Lady Gaga returned to Perth with her brand new ArtRave, the ARTPOP Ball show which was filled with crazy costumes, energetic performances and a serious party vibe.
Unlike Gaga’s last visit on the ‘Born This Way Ball’ tour, this show was not bogged down with obscure story lines, characters and cumbersome castles.
This was show that focused on the essence of Lady Gaga’s appeal – it was a wild a crazy unpredictable party.
The set was a mash of igloos and a style reminiscent of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. A collections of catwalks and platforms that extended out over the audience, sprawling over the heads of the die hard fans in the standing area. Far out from the stage, a piano encased in columns of ice allowed Lady Gaga to be right in the centre of the auditorium. Canons shot mountains of confetti into the air turning the Perth Arena in a giant snow dome.
During the show the singer commented that there had been suggestions that she should maybe only bring 30% of the set to Australia due to the high cost of freight but Gaga proclaimed that her fans deserved the whole show. This is a set that makes a new bench mark for live tours, in retrospect Kylie Minogue’s ‘Splash Zone’ and fountains growing out of the stage now seems passe.
The show may have been heavy with songs from Gaga’s ‘not as successful’ recent album, but for the fans this didn’t matter, they knew all the words to sing-a-long.
Opening up with ‘Artpop’, the singer and her 12 backing dancers quickly delivered the hit ‘G.U.Y’ before heading into ‘Donatella’ and ‘Venus’. Lady Gaga was here to tell us that even if her recent release was not her most popular, she was going give it everything she had. Between songs when chatting to the crowd the singer was gasping for breaths having delivered full throtle dance routines and powerful vocals.
Zipping across the see-through catwalks with her troupe of oddball performers behind her the singer quickly morphed through a variety of wigs and costumes, showcasing the central premise of her artistic product, it’s all about change, transforming and challenging.
There were so many costume changes, beginning in a blonde bob wig with a giant blue ball in her abdomen, she soon transformed into a minuscule g-string and clam shell top teamed with a mane of wild and crazy hair, she returned as an octopus, tentacles flying everywhere, these were later removed to reveal a pink polka dot costume, later she changed into a black latex number and eventually she does a costume change on stage donning a day-glo and plastic outfit. Later she appears in a long white wig, and flowing white dress.
During the quieter moments of the show when Gaga was alone on the stage, just simply playing the piano and showcasing that unlike many miming artists, she really can sing – the show tapped into a style of performance harking back to the long traditions of cabaret and chanteuse, updated for the iPod generation.
At the conclusion of her solo performance of ‘Dope’ Gaga gave a shout out to singer Adam Lambert who was in the auditorium and brought the lights up to pay respect to Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor who sitting near the sound desk.
There were moments of disappointment though, the huge anthem of ‘Born This Way’ was performed as a piano ballad, and while the different take on the song was poignant, you couldn’t help wishing for a full throttle delivery of the powerful song. Some of Gaga’s other hits were also only performed as snippets, an odd decision giving the popularity of some tunes like ‘Edge of Glory’.
The singers big hit from early in her career were performed in a melody, ripping through ‘Poker Face’, ‘Just Dance’ and ‘Telephone’ the energetic performance created an exciting vibe across the audience. The collection of older songs reminded us that Gaga has been around for some time now and is building up a solid catalog of hits, more than most of her contemporaries.
Unlike her last tour this presentation seemed more accessible, more fun! Gaga took a moment to read out a letter a fan threw on stage, in the letter Olivia explained how much the singer’s work meant to her. During the show Lady Gaga regularly spoke to the audience, encouraging everyone to get out of their seats and go crazy. She promoted her ideals of creativity, embracing diversity and fighting against conformity.
At the end of the show you left with a new appreciation of many of Gaga’s songs, the joy of a shared experience and a lingering thought on whether you could go into the office the next morning dressed as an Octopus.
Graeme Watson
Image: Lady Gaga at Perth Arena, Wednesday August 20 2014, byPaul Kane (Getty Images)
