‘There’s no end to the mistakes I’ve made’: Madonna makes another emotional tribute to Rocco
Madonna performed her song Intervention as images of her son Rocco flashed on a screen behind her Twitter
MADONNA has made another emotional onstage tribute to her son Rocco, this time during a one-off musical comedy show in Melbourne, Australia.
The 57-year-old singer staged the free gig, a combination of performance art, comedy, storytelling and music called Tears of a Clown, for members of her fan club as a way to thank them for waiting 23 years for her to tour Down Under.
The show saw Madge arrive onstage in a clown’s outfit riding on a tricycle, and included a performance of her song Intervention dedicated to her estranged 15-year-old son, the subject of a bitter custody dispute between the singer and her ex-husband Rocco Ritchie.
Before she began the song Madonna said: “Oh there’s no end to the mistakes I’ve made.
“Anyway everybody knows the saga of me and my son Rocco. It’s not a fun story to tell or think about. I probably could have enjoyed myself a little bit more on this tour if he hadn’t disappeared so suddenly and also if I knew when I would see him again.”
The song, from Madonna’s 2003 album American Life, includes the lyrics: “I got to save my baby/Because he makes me cry/I got to make him happy/I got to teach him how to fly.”
As she sang, images of of Rocco appeared on a screen behind her.
The singer, who is said to be on the brink of a meltdown over her rift with Rocco, also expressed regret over causing pain in other people’s lives.
She said: “I won’t hurt anybody. I won’t hurt anybody ever again in my life. I never want to be the cause of anyone’s pain ever again in my life.
“There is absolutely no logical reason for me to be here where I am in my life today. I know there’s no way I could ever have imagined my life turned out the way that it did. That’s the beautiful thing about magic and art.”
The tribute follows Madonna’s breakdown onstage at a concert in Auckland, New Zealand, where she also dedicated a song to Rocco, telling the crowd: “There is no love stronger than a mother for her son.”
At the Melbourne gig Madonna explained why she chose to dress as a clown, saying: “There’s something so attractive about clowns because they try so hard to make you smile, to make you laugh.
“I actually tried to wear one of those big pairs of shoes and they were impossible. It is an art form. You have to practise for months in those and I haven’t had that opportunity.”
As promised there was also some comedy, including a gag that had Madonna asking: “What’s six inches long, has a big head and makes the girls go crazy?”
The answer was a hundred-dollar bill.
Madonna also performed a set list of fan favourites, including Don’t Tell Me, I’m So Stupid and Nobody’s Perfect, as well as a cover of Elliot Smith’s Between the Bars.
The star will end her Rebel Heart tour with shows in Brisbane and Sydney next week.
Read more at The Sun
Madonna’s intimate Melbourne show Tears of A Clown a unique confessional
Good things come to those who wait. For Madonna’s Australian fans it’s been a long time between drinks, with the global superstar setting foot Down Under for the first time in 23 years.
Her choice of venue – Melbourne’s historic Forum – was inspired, and her crew lit up the grand old dame in a way that showcased all her delicate charms in a way I can’t recall any other act having ever done.
After all that time, a few extra hours spent waiting around outside (and around the corner and down the side laneway) didn’t seem to dull her loyalists’ spirits. Quite the opposite: they used the time to sing medleys of their idol’s tracks until the doors opened late on Thursday night.
In the end they got almost two hours up close and personal with Madonna. For the queen of self-control, it was an open, at times even vulnerable insight into her persona. She seemed relaxed, drinking Cosmopolitans as she spoke at length between songs.
She made her entrance on a tiny tricycle, dressed in a clown-like outfit of yellow swing tunic and pink and white striped stockings, topped with a pink wig and a white top hat perched askew, she launched into Stephen Sondheim’s melancholy Send In The Clowns.
The Tears of a Clown show, a reward for fans who had waited more than two decades for her to return, was a combination of relaxed insight, frank reflection and some seriously daggy gags.
Her set was largely a roll call of her lesser known songs mixed with bona fide hits, some in an almost unrecognisable arrangement.
