The news was supposed to be that Lady Gaga was the first performer in a series of September concerts as part of the iTunes Festival. The pop star made the story all about herself however, performing a total of eight tracks off of her forthcoming "ARTPOP" album.
Gaga played her show at a venue a tad more intimate than her usual arena stops, at The Roundhouse in London, a venue that holds around 5,000. Fortunately for fans, that didn't have any effect on the star's renowned stage show.
The opening track didn't have a name (or at least one wasn't given), but Gaga already had a full aesthetic planned out. She appeared in a cage, wearing a Hannibal Lecter-style mask over her face as she sang. Another track, titled "Swine," involved performers wearing pig masks and astronaut costumes as they flew around the stage in cable-assisted acrobatics.
When Gaga didn't have dramatic costumes to aid the epic element of her performance, she brought on guest stars. Rappers Too Short and Twista came onstage to take part in new track "Drugs and Jewels." T.I. is also featured in the song, but his voice was merely played through the speakers. Maybe when Gaga brings her "ARTPOP Ball" (warning: completely hypothetical tour name) tour to Atlanta?
For anyone who's seen Gaga perform in concert, perhaps none of these descriptions is particularly surprising. She went the opposite direction at one point however, removing a wig to reveal her real hair, and shared an intimate moment with the crowd, discussing her childhood. She ended the show with "Applause," the first single released from the album.
More concerts will continue as part of the iTunes Festival throughout the month, including Elton John on September 12 and Justin Timberlake on September 29.
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
