VH1 has just launched their competition to win pairs of pit passes to all of the Manchester, London and Slane shows. All you have to do is answer one easy question and be over 18 years of age - click here to enter. Good luck!

MTV will be starting their competition for pit passes on Monday, so stay tuned for more details....

Celebrity gossip website Popbitch published this rumour last week:

Madonna may be playing a secret warm up gig at Essential, Manchester the night before her August concerts in the city.

However this would mean performing on a Friday evening which Madonna does not do anymore due to her Kabbalah beliefs and her observance of shabbat.

Here are some highlights of madonnalicious visitor's tour reports from Madonna's second night at the Office Depot Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

To read these reports in full and for more fan reports visit the fan reviews section:

From Chris:
I just came back from tonight's concert at the Office Depot Center. The show was amazing, Madonna's voice was flawless. Apparently last night's crowd weren't too enthusiastic, because she yelled, 'You guys rock!'....'You guys are SO much better than last night's crowd, thank God'....she also added, 'I really didn't feel like coming out and doing the show tonight, but you guys have changed my energy, so THANK YOU!'

From TOXICTEASE:
I was in the pit, and my friend asked me how it was and all I could say was 'OMG Amazing!' The people in our pit (stage right) were so much fun (Hi everyone! This is the girl who was with her mom, lol). Not to mention how amazing it was just to have Madonna a few inches away from you!

From Joe:
You could definitely tell in the beginning of the show that she was being a bit cold and mechanical (came across like a routine), BUT then, she shouts to us, the crowd, mid-way through, 'I really didn't want to come out here tonight, because I wasn't in the mood and I was tired, but you all have really changed my energy. Thanks!' After that, it was like she flipped some switch inside herself and blew the place away. She also shouted, 'You guys are so much better than last night's crowd.'

From Steel714:
After seeing what the audience did to her the night before, it was amazing to see Madonna so happy and alive again. She said 'Ft Lauderdale Rocks' and then went on to say 'You guys are so much better than last night.' 'Do you mind if I sing all my songs?' All the audience was standing throughout the whole concert and she would look out into the crowd and say 'Thank GOD'.
She also seemed to slip down on the floor during the 'Like A Prayer' but she pulled it off and it looked like she made it a dance move.

From Martin:
It was my first ever Madge concert and it was everything I could have ever hoped it to be and more! She looked stunning and sounded beyond amazing. I was determined not to sit down at all, which I didn't, and even told my friend that if he sat down he'd be walking home. I was trying to spread that energy around because even though the crowd was overall better than the previous night.

UK magazine Hello! (03 August issue, number 827) features two-pages of pictures of the Ritchies on a day trip to Miami beach on a day off from the Re-Invention tour.

A second date at the Pavilhao Atlantico, Lisbon for the 14 September has just been announced following the sell-out earlier today of the first date.
Tickets go on sale for this date at 10.00am local time tomorrow (30 July).
Details on how to buy tickets can be found on the tour page.

Here is a look at Madonna (or should that be Queen Esther!) and Monte Pittman's special guitar picks they are using for the tour. At the end of each show they are usually thrown to fans in the pits or given out backstage.

 

 

madonnalicious visitor Leciccone sent these pictures in from last night's show at the Office Depot Center in Fort Lauderdale. To view larger versions visit the tour gallery

   

   

Here are some madonnalicious visitor's tour reports from Madonna's first night at the Office Depot Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

It seems Madonna noticed some of the crowd were sitting down through most of the show, though some fans have this was due to over-zealous security telling people to sit down. Even Madonna said during the show....'You are gonna make me sad with all this sitting'....so if you are going tonight all you have to do to make Madonna happy is dance and sing, get up and do your thing!

To read these reports in full and for more fan reports visit the fan reviews section:

From Duane:
Needless to say Madonna TOTALLY noticed the folks that were SITTING in their seats in the front rows of the stage. She even asked them if they were sleeping.
She obviously did not say that this was the best crowd she has performed in front of. If I was lucky enough to get FRONT ROW seats, I would NEVER have been sitting on my ass.

From Allan:
She had to keep telling the audience to stand up already, and at one point she even said 'you need to go home if you are tired'.
The highlight of the night was when she reached down and held my hand during 'Like a Prayer', I was in the front row and the audience went wild!

From Robert E:
At one point, right before 'Crazy For You', I expected her to interact with the audience humorously as she had reportedly done at prior venues. But instead she just stood there, her eyes closed beneath the lights, as if waiting to see if the audience would call her back to performance.
At that moment, the 'vulnerable little girl' side of Madonna was more evident than ever, and she proceeded by making a few fans' dreams come true by singing to them directly during 'Crazy For You', and, admittedly, by the time she ended the show with 'Holiday', the audience was back in the palm of her hand, where she'd rightfully expected more of them to be all night.

From Peter:
She kept asking people not to sit down and at one point she said to the people in the front rows: 'What the fuck is up with all these people sitting down? This is the No-Sitting area. You're tired, bored or what? If you are, go home and go to bed'.... needless to say that afterward no one sat for the rest of the show.

From Eduardo:
Madonna was at the top of her game last night, first of two shows at the Office Depot Center in Ft. Lauderdale. The installations, at the beginning of the show, were beautiful, thought provoking, and highly sophisticated. What was most intriguing about the Re-invention Tour is the fact that there were so many different forms of media yet they all came together seamlessly. A provocative and intriguing attempt by our Lady Madonna.

From Tyler:
She seemed pretty disappointed at this show's audience, and I don't blame her. Nonetheless, Madonna still f*cking rocked! And I got my butt up just for her, even though there was hardly anyone standing up in my row.

From Doug:
As far as my experience went, Madonna gave me all that I could have ever asked for and more. I saw the 6/27 Boston show and both performances were on par as far as vocals and energy level. Madonna made my millenium though during 'Like A Prayer'. She walked over to our section and surveyed the crowd, then turned to the front of the stage but gave one more look in my direction and winked at me. Everyone in my row started screaming 'She winked at you!' and I almost fainted. My legs quivered and a rush of energy flowed through me like never before. Thank you Madonna!

It seems that Florida loved being re-invented last night at the Office Depot Center - check out the press reviews here.

Madonna's official fanclub have a new competition for fans to enter:

Dear Friends,
I hope most of you already had a chance to enjoy one (or more) of Madonna's U.S shows! The new issue of Icon (#41) is about to be sent out to subscribers....Vogue Paris Magazine has devoted it's pages to the Re-Invention tour as Madonna graces the cover of the August edition. The spread includes exclusive studio and live shots taken by Steven Klein as well as an article written by Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg. If you haven't gotten a copy of it yet, we have a great deal for you.
Icon #42 will be entirely devoted to Madonna's new tour and will include fan reviews and pictures from around the world. Just write your own review of the tour and e-mail it to us before August 11.
The best reviews and pictures will be published in Icon and their authors will receive a free copy of Vogue Paris right in their mailbox! Your review can be short or long, based on what you've seen during the show or what came to your mind right after it, etc., YOU DECIDE!
Be sure to e-mail your review and pictures to: icontest@moov-u.com before August 11. Please note that you don't have to be an Icon member to submit your review, but you must be Madonna fan!
Fan photographers, pictures will only be accepted if they are Jpegs at least 1.000 pixels 'tall' and no more than 1Mb per image. One entry per person, thanks!

Good luck and see you on the road!
xo
Johann

According to official Portuguese news (LUSA) and music websites, thousands of tickets for Madonna's Re-Invention tour were sold in the first five minutes!

As of 6pm in Lisbon only 42 tickets were remaining for the show.

More tickets for Madonna's two shows on 08 and 09 September in Arnhem, The Netherlands have been released on www.ticketmaster.nl

3 days before Madonna's concert in Arnhem there will be a huge Pre Party in a former movie theatre in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
With a look-a-like contest to win concert tickets, huge movie-screen for (uncensored) video's, dance-floor with Madonna's dance hits, remixes and bootlegs and a separate lounge bar where Maddie's love songs are played.
The ultimate warming-up and preparation for the concert....
And if you are without concert tickets....the Presale Pre Madonna ticket gives you a chance to win one! For more information and tickets visit www.madonnaparty.nl

   

Tonight Madonna plays the first of four shows in Florida at the Office Depot Center in Fort Lauderdale. She then plays a second night tomorrow in Ft. Lauderdale before finishing the US leg of the Re-Invention tour with two dates at the American Airlines Arena in Miami on Sunday and Monday.

Please send all your tour pictures and reports to webmaster@madonnalicious.com
All your tour submissions have been great and we really appreciate them as do all the other Madonna fans who visit this site :)

madonnalicious visitor Tara sent these super pictures in from Sunday's show at the Philips Arena in Atlanta. To view all 20 pictures please visit the tour gallery

   

   

   

Billboard have released the lastest Boxscore charts and Madonna's Re-Invention tour is on top again for the third time in a row!

United Center, Chicago - $7,894,105 Attendance 59,591 (4 shows)
Air Canada Centre, Toronto - $5,322,703 Attendance 52,167 (3 shows)

We mow finally have confirmation of the seating plans and ticket prices for the Lisbon date at the Pavilhao Atlantico on 13 September.
The tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10.00am local time - click on the seating chart to enlarge.