Substitute for Love was followed with a cover of Elliott Smith’s Between the Bars and a few more recognisable tracks, including Tell Me and Borderline, and a ukulele version of her 1980s smash hit Holiday for the encore.
She dedicated her song Intervention to her 15-year-old son Rocco, who is the subject of custody negotiations with her former husband Guy Ritchie. She also discussed her father at length and paid tribute to her late mother.
Performing with a fairly subdued backing band, Madonna fluffed a few songs, but warned the audience they were viewing a rehearsal, yet for what was not entirely clear
“This is some brand spankin’ new shit,” she told the audience. “I hope you like it raw. It’s rough as f—.”
Madonna plays Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Saturday and Sunday, Brisbane Entertainment Centre on March 16 and 17, and Sydney’s Allphones Arena on March 19 and 20.
Read more at TheAge
Madonna Dons Clown Outfit For Completely Bizarre Club Show In Australia
Madonna had a special treat in store for a select few of her Australian fans, returning to the stage Down Under for the first time in over 20 years.
And by a “special treat”, we mean a one-off show which saw her dressing up as a clown to perform a string of her lesser-known classics, incorporated with stand-up comedy and revealing details about her personal life.
The pop diva has returned to Australia after a 23-year absence, and to apologise to her Aussie fans for making them wait so long, she gave a special performance like nothing she’s ever done before in the form of her ‘Tears Of A Clown’ show.
Billed as a night of comedy and performance, she ditched her big hits like ‘Like A Prayer’, ‘Vogue’ and ‘Hung Up’, in lieu of slightly more niche album tracks like ‘Mer Girl’, ‘X-Static Process’, ‘Joan Of Arc’ and a cover (admittedly a pretty ropey one) of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Send In The Clowns’.
Madonna took to the stage just shy of four hours late, with fans having been queuing up outside for the intimate club gig all night, but judging from the cheers that erupted when she hit the stage in full clown regalia, the wait didn’t seem to be too much of an issue.
In one of the night’s more touching moments, she also got teary while discussing the ongoing custody issues surrounding her son, Rocco Ritchie, who is now living with his father, Guy Ritchie, in London, rather than with her in New York.
Admitting she missed her son, she then launched into a performance of deep cut ‘Intervention’, singing: “I know that love will keep us together, I know, I know there is nothing to fear, I know that love will take us away from here.”
One minute she’s riding a tiny bicycle around the stage and squeezing a comedy horn, the next she’s in bits singing a ballad for her estranged son. All in a day’s work for Madonna, eh?
On Saturday night, it’s business as usual for the Material Girl, who resumes her ‘Rebel Heart’ tour with a gig in Melbourne, before going on to Brisbane and Sydney, where her six-month world jaunt comes to an end.
Read more at Huffington Post
MADONNA PERFORMS RARE HITS AND STAND-UP COMEDY IN ‘TEARS OF A CLOWN’ SHOW
The Queen of Pop has played an intimate gig in Melbourne unlike any other.
Madonna has taken a break from her Rebel Heart Tour schedule and treated some lucky Australian fans to a gig unlike any other she’s performed throughout her four decade-long career.
The Queen of Pop took to the stage at The Forum in Melbourne today (March 10) for her eagerly-anticipated ‘Tears of a Clown’ show – an intimate, off-kilter gig consisting off rarities, little-performed classics and even stand-up comedy.
The show, which is being filmed and included on the Rebel Heart Tour DVD, saw the 57-year-old dressed in a billowing clown costume and enter the stage on a tricycle to the delight of fans, some of whom had camped outside the venue for three days to ensure their spot stage-side, news.com.au reports.
Performed tracks included ‘Drowned World/Substitute for Love’ from 1998’s Ray of Light, ‘I’m So Stupid’ and ‘Intervention’ from 2003’s American Life, ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ and ‘Don’t Tell Me’ from 2000s Music, ‘Borderline’ and ‘Holiday’ from her self-titled 1983 debut album, ‘Love Spent’ from 2012’s MDNA, ‘Joan of Arc’ from last year’s Rebel Heart, ‘Take a Bow’ from 1994’s Bedtime Stories – which received only its second live outing in two decades.
