From Adam:
I feel very privileged to have witnessed the opening European show last night. The last time I saw Madonna was way back in 1993 at the Girlie Show, and, she has definately got better with age!
She looks fantastic, sounds fantastic and is pleasure to watch and admire. These cynical critics who are always putting her down should take note! I dont know many 47 year old working mums who could bring South Wales to a standstill twice on a Sunday evening. There was gridlock at midnight!
The show itself just flowed effortlessly with the songs and styles balanced just right, she really seemed to enjoy herself and rightly so!
The professionalism of Madonna and her team are credit to her creative nature. I hope she keeps this up for as long as she can! Bravo Mrs Ritchie!
Highlights for me I think were, the opening, particularly with the addition of 'I Feel Love' and the disco themed finale. The whole production though was spendid and everyone around seemed to have the time of their lives. I was stood just to the right of the catwalk end, and with somemuch going on you often didnt know which way to look! Till next time then....I cant wait, and hats off finally to the Millenium Stadium for organisation. I think you will have a regular customer wanting to use your fine facilities to host future gigs of hers from now on!

From Alan:
I was at Cardiff on Sunday night - what a show!
She is amazing - I have fulfilled a lifetime ambition to see Madonna live.
Me and my wife were in the front row at the corner of the stage opposite the rodeo bull in the Golden Circle....amazing!
You actually felt part of the show and to be so close to such an icon was awesome.
I thought the performance was excellent and proved just how good an artist Madonna is - contrary to what Elton John may think (lip synch etc).
Having been to both Elton and Madonna concerts this proved that he is not in her league!
I hope the fans who have tickets for the future 'Confessions' dates have as much fun as I did - SHE ROCKS!

From Anita:
* I have purposely left out any spoiler element - but even if you think you know - she's gonna surprise you! Let her really take you! *
She Thrills Me. My god does she thrill me!
Wow - she is looking so f***ing sexy, her dancing is so sexy, she is just absolutely stunningly gorgeously sexy. She sent me into a frenzy! I am really having to control myself to not buy tickets to every show that's left.
Technically I do think the show knits together superbly well. As always the set and use of screens is fantastic. One thing that stuck out for me was the quality of her dancers. They really play their part well in this show. They look gorgeous - I think they do her proud (shame they don't get more credit in the tour book).
I love Madonna most for her performances. For me this is where everything falls into place. Personally I prefer this show to RIT - not by virtue of the setlist - but the level at which this show fits together from its costumes, the concepts, the choreography, the use of the dancer's pieces, the imagery, the political punches are stronger with this show, the way she looks like she is really enjoying herself- its amazing to see her smile so much. Its just a fantastic show.
The serious stuff in the show has tremendous punch. The sexy stuff is orgasmic. The fun is delightful! I can't wait to go again.
Her voice was very good - I think she may have fluffed some lines but I can't remember which track (its irrelavant). I am not an expert on sound, but I don't think the sound quality was great at Cardiff.
I do think the London crowds are gonna respond even better than the crowd last night. I think the London shows are gonna be awesome. She looks like she is loving doing this show. Go and be thrilled!

From Ben:
From the moment she stepped out of the giant mirrorball, Madonna didn't rest for one second. What she brought to Cardiff last night was something extra special- the stuff of Pop Legend.
Every single dance step, pose, even pout was focused and slick; as she strutted down the catwalk, as she glided through sequence after sequence of feral dance moves, as she hit each soaring note spot on, Madonna ruled not only the stage, but the entire stadium. Yes, she was that good.
What was perhaps most notable was how her earlier material wasn't even needed. Classics like Lucky Star and Like A Virgin were breathtaking (particularly....Virgin), yet the real standouts were tunes such as Jump, Future Lovers, Isaac, and of course Hung Up. In short, every track performed from Confessions On A Dance Floor was nothing short of fantastic, captivating an already eager audience.
Personal highlights for me were Isaac, Paradise, Jump, and Live To Tell. Ok, so I said her earlier material wasn't necessary given the quality of the new tracks, but both Live To Tell and Paradise were sung so incredibly well - Madonna's vocals on Live to Tell were strong and spirited, the best I've ever heard her, whilst her range on Paradise was extraordinary.
Jump got the crowd eating out of her hand - a Pop Classic in the waiting, peformed whilst dancers, and the lady herself, did some pretty nifty gymnastics around some cages. Isaac was probably the performance of the night- the eponymous singer belted out some pretty haunting vocals, whilst Madonna herself gave her vocal chords a good workout before leading her men through a very tight dance routine.
Oh and Let It Will Be must also seen to be believed - she really goes all out for this one, throwing herself through a very spunky, punk rock-esque strut, all the while singing without getting out of breath.
Her interaction with the crowd was warm - 'I've never been to Wales before - but I LOVE it!' and inspirational - 'We all have the power to unite the world, and it's great to see so many countries united under one roof.'
The video segments used to entertain the crowd as she changed were just as engaging, particularly the Sorry Remix which takes a swipe at Gondoleeza Rice.
My only qualm through the whole night was a fist fight which broke out two rows in front of me during I Love New York, as well as someone throwing a t-shirt on stage during Like It Or Not - seriously guys, she could break her neck if she slipped, why do you people do it?!
Madonna's opening night of the Euopean leg of her Confessions Tour should hopefully prove to her sneering critics once and for all that this lady is not a one trick pony. She is a real singer, a real dancer, a real visionary. She is an inspiration.