The Pavilhao Atlantico website also states that this concert will be filmed!

More details (in Portugese) can be found here and how to buy tickets here

madonnalicious visitor Zeuspcola sent these great pictures in from Saturday and Sunday's shows at the Philips Arena in Atlanta.

To view larger versions of all the pictures please visit the tour gallery

   

   

   

You can also read even more new fan reports from both Atlanta shows in the fan reviews section.

Here is the flyer for London's Re-Invention party - Somethings coming over the night before.

The event is billed as A night dedicated to celebrate a true icon of our generation.

The party takes place on Tuesday 17 August at the UCL Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, London.

Tickets are on sale now and you can book online here or by phone on 020 7388 8822

Click on the flyer for an enlargement.

The new issue of German magazine Bild features new pictures of Madonna and Guy on the beach in Miami during a day-off from her Re-Invention tour.

Head down to the Coliseum, 2520 S.Miami Rd, Fort Lauderdale for the Madonna Re-Invention Tour After Concert Party on Wednesday 28 July.

The night is billed as a spectacular evening honoring Madonna featuring music by DJ Tracy Young.

For more information click on the advert.

madonna.com have announced a change to the Lisbon tickets on sale date:

The on sale dates for the show in Lisbon on September 13th at Pavhilao Atlantico have changed. The public on sale is now Thursday, July 29 – 10am (local) and the Fan Club Pre-sale is now Tuesday, July 27th – 5pm local (noon EST) through Wednesday, July 28th – 5pm local (noon EST)

NOTE - to buy tickets in the ICON pre-sale which is taking place today click here.

Madonna played her last show at Philips Arena in Atlanta last night.
madonnalicious visitor Neal had this to say about the show:

I was at both Atlanta shows and Sunday nights crowd ROCKED THE HOUSE! Madonna even pointed it out, saying 'you guys are so much better than last nights crowd' before singing Mother & Father.
She also gave props to some people on the front row who were dressed up like her, saying 'You guys get an A for effort'. She blew us away tonight, seemed a bit more playful than last night. No mishaps, and as usual she sounded amazing!

To read more fan reports from both Atlanta shows visit the fan reviews section.

Friday's edition (23 July) of the Sun Sentinel featured two articles about Madonna's forthcoming shows in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Click to enlarge.

Not to be catty about it, but is Madonna still revelant? Do four packed South Florida shows answer the question?

Still on top....Boy toy to Material Girl to sexpot to author, as Madonna continues to revamp herself there's one thing you can count on: She's still the toughest ticket in town.

 

When she wasn't strutting on the Air Canada Centre stage for one of her three Toronto shows this past week, Madonna was taking in either food for the soul (at the Kabbalah Centre) or for her stomach.
Here she goes for sushi at Asuka with husband/director Guy Ritchie.

In Touch magazine spoke with Madonna's father-in-law John Ritchie, who was looking forward to checking out her 'Re-Invention' tour.
'I did ask her for a ticket,' he said. 'When I heard that she has a song in an electric chair, I said, 'Oh dear!' But I do have several tapes of Madonna's, and I love to dance.'

Here are some madonnalicious visitor's tour reports from Madonna's first night at the Philips Arena in Atlanta. To read these reports in full visit the fan reviews section:

You can also read a great press review from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in the press reviews section.

From Chris R:
The crowd went wild when she sang Burning Up. During Like a Prayer she told everyone to get off their asses and dance. She said this a shake your booty song!
Madonna sounded better than ever. Her voice resonated through the arena and everyone was pleased! Madonna still has it going on!

From Diego:
Loved the part after Papa Don't Preach when she said 'One day you wake up and realise you are a grown up. All grown-ups should fuck off!'

From Mario:
I think the audience did not make justice to her newest and not-so-well-known songs (for example, not a lot of people seemed happy with Hanky Panky, but I thought it was absolutely great and fitted the show very well). But the audience was great when she sang the most popular material and even grooved to Nobody Knows Me and Die Another Day.

From Brant:
During the show, she made the comment that, 'as she travels further south, the audiences seem to get better!'

From Justin:
OMG! Is all I can say about last nights show. She did a flawless performance with no mishaps I could see and her voice like everyone has been saying recently, was absolutly gorgeous.

From Tim M:
The show was a visually stimulating attack on the senses and left me feeling exhilarated and exhausted. I can say as she rose out from under the stage and struck the first pose of 'Vogue' I thought I was going to lose my mind and it only got better from there. GENIUS....pure GENIUS!

From Harikuyo:
Tried to write last night but I was way too tired. The show was INCREDIBLE! Madonna sounded great, the crowd was very high energy and very loud. Everyone was having a great time.

The party is on Saturday July 31st at the O’zone club, the address is: 6620 SW 57th Ave (Red Road), Miami, FL. 33143.
For more information the phone number is (305) 667-2888.

Click on the advert for more information.

'Sex and The City' star Sarah Jessica Parker seems to be under Madonna's spell.
According to the Star magazine, the 39-year-old star supposedly left her seat at a recent Madonna concert to get a bottle of water, but when she noticed that the line was too long, she ran back after announcing that she was missing too much.
She later sent a friend back to get her the bottle of water.

This story won't be new to regular visitors to this site as madonnalicious was the first to break this story back on 25 June....you read it here first! :)

Tonight Madonna and the Re-Invention tour heads into Georgia for her two night stop at the Philips Arena in Atlanta.

Please send in any tour pictures, reports and reviews from the shows to madonnalicious at webmaster@madonnalicious.com

Here is the original cover of the the August 2004 issue of Paris Vogue as featured on madonna.nu

On the 18th of August MADONNA is coming to London....
At The UCL Bloomsbury Theatre we’re celebrating with a pre-show party and you’re invited! Something’s Coming Over The Night Before, promises to be the first of it’s kind and something special for die-hard Madonna fans and music fan alike.
Over 2 hours we’ll be looking back at Madonna’s greatest live performances from her sex vixen days of Like A Virgin to her politically charged American Life. We’ll also be showing exclusive rare live performances all on our huge cinema screen.
For all true fanatics there’ll also be a Madonna-look-alike competition with great prizes from Warner Music whilst our theatre bar will be pumping out our Madonna Remixed and Revisited tunes from her two decade career reworked with fabulous Madonna Cocktails especially concocted for the night.

Something’s Coming Over the Night Before starts at 8pm on the 17th of August. Tickets are £8 pre-sale with a free virgin cocktail on arrival and £10 at the door. We have special group booking discounts for 10 or more. All money raised will be donated to The UCL Bloomsbury Education programme. So come one come all to a night that will be ‘Something To Remember’

For more information or to book tickets please cal our Box Office on 020 7679 2777
The UCL Bloomsbury Theatre is on 15 Gordon St, London WC1H OAH closest tube is Euston

Madonna, Guy, Lourdes and Rocco were snapped on Thursday by the press while enjoying a day on Miami Beach - to view these pictures click here.

Madonna is the cover star of the August 2004 issue of Paris Vogue. The magazine features 14 pages devoted to Madonna and includes articles written by Liz Rosenberg and Glenn O'Brien. The magazine also features a fabulous and stunning porfolio of pictures by Steven Klein from the tourbook shoot and from the tour rehearsals.

 

Here is a look inside the August 2004 Paris Vogue issue which features Madonna on the cover. Please visit MadonnaTribe for large versions of the scans.

 

