Madonna: 'We did our best! And we still had to pay a fine!'

madonnalicious was at the Manchester show last night but due to a crashed video, the show started late (around 10pm), the curfew of the venue was 11pm but they got an extension to later, so some songs were cut (Dress You Up medley, La Vie en Rose, Unapologetic Bitch and unfortunately the encore of Holiday). It was disappointing to miss out on some of the show, but the reports the mainstream press are coming out with are way over the top! There was an PA announcement before the show that it was due to finish by 11:30pm and it was outside the artist and venue control. PS You can make it up to all your Rebel Hearts in Birmingham Madonna ;-)

Madonna herself has just posted this message on her Instagram page about what happened before and during the Manchester show last night.

FACTS: its good to have them before you jump to conclusions! The Entire video for my show crashed as I arrived for sound check. The back up file was corrupt. We had no choice but to reboot and pray for a good outcome. The video lights 75 % of my show. We cant play in the dark. We were rebooted and ready by 9:30 even though we planned to go on earlier. I had to make cuts in show before show started. Dress you Up was one of them and my 3rd guitar song. This still brought us past the 11:00 curfew! But we went on and the venue was kind enough to extend till 11:39!! It was their choice not mine to end the show!! I always want to finish. So we all missed the last 3 songs! And I'm sorry about that. And iI thank all my Rebel Heart fans for understanding! We did our best! And we still had to pay a fine! That life. 😂. PS you still got to see an amazing show. And only missed. 12 minutes!! The ❤️#rebelhearttour goes on!

Comments

[med4kmd]

Videos of her explanation while on stage show the male dancer right behind her shaking his head "no, no" when she starts to describe the "video crashing". Looking at the faces of her other dancers, alot of them for those few moments look like they don't want to be there. My guess it that this was just like any other night with a 10pm or later start, but she had some kind of a contractual business obligation to mention the owner/maker of the video machine was from Manchester. Who knows why? Maybe he/she gave the machine at a deep discount or even for free. After all, they don't call Madonna a master business woman for nothing. Otherwise her explanation that it was fixed before 9:30pm but they still didn't start before 10pm make no sense.
And "Tommy" is right - prior to S&S2, Madonna was typically quite prompt. Not sure what has changed her attitude towards her fans about this.

[Catherine]

Yes she was booed-I was there. Agree with Anna - the communication was awful. Why is it ok that we miss part of the show? No attempt was made to explain this to us - until Madonna did on stage. Buy then she was pi**ed for getting booed. We had to miss the last song to get the last train. Total disappointment to be honest - but I saw the show in Prague in November- which was amazing.

[EstherPrimmlives!]

madonna .....it seems the so called media outlets have a target on your back. they haved spinned the bull crap to no end! I can't make sense of it cause they can't seem to get their nose out of Taylor swift ass. For all the great wonderful things that you do.....the seething hate is just too much for me. Elton, Jagger, Joel .... Never get BS. Where does your strength come from? ..... I admire you and love you even more!! You really are a Rebel Heart!

[Tommy]

I think fans would have been more tolerant if, since Sticky and Sweet Part 2 onwards, she hadn't started arriving so late on stage. She now simply has a reputation of seeming to not give a damn about keeping her fans waiting and making it difficult for them to get home after the show.

I went to many dates of the Drowned World, ReInvention, Confessions and Sticky and Sweet 1 tours and she never mucked around arriving late like she has ever since. In fact, she was SO prompt at Earl's Court for Drowned World that WE missed the beginning still getting to our seats!!

Her attitude from Sticky and Sweet 2 onwards sucks.

[Anna]

@Jesse S: Madonnalicious - Were the stories about the audience booing her really true?

Yes, they were booing her. My friend was there and filmed it.

[Anna]

"Only missed 12 minutes" - yet fans still paid the full ticket price. That would be like going into a restaurant and ordering a steak. You eat 7/8ths of it, the final 1/8th is whipped away, but you are still billed the full cost.

Nothing to be proud of that fans "only missed 12 minutes".

And you got a fine? Boo hoo. Not late = no fines. Simple.

Sorry, M: there may have been technical issues, but your general tardiness is just becoming such a bore. And you are a hypocrite: you have stated on many occasions that you dislike lateness!!! #Pot/black/kettle.

On a separate note - to avoid the Stans trolling me - I saw the show in London and it was great. AND only 15 minutes late on stage. See, you CAN do it when you want to...

[Jesse S Minneapolis]

Madonnalicious - Were the stories about the audience booing her really true?