From Brent:
Well last night was one of the best concerts I have ever seen, she was absolutely amazing, the stadium was so huge, we had general admission tickets and the excitement was to much! We ran in the venue and were one of the lucky ones that got access to the golden circle, so we stood right next to the catwalk!
I must admit the stage was massive, the catwalk was alot higher than the American shows, probably due to the size of the stadium, but it was still fabulous anyway! She was electric, and looked amazing on her Confessions stage!

From Dan:
We managed to get into the golden circle last night and had a prime position a third of the way along the catwalk and about six feet from the stage. The show was an absolute knock out with pretty much every number topping the last.
Highlights (for me at least!) included ' Future Lovers' - WOW! 'Live to tell', the whole Disco section - especially 'Erotica' I also loved 'Paradise (But Not For Me)' which isn't usually on my list of favourites, but the arrangement and Issac's beautiful vocals made it a standout.
It was the best show I've seen her do (and I've seen 'em all!) The energy and power of her performance shook the whole stadium!

From Danny:
I was at the Cardiff Confessions Tour.
The atmosphere was great. The venue looked sold out and packed by the time the concert began at about 8:30.
The stadium went wild when the disco ball opened. The equestrian section was very well received, as well as her performance of Live To Tell from the cross. However, the place ROCKED to Ray Of Light with 59,000 people jumping up and down.
Celebrities at the show included Catherine Jenkins, the classical singer, and Dr Who actor David Tennant. David Tennant really seemed to enjoy the show and was happy to sign autographs for people.
There were no boos at the end. The crowd cheered because from the tiers you could see behind the stage after the show ended, she was led away to a car behind the stage.

From Graham:
This was my fifth time to see Madonna live. Madonna herself said it was a special night, and it was. From the moment the lights went down, to the spectacular finale of Hung Up, Madonna's energy defied belief. Her voice was the best I have ever heard it - she never once faultered.
She was most on form during, what I consider to be the biggest numbers, Future Lovers, Music and Hung Up. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric. Live To Tell was so powerful, the voice and the statement.
All in all - the best Madonna Tour so far.....can't wait to see what is next. To all the fans yet to go, ENJOY!

From Ian:
The show was a feast for the senses, every part of the stage was used to full effect, Madonna herself looked so beautiful and totally fed off the crowd.
I was in the gold circle and had perfect views of the stage, catwalk, and the side stage right, after crying like a baby during Future Lovers I totally rocked out to every second and stood in awe during the ballads, words fail me to fully describe my feelings for this woman and seeing her so close in the flesh.

From Josh:
For me the highlight was Ray Of Light, never been a huge fan of this song but last night in Cardiff the stadium just went mental. Loved Erotical/You Thrill Me too....cool dance routine.
You're in for a treat if you're got tickets for London, but if you've got tickets near the front of the stage then you're going to be watching Madonna's back for quite a few songs as she does quite a lot on the (huge) catwalk.
My only 2 moans are the price of the merchandise (25 quid for a tour book is insane) and too many political messages, videos, speeches. Its a pop concert, relax, enjoy, dance and have fun! No matter whats going on in the world Madonna is not going to make a change.
Oh, one final thing, the dancers are amazing! Be prepared to dance!

From Lee:
I went to see Madonna in Cardiff last night and am still buzzing from the amazing performance. She came on stage at 8.30 and for two hours she amazed me. If you have tickets you are in for the time of your life, if not....THEN GET SOME.

