Drowned World Tour
Encyclopedia
The Drowned World Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna
in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums Ray of Light
and Music
. It was also her first tour in eight years, following The Girlie Show World Tour in 1993. The tour was supposed to start in 1999, but was delayed until 2001 as Madonna gave birth to her son, got married to Guy Ritchie
, was working on her Music
album and was busy filming. When the tour was decided, Madonna appointed Jamie King
as choreographer and the tour was planned in a short timespan of three months, including signing up the dancers, musicians and technicians. Designer Jean-Paul Gaultier
was the costume designer who designed the costumes in such way that they indicated different phases of Madonna's career. The poster and logo for the tour included references to Kabbalah
, which Madonna studied.
The show was divided into five segments, namely Neo-Punk, Geisha/Anime, Country/Western, Latin/Gypsy and Urban/Pimp. The setlist consisted mainly of songs from the last two studio albums released at that point, with two pre-90s song added. The first segment displayed high-energy performances with Madonna wearing a kilt and dominatrix style costumes. In the geisha segment performances Madonna wore a kimono and later performed airborne martial arts. Acoustic songs were performed in the country segment which featured Madonna in cowboy costumes. The Latin segment featured flamenco dancing and the last segment featured ghetto-themed performances. Drowned World Tour was critically appreciated from contemporary critics who complimented her ability to re-invent continuously.
The tour was a commercial success. It went on to become the highest-grossing concert tour of 2001 by a solo artist. She grossed more than US $75 million with summer sold-out shows and eventually played in front of 730,000 audience throughout the United States
and Europe
. It received Major Tour of the Year and Most Creative Stage Production awards nominations at the 2001 Pollstar awards
, but lost them to U2. The concert was broadcast live on HBO from The Palace of Auburn Hills
in Auburn Hills, Michigan
on August 26, 2001. A DVD titled Drowned World Tour 2001
was released in November 2001.
(1998), Madonna stated in a live interview with Larry King
on January 19, 1999 that "I am going to do a movie in April; The Next Best Thing
, and then I am going to rehearse to go on tour. And then I'll probably play up until the millennium, New Year's Eve." The tour was delayed until 2001, as she had, in her own words, "been distracted by having children and filming movies". She also began a serious relationship with Guy Ritchie
in 1999. By 2000, she had become pregnant with her son Rocco Ritchie, released her eighth studio album Music
that year, and married Ritchie in December 2000. When Madonna finally decided to go on the tour, time was short and she had to prepare the show within three months. Auditioning for the dancers started around March 2001. Jamie King
was signed up as the creative director and the choreographer of the show. King said in an interview that the tour "was so hectic that I suffered from depressions and fell considerably ill." Rehearsals continued for thirteen hours a day, five days a week, with more and more dancers joining for the show. In the end, ten dancers and two backup singers were used. Madonna had her guitarist Monte Pittman
teach her to play the instrument, and she played both acoustic and electric guitar live in the show. French house music
expert Stuart Price
, who had worked with Madonna on her album Music, was signed as bassist
and keyboards
player. Clair Brothers Audio support was roped in for providing a mixture of high-tech techno sound and fusion of acoustic and trance. Madonna released a statement saying,
The Drowned World Tour was originally scheduled to begin with two shows in the Kölnarena
in Cologne, Germany but both concerts had to be canceled due to technical difficulties. As a result, 35,000 tickets were refunded. Her August 3 show at the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey was also cancelled, this time due to illness. Therefore, total tour dates numbered forty-seven instead of fifty.
