[Rebel Heart Tour DVD | Showtime Premiere]

Yay! Offical news at least. I'm so happy and relieved now.

 

Knowing the tour was finishing this week had sent me into a spiralling depression. I've actually had sleepless nights wondering how I'll get my next Madonna fix! How sad am I?

 

I really hope it turns out great, but whatever the outcome, I can't wait to relive it all again. Thanks M! 

[I Am Almost 100% Sure Melbourne Will Get the DVD]

I just had another thought - although again, this could be wishful thinking - if M allowed the Rebel Rebel and Like A Prayer, Stockholm footage to be released on the internet, then maybe she won't be as precious about the full concert footage being used for a DVD?

 

I wonder if the over-editing of the Confessions, Sticky & Sweet and MDNA tours was because of the broadcasting and CD/DVD combo release. Therefore if there isn't a deal already in place, perhaps Rebel Heart might be given a more 'straight to DVD' look and feel (as per Drowned World and Girlie Show). I'm certainly hoping so!

 

Although it's frustratiing Blond Ambition never got an official DVD release, I love the footage for Japan, Nice and Barcelona that eventually found it's way into the world. Ironically I've seen more video footage from that tour than I have from any other.

 

Also, we know Tears of Clown was filmed, and there's no way it will be for a DVD release on its own, which make me more hopeful for a full tour DVD. But... perhaps, it was just filmed just so M could review and critique her performance afterwards?

[I Am Almost 100% Sure Melbourne Will Get the DVD]

I was thinking the same. If there's no TV distribution deal then the effort to edit it would be a lot of work for very little reward. It's also the end of her deal with Live Nation, so after the tour finishes M will be under no obligation to anyone. That said, it would be a great shame not to record possibly her best tour, even if it was only for a Truth or Dare/I'm going to tell you a secret style documentary.I also thought (and this might just be wishful thinking), that maybe they don't need the usual camera crane set up given how effectively the pro shot footage was edited together from the Stockholm Like A Prayer and Texas Rebel Rebel performances. I appreciate both are just the direct footage used for the screens, and it would need to be colour graded and audio adjusted for a home entertainmnet release, but in terms of editing, both performances drew from a variety of camera shots and angles and looked great. I would very happily settle for that, than nothing at all.All I can say is I really, really am hoping for a DVD and Blu-Ray release. With 1 week left to go I'm already feeling the incoming depression after the tour ends, and who knows how long it might be before or if any new music appears. I need the tour DVD to get me through the void.

[Tears of a Clown Special, Melbourne [Thur March 10th 2016]]

For better or worse, I think most people have already made-up their minds about Madonna. Another shameless, heartless and inaccurate tabloid story won't change her fans’ devotion. It doesn't matter (quite literally) how many African orphans she might save. There’ll always be detractors labelling her the villain. It's especially frustrating to read this trash when you know it's a blatant lie, but who really cares, right?

 

That said I do have a major problem with the ongoing lateness. Please read below carefully before anyone scolds me…

 

While I'm extremely grateful that she keeps doing all of this, I must confess I am torn – on the one hand, I would rather she turned up late than never. Then again, the constant tardiness suggests on ongoing problem which needs to be resolved. Why is she late all the time? It looks extremely unprofessional. I'm not saying it's directly her fault – I was generous in praise for the Manchester show being cut short, due to the video-backdrop-reboot fiasco – but technical difficulties can't be the ongoing reason for starting late. If it is, then why hasn’t it been addressed by now? 

 

I don't care how great the Tears of Clown show was, whether it’s a work in progress or a free show – ultimately it's her name on the ticket. She expects people to turn up, but yet again, she’s failed to start on time. It doesn't look good. It keeps on happening. It must stop. Needing more rehearsal time is not a valid excuse. It’s unprofessional.

 

Maybe she doesn't care how the Media deride her; fine. But the negativity is damaging to her reputation and will be for her career because casual fans will stop bothering to see her shows. She won't be able to sell out venues, which puts the viability of future tour in jeopardy, and that does affect me and my interests directly.

 

Is say all this with first-hand experience – I am was a Janet Jackson fan, but this week she cancelled her entire European tour, 3 weeks before start date, citing ‘scheduling conflicts’. Some have speculated illness (even though she's still performing in Dubai at the end of the month). Others (myself included), are citing the real reason – low ticket sales.

 

This is the second time Janet has scrapped an entire European tour (the first being All For You Tour back in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks). I forgave her then. I will not forgive her a second time.

 

My love for Madonna runs much, much deeper, but the bottom line is: we, her fans have made her a star, and if she wants our ongoing support, she needs to hit the stage on time. She/her management/whoever can’t expect fans to have unending patience. It’s a simple transaction – we pay for the tickets (free in this instance, but hundreds of pounds normally) – she delivers a show on time, as stated on the ticket. If she wants to start the show consistently later than scheduled, that’s fine – but change the start time on the ticket and manage people’s expectations better.

 

That’s it. No excuses needed. Just fix it going forward. Rant over.

 

I love, worship and adore you Madonna, I really do; but don’t take that love for granted, or you might be singing One More Chance on the next tour...