As Madonna's agent and friend, I take care of everything that concerns her. Very often I act as a buffer between the Material Girl and the press even if it means having to get squashed against a glass wall while she walks up the steps at the Cannes festival followed by a mob of paparazzi. That was 15 years ago for the screening of In Bed With Madonna.
Madonna never reads any critics, which I think is an excellent idea. I, however, can't keep from doing so. First it's my job and it's a way to know if after all these years we're in tune with the press. Some people remain skeptical. But what artists, besides Elvis and the Beatles have had as many hits as what constitutes the soundtrack of our lives.
I remember it as if it were yesterday. In the middle of the summer a ball of fire stumbled into my office full with fabulous accessories. I haven't forgotten anything-the hair 'they look best when I haven't washed them for 8 days.' The black rubberband bracelets and the torn pantyhose - 'what's the problem, everyone wears them downtown.' The crucifix (pl.) she was wearing or carried in a pillow case, 'Jesus is sexy', the attitude 'nobody can tell me what to wear', a still unknown Madonnna shouted during her 1st photo shoot with the famous Francesco Scavullo.
'I love her style, let her wear whatever she wants', he ordered the stylists who wanted to cover her in diamonds.
I see myself later, making her sit in my office to show her the Playboy issue with the nude photos she did for art students when she first arrived in NYC. We were all worried on the effect these photos would have on her emerging career. 'Well, first of all, I'm not sorry about anything' she said while reading the magazine 'and I'd laugh about it if I just didn't find myself so unattractive'. Recently asked about nudity in her career, Madonna simply laughed 'most of the time it was pure exhibitionism. Who doesn't show themselves naked these days?'
A few years ago I accompanied Madonna while she visited a hospital. She pushed a door open and in the room a very sick boy looked at her from head to foot from his bed and said 'You know, I don't like you'. Madonna laughed and answered, 'Well, sometimes I don't like myself either. But what matters is that I like you.' I left them alone for a while. Later as I met the little boy's mother she said 'it's the first time my boy is smiling in 3 weeks.' Madonna told me never to talk about this incident or else she'd kill me.
What makes Madonna happpiest these days? 'Oh probably my daughter's voice when she reads me a poem in French.' Is there something she still dreams about? 'Many things. First of all, no more wars. And what if everyone went to see Michael Moore's movie? And if my kids put their dirty plates in the sink?'
There's no doubt that her happiness shines on the stage of the RIT. 'Since everyone was looking back at my career, I decided to revisit myself with a new twist both musically and visually. I thought about all this with Caresse Henry, my manager and best friend. Then Jamie King showed us a model of the stage the way he imagined it. I wanted to introduce elements of the Kaballah, war in general, and George Bush in particular.
I wanted this show to be a visual assault. I wanted to perform in Israel in front of Jews and Palestinians. Unfortunately, Caresse didn't allow me due to security reasons. One of my goals was that each person in the audience go home convinced that they can help change the world.' Madonna said after drinking her 3rd cup of coffee of the morning.
What's the most important lesson in life? I asked Madonna before one of her shows. 'My Kabballah instructor taught me this: each time you doubt yourself, act like God. How would he act? With Love and altruism. I try to do both. That's what I'd like to teach the world.' Amen.

More tickets for all of the Paris Bercy shows have been released and are available to buy online at www.fnac.com and www.francebillet.com

Madonna's new movie based on the life of Texas Guinan called Hello Sucker! has now been listed on the comprehensive www.imdb.com as having a release date of 2005.

Insiders are saying that the soundtrack to this movie will be Madonna's next studio album - due for release in 2005.

Here are some madonnalicious visitor's tour reports from the last night in Toronto.
It certainly sounds like the fans loved Madonna and Madonna loved Toronto!
To read these reports in full and loads more reports from the first and second night's in Toronto visit the fan reviews section:

From Nadine:
All I can say is WOW! I've been to all three shows here in Toronto and the crowds keep getting better and better. She kept commenting on how much she loved the City and the fans. She said something like, 'If I knew I would be having so much fun in Toronto I would have stayed longer.' She also brought up the police issue during the Blonde Ambition tour once again saying something like 'Let them try to arrest me this time!'

From Dan:
'If I would have known Toronto would be this much fun, I would have stayed for months!' Madonna told the audience. Thank God she didn't, she would have drained my bank account.
My second TO concert and by far, the best! Madonna was hilarious tonight. Her mouth was at its most foul. 'Are you mother f*ckers ready?' she asked and at one point said 'oh shit' when forgetting a line.

From Andre:
She made me laugh so much when she spoke to the Toronto crowd and said 'she wanted to stay at the Air Canada Centre all night long and sing her full discography of songs.' She said 'my music director is going to kill me if I don’t shut up and start singing'. She was AMAZING.

From Soloman:
She completely screwed up the lines to the American Life reprise after Papa Don't Preach! It was hilarious. She couldn't stop laughing at something (Stuart Price was making faces at her), and she was being really, really playful with the audience!
It went something like this (and she's laughing the entire time): 'STOP CALLING ME ESTHER! Now let me continue. [Singing] DO I HAVE TO CHANGE MY NAME? Whoops, already did that! AM I GONNA BE A STAR? Been there, done that! SHOULD I LOSE SOME WEIGHT? [pinching her stomach a bit, the audience screaming 'No!'] AM I GONNA....Shit! Hahahaha, this is very unprofessional behaviour! Now let me see, now I remember....' [proceeds to sing the verse correctly again.]

From Rochelle:
You can tell how much effort went into the production of the show and the musical director & Mrs. Ritchie deserve major props for the play list!

From GRKGODDES777:
The 'Italians Do It Better' shirt made its appearance last night, and some lucky guy on the left floor (I'd say about 12-13 rows in) snagged it. Lucky bastard!

From Anthony:
She told us 'It's been way too long Toronto! If I knew I was going to have this much fun in Toronto, I would have stayed a month.' She also told us 'I don't want this night to end. I'm having such a good time with you Toronto. Why don't we sleep together all night. Why don't we protest and just camp out here all night'. The crowd roarrrrrrrred like a colliseum full of lions. She later added 'Let them try to arrest me for that!'
During Material Girl, she was singing the wrong words and started laughing hysterically and said 'I can't remember the fucking words'.

madonnalicious visitor Allan sent these pictures in from the front row at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto on Monday night.

 

 

madonnalicious visitor Jeff took these pictures from beneath the catwalk at the first show in Toronto on Sunday night.

 

Toronto radio station Mix 99.9 has reported that yesterday July 20, Madonna spent the majority of the day at Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital reading and visiting with the children and their families.
Mix 99.9 also reported that she had read her three released childrens books 'The English Roses', 'Mr. Peabody's Apples' and her latest book 'Yakov and The Seven Thieves'.

NOTE: We have just received a report in from a Carlo a hospital staff worker who contradicts the Mix 99.9 radio report:
I work at the Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto and would like to clarify news of a Madonna appearance. It actually happened today (21st) and it was Lourdes with an entourage and not the Queen herself. I got the chance to see her and say hi - she is gorgeous just like her mom! She read from the two books and gave out over 100 books - she was also presented with a gift from the hospital.

madonnalicious fan reviews from Monday's show in Toronto mentioned that Madonna tripped and fell as she climbed up the catwalk during Holiday, her final number of the show. Fans reported that she stayed down for a few seconds and then laughed it off saying Whoops-a-daisy.

madonnalicious visitor AngeM sent some us some pictures from that night and in one of the pictures she managed to take a picture just as Madonna fell:

 

The UK and French press love to feature Madonna whenever possible - the latest edition of French magazine Public (19-25 July) has a picture of Madonna and Lourdes leaving their NYC apartment.
The latest issue of UK magazine Star (26 July) has a picture of Madonna in NYC and the fashion 'experts' give her 7/10 for her fashion sense.

 

Reshma Gajjar, a dancer on Madonna's Re-Invention tour has given an interview to rediff.com on her life, career, spirituality and touring with Madonna.

To read the full article, visit www.rediff.com

The tickets for the Lisbon date on Sept. 13 at Pavhilao Atlantico will be going on sale Friday, July 30th - 10 am local (5am EST/2am PST)

The ICON fan club pre-sale will be Tues. July 27 – 3pm local (10am EST) through Thursday, July 29th 5pm local (noon EST).

madonnalicious recommends visiting The Madonna Portuguese Fan Club for lots of information on hotels, locations and tickets.

These two new pictures of Madonna, Guy and Rocco appeared in the Toronto Star, with this caption:
The artist formerly know as Madonna a.k.a Esther, and filmmaker hubby Guy Richie exit the Manulife Centre around midnight on Saturday after catching a flick.
Earlier, the couple was spotted leaving the Kabbalah Research Centre on Sheppard Ave. W. with son Rocco apparently enjoying his world upside down.

 

Here are some madonnalicious visitor's tour reports from the second night at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto.
To read these reports in full and loads more reports more visit the fan reviews section:

From Chris:
Wow! Just got in after 2nd night in Toronto and she was at her peak. Madonna proclaims 'you are the best audience so far....that's no shit!'

From Tpcorless:
Madonna addressed the Esther controversey. She said flat out, 'You don't have to call me, Esther' and started singing a reprise of American Life, 'Do I have to change my name....?'

From Torontoboy:
After PDP, she lied down, and said 'I'm SOO tired'....drank some water, and told a story: 'You know, I didnt sleep very well last night, and I wasnt sure I could make it through this show....but your guys energy has been amazing! You inspire me!'
Right before Imagine she said 'this song was written 35 years ago, but not by me, because I wasn't born yet'....HUGE APPLAUSE AND CHEERS!

From Marcos:
Madonna had a little mishap during HOLIDAY as she went up the steps into the catwalk, she tripped on the last step and fell. She was down for a few seconds, but then popped up and said 'Oops, I fell!' The surface of the catwalk is quite rough, so I am sure M has a little boo boo on her knees.

From Vicious Hotty:
I was so proud of Toronto for giving Madonna the welcome she most certainly DESERVED.

From Simon:
To those fans who don't plan on attending this show, I urge you to please reconsider - you will not be disappointed! The show is a spectacle to end all spectacles and it's those little human moments of Madonna that make you appreciate her that much more.

From Ericka:
I would just like to say that no matter where you are sitting you will have an awesome time. I got cheap tickets for 49.50 and my view was still amazing. So if there are any fans who have cheap seats - don't worry. It is an experience you will never forget.

From Tom:
'The Beast Within' was just so creepy, it gave me goosebumps. Steven Klein did an amazing job with the video footage.

