Born This Way Ball concert review in Helsingin Sanomat

Gaga paid a tit for tat 

The new superstar of pop teases with the religion, sex and violence in the imagery, just like Madonna.

Published: 8.29.2012 in the Culture section of the paper 

Mikko Aaltonen

Lady Gaga was photographed last week in Tallinn. It wasn't allowed to photograph the concert so the photo is taken from a building next to it.

Lady Gaga is, as her paragon and current rival Madonna, fixated up to her ears to religious symbolism, sexual imagery and manifestations of violence and their different combinations.
 Immediately at the second scene of Gaga's third concert in Finland included simulated sex after which Gaga shot her parter of the act. After this, she moved to birth new life out of giant, inflatable woman's lower body, on which was projected a face for a moment, which seemed quite like Madonna.
Lady Gaga paid back with interest the Gaga-mockery which her "big sister" performed two weeks ago at her Olympic stadium show.

The major differencies between the queen of pop and the crown princess were highlighted at the show's musical offering, and  in Gaga's even more close interact with her fans.
 As a talented interpreter Gaga did not rely on backing tapes, instead sang most of the songs live. She also accompanied herself with electric piano on a solo number, which offered a taste of the upcoming album, The Artpop: built on a simple melody, Princess Die was not over-energetic dance pop, but a beautiful ballad.

Unlike most superstars, Lady Gaga climbed down to the "audience level" on a number of occasions of her show. For example, she sat down on the edge of the stage and took up stuff fans in the front row throwed her.
From a wallet flown in her lap, she grabbed a credit card, slipped it into a pocket of her biker-vest and said she was going to go shopping, a moment later bursting into a hysterical make-up dripping laughter: "I don't need your money, I just want your soul and your love!"
 We were in the heart of role model and brand building: go over to your audience, do not turn yourself into something unrecognizable.

For the fashion freaks the show offered such a load of eye candy that it would be enough to digest even if the show had been performed mute. If she wanted Gaga would have a chance to spring up the careers of even a couple of local designers during one concert by only flashing in their clothing, but reportedly on Born This Way tour the star has been seen mainly in Giorgio Armani's creations.
These were in their fantasticality in the league of their own: during the Bloody Mary song Gaga appeared like a mutant dropped from space and wrapped in haute couture, in Government Hooker like a giant insects.

It would be interesting to see how Stefani Germanotta could match the conditions of a concert without profusely dispensed sexual provocation. Would it drift a product called Lady Gaga into an identity crisis?
Probably not, because merely in musical gifts and acting skills Gaga has more than enough to spare. Because she's soon made two world tours every couple of years based on the same spiritual essence of imagery and megalomania, the question is: what next?
 A third as pompous and underlining provocative world tour would be repeating herself, and would begin to brittle the power and glamor of the Gaga-fantasy character.

The song Electric Chapel, played with a rock band between glowing crosses showed that it could be natural for Gaga to do a rock band tour. In her case, it would not be conservative, but surprising, and after all the role-play and props it would be a truly bold move. But above all, it would be something which Madonna would hardly ever dare to go.