sunnuntai 2. syyskuuta 2012

The Born This Way Ball

I was at the Born This Way Ball in Helsinki 27.8.2012. Gaga's third show in Finland was in Helsinki Arena (Hartwall Arena) which has 11 000 seats. It was sold out in that day and on the second it was pretty much full too. This was the first time I bought my ticket from official ticket supplier, since at the Fame Ball and at the Monster Ball I didn't get the tickets early enough. Now I was queueing in front of the ticket sales place from early morning, so I got mine. The tickets ran out in four minutes, and a floor ticket cost me 100 € ($140), which is the same price I paid for the two last Gaga show tickets, but them I bought from internet auction so their price was doubled there. I don't like the expensive ticket costs, which are only growing higher every time. There were still some more expensive tickets (140€), but I don't know what's the point of buying them, since I already got floor ticket (best place) with forty euros less!
At the morning of Monday when the concert was my mother drove me to Espoo (a city next to Helsinki, where the concert was) to an electronics store to buy some stuff. Since I couldn't find any other place to buy LED light I had to go there. I bought LEDs for my Alejandro Crown and when I got back home I installed them to the crown in a hurry. It still took me five hours to get everything ready. I have never mae anything with LEDs so I had to do with half an hour of electricity training. It went well, although I burned one LED, so instead of ten, I then used eight lights. Anyway the crown turned out really great and it got many looks at the concert.
Some liked it hot, and me likes too!
I arrived to the arena some two hours before the gates opened. I was sad since I thought I was too late, that I couldn't get to the Mosnter Pit anymore, because there were a long queue already. Some people started at six o'clock at the mornign, which is crazy, they had to wait 12 hours before even getting inside. They only let people to queue from 8 at morning onwards at the arena area, but people waited on some bridege before that. I don't like queueing at all, it don't prove anything about fan-ness, and I was really greatly reliefed and happy when I asked from a security woman could I still fit in Mosnter Pit. She responded that there were still 18 places left so I went to the end of the line. There came some other people to fill the line soon, so I was just at the right time at the right place. For once. Which was weird, was that many people didn't even know what the Monster Pit was, since they asked from security what that line was were I was standing, they told that it was a Monster Pit line, and told that it would be an auiditorium whic would be pretty crowded. Then some people didn't want to come there, I wonder if they regretted their desicion, when they finally figured out where the Monster Pit really was. At the middle of the stage!
Queueing for the Monster Pit, all those people are going elsewhere than the Pit
At the queue there were some reporters looking around for a story. They found me of course since I was wearing Alejandro Robe and Crown and those could be hard to miss. Not many people were dressed very much Gagastyle, I ahd to most outrageous outfit there, most of them who had something ,wore denim vests with "Born This Way" on their backs. Then there were skulls painted on people's faces, and a few Judas costumes. And leather jackets. Anyway a reporter and a photographer from Hufvudstadsbladet, HBL, "capital city news" in Swedish, the biggest Swedish newspaper in Finland (maybe the only one too, I'm not sure) cought me. They took some questions and photographs. I answered in English, since the reporter didn't speak Finnish and I wasn't in the mood of talking Swedish. I got into the newspaper article and my picture was shown in the web version of the article, but not in the print version. Very nice anyway.
Photo of me from HBL newspaper web article
Then I saw a familiar headpiece amongst the queuers. That was my Blue Telephone Hat which one girl was wearing. She had recreated it using my tutorial as help. It was a nice costume. It's always nice to teach people.
Familiar looking Blue Telephone Hat there
I got to the Monster Pit, which was absolutely fantastic place to watch the concert, but I didn't get to the very first line. That was because when I came inside the arena building, some reporter and camera crew stopped me for a quick interview. That took five minutes which was the reason I didn't get to the first line, or second, or third in the Monster Pit. The reporter asked me some questions in Finnish, the cameraman was an outlander, and they made the interview from Skype News. Weird enough, later at home I couldn't find anything about Skype News from internet.
Skype News interviewed me, now you see the Crown with lights on
The concert started with Lady Starlights weird performance, this time she was a mummy. Then played The Darkness, glam rock band from Great Britain. I'm not a fan of them, so that's for that. Finally, an hour late, like usual, Gaga started, and the starting was extraordinarily amazing! That was the most unexpected and awesome starting I've seen! Gaga rode to the stage on a horse (or was it a black unicorn, I couldn't see). First I though that the horse was real, but it wasn't really. It was just so well made and the dancers carried it around while Gaga was riding it. Some viewers thought the whole time that it was a real animal. Gaga's dancers followed in a military style parade carrying flags of G.O.A.T. The animatronic head of Gaga floating in the air and telling the Manifesto of Mother Mosnter was incredible too, creepy and fantastic. Of course I loved the whole castle on the stage, as well as the meatgrinders at Poker Face and the rotating cloth rack with some of Gaga's famous costumes at Fashion of His Love.