Thanks to Diyala for these pictures from the Sunday show in Toronto.

Toronto will say a fantastic farewell to Madonna at the Re-Invention Tour After Party which is happening at the 5ive nightclub on Wednesday 21 July.

For more details click on the flyer to enlarge or visit www5ivenightclub.com

madonnalicious visitor Steve sent in this great picture of a Re-Invention tour billboard advertising her Forum and Arrowhead Pond dates on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles.

Pop icon Madonna has been criticized by dancers on her current Re-Invention Tour for low wages and harsh stage conditions. The singer, 45, pays her dancers under $1,000 per concert - compared to her take-home wage of $2 million per show - and the air conditioning on stage is kept to a minimum to maintain Madonna's voice.
A source says of Madonna's 12 on-stage athletes, 'I know they're not getting paid that much, considering how much they're working.' One dancer complains, 'Sometimes it's insanely hot. It's very hard to breathe, and they have oxygen in our dressing room.' Another insider comments how Madonna spends limited time with her dancers and that the 'only time they see her is during sound check and during the show'.
However star dancer Seth Stewart - who can be seen tangoing with Madonna on-stage - insists, 'She treats us like royalty. She even had us to her house for a cookout.' Madonna's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg adds, 'The dancers seem very happy. I haven't heard otherwise.'

madonnalicious visitor Amy sent in these great pictures from last night's show in Toronto - for larger versions please visit the tour gallery

madonnalicious asks for any fans attending the concerts to please send in their pictures, reports and reviews to webmaster@madonnalicious.com

The Canadian press have gone Mad-for-Madonna, last night's show made the front page of newspaper the Toronto Sun

Madonna, Esther, Madge, The Material Girl - whatever you want to call her - was at her mischievious best last night, wowing the ACC crowd in the first of three shows.

You can read the full review of Prima Madonna in the press reviews section.

Fellow fansite MadonnaTribe have published the following news about the Lisbon:

* The official announcement is likely to be made on Monday 26 July
* ICON pre-sale tickets will probably go on sale on Tuesday 27 July
* Public tickets on sale date will be on Friday 30 July
* The CBS TV broadcast will be from one of the Lisbon shows

Warner Vision Intl. has won the rights to release the long-awaited DVD of Live Aid, the biggest concert in rock 'n' roll history.
Warner will put out the historic four-disk Live Aid set on Nov. 1 worldwide. The concert, which took place July 13 1985 in London and Philadelphia, raised over $140 million to fight the African famine. Over 1.5 billion TV viewers watched the event.

Madonna played her first show in 11 years in Canada last night at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto. Here are some madonnalicious visitor's tour reports from this show.
To read the full reports visit the fan reviews section:

From Jackie:
Just got home from the first show of Madonna's Re-Invention tour in Toronto and all I can say is WOW! It was truly a spectacle for the eyes and ears. I thought she could not out do the Drowned World Tour but man was I wrong. It was stunning and her voice seems to get better every year.

From Robert:
Madonna said she was sorry for being away from Toronto for so long and talked quite a bit with the crowd. This experience was one of the greatest moments in my life. A difinite career high for Madonna. DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!

From Dan:
'I'm a good girl now' Madonna stated when referring to infamous incident way back when the Toronto police threatened to arrest the 'then' naughty cone-breasted material girl. 'That wasn't very nice' she smirked with the crowd's overwhelming roar of approval. While watching the concert tonight, I realized 'Yep, Madonna's still got it' and we got it real good tonight!

From Paul:
It's been 11 years since Madonna has graced T.O. with a tour. And it was worth the wait. I'm so amazed at how well this tour has been put together.
Her voice, her dancing and all around her persona really shows. Looking back at the Drowned World Tour I found it very dark. Which maybe explained were she was at that point in time. But boy have times changed. She worked it out tonight!

From Hugh:
She also said that it was good to be back and asked us how many people were Canadian and how many people were not....concluding with, 'Wherever you come from, thank you for coming to my show.'

From GRKGODDES777:
I can't describe what it felt to see her perform, all I can tell you is that I am on cloud nine and no one can bring me down from this high! Vogue, Material Girl, Crazy For You, Burning Up, it was so great to hear all the old tunes. When she sang Imagine the crowd lost their minds, and I think I lost my voice! She looked like she was having a ball, and the crowd was eating it up!

From Jason:
I was in the PIT....and watched with WONDER & AMAZEMENT, her singing was incredible, her dancing creative....I was in awe while she played the guitar....and to top it off, today I am on the front page of the paper with the Queen herself....HONESTLY one of the BEST NIGHTS EVER....

madonnalicious visitor Chris is trying to encourage Donna to perform some shows when the Re-Invention tour hits the UK, here is her email reply:

I do not have a show planned as of this moment. I will let you know if I am going to make an appearance possibly at a yoga center or in store while I am there.
I hope you are well. The tour is going great and moving along so fast!
Donna

Madonna's not such a bad boss: she got all her backup dancers $1,000 personalized gold and diamond Zodiac necklaces from Mia & Kompany. Of course Madge - a Leo - treated herself to one, too. Only hers is bigger.

Madonna visits Canada tonight on tour for the first time in 11 years. The Re-Invention show will play three nights at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

madonnalicious asks for any fans attending the concerts to please send in their pictures, reports and reviews to webmaster@madonnalicious.com

The Toronto press are already getting ready for Madonna's appearance tonight, with Madonna already getting a cover of a newspaper. The Toronto Sun featured a picture of Madonna as she visited the Kaballah Centre in Toronto on Saturday.

Thanks to madonnalicious visitor SupmanNY for sharing these excellent video clips from Madison Square Garden on 21 June - clips featured include Vogue, Nobody Knows Me, Frozen, Material Girl, Lament, Bedtime Story, Nothing Fails, Don't Tell Me, Like A Prayer, Mother and Father, Into The Groove, Music and Holiday.

On Thursday Madonna played her last night of four at the United Center in Chicago. Here are some madonnalicious visitor's tour reports from this show. To read the full reports visit the fan reviews section:

From Glenn:
Madonna spoke to the crowd for an extended period of time after Papa Don't Preach and kept saying, 'I'm just going to stand here all night. Let's spend the night together. I'll just do all my songs!' The crowd went absolutely wild and Madonna was laughing. It was so fun. She also asked if she was still the queen and after enormous applause, she said, 'I am humble though, really' and she laughed. She also said she didn't want to leave Chicago and was said it was her last night here.

From Markus:
I had the privilege to see two shows in Chicago, Monday from a couple sections back from the stage and Thursday from the pit. Monday rocked but nothing compares to the experience in the pit. From the pit we could see her in-between songs taking drinks of water and laughing with her dancers/band, you could tell she was having a really fun time. This is an experience I will never forget! ALL HAIL THE QUEEN!

From D.McNeal:
At the end of Papa Don't Preach before the 'Do I have to change my name....' line from American Life she talked A LOT. She said 'You guys don't want me to go, do you?....I think I'm going to stay all night....right here....or you guys could come home with me and we could stay the night together....no, no, no....I think I'll just stay here...and I can sing ALL my songs....'cause I can do what I want, right?...because I AM the queen...I'm also very humble too.'

From Joe:
Another major difference in the show was during Holiday. Two of her dancers took off their shirts and threw them into the audience. Madonna then yelled, 'Everybody take off your shirt!' I don't think the crowd thought she was serious so she said it again. People started throwing their shirts on the stage and then Madonna yelled into the mic 'Don't fucking throw them on the stage.' It was pretty funny.
Then when she walked up on the catwalk, she told the crowd to take off their shirts. You could see several shirts flying up towards the catwalk. What a great way to end her stay in Chicago. It was a great moment. Chicago loves Madonna, hopefully she will be back soon!

From Jason:
This show also had the most changes from the previous three - The Kaballists Do It Better shirt made a reappearance on Thursday night. Before Imagine instead of stating that the song was written over 35 years like she said during the first three shows, she asked the crowd if they were going to vote this year and stressed the importance of us making our own choices, she mentioned that there were two people in the back waiting to register people.
I gained even more respect for her after this because she did not do any Bush bashing during this - simply just told people to vote.

madonnalicious visitor KT took these pictures at the last show in Chicago on 15 July.
You can view larger versions of the pictures in the tour gallery

 

 

madonnalicious visitor Andrea managed to take these pictures at the 11 July show in Chicago. You can view larger versions of the pictures in the tour gallery

 

 

Donna De Lory, who is currently touring with Madonna, is a singer and songwriter whose voice and lyrics seem to transcend time and genre. Her most recent CD, 'The Lover & The Beloved', blends Sanskrit chants and modern melodies, with some English lyrics peppered throughout. The Yoga Sanctuary is delighted to be hosting her first Toronto kirtan!

