| |
|
| |
| |
 |
| A
long time dream come true for one of the
most successful artists and cultural innovators
of our time |
|
| this
appearance marks The Material GIrl's concert
debut in Russia |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
| |
 |
|
Madonna arrives in Moscow for show |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Madonna smiles as she arrives in a hotel,
Moscow, Monday Sept. 11, 2006. A long-awaited
concert in Moscow by Madonna had become
mired in security concerns. After negotiations
_ spiced up by protests against the singer
performing anywhere in the city _ an agreement
was struck Monday for the show to be held
Sept. 12 at the Luzhniki stadium. (AP Photo/Dmitry
Lovetsky) |
|
|
| |
People take photos of Madonna as she arrives
in a hotel, Moscow, Monday Sept. 11, 2006.
A long-awaited concert in Moscow by Madonna
had become mired in security concerns. After
negotiations _ spiced up by protests against
the singer performing anywhere in the city
_ an agreement was struck Monday for the
show to be held Sept. 12 at the Luzhniki
stadium. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
|
|
|
| |
|
Madonna
waves to fans upon her arrival at the Vnukovo
airport in Moscow September 11, 2006. REUTERS/Sergei
Maltsev. |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Even for a performer who courts controversy,
Madonna's Tuesday gig in Moscow has been
notably contentious. The city didn't like
the planned venue, other critics said her
original plan to perform on Sept. 11 was
disrespectful to the victims of the U.S.
terror attacks five years ago, and officials
of Russia's two largest religions didn't
care for her performing anytime and anywhere.
But for tens of thousands of Muscovites,
her show is one of the most exciting events
of the year's cultural calendar, a sold-out
blowout to end the summer. TV cameras staked
out Moscow's airports for her arrival Monday
afternoon, which was a bit short on her
trademark glamor: Madonna was covered in
a long black coat with a fur collar, apparently
a concession to the city's coolish weather.
The temperature is expected to be around
52 degrees for the show at Luzhniki Stadium,
but the performance is expected to contain
plenty for hot dispute particularly the
planned ending when Madonna sings while
suspended from a cross.
That segment is at the heart of religious'
groups objections to Madonna's show.
"This lady has been glorifying human
passions with the help of religious symbols
for years crosses, statues and beads. Now
she thinks it is time for her to crucify
herself in public. It means the singer is
in need of spiritual help," Father
Vsevolod Chaplin, a spokesman for the Russian
Orthodox Church, was quoted as saying by
the Pravda news Web site.
Damir Gizatullin, deputy head of Russia's
Council of Muftis, said Muslims object to
her performance because they offend both
Christians and Muslims. "This is in
conflict with the traditions of our people,"
he said, according to the business daily
Kommersant.
Several small protests against the upcoming
concert have taken place in the past few
weeks, mostly by devout Russian Orthodox
believers.
Madonna originally planned to perform at
Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills), a scenic
expanse on the heights just south of the
Moscow River framed by the soaring tower
of Moscow State University.
That fell through when police said they
couldn't ensure security in such a sprawling
area and when officials objected to the
promoters' reported demand university students
keep their dormitory windows closed in order
not to get a free show.
City authorities pushed for the concert
to be held at Tushino Airfield, the site
of many outdoor rock extravaganzas. However,
Tushino is charmless at best and its security
image is shadowed by the 2003 double suicide
bombing at a concert there that killed 14
spectators.
Eventually, the sides compromised on Luzhniki,
a relatively easy site to police because
of its location at the tip of a horseshoe
bend in the Moscow River.
Police on Monday promised extensive security
measures for the more than 50,000 ticketholders.
including passing each of them through metal
detectors and package inspection points.
In all, some 7,000 police will be on duty
for the concert, about half of them at the
stadium or in the immediate area, city police
spokesman Yevgeny Gildeyev said Monday,
according to the ITAR-Tass news agency.
"We hope that the spectators will react
to this with understanding, and will fulfill
all demands of the police and behave correctly,"
he was quoted as saying.
Just in case they don't buses with some
600 members of the OMON riot police force
are to be on hand outside the stadium, reports
said. |
|
|
| |
Source:
The Insider Online - USA |
|
|
| |
Here is the official
press release about the Moscow tour date,
venue and prices
MADONNA`S CONFESSIONS TOUR PLAYS MOSCOW
SEPTEMBER 11TH – VOROBIEVY GORY
TICKETS ON SALE - TUESDAY, AUGUST 8TH
New York City... For immediate release: Madonna's
Confessions Tour which has already been seen
by well over half a million US fans and received
critical raves around the world is headed
to Russia's Vorobievy Gory in Moscow on September
11th. A long time dream come true for one
of the most successful artists and cultural
innovators of our time, this appearance marks
The Material GIrl's concert debut in Russia.
The September 11th performance follows the
opening of the European leg of her tour in
Cardiff on July 30th, eight sold out shows
in London's Wembley Arena and additional stops
in Germany, Denmark, France, Holland and the
Czech Republic.
"A spectacle of epic proportions. The
best Madonna tour since Blonde Ambition"
raved the UK's Attitude Magazine after seeing
Madonna's most recent spectacle. "Still
at her controversial best. Yes, Madonna IS
the queen of pop" echoed London's The
Sun newspaper.
The multi-Grammy award winning artist has
made musical history many times over. In the
UK alone, Madonna is the most successful female
artist in UK Chart history with a staggering
60 Top Ten singles and 9 Number 1 albums.
A video visionary and children's book author,
Madonna has an unrivaled reputation for astonishing
stage spectacles. Her current CD "Confessions
on a Dance Floor" debuted at No. 1 in
29 countries and she has sold over 200 million
albums.
The Moscow performance is sponsored by H&M
and Beeline. Alexander Izosimov, CEO of VImpelCom
(Beeline Trademark) commented, "This
show is the beginning of Beeline's long-term
music projects with further details to be
announced shortly. The vision of our company
is to provide our clients with the best. Madonna
is the brightest light in the music world.
We admire her work, her many talents and her
ability to continue to create new and exciting
music. She is No. 1 on the world stage. We
are happy that the dream of Russians to see
the star live on stage is coming true."
The Confessions Tour, directed by Jamie King,
features long time Madonna collaborator and
coproducer Stuart Price as Musical Director.
The show's costumes are created by fashion
icon Jean Paul Gaultier and Arianne Phillips.
The unique stage which includes three runways
that stretch out into the audience for Madonna
and her troupe of stunning dancers also includes
state of the art sound and video screens and
a moving turntable stage.
Madonna tickets for the September 11th performance
at Vorobievy Gory will go on sale Tuesday,
August 8th, via www.ticketpro.ru,
by phone in Moscow dialing 648 61 61 and
in Saint-Petersburg dialing 448 61 61 as well
as in outlets located in Moscow.
Madonna Confession Tour is produced and promoted
by The Next Adventure (A Live Nation Company)
in association with LNCEE and NCA. |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
LUZHNIKI
STADIUM
Luzhnetskaya
nab. 24
119048 Moscow, RU
Tue, Sep 12, 2006 08:00 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