, geisha
, cowboy
, Latin
and ghetto
. Each segment represented a phase of Madonna's career. Madonna's publicist Liz rosenberg announced that the tour was designed as the grandest spectacle amongst all the other Madonna tours. Designer Jean-Paul Gaultier
was signed up to create the costumes for the tour. He came up with the concept of creating the costumes of the tour as a fusion of punk and Scottish fashions. Other costumes designed by Gaultier had geisha
, cowboy
and Spanish themes in them. Other designers associated with the tour included Dean and Dan Caten
, creaters of the DSquared2 fashion line. The dresses developed included a torn shirt and zippered black pants, indicating the early days of her career, and leather chapped jeans and ghetto fabulous costumes, indicating the phase of her career at that point of time. Black wigs and white makeup would demonstrate the Ray of Light and the geisha themes. A hybrid of clothes from the music video of the Madonna song "La Isla Bonita
" (1987) and the 1996 Madonna starring musical Evita
were also created. The setlist for the show consisted mainly of songs from the last two studio albums Ray of Light and Music. Among her old hits, only "Holiday
" and "La Isla Bonita
" were added to the set list. Dave Kob, FOH
engineer for the tour, commented that,
The stage was as huge as a tennis court and was made movable. Above the stage was a vast electrical grid, composed of truss
sections, chain motors
, cabling
and the control devices
that linked electronically or mechanically with the performances happening below. Four gigantic video monitors formed the backdrop of the stage. Other equipments included a mechanical bull
and equipemnts for aerial movements. The sets were built in sections by three companies. A permanent crew of around hundred was hired. Monitor mixing was handled by four monitor engineers, with two of them for Madonna's monitors. Blake Suib, one of the engineers, commented that Madonna was a perfectionist and she knew when a sound, coming from the speakers, sounded bad or good during rehearsals. By the suggestion of music director Pat Leonard
, they tried out using 14 kHz of sound frequency in their live speakers, which was unusual to use at that point of time. Also they came up with the idea of using isolated amplifiers to pick up the sound of the instruments indivitually. Suib commented that "the creative process of coming up with new ideas, implementing them, and then soberly evaluating their results was time-consuming but worth it." The poster and the logo for the tour was developed by Chase Design Group. They wanted to make the logo as much aesthetic as possible. They developed a custom icon and logo type to convey the unique and ethereal qualities of Madonna's show, which was described by the group's founder Margo Chase as "a multilayered musical and spiritual journey through diverse worlds." Chase commened that since "Madonna is a student of Kabbalah, she requested that we include references to that body of knowledge." The resulting logo and poster, included both Arabic and Hebrew references. A number of designs were prepared by Chase and the one ultimately chosen by Madonna made it to the main poster of the show, which featured Madonna's face-shot from the "What It Feels Like for a Girl
" video shots.
"; Madonna entered amidst billows of dry ice, dressed in a sleeveless black top, crossover top with one net sleeve, jeans with zips and bondage straps, a studded dog collar and a tartan kilt. She performed the song standing on the middle platform of the stage. Afterwards a chaotic cyberpunk
-themed performance of "Impressive Instant" started, with dancers in gasmasks and headlights. She then played guitar for "Candy Perfume Girl", leading to the performance of "Beautiful Stranger
" featuring a lost stage technician. Backdrops displayed scenes from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
and psychedelic fluorescent whirls. The Punk section finished with "Ray of Light
" when Madonna danced energetically across the stage. The geisha
segment started with a video interlude of "Paradise (Not for Me)" and nearly naked dancers hanged upside down from the ceiling. As the video ended, the dancers stood in front of the stage opening their mouth which was lit from inside. Madonna appeared on the stage, wearing a hand-painted kimono
with fifty-two-feet long sleevespan, to sing "Frozen
". The backdrops display silhouettes of burning trees against racing, blood-red clouds. A short, intro of "Open Your Heart
" lead to "Nobody's Perfect" where Madonna was portrayed to be sacrificed for her sins. This was followed by "Mer Girl" which turned into the fast-action, ninja
/samurai
martial arts battle performance of "Sky Fits Heaven", transforming back into the slow-tempo "Mer Girl". This section was inspired by the Chinese film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
(2000). Madonna's battered and bruised face is shown in the backdrops as she emerged with a shotgun from the battle on stage and shot her dancer. As Madonna disappeared into the floor, a violent, sexually explicit Japanese animation dance remix interlude of "What It Feels Like for a Girl
" was shown, featuring footage from the Japanese Anime Film Perfect Blue
.
Madonna appeared as a cowgirl, wearing a stars and stripes vest, for an acoustic guitar performance of "I Deserve It" and dedicated it to her then husband Guy Ritchie
. This was followed by line dancing
with her dancers dressed as cowboys during "Don't Tell Me
" wear she accessorized herself with a racoon
's tail. For "Human Nature
", she rode a mechanical bull. After the performance, she sang a macabre themed song titled "The Funny Song". Next performed song was "Secret
", which featured scenes of riverside baptism
, Sufi dervish ceremonies and Buddhist prayers in the backdrops. She finished off the segment with "Gone", which was replaced with "You'll See
" on some select U.S. venues. Dancers started the Evita
tango
interlude of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina
". A number of candles were lit along the side of the stage. Madonna appeared in a half-dress and performed the Spanish version of "What it Feels Like For a Girl" titled "Lo Que Siente La Mujer". She finished the segment with an acoustic version of "La Isla Bonita
" accompanied by flamenco dancing. Madonna appeared on stage, in a halter D&G t-shirt that read "Mother" on the front and "F*cker" on the back and a fur coat, singing a mash-up
of Stardust
's "Music Sounds Better With You
" and "Holiday
". She and her entourage finished the show with a ghetto-themed "Music
", introduced by Ali G
, as her music video images flashed onscreen behind her. The song was mashed up with Kraftwerk
's song "Trans-Europe Express
". The phrase "The End" appeared on the backdrops, and signified the show was over.
