Madonna kicks off 'Rebel Heart' tour in Montreal

Pole dancers dressed like nuns, Mike Tyson and nonstop theatrics. Welcome to the church of Madonna.

The pop star kicked off her 'Rebel Heart' tour in Montreal on Wednesday night, belting out a mix of her iconic hits and new music from her recently released album, also titled, 'Rebel Heart.'

She even performed 'Material Girl' for the first time since 1990's 'Blond Ambition' tour.

DJ and producer Diplo warmed up the crowd with an hour-long set.

The show opened with a video featuring Mike Tyson, Chance the Rapper and Madonna, where she addressed topics ranging from censorship to dictatorship. She then descended to the stage in a cage.

Madonna wasted no time getting to fan favorites including 'Burning Up' and a mash-up of 'Holy Water' with 'Vogue.' She then pulled a classic move and ripped off her skirt to reveal a barely there nun's outfit and started to pole dance.

She then used one of her dancers, also dressed as a nun, to ride like a surfboard. Dancers then lined the stage to recreate the Last Supper, with Madonna as the main course.

Madonna, 57, then moved to the nostalgic, singing 'Body Shop,' 'True Blue,' 'Deeper and Deeper' and her first No. 1 hit, 'Like a Virgin.'

The biggest standing ovation came during her rendition of the French classic 'La Vie en Rose.' The audience went wild and sang along. They didn't seem to mind when she flubbed a line. Madonna later joked that her French isn't the best.

She also joked about her marriages. 'Who wants to get hitched? Anybody want to get married? Sucker? It's downhill from here.' She later followed up with: 'In spite of all of that heartbreak, pain and suffering, I wouldn't trade love for anything.'

After performing for nearly two hours, and changing into countless outfits designed by Miuccia Prada, Jeremy Scott and Alexander Wang, among others, Madonna ended the concert with a crowd favorite.

Draped in a Canadian flag, she had nearly everyone on their feet dancing to 'Holiday.'

The tour is set to wrap in Australia in March 2016.

From AP Via Yahoo! News

Madonna: 'I made it through the wilderness!'

I made it through the wilderness! Night #2. Montreal! ❤️ #rebelhearttour pic.twitter.com/cRR35OPMMm

— Madonna (@Madonna) September 11, 2015

More dates added to the Rebel Heart Tour!

More dates have just been added to the 2016 North America leg of the Rebel Heart Tour:

Jan. 6 - Mexico City, Mexico, Sports Palace
Jan. 10 - San Antonio, TX, AT&T Center
Jan. 12 - Houston, TX, Toyota Center
Jan. 14 - Tulsa, OK, BOK Center
Jan. 16 - Louisville, KY, KFC Yum! Center
Jan. 18 - Nashville, TN, Bridgestone Arena

From www.pitch.com - thanks to Martha

'First show of #RebelHeartTour #Montreal'

Guy Oseary shared this beautiful picture he took of Madonna during the opening night of the tour in Montreal yesterday.

'First show of #rebelhearttour #Montreal....Great night!! @Madonna'

Madonna seemed to be happy at last during 'Rebel Heart' tour

The press reviews are starting to come in now, this one is from Jim Farber at the new York Daily News:

The most shocking thing about Madonna's 'Rebel Heart' tour, which opened at Montreal's Bell Centre Wednesday, had nothing to do with sex. (How could it at this late date?)

And it had nothing to do with religion (though she did offer such token Madonna-esque stunts as nuns on stripper poles and dancers gyrating on holy crosses).

Instead the surprise of the show came in smiles.

Throughout nearly the entire two hour event, Madonna could barely stop grinning. For anyone who has followed Madonna tours from the start, the sight of it couldn't help but startle. Never a warm live performer, Madonna tends to grimace through her concerts, stressing athleticism and discipline over all. This time, she seemed to having a blast. It made for an infectious night that brought the Canadian crowd to a series of spontaneous, and escalating, standing ovations. It didn't hurt that she sang 'La Vie En Rose,' both in French and in bold voice.

The bright tone of the show made for a striking contrast to the star's last tour, 'MDNA,' a dark and violent affair that often ended up puzzling to boot. 'Rebel Heart' had no such pretense. In fact, it may be Madonna's lightest roadshow to date.