The set list was:

Act I
  1. Space (intro)
  2. Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)
  3. Operation: Kill the Bitch (interlude)
  4. Government Hooker
  5. Birth (interlude)
  6. Born This Way
  7. Black Jesus † Amen Fashion
  8. Emerging (interlude)
  9. Bloody Mary
  10. Mother G.O.A.T. Manifesto I (interlude)
  11. Bad Romance
  12. G.O.A.T Briefing (interlude)
  13. Judas
Act II
  1. Fashion of His Love
  2. Just Dance
  3. LoveGame
  4. Telephone
Act III
  1. Mother G.O.A.T. Manifesto II (interlude)
  2. Heavy Metal Lover
  3. Speech
  4. Bad Kids
  5. Hair (acoustic)
  6. Princess Die (acoustic)
  7. Yoü and I (acoustic)
  8. Electric Chapel
Act IV
  1. Interlude
  2. Americano
  3. Poker Face
  4. Alejandro
  5. Paparazzi
Act V
  1. Scheiße
  2. The Edge of Glory (acoustic + album)
  3. Marry the Night
Sadly many older songs were dropped out due to capacity issues, much more material from Born This Way album was present. I would have liked to hear Dance in the Dark, Beautiful, Dirty, Rich, The Fame, Boys Boys Boys, Money Honey, So Happy I Could Die, Monster and Teeth, which were in Monster Ball, but were dropped out now. Also I would have liked different order with the songs more, now Bad Romance, which was last in Monster Ball, and which is Gaga's best song, came way too early at the concert, in the end of the first act. Luckily Poker Face-Alejandro-Paparazzi combo was saved for the second last act.

Finally my video of the concert:

lauantai 1. syyskuuta 2012

Supporters and Enemies of Gaga

There are many more or less significant people who are supporters of Gaga, who have worked with Her or are fans of Hers. There are also many people who are offended by Gaga because they like to be offended about aeveryhting and many not-so-famous-(anymore)-people who claim without any proof that She stole their style or something. In this list I have compiled some of them who has at least some importance (perhaps). Some names remain controversial since they may have been supporters of Gaga before, but then turned their jackets ignobly, and for some people just can't be sure are their behavior on behalf of or against Gaga.
Gaga's supporters in green, Gaga's enemies in red and Gaga's former supporters, who became turncoats are in green and strikethrough.

