Wow, it is hard to know what to say about last night’s show, which has provoked some pretty passionate reactions! Factually what everyone is saying is absolutely correct, Madonna did come on very late (last time I checked my watch was 11:55pm and Madonna was still not on), and finish time was around 2:30am which is far too late, and I was totally exhausted at the end. People were leaving, one couple in front of me were demanding a refund at around 11:30 and left, so I moved into their seats, and quite a few others left, and their seats were soon filled up with some pretty passionate fans. So, it was fantastic to be surrounded by lots of really hard-core fans who were all enjoying themselves, though we all were quite tired. I had prepared myself for a long wait, and spent the time milling around chatting with all the other passionate funs, who were easy to spot as they were the ones dressed up, standing, smiling and not dozing off! Her Fado band who came on earlier in the night were fantastic and I would have love to have heard them more. Yes I wish she had come on 1-2 hours earlier, but she didn’t, I knew it in advance, so got over it pretty quickly.

Atmosphere in the Orchestra, was pretty good, once Madonna came on everyone stood up and a lot of people, including me, did stay standing for most of the show, but when I turned back I could see quite a few people sitting, which is understandable given the late hour, but I stood most of the concert and had no one behind me complaining. Caesars actually had a sign up at the box office encouraging patrons to stand up. I overheard one disgruntled fan tell another dancing fan that they would call security if they didn’t sit down, so wonder how that went…..:) Madonna came out into the audience twice, once during Medellin on the far left (facing the stage) and of course at the end for I Rise, on the far-right aisle. For the beer discussion she sat on the stage in front of my section, so I had a wonderful view.

I won’t go into the actual set list etc as it has been covered to death, but from fans I spoke to afterwards, apart from her banter, it didn’t vary from the other shows they had seen. Highlights for me were Crave, which was a fantastic dance mix and at that point of the concert I had moved into the front row aisle and was dancing right in front of Madonna and she looked straight into my eyes!!!! God Control was amazing, and got everyone around me up on their feet. During Like a Prayer I was standing 2 metres away from my idol while she sings the first verse of my favourite song of hers, without doubt this is the absolute highlight of my Madonna career! Frozen as everyone says is amazing, I can only imagine those fans on opening night who saw it for the first time how spectacular it would have been, it was visually stunning, but already knowing it was Lourdes took some of the joy and wonder out of it for me, but take nothing away, it was a beautiful performance.

I knew that Madonna was suffering from a cold, and with that knowledge, I think you could tell. A lot of the singing was distorted through the mic (e.g. God Control) as per the recorded song, but I was so stunned with how beautiful her voice was in the Fado section when she sang the songs in Portuguese, absolutely sublime singing. To see this on a night when she was in fullforce would be an absolute treat. What a trooper she is for coming on when she wasn’t 100% – no doubt the revenue earned would be a motivating factor as well….. The sound of the bass was pretty full on, I could feel my whole body vibrating sometimes during the fast-paced numbers, not sure if that is common, or they need to do some work on the sound levels at this particular venue.

Her knee was taped up with KT tape all around the thigh, so clearly that has been giving her some issues, and Madonna didn’t dance around as vigorously as I have seen her in the past, though not sure if that is the same for the full Madame X, or was cut down for the LV show.

It was absolutely an amazing experience and for me, well worth the 4-figure ticket price, (and I cannot wait to see her again in Paris, if I can swing it, I might to catch her in another city) though for some I can see how they would be disappointed. Most people reading this will be pretty passionate fans and know what to expect and will really cherish this beautiful experience, but for those casual fans, who want her to ‘dance and sing, get up and do your thing’ old style Madonna at a civilised hour, they may be disappointed for sure. For those who want to go and appreciate Madonna’s artistry, hear her message and have an intimate experience with an amazing woman, I cannot think of a better experience. I actually had someone came up to me after the concert and comment on how much they could see I was enjoying it, and I certainly was! What a (late) night. Madame X was everything I expected and more, both from a show, the intimacy and overall experience. Honestly the fact that I had my best Madonna experience at such a controversial concert is the icing on the cake!

For everyone who is yet to see the show, keep an open mind, enjoy the experience, plan for a late night and don’t get too hung up on the start time.

Thank you to Beautiful Bicycle for sharing!