Hatha Yoga with Cynthia Funk & extended Savasana with Donna De Lory
5:00 – 6:45pm ~ $20.00 (plus GST)

Kirtan/Seated Meditation with Donna De Lory
6:45 – 7:15pm ~ $10.00 (plus GST)

Both events ~ $25.00 (plus GST)

For location details and more information please visit www.theyogasanctuary.net

Madonna has the top three grossing concerts for the end of June, beginning of July on the Billboard Boxscore charts:

4 sold out dates in Boston earned almost $6,439,890 (total attendance 46,075)
2 sold out dates in New Jersery earned almost $4,437,345 (total attendance 29,315)
2 sold out dates in Philadelphia earned over $4,134,478 (total attendance 30,575)

madonna.com have just published the following information about the Lisbon dates:

The Lisbon concert at the Atlantico Pavilion originally scheduled on September 12th has been moved to September 13th. On sale date to be announced soon.

madonnalicious will bring you all the on sale details and prices very soon....

Here are some madonnalicious visitor's tour reports from the third show at the United Center in Chicago last night. To read the full reports visit the fan reviews section:

From Ben:
Anyway, I felt like didn't even get to pay attention to what was going on, it flew by so fast! All I did was sing and dance all night long. I admit that I loved hearing all the old hits and with some new ones....

From Chris:
Of course Madonna, up front and personal was unmatched! Superior performance! Incredible energy! She opened the show rising out of nowhere poised with style and passion, crooning a sensual 'Vogue' postured in a full back bend. Five years younger than her, I struggle to reach that posture tying my shoe.
Critics can say what they will, but this Madonna knows entertainment. Beyond the flash vids, fire dancers and confetti, there remained a hard working talent that sang full throttle, danced every style imaginable, gun twirled, jammed on her geetar and treated her audience like we were all at a bonfire for a sing-along.

From Jayme:
Wanted to let everyone know that I went to see the show on Sun, Mon, and Wed in Chicago, and by far, Wed was the best night. A lot of energy from both Madonna and the crowd.
Also, Madonna accepted a gift from a fan, a home made banner (with a blue peace sign on it), and she said 'is that for me?', she took it, and wiped her arm pits with it, smiled, and said thank you.

Jayme sent these great pictures in from the 10th row at last night's show - to view larger versions of all 11 pictures visit the tour gallery:

   

   

   

Jayme would also like to send a message to a girl in the 10th row (section 3) named Jo Ann Lopez - to say sorry they lost your email address and if you want to get in touch email madonnalicious and we will get you in contact :)

The 2005 Official Madonna calendar has just started shipping out to fans who pre-ordered it - the calendar is photographed by Steven Klein and features three previously unseen pictures. You can still order the calendar here.

madonnalicious visitor Erin sent these pictures and tour report in from the first night at the United Center in Chicago from the 8th row:

 

Sunday night, I experienced one of the most incredible nights of my life. I saw Madonna from 8th row!
She was full of energy and looked like she was having a great time! She looked refreshed and beautiful!
She sang perfectly. I have loved her music and who she is for 20 years and now I know why I have been entranced by her. She is just so fucking cool! She was playing to her fellow midwesteners! She made me dance my ass off! I would see this tour again in a heartbeat!
I flew in from Minneapolis and I could only stay for one show, but I would suggest seeing at least twice, because so much happens, I feel like I may have missed something! (I hope not!)

madonnalicious visitor Patrick sent us this story about him and his friend's t-shirts catching the eyes of Madonna's dancers in Chicago:

My friend Don and I had t-shirts made for the first night of the show in Chicago. Don's said 'Madonna Does It Better' and mine said 'Guy Does it Better.'
We had seats in the 16th center on the floor. Sadly, we weren't able to get her attention during the show. But afterward, we went to Sound Bar to see Niki Harris perform. During her show, we looked over and saw Siedah Garrett and some of the dancers from the show near us. Afterward, we went to get drinks, and one of her dancers saw our shirts, and called some other dancers over to us.
They all were smiling saying 'Cool....how fun, those are the best shirts we've seen yet' - and one of the dancers took out his cell phone camera and took two pictures of us. He leaned in and said, 'I'll be sure to show this to Madonna, she'll love it, she'll laugh her ass off!' So we like to think that she at least saw our picture and knows our faces now.

Here is a picture of Patrick and Don at the Sound Bar wearing the t-shirts. Also featured in the picture is madonnalicious visitor Betty wearing the Esther Does It Better t-shirt which Madonna saw and wanted before the show on 12 July (see story Madonna wants your shirt! posted yesterday).

Vote for Madonna's Hollywood in the 2004 MTV Viewer's Choice Pre-Nomination Award....you can vote as many times as you like! Click here to vote.

NOTE All other artists are listed alphabetically EXCEPT Madonna who is right at the bottom of the list - so scroll down the page till you find her name....please sort this out MTV!

Sharp-eyed fans have noticed that since Madonna changed the song sample in her re-invented performance of Don't Tell Me from French music to The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony that the video backdrop has changed as well.

For the French music Madonna had a backdrop of nightime Paris featuring such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame (see picture below - thanks to Anna):

Now The Verve's song sample has replaced the French music the backdrop has also changed to London's nightline featuring landmarks as Big Ben and Tower Bridge (see picture below - thanks to Andy and Cindy from 12 July in Chicago)

The editors of French magazine Stars Ambition are putting together an 100% Madonna Re-Invention tour special issue and are searching fans who went to her concerts in American to give their reports on the show.

These reports will fill about 4-8 pages and the editors have a deadline of 28 July - if you want to help please email them at fcp@nerim.net

Guess we can call Madonna's Chicago visit this week truly a family affair.
The Material Mom invited a bunch of relatives - including her father, Tony Ciccone, her brother Christopher and several other siblings and Michigan-based cousins - to hunker down with her for something of a family reunion at one of Our Town's poshest North Side hotels.

While their mom secretly sneaks in and out, Lourdes and Rocco have made several appearances in the hotel's lobby - including a highly emotional scene when the kids first saw their cousins, aunts and uncles arriving from Michigan.

Along with Madonna's family and staff accommodations, a number of rooms are occupied by the film crew who are closely following the Reinvention Tour - making the documentary expected to be released next year. Reportedly, the Chicago filming has heavily focused on Tony Ciccone, apparently getting Madonna's dad's take on things.

To read the full article about Madonna's time in Chicago - click here.

madonnalicious visitor Fernando took these pictures from on 07 July at the Continental Airlines Arena and had this to say about the show:

I CANNOT get enough of 'THE DIVA' herself. She truly is the MASTER OF RE-INVENTION! I've attended 10 shows and each one was PERFECTION. Her voice, the choreography, the stage set up and the fans! Truly amazing and M has OUTDONE herself! I still can't get over her two poses she striked at the beginning of Vogue and walking on her hands and feet backwards! I am off to see her in Miami for the last two shows in the US and simply cannot WAIT! MADONNA, thank you for being my inspiration! I LOVE YOU AND I WILL NEVER TELL YOU TO STOP!

You can view larger versions of the pictures in the tour gallery

   

   

   

madonnalicious visitor Betty had this great story to tell about her encounter with Madonna before the Monday 12 July Chicago show:

Before the show tonight in Chicago, I saw Madonna pull up to the United Center. She pulled up in a black SUV with the window rolled down. As soon as I realized it was the Queen herself I started waving the shirt I had made for the concert which read 'Esther Does It Better'.
Within a matter of seconds she was gone. I did not think she had seen me or my shirt because she did not make any eye contact with me. So I waited a few minutes and then walked away. I walked about 3 blocks when I heard someone yelling at me from behind. I turned around and noticed that it was the same woman who was in the same SUV with Madonna. She seemed relieved to have found me and caught up with me. She was running/speed walking in high heels and a mini skirt.
She said, 'Madonna wants your shirt! She was in a bad mood, and your shirt made her smile. So Madonna would like your shirt.' I stood there handing my shirt over too her, not being able to say a single word. Luckily my best friend was able to do the talking for me.
Madonna's personal assistant then gave me two freshly autographed promotional posters. This is my first autographed Madonna item, so you can imagine how excited I was! I gave her a hug, and as soon as she turned around to walk away I started crying like a big baby! LOL
Later on while walking around the United Center, I ran into the security guard who was guarding the entry way before Madonna pulled up. He asked if 'that lady had found me' I said she sure did. He then said that as soon as we left she came rushing out to find us. So I thank that Mr. security man for letting her know which way we went!
So I was not lucky enough to win pit tickets, and I was not lucky enough to catch the shirt she tossed out into the audience. But I was lucky enough to make Madonna smile!

Here are some tour report highlights from the second night at the United Center in Chicago that madonnalicious visitors have submitted.
Madonna's Father attended the concert last night and because of this Madonna changed a line in the Mother and Father rap.
To read the full reports visit the fan reviews section:

From Matthew:
During 'Mother and Father' I noticed Madonna changed a line in the song from 'I use to think he was a jerk' to 'He didn't know how much it hurt'.
Immediately I was suspicious that her father was at the show. And what do you know....a few minutes later she announced her dad was at the show tonight.

From Kymberly:
Such an awesome concert! First time in my twenty years as a Mo fan that I got to see her and I was blown away.
In the middle of the show, she talked about how her 'Italians Do It Better' t-shirt should read 'Midwesterners Do It Better.'