Rob Fusari, producer of many great Gaga songs, like Paparazzi, and had an affair with Her, but later sued Gaga in hope to get his hands into the millions.
Speedy, a model, Gaga's one time boyfriend
Lüc Carl, a bartender from Nebraska, inspiration of most Gaga's love songs, Her on-and-off boyfriend, currently off, who treated Her badly
Taylor Kinney, an actor and Gaga's current boyfriend who told that Stefani has gone too far with the whole "Gaga-thing".
Joseph Kahn, director of Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) and Lovegame music videos, who was supposed to direct also The Edge of Glory, but because of artistic disagreements, left the project and caused that the video wasn't finished properly.
Elton John, singer, father of a child whos godmother Gaga is.
Beyoncé Knowles, Gaga made a single and music video with them.
Pussycat Dolls, a band which Gaga has wrote songs to and performed as a warm up, but they didn't understand Her.
New Kids on the Block, a band which Gaga has wrote songs to and performed as a warm up, but they didn't understand Her.
Semi Precious Weapons a band to which Gaga performed as a warm up and which performed as a warm up for Gaga later, also both have appeared in music videos of each other.
The Darkness a band which performed as a warm up for Gaga.
Lady Starlight, a DJ and go-go dancer, one of Gaga's best friends, who has had a show together with Gaga for a long time.
Marilyn Manson, singer who fell in love with Gaga and has made a remix single with Her.
Brian May, guitarist of the band Queen, who suggested Gaga in the band to replace the late Freddie Mercury. Instead they chose...
Adam Lambert, singer who recorded a song Gaga has written, but was later thrown out of Gaga's Birthday party, since he rampaged drunk and broke things.
Perez Hilton, talentless but persistent climber, who helped Gaga to get famous in the gay community.
Bill Clinton, former president of the United States of America, who had Gaga to perform in his birthday party.
Barack Obama, current president of the United States of America who said it's an honor to him to warm up Lady Gaga.
Cyndi Lauper, singer who made the Viva Glam MAC campaign against aids with Gaga.
Ellen DeGeneres, tv-personality, who loves to have Gaga on her show.
Oprah Winfrey, tv-personality, who has had Gaga on her show.
Barbara Broccoli, Dana Wilson Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, current producers of the James Bond films, who are big Gaga fans and would like to have Her perform a Bond theme song.
Bradley Manning, Wikileaks informant, former military person and current political prisoner, who used Gaga music to help him spy.
Quentin Tarantino, movie director who is Gagas friend and who offered the Pussy Wagon from his Kill Bill movie for use in Telephone music video.
Robert Rodriguez, movie director who made a film Machete Kills, in which Lady Gaga acts as La Chameleón.
Skrillex, musician who has remixed Gaga's songs.
Giorgia Armani has designed clothes for Gaga.
Karl Lagerfeld has designed clothers for Gaga.
Late Alexander McQueen, was Gaga's favorite fashion designer and Her supporter.
Christina Aguilera, singer who didn't know if Gaga was a man or a woman, thus causing a certain malicious debate.
Madonna, singer who was an inspiration to Gaga and they both respected each other, but later Madonna suggested that Gaga ripped of her song(s).
Nina Hagen, German punk singer who can't stand Gaga, and claims she's blasphemous.
Nicky Minaj, singer who stole Gaga's style and can't stand people comparing them.
Katy Perry, singer who stole Gaga's style.
Rihanna, singer who stole Gaga's style.
Grace Jones, singer who claims Gaga stole her style.
Roisin Murphy, singer who claims Gaga stole her style.
Bai Ling, actress who claims Gaga stole her style.
Lil Kim, rapper who claims Gaga stole her style.
Timbaland, producer who claims Gaga stole his style (?!?)
Alex Stebbins, actress who claims Gaga stole her boyfriend, which She actually did, 'cos She can, Lüc Carl was that.
Bette Midler, singer who claims Gaga stole her mermaid-in-a-wheelchair style.
Rebecca Francescatti, musician who claims Gaga stole her song.
David Guetta, musician who claimed that he could have made Born This Way album better.
Disabled people, who claim Gaga offended them performing in a wheelchair (!)
Retarded people, who claim Gaga offended them by using the word retarded (!)
PETA, which is against Gaga using fur and meat dress.
Conspiracy theorists, who claim Gaga is part of Illuminati (!)
The catholic church, which claims Gaga to be blasphemous.
Indonesian jihadists, who wants to kill Gaga (!?!)
Hu Jintao, Chinese president who claims the western countries are invading China with Gaga's music.
Yana Morgana, mother who claims that Gaga stole the style and the soul of her daughter Lina Morgana, a singer to whom Gaga wrote a song and who committed suicide at the age of 19.
Justin Bieber, corporate media mascot, who don't understand Gaga and Her art at all.
Selena Gomez, girlfriend of the previous, who mocked Gaga and Her art.
Eminem, rapper, who mocked Gaga in his lyrics, and reportedly will be ruining a song called Street Lights in Gaga's next album, ARTPOP (!)
Die Antwoord, South African rap band which made fun of Gaga, mocked Her art, and refused to perform as an opening act for Her.

The list is not complete and the names are not in any particular order.

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 





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 Artpopbuilt 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.

Born This Way Ball konserttiarvostelu Helsingin Sanomissa

Gaga maksoi potut pottuina 
 

Popin uusi supertähti leikittelee Madonnan tavoin uskonnon, seksin ja väkivallan kuvastolla.