That's not at all to say it's unsubstantial. On the contrary, the triumph of the 'Rebel Heart' tour is how it finds Madonna taking ownership of her legacy with an unprecedented maturity.

To read the rest of the review visit: nydailynews.com/entertainment/music

Madonna's highlight of the night!

Highlight of the Night! La Vie en Rose🌹❤️‼️ Je t'aime pour toujours Montreal. ❤️ #rebelhearttour pic.twitter.com/Rm9rLORQd9

— Madonna (@Madonna) September 10, 2015

Rebel Heart Tour: 'Iconic'

Madonna showing most pop artists how it's done at 57 years of age! Still the greatest female performer of all time! pic.twitter.com/MLT2tqH2BM

— Shady Music Facts (@musicnews_shade) September 10, 2015

Rebel Heart Tour: Fan Review ' Most cohesive tour ever'

madonnalicious reader Don shares his thoughts from the opening night of the Rebel Heart Tour and a picture of his tshirt that caught Madonna's eye!

This was my 31st show, my 4th opening night. Is this my favorite tour? No (not yet)....Is it her best most cohesive tour ever? YES!
Seeing Madonna on opening night is fun cause you get to see all the mistakes and you get to see her being nervous and cautious. By the next time you see her on the tour she has the moves down and the show is perfect.
This is the first opening night I have seen that was perfect! She sounded amazing, looks incredible and you can tell she has been working her ass off for this show!
Was the set list perfect, no there are things I would love to hear that did not make the cut. Overall the set list is really tight! Nothing from Like a Prayer, Bedtime Stories, Ray Of Light, American Life, Confessions or MDNA! People bitch she does not do old songs, this time she dug deep and it was great! However you know there are going to be people out there not happy with the set list.
The highlight for me....during Burning Up, she read my shirt (BITCH I'M DON), laughed and smiled at me. YES I screamed like a little girl!
Once again Madonna has put on a amazing show. She has worked her ass off and looks and sounds better then she ever has. I have never seen a crowd react to a song like the crowd did tonight to La Via En Rose. It was incredible and I do believe she was speechless and overwhelmed by the response.
There were times I look and think, if that if this is 57 I cannot wait to get to 57!
She once again shows all others what a concert/performace/show or whatever you want to call it, how it should be done.

Madonna: 'Thank you a memorable night!'

Montreal you had me down on my knee's! Thank you a memorable night! ❤️ #rebelhearttour pic.twitter.com/4O3dT6uFTS

— Madonna (@Madonna) September 10, 2015

Rebel Heart Tour: Setlist

Iconic
Bitch I'm Madonna
Burning Up
Holy Water/Vogue
Devil Pray

Interlude Messiah

Body Shop
True Blue
Deeper and Deeper
HeartBreak City/Love Don't Live Here Anymore
Like A VIrgin

Interlude S.E.X./Justify My Love

Living For Love
La Isla Bonita
Dress You Up/Into The Groove/Everybody/Lucky Star
Who's That Girl
Rebel Heart

Interlude Illuminati

Music (Get Stupid)
Candy Shop
Material Girl
La Via En Rose
Unapologetic Bitch

Holiday

Rebel Heart Tour: More Press Pictures

Here are more press pictures from the very beginning of the Rebel Heart Tour.

Rebel Heart Tour: First Press Picture

Here is the first press picture from the opening section of the Rebel Heart Tour premiere in Montreal tonight.

Rebel Heart Tour: Merchandise

Now it is time to take a look at all the merchandise available at the opening night of the Rebel Heart Tour.

madonnalicious reader Don shares all these pictures from the merchandise stands in Montreal....oh I need one of those nuns habits!

If you can't make it to the shows all the merchandise is appearing online now at Madonna's official store at: madonna.fanfire.com

Rebel Heart Tour: Full view of the catwalk stage

madonnalicious reader Annette shares this picture of the complete stage and catwalk design. It covers a LOT of the arena floor.

Rebel Heart Tour: Tour Program

madonnalicious' reader Daniel has managed to grab some pictures of the Rebel Heart Tour program that is available tonight in Montreal.

If you can't make it to the shows it is available online now at Madonna's official store at: madonna.fanfire.com

More from inside the arena in Montreal!

madonnalicious reader Don has got a great catwalk seat and shared these pictures of the arena and staging, and Diplo doing his opening act.