From Neil:
There are few words that can explain the jubilation of having your idol sing a full verse of a song into your eyes. After she finished the final bridge of Let It Will Be, I was at a loss for words. In a sea of people trying to take camera and phone pictures, there I was stood, frozen, 3 feet from my idol, she saw there was no camera between me and her, she looked over the cameraman, into my eyes and sang. Im still getting shivers.
An amazing start to the day - at 4.30pm Madonna launched into a soundcheck of Future Lovers, Lucky Star and Hung Up, in full range of those of us at the front of gate one. Hung up sounded edited.
The doors opened late - around 5.55pm, and we all RAN in to the front. A bit of the normal pre gig pushing - certainly no worse than any other standing, golden circle gig ive been too though, ignore the rather hysterical 'barbaric' claims - and we were one of the lucky 3000 in the Golden Circle at the front of the Stadium.
By 8.30pm the Stadium was packed, with about 10 empty rows in 2 of the upper tier blocks at the back (which completely filled in during the show - these were probably media seats) - this show will easily report as a sellout.
The show started at 8.37pm on the nose and ran exactly the same to the US shows. The moment where the disco ball opened was magical, she was beaming - just look at my photo! - looking at the Stadium crowd going nuts. The real jumping started during I Feel Love, as people were bouncing away.
This carried on through Get Together and Like a Virgin with the first mega crowd reaction of the night going to Jump - the whole Golden Circle was jumping up and down, it was completely electric.
After Sorry she said 'A lot of people talk the talk, but how many people walk the walk?'.
Ray Of Light tore the place apart, unquestionably the song of the night, deafening crowd response and the 'oooo-oooo's' are back for the break in the middle of the song, as they were for Holiday during Reinvention - keep the tradition going now Wembley people!
Prior to Drowned World, she said how she was glad to be back in Europe where people stand up for her show, said it was her first time in Wales. She also commented on the number of flags in the audience, and how she loved this unity.
Let It Will Be rocked the place - on the -dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-WHACK bit where she kicks (you know the bit!) the crowd all went 'Woooo!' which was great. Then the magic happened.
She leant over the stage, on her knees looking over the top of the camera, and sang the last verse. Into my eyes. 3 feet from my face. The two people at either side of me grasped me, screaming at me 'She is singing to you ohmygod' and I just froze....magical....
The show wound to a close in the usual way, Get Together, Sorry, Music and Erotica at least are now mimed in whole or part - Music is especially evident now if you are really close to her. She had a new crowd singalong part for La Isla Bonita which was great, as was Hung Up, with customary balloon drop.
The lights stayed down for a long time afterwards, and there was a sigh of dissapointment when no encore was forthcoming, however there were certainly NO boos as has been fraudently reported in the media.
This was on par with HMV, G-A-Y and Live 8 for me - being so close, the eyes experience, and being in the Golden Circle made it feel like our own private party with Madonna as the guest.

From Nicky:
Wow! Just got back from seeing Madonna in Cardiff. She was awesome. I saw her arrive around 3:30pm. She was travelling in a silver Range Rover and had a police escort.
The show was fantastic. It seemed to go really quickly, she was quite chatty to the crowd and seemed very relaxed. Cardiff certainly gave her a warm welcome.
Difficult to choose a best moment as every song seemed to top the one before. I'd have to say Lucky Star, her Disco Queen cape looked superb with it's twinkling lights.
Her voice sounded fantastic, she looked fantastic, the set was amazing. What a night to remember!

From Paul:
Wow, what a show. It was pretty much the same as the US shows, and as far as I know the only change to the stage was the 'disco horse' curtains between the stage and the screens.
Madonna still shouts out 'You can suck George Bush's cock' in I Love New York, which for me was one of the musical highlights of the show - she really seemed to relish rocking out on her guitar to a packed stadium.
Before Drowned World she said how pleased she was to be in Wales for the very first time, and she also commented that she was happy to start the European leg of the tour here. She said 'Thank fuck' for starting the European Tour because she was looking forward to the audiences standing up. She also commented on the wide variety of different flags in the audience and that, in the world as it is today, it was great to see everyone coming together as one.
I didn't spot any mistakes from her, the dancers or the band and she looked very relaxed and happy. A perfect night!