Julkaistu: 29.8.2012  lehdessä osastolla Kulttuuri
 

Lady Gaga kuvattiin viime viikolla Tallinnassa. Konserttia ei saanut kuvata, joten kuva on otettu vieressä olevasta rakennuksesta. Kuva: KARLI SAUL SCANPIX


Lady Gaga on esikuvansa ja nykyisen kilpailijansa Madonnan tavoin fiksoitunut korviaan myöten uskonnollisen symboliikan, seksuaalisen kuvaston ja väkivallan ilmenemismuotojen erilaisiin yhdistelmiin.
Heti Gagan kolmannen Suomen-konsertin toisessa kohtauksessa simuloitiin seksiä, jonka jälkeen Gaga ampui aktin toisen osapuolen. Tämän jälkeen hän siirtyi synnyttämään uutta elämää jättimäisestä, puhallettavasta naisen alavartalosta, johon heijastuivat hetkeksi kasvot, jotka näyttivät aivan Madonnalta.
Lady Gaga maksoi ”isosiskon” kaksi viikkoa sitten olympiastadionilla nähdessä show’ssa syytämät Gaga-pilkat takaisin korkojen kera.

Popin kuningattaren ja ensimmäisen perintöprinsessan suurimmat erot puolestaan korostuivat show’n musiikillisessa annissa sekä Gagan entistäkin tiiviimmässä vuorovaikutussuhteessa faneihin.
Kyvykkäänä tulkitsijana Gaga ei tukeutunut taustanauhoihin, vaan lauloi livenä suurimman osan kappaleista. Hän myös säesti sähköpianolla itseään soolonumerossa, joka tarjosi esimakua tulevalta The Artpop -albumilta: simppelin melodian varaan rakennettu Princess Die ei ollut ylienergistä tanssipoppia, vaan kaunis balladi.

Toisin kuin useimmat supertähdet, Lady Gaga laskeutui show’ssaan useaan otteeseen ”yleisönsä tasolle”. Hän esimerkiksi istahti lavan reunalle ja otti vastaan fanien eturivistä heittämää tavaraa.
Syliinsä lentäneestä lompakosta hän nappasi luottokortin, sujautti sen biker-liiviensä taskuun ja totesi lähtevänsä shoppailemaan, purskahtaakseen hetkeä myöhemmin meikit valuen hysteeriseen huutoon: ”en minä teidän rahojanne tarvitse, haluan vain sielunne ja rakkautenne!”
Oltiin roolimallin ja brändinrakennuksen ytimessä: mene yleisösi luokse, älä korota itseäsi tunnistamattomaksi.

Muotifriikeille show tarjosi sellaisen lastin silmäkarkkia, että sulateltavaa riittäisi vaikka show olisi esitetty mykkänä. Gagalla olisi halutessaan mahdollisuus ponkaista yhden konsertin aikana vaikka parinkin paikallisen suunnittelijan ura lentoon pelkästään vilahtamalla näiden vaatteissa, mutta tiettävästi Born This Way -kiertueella tähden päällä on nähty lähinnä Giorgio Armanin luomuksia.
Nämä olivatkin mielikuvituksellisuudessaan aivan omaa luokkaansa: Bloody Mary -kappaleen aikana Gaga näytti avaruudesta tipahtaneelta, haute coutureen kätkeytyneeltä mutantilta, Government Hookerissa jättimäiseltä hyönteiseltä.

Olisi kiinnostavaa nähdä, kuinka Stefani Germanotta pärjäisi konserttiolosuhteissa ilman ylenpalttisesti annosteltua seksuaalista provosointia. Ajautuisiko tuote nimeltä Lady Gaga identiteettikriisiin?
Todennäköisesti ei, sillä pelkästään musiikillisissa lahjoissa ja näyttelijänkyvyissä Gagalla löytyy vaikka muille jakaa. Koska hän on kohta vetänyt parin vuoden välein kaksi maailmankiertuetta pohjimmiltaan samanhenkisellä kuvastolla ja suuruudenhulluudella, kysymys kuuluu: mitä seuraavaksi?
Kolmas yhtä pompöösi ja alleviivaavan provokatorinen maailmankiertue olisi itsensä toistamista ja alkaisi hapertaa Gaga-mielikuvitushahmon tehoa ja tenhoa.

Hehkuvien ristien keskellä Electric Chapel -kappaleen aikana bändin kanssa esitetty rokkituokio osoitti, että Gagalle voisi olla luontevaa tehdä rockbändi-kiertue. Hänen tapauksessaan se ei olisi vanhoillista vaan yllättävää, ja kaikkien rooli- ja lavasteleikkien jälkeen myös aidosti rohkea veto. Mutta ennen kaikkea se olisi jotain, mihin Madonna tuskin koskaan rohkenisi.