From Geoffrey:
Madonna was simply amazing Monday evening in Chicago. After reading all the hype, my expectations were extremely high. The show delivered 110% satisfaction. The crowd was electrified and on their feet even before Madonna took the stage.
This was one amazing summer evening in Chicago!

And here are some more fan reports from the first night in Chicago:

From Ryan:
The screens were amazing. Steven Klein is an absolute genius. These background visuals NEED to be on the DVD as extra features! Warner, are you reading this? lol

From Meaghan and Brian:
I would have to say that July 11th's show was better than the 12th. She seemed more energetic, and pleased with the audience, telling us 'you people from the Midwest have got soul! She even made a few statements or jokes with the crowd. The 12th she made one funny comment to a section saying that, 'You people have been sitting down....you can sit down when I sit down!'
On both nights, Madonna wore the 'Italians Do It Better' T-shirt!

It hasn't been a great year for touring artists, but Prince, Madonna and Celine Dion are bucking the trends as the top three money earners on this year's Pollstar list of 2004's Top 100 Tours at the midway point of the year.
Prince's 'don't call it a comeback' comeback tour tops the list with $45.7 million in grosses, including a 'free' giveaway of his new album, Musicology, a controversial move which has kept the record high on the album chart all summer-at least according to Soundscan. Prince has sold a total of 737k tickets, with an average gross of $1.038 million per show, based on an average ticket price of $61.59.
Madonna's Re-Invention Tour is next, selling $44.9 million worth of tickets, followed by Dion, who didn't have to leave Las Vegas to rack up $40.8 million in sales. Madonna sold 258k total tickets at an average ticket price of $174.17 (highest in the Top 100) through June 30, while Celine moved 296k at a $137.65 average price.

Keep in mind that this is only through June 2004 and represents only 258,000 in tickets sales. Madonna has approximately another 642,000 further tickets sold for the remaining concerts. This will put the total concerts in excess of $120,000,000 for 2004!

An evening of pure Madonna, to celebrate her forth coming shows in England.
Two DJ's will play the very best of Madonna, including rare mixes
Two big screens will show rare video footage.
Also a very special show by Debbie Nunn - one of the Worlds best Madonna tribute acts

Date: Saturday 31st July 2004
Time: 7pm - Midnight
Venue: The Elms, Anchor Road, Aldridge, Walsall, England WS9 8PT
Tel: 01922 451002

Admission is free and bars licensed until midnight

www.vh1la.com are offering the chance for Latin American fans to win pit tickets to Madonna's Miami shows. To enter the competition - click here.

Madonna's tour stops at the United Center have made the front cover of today's Chicago Tribune's Red-Eye magazine.

To read the story visit www.redeyechicago.com

Here are some tour report highlights from last night's show at the United Center in Chicago that madonnalicious visitors have submitted.
Madonna was sporting her Italians Do It Better t-shirt again last night instead of the Kabbalists Do It Better t-shirt.
To read the full reports visit the fan reviews section:

From Soleil09:
I went to opening night in Chicago and she ROCKED! Playing straight through with numerous costume changes, she did awesome!
My favorite parts were when she came out in the middle of the crowd on the catwalk and when she sang Crazy for You! What an amazing show!

From AA:
At the end of 'Don't Tell Me', she said don't tell her to stop because she's 'from the Midwest and will fuck you up'. It was a priceless moment!

From Greg:
This was by far the best concert of my life! Madonna is an artist unequaled by anyone in my lifetime. She looked great, sounded great and the audience loved it - you could tell this was a concert that unlike 'Drowned World', even the non-core fans can like. Everything about this tour outdid the last one.

A picture from Madonna's Re-Invention tourbook shoot by Steven Klein features on the cover of Florida magazine Ocean Drive - the magazine also contains an article by Jeanne Wold who looks back through all her previous interviews with Madonna to see how it all began.

Thanks to Jamie at MadonnaMegaCollection for the scans.

 

Stand by Chicago....Madonna starts her first of four nights at the United Center in Chicago on Sunday night.
Please send in any tour pictures, reports or news to webmaster@madonnalicious.com

The UK edition of hello! magazine (Issue 824 - July 13 2004) features an article on make-up artist Laura Mercier:

A meeting with famed photographer Steven Meisel meant that Laura Mercier was soon in demand in America and a move to New York soon became a necessity. 'It was also Steven who helped me to make my name,' she says. He also introduced Laura to her very first, very famous client, Madonna.
'I was so frightened of working with her that I put it off for two years, but eventually went to her New York apartment to meet her,' Laura explains. 'I was so very nervous, but you know what? She is totally professional, totally inspirational and she pushes the people around her to be as creative as she is. We ended up getting along so well that I worked with her on every video, magazine cover, album photoshoot and red-carpet event for eight years.'
Laura started working with Madonna on her Take A Bow video shoot and never looked back. 'I found her completely wonderful to work with and always so compelling.'

So when Laura decided to launch her own make-up range in 1996, she was delighted that Madonna allowed her to name a classic red lipstick after her. 'I remember I had my laboratory mix for the perfect burgundy-red lip colour for her, and then got them to pour it into an antique lip case for her birthday. She was delighted and said that I should name it after her. That was how 'M' was born. It was my gift to her, and her gift to me.'

Madonna's other gift to Laura was a supreme boost to her confidence. 'Once you have worked with her you realise that you can do your job well. But at the end of the day, it is not about the make-up artist, it is about the person being made up. And to this day I like to work with people whose company I really enjoy.'

madonnalicious visitor Jo took these great pictures from the 07 July show at the Continental Airlines Arena and had this to say about the show:

Madonna shined again! She gave her all vocally and physically dancing, executing the yoga headstand and a FULL split during Hanky Panky. She interacted very much with the crowd and seemed to be having a good time. I sung my heart out and danced my ass off!

You can view larger versions of the pictures in the tour gallery

 

Here are some more tour report highlights that madonnalicious visitors who attended the second and last show in East Rutherford's Continental Airlines Arena have sent in.
To read the full reports visit the fan reviews section:

From Mr Blondie:
She kept making fun of these people who were dead front and center who were sitting down, and she ended up dedicating 'Crazy for You' to all the people who stood up for the entire night. It was really funny. She DOES care what people think.

From Marcus:
I thought The Bedtime Story video was beautiful. Best she ever looked. I'd have to say favs were Burning Up and Material Girl. You could just feel the energy in the whole place. It went by so fast. I was sad when it ended. I definitely am seeing this concert again.

From Danialle:
She TOTALLY messed up Material Girl by singing the second verse first, so when she got to the second verse she was all messed up....she just laughed and shook her head during the whole song! Fantastic!

From Michele:
The whole section I was in was awesome, full of die hard fans including myself and my friend that I was with. We were all standing the entire show, screaming, singing, jumping, doing everything possible to show our love for MADONNA! Well, guess what it worked.
After Nothing Fails, she said while pointing to our section, 'I love these people over there, they have been standing the whole night.' Then she went on to state how the center section was not like us at all.
Even better than that was when she dedicated Crazy For You to us, by saying 'I want to dedicate this next song to all these MOTHER F*CKERS right here (pointed down at our section) who have been standing all night!

Excellent extra seats have been released for all of Madonna's London concerts - so if you previously missed out on getting a ticket now is your chance!

All the details on how to buy the tickets are featured in this advert which appeared in tonight's London newspaper the Evening Standard - click to enlarge.

Madonna's official fanclub have launched a new competition in which fan club members can win a Gibson Guitar which is signed by Madonna:

Madonna has an unbelievable gift for ICON members! The chance to win a Gibson Guitar identical to the one that she plays in the Re-Invention Tour – except for you it’s signed by the lady herself!
It’s time to put your love for Madonna to the test and Re-Invent yourself! Here is the contest: Madonna has had many faces and looks through the years. Sometimes brunette, sometimes girlie blond sometimes dressed with highly sophisticated outfits but also sometimes very pure and natural.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, will be to pick up one of those looks and re-invent yourself by turning your own appearance into Madonna’s! No, you are not dreaming, we are asking you to try and look like Madonna herself!
No matter if you’re a boy or a girl, strike a pose dressed like Madonna and sending us your Re-Invented shot, as well as the original Madonna image you decided to copy.

For more details about the competition please visit ICON - the closing date is 31 July.

madonnalicious visitor Lizzy took some great pictures from the 8th and 9th row at the 04 and 05 July shows at the Wachovia Center in Philadephia.

     

     

     

You can view larger versions of all 20 pictures in the tour gallery

Even though Madonna couldn't make time for a stop in her hometown of Detroit this tour it isn't stopping Madonna's family from attending one of the shows.
Members of the Ciccone family will be attending the Sunday 11 July show in Chicago....wonder if she will invite her Dad on stage again like in previous tours?

Thanks to all the madonnalicious visitors who attended the first show at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford last night who have sent in these tour reports.
Here are some report highlights - to read the full reports visit the fan reviews section:

From Michele:
Let me start by saying MADONNA ROCKED AS USUAL! The crowd in NJ is tough though. She really had to push them in the beginning to get some love. Toward the end everyone stayed on their feet I guess b/c of all the classics she delivers then! She still seemed to be having a good time and admitted to it at one point in the show!