From Rachel:
Finding transport from Inverness to Cardiff at 2 days notice (on a student’s budget) proved something of a nightmare and resulted in 20 hour overnight journey comprising trains and the godawful megabus. Needless to say when we arrived in Cardiff on Sunday morning and readied ourselves for an 8 hour queuing session in the cold and rain, we were pretty knackered - but oh my god how it was worth it!
The crowd grew increasingly excited as we heard snippits of Hung Up and Sorry blasting from inside the stadium – the atmosphere was simply electric! What was very possibly the world’s largest pillow fight then ensued; stuffing flew through the air and unsuspecting fans took blows to the face, it was hilarious!
After what seemed like an age we were finally allowed in and, in my excitement, I sprinted right into the front of a fairly solid security guard, instinctively grabbed my friend and ran off towards the stage, oblivious to shouts of 'NO RUNNING!'. Didn’t they understand? This isn’t some cheesy, talentless boyband or another bland James Blunt wannabe – it’s the frigging Queen of Pop, the best selling female artist of all time my idol, my inspiration, the most beautiful person in the world etc. etc. So basically if there’s a chance I could get in the front row....I’m gonna run!
I was vaguely aware of a long haired Paul Oakenfold playing some remixes but was really just counting the seconds ‘til that glitterball was gonna descend! As the lights went out and the thundering of horses hooves mixed with the opening beat of Future Lovers my heart started beating in overdrive. In my head I heard the last line of the prophecy; behold, I am coming soon. 'Where is she?' everyone was yelling, before she emerged, godlike as ever onto the podium in the centre of the pit.
The next 2 hours were filled with remixes of classic hits, almost all of the COAD album and a Donna Summer cover thrown in too. The vocals were perfect, her dancing seemed impossibly good at times and everything flowed together perfectly! She managed to get the perfect balance of feel good pop tunes that got the crowd jumping and powerful songs with political agendas. In short she made her point, but at the same time both her and the crowd had a damn good time.
Her performances on this tour continue to defy the laws of ageing; yeah she’s the same age as my mum and yeah she doesn’t look or act like your normal 48 year old but who’s to tell her otherwise? Even now Madonna continues to revolutionise the role of females in popular music. She’s very important, she’s very good, and she’s never going to stop.
It made me laugh to read some of the reviews in Monday’s press; people criticise in the most ridiculous ways, perhaps they are unable to simply write that both her and the show were flawless. 'Why weren’t there more old hits?' That would be because 2004’s tour was about greatest hits, this tour was billed as a massive disco mainly consisting songs form the new album (funny that, when you consider that the tour’s called Confessions!?
Others slated the Live To Tell crucifix scene claming she was out to shock – after over 20 years why are people still shocked when Madonna shocks? It’s what she’s about! And as for the jealous individuals who ask her to refrain from wearing leotards…frankly as a 20 year old, I’m majorly jealous of M’s figure; she works hard to look so damn good and I for one would be very disappointed if she did her shows in more ‘conservative outfits’ aside from the fact that she’s probably pass out from heat exhaustion!
Finally; no encore? Since when has Madonna ever done encores? When you give your all and more in a show, how can you possibly be expected to do an extra song? I think people forget that she’s only human.
To conclude, its 4pm on Tuesday the 1st of August; I’ve just got home, have barely slept or eaten in 3 days and am around £500 into my overdraft but who the hell cares? I had one of the best nights of my life and I can now say after spending most of my life obsessing about Madonna, that for one second of her life, as she grinned at my 'Madonna is my substitute for love' poster, she thought about me.

From Richard:
Madonna Rocked!
After a nine hour journey I am sat at my desk thinking yes it was worth it, last night was my 14th Madonna gig and she never ceases to surprise. I will post some pics later today for you I was at the front within the gold circle and to my delight Madonna came over gave me 'a look' pointed at me licked her finger and put it down her pants I all of a sudden became rather hot and bothered!
Madonna said she was glad to be in Europe as she was fed up of her audiences sitting on there arses. I think she had the whole stadium up which at one point must have shown up on the ricta scale. She said she was delighted to be on her first ever visit to Wales and excited about the first stadium gig. She did not have too much interaction with the audience compared to past tours (although I got my share) but she rocked, the stadium roof was on as with other gigs there but she almost blew it off.
Was disappointed at the 10:30pm curfew but hey I didn’t get home till 5am and was at work for 9am but high as a kite an adrenalin. Going to the Birthday gig at Wembley so will be interest to see if there are any changes. Bring it on gig 15 here I come!

From Rob:
I went to the great Madonna Arena concert in Cardiff last night.
We had heard that there was a chance to get into the 'Golden Circle', (the area directly in front of the stage and catwalk) if you were within the first 3000 people through the turnstiles, so we decided to take our chances and queued for 4 hours before the gates opened. There was a mad dash to the 'Golden Circle' entrances either side of the stage when the crowd was allowed in, and I managed to be one of the lucky people to get the green wristband that gave us access to this fabulous area!
We had an incredible view of the whole show, and the crowd danced all night and sang along to all of the tracks.
Madonna said she 'loved this Arena' as 'people at my concerts in America had been sitting down' - Madonna seemed to feed off the energy of the fans and the great atmosphere that surrounded her. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget.
Thanks for a great show Madonna....and see you in London!