Before the Hard Candy release there were already some rumors that Madonna will perform a few promo shows to promote her new album. After my first addiction that I got with G-A-Y during the COADF promo tour, such a small venue and so cool to see, I decided to do this again. London to me is still all time favorite, so let’s hope she will do London again. Very shortly there was the announcement that she will play in New York and in Paris, they mention London but that wasn’t confirmed yet. Kimberly and I spoke to each other each day about how to handle this situation, I called several times with NRJ Paris, Olympia Theater but there was one problem they all speak French and I don’t and they don’t speak English. So lots of e-mails on how to continue, gladly I have a customer that speaks very good French so she called for me with NRJ about tickets and gave our e-mail address, so let’s hope it will work!
Also tried to contact Warner UK, but they couldn’t say anything on the UK gig either. Two days later they only mention Kent as a promo gig when Madonna will play on a festival. Paris is our only shot now. Directly we book our trip to Paris so we can be sure that Paris is confirmed. After the release of Hard Candy there were some contests here in Holland to win tickets for the album launch in Paris. I bought an extra copy of Hard Candy only to enter the contest, also the Dutch television RTL 4 gave away some tickets. Well you enter every contest but you’ll never win, so we had to listen to the Dutch radio station 538 the whole weekend to get lucky for the tickets. In the first round I reach the studio and I was number 2 in line but they were looking for caller number 15. I was really down about that, the rest of the weekend I did make a lot of phonecalls but unfortunately I didn’t win. My reward for this will be a phone bill sky high and it also almost resulted in a nervous breakdown.
May 5
After a very stressfull weekend and not being lucky of winning tickets, we are going to Paris (Kimberly still felt there was a good chance of there being a queue for free tickets). In the train to Paris (Caroline jumped on the train at The Hague) we were making some plans to get in the Olympia theater IF they will not give away tickets (and that was already confirmed by the Olympia theater several times). The Journey went very well and I think we were very noisy during the journey, (when I begin to get nervous I speak louder than usual). Kimmy was very relaxed (she was under the influence of a nervous pill) When we finally arrived on ‘Gare Du Nord’ and with a small journey with the metro we arrived at our hotel “Hollande” the room looked perfect. After taking a photo of the three of us, the first accident is a fact, Kimmy’s sunglasses (who puts their glasses on the bed?) were almost crushed as I landed on top of it. With a hairdryer we heated the frame and tried to bend it back to its original position.
When we went to the Olympia theater (a walk of about 15 minutes) we saw a very small queue and heard straight away from Dave that they will be giving away 500 tickets for tomorrow morning 10 am. Finally the big stress makes place for some excitement. We decided to step into the queue, the weather is very good, bought three chairs a bit later on. Caroline started with writing numbers on the wrist of who is first and second I became number 34. At 7pm Kimmy and I went to find some food (take away) but we are in the heart of Paris and it was impossible to find a take away, so we ate at an Italian restaurant (PASTA!!) When we just ordered our meal Caroline called saying the queue is now on the other side of the theater because there is a French guy that had to perform that same evening. ‘Georges Moustaki’ really don’t know who this man is, but looks like he is important in France. When we got back it is time for Caroline to eat something Kimmy and she walked back to the hotel to get some coats and blankets for tonight. I got my first interview that night by Le petit journal, they asked me lots of questions and asked me to sing a song, but I couldn’t sing for a camera (LOL) they would place this interview on internet, but didn’t see it yet?
After the interview I spoke to a lot of people in the queue and was surprised by how well they spoke English. A Guy from Belgium translated lots of French text to me, because there was some rumors going on, that only the first 100 tickets were here at the Olympia and the rest over Paris. With Sara from absolutemadonna.com (she took over the work of Caroline with writing the numbers on the hand) and tried that everyone will take place in the back and argues with those jumping the queue. When Caroline and Kimmy were back from the hotel and the queue is getting bigger, we met some Dutch fans Marc & Rob ( they won tickets through Icon) and after some talking they promised to give us some breakfast in the morning. Kimmy and I go back to the hotel around 1am and tried to get some sleep. Caroline stays in the queue in her sleepingbag. Back in the hotel first thing I did was remove my shoes but our noses weren’t too pleased with this.
May 6
Before I know Kimmy says it is now 4.00am so get up and we are going back to the queue. I brought two tubes with me and both looked alike, I decided to brush my teeth but instead of toothpaste put the body lotion on my toothbrush, it woke me immediately. When we are back in the queue we saw Caroline lying on the ground in her sleeping bag sleeping. When she woke up she was complaining about the noise there was all night. Both ladies needed to use the toilet and it was their subject to talk about. Later on we went to the Quick to get some breakfast and use the loo.