In an emotionally-charged set, Madge dedicated the track ‘Intervention’ to her recently estranged son Rocco, just days after she choked up on stage while broaching the topic of the 15-year-old’s recent decision to move to the UK to be with his father, British director Guy Ritchie.
Posting on Instagram on Tuesday (March 8), the star admitted that part of her motivation for the show was as a thank you to her Australian fans, who have waited for her to tour there for 23 years.
There are just six dates left on Madonna’s ‘Rebel Heart World Tour’, which will come to an end in Sydney on March 20 after six months on the road.
Read more at Attitude.co.uk
Madonna performs intimate Tears Of A Clown show in Australia
Madonna has performed in Australia for the first time in 23 years with a one-off comedy and music show called Tears Of A Clown.
Australian fans of Madonna have had a while to wait for the singer to return to Oz, and she kept them waiting even longer after appearing on stage nearly four hours behind the scheduled time.
Tickets for the show could only be won through Madonna’s fan club or Rebel Heart tour sponsor Telstra, and names were printed on tickets to stop them being sold on by scalpers.
The show was a global one-off and included comedy routines as well as a setlist of lesser-known, fan-favourite tracks from the star, who warned concert-goers “don’t expect a polished performance.”
Madonna teased the intimate show earlier this week with a preview of her clown costume, matching the circus theme of the Tears Of A Clown show, and a photo from rehearsals.
The show was a global one-off and included comedy routines as well as a setlist of lesser-known, fan-favourite tracks from the star, who warned concert-goers “don’t expect a polished performance.”
Madonna teased the intimate show earlier this week with a preview of her clown costume, matching the circus theme of the Tears Of A Clown show, and a photo from rehearsals.
Luckily for fans overseas, social media has been ripe with content from the show, where the star performed an appropriate cover of Judy Collins’ Send In The Clown and later Elliot Smith’s Between The Bars.
Other songs from the set list included hit singles Borderline, Don’t Tell Me, and Holiday, as well as more obscure choices such as Easy Ride, I’m So Stupid, and X-Static Process.
The singer made one of the most bizarre entrances of her career, arriving on stage on a miniature comedy clown bicycle and riding around while waving to fans.
A number of celebrity guests are reported to be in attendance, including Kylie Minogue, Dawn French, and Jodie Harsh, who shared a video of the singer performing one of her less commercial songs, Nobody’s Perfect.
Madonna also dedicated her American Life album track Intervention to her son Rocco, who is currently caught up in acustody battle between the star and her ex-husband Guy Richie.
If the jealousy is starting to take over, don’t worry, as Madonna announced that the show would be recorded, meaning a TV airing or DVD release is highly likely.
Check out the full set list below.
01 Send In The Clowns (Judy Collins cover)
02 Drowned World/Substitute For Love
03 X-Static Process
04 Between The Bars (Elliot Smith cover)
05 Nobody’s Perfect
06 Easy Ride
07 Intervention
08 I’m So Stupid
09 Paradise (Not For Me)
10 Joan Of Arc
11 Don’t Tell Me
12 Mer Girl
13 Borderline
14 Take A Bow
15 Holiday
Madonna will now continue on to regular shows in Australian cities Brisbane and Sydney next week, where the Rebel Heart world tour will end.
For more information on tour dates and tickets, visit madonna.com/tour
See more at GayTimes.co.uk
Madonna plays gig dressed as a clown and rides a child’s tricycle for ‘Tears of a Clown’ show
Madonna has surprised fans by taking to the stage in Australia dressed as a clown.
The singer is currently down under for the final leg of her globe-trotting ‘Rebel Heart Tour’, which usually plays in large-capacity arena venues. At the last minute, she added a bonus show in a more intimate space, Melbourne’s Forum Theatre, and dubbed the one-off performance ‘Tears of a Clown’.
The stripped down gig, streamed live on Periscope, began with Madonna riding a child’s tricycle on stage before she opened the show with a rendition of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Send in the Clowns’.
She also tested out her stand-up comedy skills with a series of risqué jokes and took the opportunity to defend her controversial fashion sense. “If you have a problem with jewellery in my mouth, there’s the door,” Madonna told the crowd between songs.
