fan pictures from Cardiff - these were taken by madonnalicious visitor Catherine from the 'golden circle' - to view larger versions visit the Confessions Tour gallery.

 

 

Currently writhing around in riding leathers on her UK tour, Madonna has the best body in the world for a woman over 40, according to a new poll.
The fiercely-honed pop diva - a yoga devotee - beat svelte stars like supermodel Elle Mapherson, Twiggy, Sharon Stone and Oscar-winner Halle Berry to take the top spot in the survey by Top Sante magazine.
Although Madonna, 47, evidently loves flaunting her curves right now in leotards and jodhpurs mostly, she has hinted she would consider going under the knife if her super-firm body ever started to sag.
But the mother-of-two has said she would probably keep it a secret if she ever did have surgery.
'I think about it, like everybody, and I don't rule it out,' she has been quoted as saying.
'But I am not going to hold a press conference if I have plastic surgery.'
On Sunday Madonna finally kicked off the opening night of the European leg of her world tour.
The queen of pop entertained a crowd of 59,000 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff with an erotically-charged performance. It was the first time her Confessions tour had been seen outside America and in a stadium.
She said: 'It's also our first show in Europe. I'm sick of people sitting down in concerts. It's really boring.'
Fans saw her sing from a crucifix and the performance contained provocative dance routines.