[Singapore - February 28th]

I've loved the unpredictable set list on this tour. It's kept things fresh and exciting. So she left out 3 songs - big deal! It means she gets to perform in a country she's never visited before. That's fantastic for her fans in Singapore and I'm happy for them.Anyone saying she's just about the money, needs to remember that Live Nation underwrites the tour, not Madonna. Her contract was signed ages ago. They decide where she performs and they expect to see a return on their investment. How childishly petulant would she have been to refuse an entire show for the sake of 3 songs?!

[DL Kevin Antunes interview]

Wow! That really was interesting. Since the music always sounds so consistent I, and I'm sure a lot other people, assumed it was just pre-recorded. I had no idea how 'live' it really is. So cool.

[Taipei, Taiwan [Thursday, Feb 4th / Saturday, Feb 6th, 2016]]

Oh wow! I think she said best - a few bad notes, but it felt so good. Please, please, please keep this in for the DVD!

[Manchester, United Kingdom [Mon 14th Dec 2015]]

Here's my take on last night's Manchester show. There was a bit of booing before the it started followed by a far louder cheer once Wanna Be Starting Somethin' kicked in. I read 1 report saying the arena tried to turn up the music to drown out the boos - sorry, Not true. We all know MJ is the last song played just before the show starts and it's a signal to get to your seats. She came on at 10pm so an hour late starting.She did address her tardiness after Body Shop, explaining it was due to the video and subsequent back-up system failing and needing to be rebooted, not because of some diva behaviour, getting her extensions or nails done. It is true she said 'bitches should stop complaining or not come to my show', followed by 'they can write that in the papers', but obviously she was being facetious. Probably not a smart PR move on her part, but I think most of her fans know her sense of humour by now, and there were loud cheers after she'd said it, so people clearly got it.Except for the uninitiated and the ever-ready, headline-grabbing press, we all know she's like this every night, rallying 'bitches are you in my gang'. She didn't turn on her fans and go on an angry rant as some newspapers reported. That's an absolute flat out lie. She could've placated the situation by just being unreservedly unapologetic, but I would hope most people know that's not her style by now. Go hard or go home bitches! That's just the way she rolls.She disapproved of the massive gaps either side of the catwalk, 'so large you could drive a truck down there', which was also a concern for fans, who were repeatedly told to sit down, by the over-zealous stewards. Madonna even joked she'd address the mayor of Manchester about it. However, by the time we got to Rebel Heart everyone had move around the heart stage anyway and there was nothing the stewards could do about it, due to the sheer volume of people.From beginning to end there were huge cheers throughout, especially for Living For Love when the cape came off, at the end of La Isla Bonita, during a full acapella rendition of Open Your Heart, which replaced Who's That Girl; and Illuminati.Yes, the 80s medley was cut (as it has been in several shows now), and the evening abruptly ended after Material Girl, with M saying 'I love you all', before disappearing beneath the centre stage.The show finished at 11:39, so it was approximately 20 minutes shorter than usual and also didn't include La Vie En Rose, Unapologetic Bitch or Holiday. For me the 80s medley was never a highlight. It felt like a (dare I say) reductive attempt to replicate Sticky & Sweet's La Isla Bonita or MDNA's Open Your a Heart with middling success. I've also found La Vie En Rose utterly forgettable. 'But it proves she can sing!', I here you say. Fine, but over 30 years into her career I would hope most people have got that already by now. I would much prefer Joan of Arc, the outstanding forgotten gem in Rebel Heart's crown. I think Who's That Girl could've easily been better replaced by Ghosttown throughout the tour as well. Unapologetic bitch is a highlight though, so disappointment there, but Holiday was just a 'meh' ending for me, paling in comparison to Celebration, Give It 2 Me, or Hung Up. It's almost like they felt a need to buffer the Immaculate Collection quota and end on a song everyone's guaranteed to know. Creatively, it felt disingenuous to the shows overarching themes of love, and therefore unnecessary. Personally I would've held back the original Rebel Heart Avicii demo to end the show instead.But I digress; as soon Material Girl ended the lights came on and the stewards were quite aggressively asking people to leave. There was no time take it all in. No doubt Live Nation would have been fined for the extra 9 minutes over time, so I completely understand why it had to end so abruptly, but I don't think the show felt under-value. If only Holiday had been squeezed in, I think they could've got away with the condensed set list, and most people would've been none the wiser anyway.I live in London (Manchester was my third Rebel Heart show), and I'm amazed how poor Manchester's infrastructure really is - just a tiny snail-rail tram system that closed around 11:30 - and this is supposed to be the UK's second largest city! it's embarrassing really. Everything across town was shut down by 11:30. It really was a Ghosttown.I do have sympathy for those disappointed by the late start and reduced set list, but please be very clear - this was for reasons beyond Madonna's control. She addressed it, and ultimately it was the arena management's responsibility for stopping the show early, not Madonna's. Late start aside, we could've got a full show without the video feed, but that would've been very underwhelming. They could've let it run a further 20 minutes late, but then I'm sure there would be gripes about people not able to get home. It would be far worse if she'd cancelled entirely, so this was a no-win situation for everyone, and disappointing for Madonna I'm sure, because this was not the show she wanted us to experience either.My condolences for anyone left unsatisfied. You can blame her, blame Live Nation, blame the arena management if you want, but ultimately this is is just one of those unfortunate situations in life where things just didn't go to plan - which seems to be the enduring theme of the Rebel Heart era! Sometimes shit happens and everyone has to settle for less. Big deal. We could all be whiny bitches, moaning and groaning about it - or take a lesson from Madonna - get up, dust yourself off, and carry on. I just experienced one of the world's greatest entertainers. Every show is a dream come true, so thank you for doing this all again Madonna. Living for love folks!