From the tip of the catwalk heart!

madonnalicious' reader Daniel has got himself a prime seat at the tip of the heart at the end of the catwalk! Ready to be a Rebel Heart!

madonnalicious is calling all Rebel Hearts!

madonnalicious is calling upon all our Rebel Heart readers to help report on the whole run of Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour.

Whether you are going to the opening tonight or the last show, we need your pictures, videos, views and reviews from each date to help share this experience with all fans.

And even if you are not going to the tour, you can still share newspaper and magazine scans of tour coverage.

Just email your submissions to [email protected] and we will share your contributions with all your fellow Rebel Heart madonnalicious readers.

Rebel Heart Tour: 'R U in my gang?'

R U in my Gang..............❤️ #rebelhearttour https://t.co/yBadZVJfLO

— Madonna (@Madonna) September 9, 2015

Madonna's costumes depend on dance moves

Madonna doesn't decide on her tour costumes until all of the choreography is in place.

Although the singer will wear Gucci, Prada, Moschino, Alexander Wang and Fausto Puglisi on her Rebel Heart tour, she keeps the designers waiting until she has finalised her dance moves in order to make sure the costumes don't restrain her movements.

Madonna's costume designer Arianne Phillips explained: '[Madonna] doesn't really finalise any of the designs until 100 per cent of the choreography is set. It's a real back-and-forth conversation and it's a brutal process for most fashion designers. You're hanging in the balance while all the practical aspects are worked out, like the choreography and the quick-changes.'

Alexander told WWD: 'For her, the performance comes first. She has to be able to dance and move and feel comfortable in it.'

Arlene brought in Gucci's creative director Alessandro Michele to work on costumes for the tour and was blown away by his gypsy-inspired creation.

She said: 'I was completely blown away. I love his hand. His clothes are lyrical and feminine and they tell stories. I didn't know him, but I felt there would be this synergy to have them together.'

And Jeremy Scott was thrilled to be asked to work with the singer, explaining: 'Madonna is often like a director. She has a vision and you get behind her to achieve that vision.'

From contactmusic.com

Patrick Leonard Looks Back At The Early Days

Patrick Leonard can say he knew Madonna way back when - at least as 'back when' as her first two tours, on which he served as the musical director. Approached to work with Madonna after directing The Jacksons' 1984 Victory Tour, Leonard became one of her most trusted collaborators both in and out of the studio, co-writing and producing such hits as 'Like a Prayer,' 'Cherish' and 'La Isla Bonita.' Two decades after 1985's inaugural Virgin Tour and several self-reinventions later, Madonna is launching the Rebel Heart Tour in Montreal on Wednesday. The Huffington Post called up Leonard to reflect on the early days with pop's biggest star.

Coming off a huge tour with established artists like The Jacksons, how did you view Madonna’s persona at the very start of her career?
She did not get in the way at all where she did not know what was going on. Where she didn’t know what was going on, she allowed it to be, and yet kept her own vision very much intact. And that’s tough for people to do. Most people need to control everything, and she did not need to control everything. That was one of the first things I noticed. She was a total pro. Like our relationship remained, it was always real open and real simple - you do what you do and I do what I do, and it’s good. She knew how to allow space for things that she didn’t understand.

Madonna is someone who experienced instant fame, but there's no doubt that her stature escalated by the time the Who's That Girl Tour launched in 1987. What had changed about her by then?
You know, 'change' is a dangerous word. I never saw change. She remained the same. The work ethic remained the same. Where there were things she knew that she wanted, she demanded them at the highest level, as we all do. And from there to working on her documentary film about Malawi some years ago - and I think we did some things after that with a musical that was a potential - nothing changed. I’m not in touch with her very much, but my communication with her is not through the press. I don’t care what people say. I’ve seen her be exactly the same human being and consistent as can be. She’s present and generous about what’s real. Even as it got bigger and bigger, she remained consistent. She really did.

To read the rest of the article visit: www.huffingtonpost.com

Madonna’s ‘Rebel Heart’ Tour Designer Costume Sketches

The costume designer Arianne Phillips was in London in late February when she heard through the grapevine about a designer who was just beginning to get people’s attention: Alessandro Michele.