From Mike:
Amazing. I never called myself a diehard fan before, but I had always found Madonna enjoyable. When my girlfriend bought the tickets, I thought, sure, why not? I've seen many great performers in concert before, such as Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, and others. After tonight, Madonna is definitely up in the top of that list.
The crowd was very mixed, people of all ages and from different walks of life. Simply put, she'd friggin ROCKED. I was partial to Like a Prayer; incredible! She had the entire arena singing and moving with her.

From Erik:
Madonna dropped her stick during Into the Groove and laughed it off, and she was back to the Kabbalists Do It Better shirt.
I was happy to hear a lot of people singing along to the new songs - nice to know some fans are keeping up with the new stuff.

From Dana:
For Don't tell me just like Philly she extented it and kept repeating 'don't tell me....don't tell me' and she said 'to what!' 'to what!' that was very fun.
It seems like every time she's on the runway at least one person trips and falls. For the 2nd night NYC she fell, got back up and laughed. Last night, one of the dancers tripped and fell.

From Andrea:
The only slightly negative aspect of the concert had nothing to do with Madonna but rather with a woman sitting in the row behind us yelling at most everyone all night to sit down. Honey, if you don't want to stand and dance the night away with Madonna, don't get floor seats!

From Sandy:
I attended last night's show IN THE PIT. Having seen the show last month in NYC, I knew that I was in for the most entertaining concert I had ever seen.
Being super close this time gave me such an appreciation for how talented, hard-working, and appreciative of her fans Madonna is. She looked and sounded great. Everyone in the pit, and the arena for that matter, appeared to have an awesome time.

Callaway Arts & Entertainment is pleased to announce that Madonna's third children's book, Yakov and the Seven Thieves, will debut at No. 7 on The New York Times' July 11, 2004 best-seller list three weeks after its June 21 release.
Yakov and the Seven Thieves will be Madonna's third book in a row to hit The New York Times best-seller list in the children's picture book category.
Madonna's first two children's books, The English Roses and Mr. Peabody's Apples, both debuted at No. 1 on the best-seller list of The New York Times, and remained on the list for 18 and 10 weeks, respectively.
Both books have appeared in 38 languages, plus a Braille edition, and in more than 110 countries worldwide, including England, France, Germany, China, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.
Yakov and the Seven Thieves, written for readers aged six and up, is a 32-page jacketed hardcover. The book's evocative images were painted by Gennady Spirin, an award-winning artist, who has illustrated 33 previous children's books.
Madonna says Yakov and the Seven Thieves 'is a story about how all of us have the ability to unlock the gates of heaven - no matter how unworthy we think we are. For when we go against our selfish natures, we make miracles happen, in our lives and in the lives of others.'
Callaway Arts & Entertainment, headquartered in New York, is the originating publisher of Madonna's children's books and has licensed book rights through The Wylie Agency to 42 distinguished houses, including Gallimard Jeunesse in France, Penguin Books for Young Readers in the U.K., and Hanser Verlag in Germany. The book is distributed in the United States by the Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Publisher and CEO of Callaway Arts & Entertainment, Nicholas Callaway says, 'The response to Madonna's books has been overwhelming. She strikes a chord with both parents and children, creating stories that both speak to them and entertain them.'
Yakov and the Seven Thieves is the third of five children's books by Madonna. 'Each book deals with issues that all children confront,' she says.
'Hopefully there is a lesson in each book that will help kids turn painful or scary situations into learning experiences. I hope (they) inspire kids of all ages - even grown-up ones.'
MADONNA'S FOURTH CHILDREN'S BOOK, THE ADVENTURES OF ABDI, WILL BE RELEASED WORLDWIDE ON NOVEMBER 8, 2004.

Madonna starts her first of two shows at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford New Jersey tonight and tomorrow.
If you have any tour reports or news please send them to madonnalicious.com

madonnalicious visitor Stella took some great pictures from the 6th row at the 04 July show at the Wachovia Center in Philadephia.

     

     

You can view larger versions of all 12 pictures in the tour gallery

madonnalicious visitor Gilbert took these great pictures from the 12th row at the 04 July show at the Wachovia Center in Philadephia.

You can view larger versions of all 15 pictures in the tour gallery

   

   

   

I've been a Madonna fan since the very beginning, have seen every tour, with the exception of the Girlie Show, and I just wanted to add that this tour is Madonna at her best. She looks beautiful, sounds great and her inner happiness radiates throughout the entire performance. There will never be another Madonna.

Here is a picture of one of the 50 limited-edition plaques that were autographed by Madonna and released to celebrate the Re-Invention tour - also shown is the back of the plaque with the certificate of authenticity.

Even the high price tag ($1500) did not stop fans buying it - of the 50 made there were only 7 left for sale (as of yesterday).

 

madonnalicious visitor Kulawit sent in these pictures and tour report from the 12th row at the 04 July show at the Wachovia Center in Philadephia.

I swear to God, it was the first concert I've ever seen audiences standing and dancing for entire show. She was great, friendly and energetic. The best one was Like a Prayer where the fans sang with her loudly after she said 'Come on, Philadelphia. Move your ass off the seats with this song.'
Stuart Price was cute, he dropped a stick during the intro of Into the Groove, and he couldn't stop laughing. All in all, it's the best show, I'm missing her so much!

 

You can view larger versions of all 4 pictures in the tour gallery

madonnalicious visitor Judy took these pictures at the 05 July show at the Wachovia Center in Philadephia.
You can view larger versions of the pictures in the tour gallery

 

Here is Judy's report from the show:
I saw Madonna both nights! What an experience. The first night seats were side view. I thought they were good! My second night were 8th row! I had the best time! Her voice was nothing short of fantastic!
Met the nicest people. (Carlton, if you r reading this it was great partying with you!) The energy on the floor was unbelievable. Believe it or not there were a few duds near us! The couple in front were annoyed at the songs she chose and actually sat down for part of the show!
Nothing Fails and Papa Don't Preach were my favorites. It looked like she was having so much fun! She was very talkative! Madonna you r the best!

More madonnalicious visitors who attended the second and final show at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia last night have sent in their tour reports.
To read the full reports visit the fan reviews section:

From Wes:
The story of this tour in my opinion is that Madonna has arrived as a full-fledged artist/musician. I had read all of the reviews touting her stronger vocals but I wasn't quite prepared for just how good her singing has become. This tour, I think, marks a turning point for her and mirrors nicely the changes that have taken place in her life. The choreography was superb, the visuals were stunning and artful, but it was Madonna at the mike, with or without her guitar, that was the most compelling.

From Adam:
Like A Prayer, Nothing Fails and Imagine were beautiful and moving. And Holiday was the perfect kiss good night. I am so happy I saw the legend live.

From Josh:
I caught eyes with Donna Delory and Madonna quite a bit. My boyfriend had 'Madonna' written on his underwear and both Donna and Madonna looked at him and smiled. He also had a shirt on that said 'Kabbalists do it better' and Madonna said 'Yeah we do!'

From Marlena:
Went to both Philly concerts and they both were AMAZING! Madonna really seemed to enjoy the crowd! She never looked and sounded so GREAT!

From David:
I was at the 2nd Philly show last night. Madonna was in radiant form, perhaps the best she's ever been.
I liked how she encouraged everyone to vote before she sang Imagine. She said 'Dont let someone else decide the country's future for us!'

And madonnalicious visitor Chris who traded t-shirts with Madonna on the first night in Philly had this to say about last night's show:
Without the shirt exchange experience, it definitely wasn’t the same surreal experience as July 4th, but it was still an amazing night. In fact, from a crowd standpoint, I felt the energy was even higher than first night and the crowd was so appreciative of Madonna’s willingness to share the past with all of her faithful fans. Its so interesting how she seems to have found peace with her past in a way she really didn’t just a few years ago.
Instead of turning her back on songs like Into the Groove and Material Girl, she totally embraces them now as something she can share with her loyal fans with a smile on her face and just simply have fun.
I had some really cool people come up to me tonight who had been at the first concert and they instantly recognized me as the 'guy who got Madonna’s shirt'. I had another ROCCO shirt on tonight, even though I wasn’t quite close enough to catch her eye again. People were really sharing the excitement with me from the first night, which was great.
Night Two was definitely a more diverse crowd, with far more straight and older couples in the audience, but somehow she managed to bring them all together in what was a phenomenal party atmosphere. I wasn’t sure if I would skip tonight or not because after the shirt exchange the night before, it all seemed like with would be really anti-climactic. Five minutes into tonight’s show, I ALMOST forgot about last night and started a whole new journey with Madonna. BUT, there is no forgetting the first night.

Let's trade - that's what madonnalicious visitor Chris heard at last night's show when he caught Madonna's attention at the end of her performance of Crazy For You when she throws her Italians/Kabbalists Do It Better t-shirt into the crowd.

Wearing a t-shirt he had made especially for the show saying Rocco Is My Homeboy Chris certainly caught Madonna's eye last night!

