DVD/150: MADONNA DROWNED WORLD TOUR 2001 (Hamish Hamilton, 2001)

Madonna's DROWNED WORLD tour, her first in eight years which I saw at Earls Court, showcased RAY OF LIGHT and MUSIC.

It's interesting to revisit as I usually think of it as not one of her best shows. 

It had four sections: Rock 'n' Roll, Geisha, Cowgirl and Spanish/Ghetto but I have always felt it starts on the wrong foot with tired apocalyptic steampunk, squalling guitars and distressed punk drag.

'Geisha' - while visually splendid - again fails to ignite with an over-reliance on album tracks and a clumsy CROUCHING TIGER retread.

I started to relax in the Cowgirl section but in retrospect the choice of three ballads unbalances it.

But it finally erupts with a Spanish WHAT IT FEELS LIKE FOR A GIRL morphing into a flamenco-flavoured LA ISLA BONITA topped by a glorious HOLIDAY (sampling Stardust's MUSIC SOUNDS BETTER WITH YOU) and a crunching version of MUSIC.

Shelf or charity shop?  It has to be a shelf even if some of the show disappoints - the tour was pulled together in just three months which I have always felt might explain some of it's odd song sequencing. Directed and choreographed by Jamie King, Madonna was joined by fan favourites Niki Haris and Donna De Lory on backup vocals, but this was the last tour for Haris.  On keyboards in the onstage band was Madonna's future co-producer Stuart Price.  Sadly the filmed concert - in Madonna's home state of Michigan - has muddy photography which doesn't do justice to the show's visuals.

DVD/150: THE GIRLIE SHOW: LIVE DOWN UNDER (Mark 'Aldo' Miceli, 1994)

Three years after her BLONDE AMBITION tour which featured in the documentary TRUTH OR DARE, Madonna toured again in 1993 with THE GIRLIE SHOW.  It wasn't my favorite tour but seeing it again made me appreciate it's theatrical panache which was lost at Wembley Stadium.

THE GIRLIE SHOW had four sections with occasional appearances from a Pierrot: 'Dominatrix' included dancer Carrie Ann Inaba in a g-string sliding down a stripper pole from the top of the stage, a Javanese "Vogue" and "Rain" interpolated with "Just My Imagination", with great back-up from Donna De Lory and Niki Harris.

'Studio 54' included Madonna riding a glitterball with "Express Yourself" then "Deeper and Deeper" but the tempo stopped wth two EROTICA ballads.

'Weimar Cabaret' was a misfire but climaxed with great versions of "La Isla Bonita" and a militaristic "Holiday".

A Beaton-inspired JUSTIFY MY LOVE and EVERYBODY close the show...

Shelf or charity shop?  Well, of course it's a keeper! The lack of audience connection makes the show feel a bit cold - and the sound is quite bad - but the dancers' energy is contageous, the Dolce & Gabbana frocks are chic and M seems to be enjoying herself.  Due to filming EVITA, giving birth to Lourdes and Rocco and marriage to Guy Ritchie it would be eight long years until she toured again...