The 42-year-old Roman had just shown two collections in quick succession after his appointment as Gucci creative director and suddenly found himself the toast of the fashion world.

Meanwhile, Phillips, an in-demand costume designer for the movies, a veteran of Tom Ford’s 'A Single Man' and an Academy Award nominee for 'Walk the Line,' had just started preparing for her biggest project of the year: the months-long, all-consuming head trip known as a Madonna world tour.

In a nice bit of kismet, or a psychic connection, Michele himself was somewhere in Florence working, unprompted, on a gift for Madonna when Phillips reached out to Gucci to contribute costumes to the tour.

'The energy was just out there,' Phillips says.

When Madonna opens her 'Rebel Heart' tour on Sept. 9 in Montreal, she will do so in Michele’s Gucci. And Prada and Jeremy Scott’s Moschino and Alexander Wang and Fausto Puglisi. Pop stars 'collaborate,' to borrow an overused phrase, with designers all the time, mainly on red-carpet appearances.

But few can command at will, or use as prominently, marquee designers like these quite like the Material Girl, a unique position she’s enjoyed ever since she made a certain Parisian enfant terrible synonymous with a cone bra. More so than her peers, or her wannabes, Madonna has made high fashion an integral part of her music videos and tours, bestowing on designers the full force of her megawatt celebrity. Has anyone else worn Givenchy to the Super Bowl? When she calls, designers listen.

'She opened the door for all the pop girls out there today, many of whom I dress and who do respect her and give her props,' says Scott. 'We all owe her a debt of gratitude.'

Plus, haven’t you heard her latest single? 'She’s Madonna!' says Alexander Wang. 'It goes without explanation, she’s iconic.' Michele adds simply: 'I am crazy about her.'

To read the rest of the article - including news on the four sections of the show visit: wwd.com/fashion-news/madonna-designer-costume-rebel-heart-tour

The rest of the sketches can be viewed at: wwd.com/madonna-head-bitch-in-charge

WARNING! This is a spoiler zone!

madonnalicious will be posting all the news about the tour, it will NOT be a spoiler-free zone.

With both social and mainstream media, it is hard to keep away from news about the tour.

Sorry if that spoils that for anyone, but I would have to keep the site spoiler free until the very last date next March!

Madonna's Instagram: 'One More Day!'

Rebel Chair....1 more day!!!!!#bitchareyouinmygang ❤️ #rebelhearttour

Gonna Dress You Up!

Gonna Dress You Up in My Love in 3 more days! ❤️ #rebelhearttour pic.twitter.com/ZcNOVCEJnm

— Madonna (@Madonna) September 7, 2015

Madonna’s future hangs on upcoming tour

The curtain goes up on Madonna’s 'Rebel Heart' tour on Wednesday, and those who have seen rehearsals at the Nassau Coliseum call it brilliant. That should come as no surprise considering what the Material Girl has riding on the 64-show global arena trek.

Her 10-year partnership with concert-promoter Live Nation expires in 2017, just nine months after she wraps up her third and final tour under the deal. And no one expects the soup-to-nuts 360 deal that guaranteed Madonna an unprecedented $120 million in 2007 to be renewed in its current incarnation.

'[The 360 contract] is a relic,' Albert Fried analyst Rich Tullo said of the deal pioneered by Live Nation that, in exchange for providing marketing, promotion and touring support, gave the promoter income streams from merchandising, performing and recording.

But consuming patterns have changed drastically in the past decade. Music lovers often stream or pirate their favorite tunes as US album sales have cratered to 257 million units last year from 501 million units in 2007.

'Only a half-dozen artists make more than $10 million from any one album anymore - not nearly enough to justify the upfront expenses of a 360 deal,' Tullo said.

That places unprecedented emphasis on an artist’s concerts, at which Madonna has historically excelled. Her 'Sticky & Sweet' tour in 2008 raked in $408 million, the biggest box office ever for a solo artist, while her 'MDNA' tour in 2012 netted $305 million.

Arthur Fogel, Live Nation’s chairman of global music and president of worldwide touring, believes the 'Rebel Heart' tour will reinforce Madonna’s place in the performing-artist pantheon.

'We have a great and successful touring partnership with one of the greatest artists in music history and have no doubt it will continue,' he told The Post.