Several changes were made to the final shows in Los Angeles after the September 11 attacks: Madonna wore an American flag kilt during the show's opening segment as a display of patriotism
, the closing of "Mer Girl" (part II) was altered to remove the staged shooting of a character; Madonna instead put the gun down, hugged him and they left the stage together. The macabre cannibalism-themed "Funny Song" was removed. Additionally, as a surprise for Madonna at the final concert date, her husband at the time, Guy Ritchie
, appeared as the lost technician at the end of "Beautiful Stranger", the Samurai during "Sky Fits Heaven" wore Los Angeles Lakers
jerseys. Also, all of the dancers joined in for the final dance section of "Holiday", which usually only featured Madonna and her two backing singers. During the New York City performance of "Secret", she dedicated the song to its inhabitants.
wrote that "music might make the world go round, but costumes and theatrics make it more fun. Nobody knows this better than the Material Girl." Michael Hubbard from MusicOMH
commented that "you'd struggle to find a better show than Drowned World and you'd find it difficult to find a mainstream artist who can command near-universal respect for anything like as long as this fine lady. One could almost judge the artist by what was left out [...] she displayed that temptress quality which has beguiled us for nearly two decades and that, combined with her exquisite music, is why Madonna is so special." Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
wrote: "Though her Cowgirl image is easily her least significant incarnation to date, Drowned World proves that Madonna is still unmatched in her ability to lift cultural iconography into the mainstream. [...] Those who thought Madonna hung up her handcuffs along with the notorious Sex book should look again closely. With its themes of chaos, dominance, and, ultimately, celebration, Madonna's Drowned World explores her ever-fervid intrigue with both imposed and pious restraint."
Simon Price from The Independent
said that the tour "is a triumph of hydraulics, bungee rope acrobatics and cutting-edge choreography." However, he felt that the setlist consisting of mainly current songs implied that Madonna was doing "a paranoid attempt to frame herself as part of the present and not the past? The irony here is that, given the ever-decreasing spirals of pop revivalism, in order to be truly contemporary, rather than eschewing her past, Madonna would need to be ripping herself off circa 1984." John McAlley from Entertainment Weekly
commented that the music was "loud, energetic, well-sung, and perhaps a little too often beside the point" and that "[it] struggle[d] to rise above its[the show's] theatrics." He added that one will be "awed by Madonna's palpable life force and intelligence. [...] There are plenty of reasons to bow at this artist's feat." Jon Pareles
of The New York Times
said that "through the concert, Madonna made a display of arrogance, tossing off profanities, striking tough postures and glaring more often than she smiled. She represents self-love backed by plenty of gym time and a whole troupe of devoted flunkies, all laboring to delight an audience she only seems to disdain. Music makes the people come together, she sang in the finale – together, that is, if Madonna is clearly in charge." Alexis Petridis
of The Guardian
felt that "with its perfect dance routines, special effects, devoted audience and hint of bullish arrogance, the Drowned World show befits the world's most famous woman."
himself attempted to book dates in Toronto
at the Air Canada Centre
between the Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, and Detroit dates, though no free bookings were available. In the end no dates were scheduled in Toronto, to the disappointment of many Canadian fans. Ticket sales were swift in London
on April 25, as Madonna sold out her dates at Earls Court Exhibition Centre
in record time - six shows in six hours. Madonna made history with the fastest-selling show ever at Earl's Court, as 97,000 tickets were sold. The first show sold out in just fifteen minutes, and the online ticket website took one million hits in the first ten minutes while thirty million attempts were made to phone Madonna hotlines. All dates of Madonna's Drowned World Tour sold out within minutes of going on sale. After the tour was over, industry reports presented that it earned $75 million in total, from forty-seven summer sold-out shows and eventually played in front of 730,000 people throughout North America
and Europe
, averaging at $1.6 million per show. Drowned World Tour became the highest-grossing concert tour of 2001 by a solo artist, as well as the fourth highest-grossing among all, behind U2
, N Sync and the Backstreet Boys
. The tour received the Major Tour of the Year and Most Creative Stage Production awards nominations at the 2001 Pollstar awards
, but lost them to U2.
in Auburn Hills, Michigan
on August 26, 2001. The broadcast was announced by Nancy Geller, senior vice president of HBO Original Programming. She commented, "It's a thrill for us to have Madonna back, because we know it is going to be a spectacular show, with that combination of her amazing talent and extravagant style which only Madonna can bring." The broadcast known as Madonna Live! – Drowned World Tour 2001 was produced by Marty Callner
and directed by Hamish Hamilton
. "Gone" was performed for the television broadcast and DVD
release.
