Manila, you are f*cking free Lady Gaga
- Published on 25 May 2012
- Hits: 3,628
- Written by ED UY STAFF WRITER
Self-expression reigns at The Born This Way Ball
Since her arrival, it seemed everyone wanted to teach Lady Gaga a lesson. But after her two-day Born This Way Ball concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, it was the pop icon who taught her critics a thing or two about tolerance and self-expression, without shortchanging her fans to a truly unforgettable spectacle.
With two critically acclaimed and commercially accomplished world tours, Lady Gaga showcased her mastery in the art of live performances as she brought together her flair for drama and theater, and seamlessly integrated it into her song and dance numbers.
German electronic musician DJ Zedd opened the show with a house mix of popular songs, such as Adeles Rolling in the Deep and Gotyes Somebody that I Used to Know, fusing them with what sounded like videogame theme songs.
A little past 9 p.m., the lights of the SM Arena dimmed out and the curtain was raised to reveal a three-story high medieval castle, which Lady Gaga would later introduce as her ! Kingdom of Fame.
The deafening beats and screams of thousands of fans in the sold out venue greeted a procession march of dancers before Mother Monster (as her little monster fans call her) made her grand entrance riding a unicorn to center stage for her opening song Highway Unicorn (Road to Love). From her high horse, she transitioned to a very provocative performance of Government Hooker clad in an alien-like costume gyrating and spreading her legs on top of a table.
With the audience now hooked, Gagas surprising follow up was the tours titular hit Born This Way, reenacting birth by emerging from between an enormous pair of inflatable legsand as expected, it was one of the most applauded numbers.
Up next was Black Jesus Amen Fashion, a pop song, which draws influences from electronic and club music, and also noted to contain elements of techno and New Wave. This time Gaga shared the spotlight with an African-American dancer who interpreted the lyrics, which may seem controversial, but actually refers to the fashion scene and New York City.
For her next song, Lady Gaga wore what many saw as a Filipiniana-looking gown, floating across the stage to sing Bloody Mary, before getting everyone up on their feet with Bad Romance, another one of her biggest hits.
Barely half an hour into the show, Lady Gaga, further heightened the excitement as she introduced the most controversial song of the tour. Oh, you like this song. . . stay with me! Hands uphigher! she screamed to the crowd as soon as the opening riffs of Judas began.
Hours before the second concert, Lady Gaga had tweeted about performing the song and acknowledged that the song may get her thrown in jail in Manila.
Dont worry, if I get thrown in jail in Manila, Beyonce will just bail me out. Sold out night, [two] in the Philippines. I love it here, she tweeted.
Her performance of the song, however, made it clear, that while her antics were provocative and sexual, her mechanical dance movements somehow made sure it! never b ordered on being sacrilegious purely staged for entertainment.
The second act kicked off with Fashion of his Love, a musical tribute to the late Alexander McQueenGagas favorite designerand turned the otherwise gothic feel of the show into a club scene. This was followed by her first hit singles Just Dance, Love Game, and Telephone.
Act III again slowed things up a bit with Heavy Metal Lover where Lady Gaga transforms into a motorcycle, (similar to the cover image of her Born This Way album) and accommodates a very eager female driver who gyrates her hips to start the gagacycle.
The images, again, are not for kids, but Gaga was able to eclipse any possible outrage after asking the audience to sing Happy Birthday to two of her dancers after singing Bad Kids.
Then came the most emotional part of the night as Lady Gaga reached out to the audience and spoke about the protests and her stance on homosexuality.
People need to be free of who they are and to be proud, feel valued, she said before segueing to a piano version of her song, Hair, which has become an anthem to many of her gay fans.
After a touching performance, which brought tears to a lot of little monsters in the audience, she transitioned to another new hit You and I, and began Act IV.
Just like the second act, Lady Gaga again changed the mood with a string of dance hits such as Poker Face, Alejandro and Paparazzi, followed by Electric Chapel and Americano, where she wore her infamous meat gown.
What followed next is a string of energetic performances of her biggest hits Poker Face, Alejandro eased in by a back-to-back number of Born This Way tracks Electric Chapel and Americano, where she donned her infamous meat dress; before ending the show with Paparazzi and Scheie.
She ended the concert boldly declaring: Manila, you f*cking are free!
But as usual, fans clamored for an encore and they were not disappointed when Lady Gaga reappeared on stage to perform two of the biggest hits of her new ! album. S he first showed her vocal prowess as she began with an acoustic version of Edge of Glory, before doing a dance duet with a male dancer near the very edge of her gothic castle. The final song was a very memorable rendition of Marry the Night.
Talent, passion, artistryAlthough no one doubts the pop stars abilities, many will agree that Lady Gaga is not the best singer/songwriter or dancer out there. But when it comes to her performances, the sheer talent and passion she bringswhether it is singing, dancing, playing the guitar or piano, is simply incomparable.
Lady Gaga sang a total of 22 songs, a feat made more impressive as most of the songs required her to keep up with her dancers, perform stunts and in one instance go head first into a meat grinder.
Throughout the almost two hour concert, Mother Monster also showed off her monstrous energy levels as she was never offstage long enough except for those quick and numerous costume change.
Filipinos are no strangers to grand set designs of international artists but nothing comes close to Gagas majestic Kingdom of Fame stage.
Designed by the Haus of Gaga, the three-story high Gothic castle is perhaps one of the biggest stages ever built and featured viewing towers, intricate carvings and several moving platforms. The castle also opened and closed like a dollhouse, with each room housing a member of her band.
In the past, Lady Gaga has helped a few Filipinos achieve international stardom either directly or through her song. Who could forget Charice, as she sang Telephone on Glee, or how Lady Gaga introduced Maria Aragon to the world?
In this tour, she proudly introduced Filipino guitarist Ricky Tillo, who has been with her since 2009.
Setting the standardAs the inaugural show of the newly constructed Mall of Asia Arena, Lady Gagas Born This Way Tour has set a very high standard for succeeding performances in the venue.
The latest and biggest venture to rise at the MOA complex, the 64,085 sq. m. Arena is fig! urativel y and quite literally an architectural eyecon. The distinctive eye-shaped faade symbolizes the MOA Arenas promise of delivering top-notch entertainment to its audience.
According to Edgar C. Tejerero, senior vice president of West Avenue Theatres Corporation, the aesthetics of the MOA Arena were thoroughly conceptualized and the details of the construction, well studied. Apart from its vision to promote local talents, Tejerero added that with the MOA Arena in the complex grounds, it is a hope that Manila will soon become a choice of promoters and tourist destination for entertainment and sporting events.
The Arena is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and world-class facilities, and can accommodate a full-house capacity of 20,000. It is also the first events venue in Southeast Asia to introduce corporate suites private deluxe rooms, furnished with its own restroom, a mini bar, comfortable furnishings and a glass-paneled viewing deck complete with plush theater seats.
After Lady Gagas concerts, boy band sensations the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block will grace the Arena in June followed by Billboard chart toppers Edwin McCaine, The Fray and Taylor Dayne, while world-renowned Cirque du Soleil will perform in August.
For schedules and more information visit www.mallofasia-arena.com; www.smtickets.com or call (02) 470-2222.