Later, she dedicated the song ‘Intervention’ to her son Rocco and performed it in front a projection of his face. The 15-year-old is currently living with his father, Madonna’s ex-husband Guy Ritchie, and a New York judge has urged them to resolve their ongoing custody battle for Rocco’s sake.
The show’s setlist was also filled with surprises. Madonna left out her biggest hits in favour of performing a cover of Elliott Smith’s ‘Between the Bars’ and deep cuts from her extensive back catalogue including ‘Paradise (Not for Me)’, ‘I’m So Stupid’, ‘Joan of Arc’, ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ and ‘Mer Girl’.
Read more at The Independent
Madonna Tears Of A Clown intimate concert for fans at the Forum in Melbourne
The Queen of Pop wowed fans with an intimate two-hour show at the Forum in Melbourne, peppering emotional renditions of her hits with cheeky jokes and banter.
The 57-year-old opened her Tears of a Clown show with a series of jokes before performing Drowned World/Substitute for Love from her 1998 album Ray of Light.
Wearing an extravagant clown outfit, with a billowing yellow top and pink and white striped socks, the mum-of-four also rode a tiny tricycle around the stage to the delight of superfans.
An emotional Madonna later surprised fans by dedicating her song Intervention to her teenage son Rocco who refuses to move back to New York to live with her. She also stunned by belting out Borderline and Take a Bow — songs she has rarely performed live.
One of the most important information in this article is this statement:
Earlier tonight Madonna announced that her Tears of a Clown show would be filmed and included on the Rebel Heart Tour DVD.
Full article HERE
Tears Of A Clown – full setlist
Madonna surprised everyone by singing nothing but gems, songs that haven’t been performed in a long time or had never been performed live before. A true treat for fans.
1. Send In The Clowns (Judy Collins cover)
2. Drowned World/Substitute For Love
3. X-Static Process
4. Between The Bars (Elliot Smith cover)
5. Nobody’s Perfect
6. Easy Ride
7. Intervention
8. I’m So Stupid
9. Paradise (Not For Me)
10. Joan of Arc
11. Don’t Tell Me
12. Mer Girl
13. Borderline
14. Take A Bow
15. Holiday
Madonna Tears Of A Clown intimate concert for fans at the Forum in Melbourne
Fans wait outside The Forum theatre in Melbourne for tonight’s Madonna invite-only performance. Picture: Andrew Henshaw
AS the rain pelts down on Madonna’s most diehard fans, who have waited 23 years for her to visit, her manager came out and gave them a message.
Guy Oseary told the soaking fans, many who had camped overnight at the Forum theatre in Melbourne since Monday, that the doors would not be open before 10.30pm and the pop singer would most likely not be on stage before 11.30pm. The doors were meant to open at 8.30pm.
Queues stretched up Hosier Lane into Flinders Lane.
Diehard fans brave the rain for the Madonna concert, with doors now not open before 10.30pm. Picture: Cameron Adams / TwitterSource:Twitter
The fans at the intimate Forum could only win tickets via Madonna’s fan club or through Rebel Heart tour sponsor Telstra.
Names have been printed on tickets to stop the money-can’t-buy tickets being scalped.
Earlier tonight Madonna announced that her Tears of a Clown show would be filmed.
She was reportedly spotted dining at Il Solito Posto.
At a rehearsal overnight in the Hisense Arena she performed the following songs: I’m So Stupid, Nobody’s Perfect, Don’t Tell Me, Borderline, Love Spent, Joan of Arc, Take a Bow and Holiday.
Madonna rehearsing for her Tears Of A Clown theatre show for fans. Picture: Guy Oseary / InstagramSource:Supplied
Madonna has posted photos of her dressed as a clown on her social media, as well as a video of her riding a tiny bicycle in clown shoes. Sources say the video was shot in New Zealand not Melbourne.
THE TRUTH: WHEN MOLLY FIRST MET MADONNA
The show is a global one-off and is expected to also include Madonna’s comedy routines.
Madonna will perform at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday and Sunday before moving to Brisbane and Sydney next week, where the Rebel Heart world tour will end.
More at News.com.au