The sun was rising very quickly and Marc and Rob brought our promised breakfast, they still didn’t know when they could collect their wristband for tonight, they decided to go into the city to do some shopping.It became warmer every minute and people of NRJ radio interviewd Caroline, but we couldn’t hear it as we did not have a radiow with us. Finally it became 10am but nothing happened then, it took almost another hour to collect our writsband for the show of tonight. When we got the wristband and we went out I started to yell very hard that I finally got it, when we walked back to the queue (for tonight’s show) I was filmed and only thing I said was ‘I got him’ (when I actually meant the ticket).
Back in line we heard that the Icon winners were lucky to get in the theater first, to all the people who waited 20+ hours it wasn’t really fair, but understandable. Caroline didn’t want to leave the queue so Kimmy and I went back to the hotel and put away some things and cleaned ourselves after a very long night. We were back in the hotel for only 5 minutes when Caroline called me, with the update that there was a rush and the people that got number 400 on their arms were in the front of the queue now, everyone was really pissed about this. They mention that they were NRJ winners so may go inside as first (but were lying). When we got back (after buying the French Hard Candy) is it time for Caroline to go back to the hotel. Suddenly a French girl says obscene things to a man next to me, he was only saying that it isn’t fair when you got number 131 on your arms that you are now in the row of the 30’s, they started an argument in French and I couldn’t understand but he suddenly emptied his cola can on her, then was pulled away by police.
The big rush happened twice in short time but we were still relaxed on our chairs and nothing happened, till Kimmy and I decided to get some pizza to make sure we got a filled stomach when we get in the theater. Caroline tried to call me (but my phone got some problems with having connection) so we missed her call. Back at the Olympia we see Caroline still sitting on her chair but the rest of the people are standing so close to each other that no one could move at all time, and then you have to wait for another 6 hours before you may get in. Suddenly the news reaches us that all competition winners may enter earlier than this queue. So you could image what happened then. ONE BIG MESS! Everyone in the queue was really pissed off and were pushing. Kimberly already decided to jump out of the queue and I did the same thing, because this was so horrible to stand in the queue and I’m getting too old for it. When I jumped out of the queue it was like some big relieve, we walked around the building and saw in the line of winners the two sticky cola girls waiting to get in. UNBELIEVABLE!! How did they do it? We are having fun and talked to Tony, Marc and Rob, Evy and also with the guys from Warner NL. When we walked back to the end of the queue, there were some ladies of NRJ that were giving away some lollipops, but the whole queue was pushing and everyone was screaming and became more pissed than they already were.
Around 8pm it was time to get in. After being searched by security (my pockets were filled with candy and drinks) they let me walk further but Kimmy had to give up everything she was carrying, odd. In the venue Fedde Le Grand was already busy with his program and sounded very good. It became 9.30pm, unfortunately Madonna decided to come on stage 1 hour later. My feet and back were killing me and Kimmy had the same problems. But after the song of the New Edition and Candy Girl it was S H O W T I M E! The event of the year The HARD CANDY promo gig! We were standing at the left side and my view is a bit blocked by some speakers, but I don’t care and finally she is there with the first song Candy Shop! Not my favorite but after hearing this live is this one is awesome.
Miles Away is the second song and also a great song to sing with and she looks really stunning to me. Than she thanks only her French fans and record company and I thought hey? and what about us? Okay don’t expect any extra’s from Madonna. 4 minutes is so amazing to see and hear, only unfortunately no Justin live on stage. Then the rock version of Hung Up, didn’t like this at all ( I’m sorry) but it was already better then the version I saw on YouTube, why kill such a good song? Her thing on the speakers with her guitar is getting a bit old. She blew me away with Give It 2 Me, whole Olympia was jumping and dancing that the floor was waving under our feet. Last song was Music and uses a Fedde Le Grand sample this time, which really worked! When she left it appeared she didn’t say anything to the audience at all.
Outside we were waiting for Caroline and when she was there we walked back to the hotel and gave our feet a well deserved bath. and me almost falling in the water ;-) When my head hit my pillow I was already asleep, what a day!
May 7
When we woke up I still feel exhausted of two days of queuing and walking from the theater to the hotel and back, we take our breakfast and put everything back in our suitcase for the home journey. Caroline and me visited the Virgin megastore and I see the limited edition of Hard Candy, so I called Kimmy and bought two copies. The station is not that far so we are going to walk to Gare Du Nord, when we arrived first Kimmy and Caroline were searching for newspapers and took some sandwiches, I did later on.
Back in the train we arrived 4 hours later Amsterdam Central station the Trip was over.
It was really an A M A Z I N G time we had in Paris, the weather was good and we met lots of nice and friendly people, and we were very honoured that we got a chance to see Madonna live in ‘Le Olympia’ theater. But like Kimmy I’m getting too old for lying in queue for at least 28 hours I’m not doing this anymore, because when we got in the Olympia we were standing next to a man that got stuck up for 6 hours in the queue so it isn’t worth it for me.
During the tour I will stay a bit more relaxed.
MERCI MADONNA!
Hans