[Rebel Heart Tour Boxscores vs Your Predictions]

Here are some fun facts for anyone interested in the touring numbers.

 

Based on the current average of $1,863,562 gross per show, Rebel Heart would finish on $150,948,522 after 81 shows. That's impressive, but approximately half of MDNA's total from 88 shows, making it only M’s 4th highest grossing tour:

 

1. Sticky & Sweet - $4,800,000 per show/$407,713,266 total

2. MDNA - $3,468,181.82 per show/$305,158,362 total

3. Confessions - $3,245,000 per show/$194,755,447 total

4. Rebel Heart - $1,863,562 per show/$150,948,522 total*

5. Re-Invention - $2,232,142.86 per show/$124,790,787 total

6. Drowned World - $1,634,042.55 per show/$76,792,245 total

 

*Predication based on current average gross per show

 

However, if we look at the average ticket price per show, Rebel Heart is actually on par with Re-invention and MDNA, although still much cheaper than Confessions:

 

1. Confessions - $161 per show

2. Re-Invention - $139 per show

3. MDNA - $138 per show

4. Rebel Heart - $135 per show

5. Sticky & Sweet - $115 per show

6. Drowned World - $104 per show

 

Now let’s compare average attendance per show:

 

1. Sticky & Sweet - 41,716 per show

2. MDNA - 25,140 per show

3. Confessions - 20,160 per show

4. Re-Invention - 16,014 per show

5. Drowned World - 15,566 per show

6. Rebel Heart - 13,781 per show

 

Although Rebel Heart’s average ticket price may be comparative to Re-invention and MDNA, the average attendance per show is actually the lowest of M's last 5 tours, hence the much lower average gross per show, and the comparatively lower gross predicted by tour-end.

 

It'll be interesting to see how the average ticket price and gross per show may change over the Asian and Oceania legs next year. Obviously these are territories where M has either never played at all, or not played for over 2 decades, which would suggest demand for tickets and (therefore average ticket price) should be much higher, and potentially change the predicted total.

 

And just for fun, here’s how Rebel Heart compares to other tours this year:

 

Rebel Heart Tour - Madonna

$57,770,422 gross so far from 31 of 81 shows.

$1,863,562 average gross per show with a predicted $150,948,522 total gross by tour-end.

13,781 average attendance per show.

427,221 total attendance so far.

$135 average ticket price per show.

 

Prismatic Tour – Katy Perry**

$160,293,758 from 119 shows of 151 shows.

$1,347,006 average gross per show.

12,738 average attendance per show.

1,515,864 total attendance.

$106 average ticket price per show.

 

**151 shows are listed on Wikipedia, but data has only been provided for 119 dates so far.

 

Zip Code Tour - Rolling Stones

$109,714,026 gross from 14 shows.

$7,836,716 average gross per show.

44,910 average attendance per show.

628,733 total attendance.

$175 average ticket price per show.

 

Innocence + Experience Tour - U2

$133,614,475 gross so far from 64 of 76 shows.

$2,087,726 average gross per show with a predicted $158,667,176 total gross by tour-end.

17,588 average attendance per show.

1,125,624 attendance so far.

$118 average ticket price per show.

 

1989 Tour - Taylor Swift

$217,437,974 gross so far from 73 of 85 shows.

$2,978,602 average gross per show with a predicted $253,191,170 total gross by tour end.

27,152 average attendance per show.

1,982,076 total attendance so far.

$110 average ticket price per show.

 

On the Road Again - One Direction

$208,008,704 total gross from 80 shows.

$2,600,109 average gross per show.

29,224 average attendance per show.

2,337,938 total attendance.

$89 average ticket price per show.

 

You've got to hand it to the Stones – with an impressive average ticket price of $175, and average attendance figure of 44,910 per show – Zip Code was a stadium-only North American tour, playing their entirety of the 1971 Sticky Fingers album, raking in $109,714,026 in just 14 dates!

 

It follows 2014’s 14 on Fire tour which was seen by 862,900 fans across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania, accumulating $165,194,563 in just 29 dates.

 

Preceding 14 on Fire, the Stones made $148,869,014 from 30 dates across London/North America on their 2012/13 50 & Counting tour, seen by a further 456,998 fans.

 

All that adds up to a gross of $423,777,603 accumulated over 4 years, seen by 1,948,631 fans – and next year the Stones take on 13 dates in South America on their América Latina Olé Tour, to add to that total.

 

Make of all that, what you will!

 

Taj