The Drowned World Tour 2001
DVD was released in all regions on November 13, 2001. Three audio tracks were made available: a DTS track, a Dolby Digital
5.1 track, and a Dolby Digital
2.0 Stereo track. A photo gallery was included as a bonus feature. Like the original airing of the show, the DVD received very good reviews. The photographs used on the DVD packaging were taken by Madonna's friend Rosie O'Donnell
. The DVD was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for shipment of 100,000 copies in DVD units.
Source:
Band
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums Ray of Light
Ray of Light
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard and William Orbit in developing the album...
and Music
Music (Madonna album)
Music is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on September 19, 2000 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records...
. It was also her first tour in eight years, following The Girlie Show World Tour in 1993. The tour was supposed to start in 1999, but was delayed until 2001 as Madonna gave birth to her son, got married to Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie
Guy Stuart Ritchie is an English screenwriter and film maker who directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla and Sherlock Holmes.-Early life:...
, was working on her Music
Music (Madonna album)
Music is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on September 19, 2000 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records...
album and was busy filming. When the tour was decided, Madonna appointed Jamie King
Jamie King
Jamie King is a creative director and choreographer whose work directing concert tours for pop stars has grossed over two billion dollars...
as choreographer and the tour was planned in a short timespan of three months, including signing up the dancers, musicians and technicians. Designer Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean Paul Gaultier , born 24 April 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. In the past, he has hosted the television series Eurotrash....
was the costume designer who designed the costumes in such way that they indicated different phases of Madonna's career. The poster and logo for the tour included references to Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
, which Madonna studied.
The show was divided into five segments, namely Neo-Punk, Geisha/Anime, Country/Western, Latin/Gypsy and Urban/Pimp. The setlist consisted mainly of songs from the last two studio albums released at that point, with two pre-90s song added. The first segment displayed high-energy performances with Madonna wearing a kilt and dominatrix style costumes. In the geisha segment performances Madonna wore a kimono and later performed airborne martial arts. Acoustic songs were performed in the country segment which featured Madonna in cowboy costumes. The Latin segment featured flamenco dancing and the last segment featured ghetto-themed performances. Drowned World Tour was critically appreciated from contemporary critics who complimented her ability to re-invent continuously.
The tour was a commercial success. It went on to become the highest-grossing concert tour of 2001 by a solo artist. She grossed more than US $75 million with summer sold-out shows and eventually played in front of 730,000 audience throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It received Major Tour of the Year and Most Creative Stage Production awards nominations at the 2001 Pollstar awards
Pollstar
Pollstar is a concert tour industry's leading trade publication that gets its information primarily from the agents, managers and promoters who are producing concerts. Founded in 1981, it is based in Fresno, California and has an office in London with correspondents in six countries. Pollstar is...
, but lost them to U2. The concert was broadcast live on HBO from The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association...
in Auburn Hills, Michigan
Auburn Hills, Michigan
Auburn Hills is a city in Metro Detroit, Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. The city was formed in 1983 when Pontiac Township became the City of Auburn Hills.-Economy:...
on August 26, 2001. A DVD titled Drowned World Tour 2001
Drowned World Tour 2001
Drowned World Tour 2001 is live music video title by singer Madonna. It was released by Warner Music Vision on November 13, 2001 and was released to accompany the second greatest hits album GHV2. It contained a live date from the Drowned World Tour recorded at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn...
was released in November 2001.
Background
After the release of her seventh studio album Ray of LightRay of Light
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard and William Orbit in developing the album...
(1998), Madonna stated in a live interview with Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
on January 19, 1999 that "I am going to do a movie in April; The Next Best Thing
The Next Best Thing
The Next Best Thing is a soundtrack album released by Maverick Records on February 21, 2000. It was released to accompany and promote the 2000 film, The Next Best Thing. It reached number 34 on the US Billboard 200 album chart....