Here is what Chris had to say:
Last night was the most amazing experience of my life. I was the very lucky guy who Madonna swapped shirts with last night. I had the shirt made especially for the show, and I guess it paid off. Now, the shirt is hers and I couldn’t be more happy! It goes without saying that she was flawless last night. Thanks Madonna for an amazing show and thanks again for the shirt!

And here is a fan report of this story from last night's show by Slyguy:
Madonna was getting ready to take her shirt off when this guy was getting her attention. She was kind of squatting down relaxed while she was chatting with him. He was only about 7 feet away from her. He was pointing at the phrase on his shirt and she said she wanted the shirt. And then she said 'let's trade!'
I don't remember whether it was security or somebody in the rows in front of him who passed the shirt to him. I do remember him removing his shirt and tossing it at her and she caught it. She made some sound of excitement when she saw him shirtless. She took the shirt with her as she left the stage.
It was so cool and funny! The best moment of audience interaction I've seen at any show so far.

Here are some more tour reports from madonnalicious visitors who attended the first show at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia last night. To read the full reviews visit the fan reviews section:

Last night's show also saw the reappearance of the Italians Do It Better t-shirt which had previously only been seen before at one show at Madison Square Garden.

From David:
After seeing her live, I don't think I will be able to see another concert ever again, I think I am one spoiled boy now because nothing will ever top this....

From Troy:
Madonna said that everyone in Philadelphia needs to take pride in they live since it the birthplace of America. All I can say is that this experience was surreal. Madonna on the 4th of July in Philadelphia, what more could you ask for.

From Tracy:
It was nice to be able to see her onstage and know that she's having fun. It was very obvious she was having a good time. Mo spotted a shirt on some guy in the audience and asked him to trade shirts, so she threw him her Italians Do It Better and he tossed her his t-shirt, but we never saw what was on his shirt.(It said Rocco Is My Homeboy).

From James:
WHAT AN AMAZING EVENT! The crowd was hyped and ready to party, and boy did we. She performed a top-notch show with no mishaps. After Papa Don't Preach she started giggling uncontrollably, it was so cute!

From Tom:
One funny thing that happened was that the Center was pretty warm and someone in the front row had his shirt off. Madonna looked at him and said 'I wish I could take my shirt off, but those days are over.' Then she busted up laughing. Great 'unscripted' moment.

From Jarrod:
As with previous shows, she added 'Bittersweet Symphony' in 'Don't Tell Me.' The crowd went crazy! At one point she said 'I didn't know Philadelphia had such wild people - I"ll have to come here more often!'
It's strange - when u attend a Madonna show, you feel embraced and immortal. When you leave, you feel as though you've gained so much from 2 hours, yet empty because you have to leave Madonna. She is truly an amazing performer.

Please keep sending in your tour submissions to webmaster@madonnalicious.com

madonnalicious visitor JP took these fantastic pictures from the front row at the June 16 show at Madison Square Garden, New York City.
You can view larger versions of all 12 pictures in the tour gallery

 

 

 

 

The Re-Invention tour hits the Wachovia Center, Philadelphia tonight and tomorrow and if any madonnalicious visitors who attend the show have any fan pictures or reports then please send them to webmaster@madonnalicious.com

Madonna's scheduled dates in Lisbon, Portugal in September are still in doubt.
The Mana Church issued a statement on Friday to the Portuguese national news agency Lusa, saying that it had been informed by Madonna's legal representative in Europe, John Giddings, that the concert would no longer take place.

This statement could be part of The Mana Church's media campaign to ensure they keep these dates as John Giddings himself has responded yesterday to these claims by saying 'The concert is not cancelled nor confirmed'.

The rumours surrounding these dates in Lisbon are beginning to spread across the world's media but until we get an official announcement from Madonna's management we cannot be certain what is happening.

Portugese fans who want to keep up to date with all the latest news can now visit a new website IN TOUCH WITH MADONNA - The Portuguese Madonna Fan Club

The lastest picture of Madonna in NYC was featured in yesterday's edition of the NY Post - which also featured an article about a new movie Madonna is trying to cast:
Madonna is reportedly searching for models to play the likes of Naomi Campbell, Lind Evangelista, Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington in a tell-all film about the supermodel world. Pictured here in a 'Carpe Assum' (Seize the Ass) baseball cap as she, daugher Lourdes and son Rocco leave her Central Park West building, the pop singer now known as Esther has bought the film rights to Michael Gross' 1995 book, 'Model'.
David Brendel has written the screenplay for the film, which is due to hit screens sometime next year, reports British Vogue.

Fans who attend any Re-Invention concert can pick up a tour merchandise catalogue, showing the items available to buy at the show and online at madonnatourstore.com

 

 

madonnalicious visitor Kurt took these great pictures from the June 14 show at the MCI Center in Washington DC.
You can view larger versions of all 10 pictures in the tour gallery

 

 

 

Many thanks to all the madonnalicious visitors who sent in fan reports and pictures from the Worcester shows.
Here are some fan reports from the fourth and final show at Worcester last night - to read the full reviews visit the fan reviews section:

From Eric:
She didn't do her headstand at the beginning of Vogue, instead she was on her back and held her hands on her back as she lifted up her legs and struck the pose! She also changed the Paris cafe' music played during Don't Tell Me with The Verve Bittersweet Symphony. It was a nice change! The crowd seemed to like it.

From Matthew:
Her voice was outstanding and she was so talkative to the crowd. My section was standing the whole time and shouting, waving arms, dancing, and showing such love to Madonna. She told us she knew we liked to party because she could see that a lot of people were drinking beer.

From Sarah:
Once again it was an amazing performance - full of energy. No real memorable differences or mistakes - except the introduction to Imagine was a little different in that she didn't say that she didn't write it but wished she had. I can't remember exactly what she said instead because everything about last night is all in a blur in my head - it was hands down the BEST concert of my life! I'll remember it forever!

From Phil:
Although Madge didn't talk much, with a smile she said to someone in the front row 'don't be throwing shit onstage, be nice'. I also remember her saying something about the crowd liking to party and 'I see you with all your beers'.

More tickets for all four Paris Bercy concerts of the re-Invention World Tour have been released online at nrj.francebillet.com fnac.com and www.ticketnet.fr

UK fan's who buy Madonna's new childrens book Yakov and the Seven Thieves should look out for a bookmark placed inside the front cover advertising 'an iconic collection from a true original'.

The bookmark features her previous two childrens books The English Roses and Mr Peabody's Apples and previews her forthcoming book The Adventures of Abdi due for release in November.

Click on the bookmarks to enlarge.

Here are some fan report highlights from Wednesday night's show at the Worcester Centrum - to read the full reviews visit the fan reviews section:

Please keep sending in your tour submissions to webmaster@madonnalicious.com

From William:
My friends and I saw this show for the second time tonight....the first was in New York. I was just as good, and our seats were right on the floor. This show was absolutely flawless....no falling down, no forgotten lyrics. She did get a bit dizzy after one of her numbers, and said 'whoopsidaisy!' into the mic. Another great show!

From Mike M:
The crowd was also much better this time. At one point she said 'Where were you guys the first night? My audiences keep getting better and better!'
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet....but she is sampling 'Bittersweet Symphony' by The Verve during 'Don't Tell Me.' I didn't pick up on it the first night but it was definitely there tonight....very nice touch. Overall she seemed like she was having a much better time on stage tonight....she got the crowd clapping more and she had to sing the end of 'Don't Tell Me' 4 times because the audience was screaming so much!

From John:
All I can say is that Madonna was putting out even more energy than Monday Night! She was very flirtatious with the crowd and the pits this time....

Only two weeks left to get your tickets for Toronto`s Re-Invention Ball!
Torontonians who are desperately seeking some fun this summer are about to have their prayers answered. Grapefruit Promotions is pleased to present the Re-Invention Ball - the official Toronto launch party for Madonna's Re-Invention Tour and a fundraiser for Casey House.
The Ball starts spinning on Friday, July 16 at Tequila Lounge, home to events such as Shane Percy's Grapefruit and Blackcat's Stylin 2. Tequila Lounge is located at 794 Bathurst Street (corner of Bloor and Bathurst).
Doors open to media and special guests at 9 p.m., then to the public at 10p.m.
DJ Aural and DJ Shane will take guests on the ultimate musical journey as they spin a career-spanning set packed full of hits, remixes, live tracks and classic album cuts.
There will also be a performance by Madiva and in addition to the theatrics, guests can also win posters, DVD's, gift certificates, clothing and an all-inclusive vacation package for two. Prizes for the event have been donated by Grapefruit's generous sponsors in support of Casey House.
Casey House is a freestanding health care facility in Toronto, providing a comprehensive range of palliative and supportive care for people with HIV/AIDS, their families, partners and friends.
Tickets can be purchased at Music Authority (95 Maitland St.). Tickets are $20 in advance and priced higher at the door. Tickets are very limited and are sold on a first-come first-serve basis.

For all the up-to-date information on tickets, sponsors, dates, Madiva and Madonna herself, please visit www.shanepercy.com