Richard Conlon, the founder of music consultancy Rights Management Holdings, said the tour has taken on added significance - and is 'emblematic of the new music business' - after she treated her 13th studio album as a concert tie-in, giving a free 25-song digital version of 'Rebel Heart' to online ticket buyers. 'It’s now about selling a show for $500 a seat, obviously, and no longer about selling an album for $20,' Conlon said.

From the New York Post

Madonna's Instagram: '4 More Days!'

Bless yourself and Genuflect 4 more days! ️#rebelhearttour

Everybody in this party shining like Illuminati. 4 more days!!!! ️#rebelhearttour

Our sugar is RAW....4 more days!!!!! #rebelhearttour

Rebel Heart Tour: 4 more days! R U with Me?

4 more days! R U with Me!❤️ #rebelhearttour https://t.co/BEwec3vG1E

— Madonna (@Madonna) September 5, 2015

Magazines: 'Rolling Stone Presents'

Rolling Stone magazine have published a Madonna special edition issue. The magazine is currently on sale in the US. The UK should receive copies around the beginning of October.

madonnalicious reader Steve shared some images from inside the copy he picked up in Los Angeles:

The Rebel Heart Tour Countdown Begins!

7 more days..............❤️ #rebelhearttour https://t.co/n2cbhC8i3s

— Madonna (@Madonna) September 3, 2015

Will the Queen of Pop finally get into the HK groove?

Pop legend Madonna is being strongly tipped to make her Hong Kong debut in February - despite the city's lack of big venues to accommodate top international stars.

Industry sources say the 'Queen of Pop' is likely to fit Hong Kong into the Asia-Pacific leg of her Rebel Heart Tour next year.

Madonna will play two shows in Manila on February 24 and 25, followed by March dates including her debut in Auckland, New Zealand, and her first Australian gigs in 23 years, in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Tour organiser Live Nation declined to comment, but it has been reported that the Grammy-winning star would perform not just in Hong Kong but also in Taiwan and Macau.

Industry insiders say Hong Kong has missed out on a host of big-name musicians, with the likes of Paul McCartney, Depeche Mode and John Mayer passing on visits to the city. The lack of a suitable venue is understood to be a major reason.

'The venues in Hong Kong aren't big enough to cater to large-scale performances,' said one concert promoter who declined to be named. 'The Coliseum only has about 10,000, and you cannot stage an all-standing concert. AsiaWorld-Arena has a maximum capacity of 14,000.'

Concerts at the ageing Hong Kong Stadium have long been ruled out on noise grounds.

Without a massive venue, local organisers' only option is to pay a fortune to bring artists and their entourages over. Last year, Forbes reported a leaked list of artists' rates that revealed it cost US$1 million to get Madonna to play just one concert.

Since her 1983 debut, Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide, making her the best-selling female recording artist of all time, according to Guinness World Records.

Reports said tickets for the show would cost up to HK$4,000.

From South China Morning Post

Madonna on the cover of Interview magazine

To celebrate the social media craze, the publication asked some of the world's biggest celebrities to take a picture of themselves for a variety of front pages.

Among them is the 57-year-old mega star, who shot a snap of herself with pigtails looking up at the camera. Editorial director Fabien Baron found it fascinating to see how people's contributions varied, with Madonna's one of the most relaxed.

'You really understand what people are about,' he explained to WWD, adding that while some were highly produced, others were 'raw.'

'It’s interesting for Madonna because she didn’t give a sh*t.' According to Fabien, the singer simply took a few quick selfies between rehearsals on tour.

Also starring on the eight covers for September are Miley Cyrus, Zayn Malik, Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, Mert Alas, Jennifer Lopez and Selena Gomez.

'We just asked people to imagine their ultimate self portraits - whether it was highly produced or a simple selfie,' Interview editor-in-chief Keith Pollock revealed. 'We wanted to see how they see themselves and how they want to be seen. We allowed each subject to imagine their own shoots.'

There's also a portfolio inside the magazine that features selfies from 150 other personalities.

Despite Interview being founded by Andy Warhol back in 1969, Keith and Fabien believe the late artist would approve of the very modern theme. 'We are conscious of our heritage. Andy did selfies 50 years ago. He’d be doing selfies if he were alive today,' they said.

From Cover Media Via Yahoo! News