, and then I am going to rehearse to go on tour. And then I'll probably play up until the millennium, New Year's Eve." The tour was delayed until 2001, as she had, in her own words, "been distracted by having children and filming movies". She also began a serious relationship with Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie
Guy Stuart Ritchie is an English screenwriter and film maker who directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla and Sherlock Holmes.-Early life:...
in 1999. By 2000, she had become pregnant with her son Rocco Ritchie, released her eighth studio album Music
Music (Madonna album)
Music is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on September 19, 2000 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records...
that year, and married Ritchie in December 2000. When Madonna finally decided to go on the tour, time was short and she had to prepare the show within three months. Auditioning for the dancers started around March 2001. Jamie King
Jamie King
Jamie King is a creative director and choreographer whose work directing concert tours for pop stars has grossed over two billion dollars...
was signed up as the creative director and the choreographer of the show. King said in an interview that the tour "was so hectic that I suffered from depressions and fell considerably ill." Rehearsals continued for thirteen hours a day, five days a week, with more and more dancers joining for the show. In the end, ten dancers and two backup singers were used. Madonna had her guitarist Monte Pittman
Monte Pittman
Monte Pittman is an American musician, songwriter and studio musician, based out of Los Angeles, known largely as Madonna's long-time guitarist but has quite a diverse professional resume, including stints that range from glam-pop star Adam Lambert to metal legends Prong.-Career:Pittman started...
teach her to play the instrument, and she played both acoustic and electric guitar live in the show. French house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
expert Stuart Price
Stuart Price
Stuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...
, who had worked with Madonna on her album Music, was signed as bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
and keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player. Clair Brothers Audio support was roped in for providing a mixture of high-tech techno sound and fusion of acoustic and trance. Madonna released a statement saying,
"I don't see the point of doing a show unless you offer something that is going to mind-boggle the senses. It's not enough to get on stage and sing a song. It's all about theatre and drama and surprises and suspenses."
The Drowned World Tour was originally scheduled to begin with two shows in the Kölnarena
Kölnarena
Lanxess Arena is an indoor arena, in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The arena opened in 1998 and can accommodate 20,000 people....
in Cologne, Germany but both concerts had to be canceled due to technical difficulties. As a result, 35,000 tickets were refunded. Her August 3 show at the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey was also cancelled, this time due to illness. Therefore, total tour dates numbered forty-seven instead of fifty.
Development
The tour was divided into five segments, namely punkPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
, cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
. Each segment represented a phase of Madonna's career. Madonna's publicist Liz rosenberg announced that the tour was designed as the grandest spectacle amongst all the other Madonna tours. Designer Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean Paul Gaultier , born 24 April 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. In the past, he has hosted the television series Eurotrash....
was signed up to create the costumes for the tour. He came up with the concept of creating the costumes of the tour as a fusion of punk and Scottish fashions. Other costumes designed by Gaultier had geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
, cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
and Spanish themes in them. Other designers associated with the tour included Dean and Dan Caten
Dean and Dan Caten
Dean and Dan Caten are identical twin brother fashion designers and the creators of DSquared2, a high-end fashion label.-Early life and career:...
, creaters of the DSquared2 fashion line. The dresses developed included a torn shirt and zippered black pants, indicating the early days of her career, and leather chapped jeans and ghetto fabulous costumes, indicating the phase of her career at that point of time. Black wigs and white makeup would demonstrate the Ray of Light and the geisha themes. A hybrid of clothes from the music video of the Madonna song "La Isla Bonita
La Isla Bonita
"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fifth and final single from her third studio album, True Blue, on February 25, 1987, by Sire Records. Originally written as a lament, the song was first offered to Michael Jackson before Madonna accepted it...
" (1987) and the 1996 Madonna starring musical Evita
Evita (film)
Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
were also created. The setlist for the show consisted mainly of songs from the last two studio albums Ray of Light and Music. Among her old hits, only "Holiday
Holiday (Madonna song)
"Holiday" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album. Released on September 7, 1983 by Sire Records, it later appeared remixed on the 1987 remix compilation You Can Dance and the 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection, and in its original form on the...
" and "La Isla Bonita
La Isla Bonita
"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fifth and final single from her third studio album, True Blue, on February 25, 1987, by Sire Records. Originally written as a lament, the song was first offered to Michael Jackson before Madonna accepted it...
" were added to the set list. Dave Kob, FOH
Front of House
Front of house is primarily a theatrical term, referring to the portion of the building that is open to the public. In theatre and live music venues, it typically refers to the auditorium and foyer, as opposed to the stage and backstage areas...
engineer for the tour, commented that,
"The show is extremely technical, extremely fast-paced, and the variety of music is amazing. [...] It goes from screaming heavy metal to techno dance, to Country and Western; there's even a flamenco hootenannyHootenannyHootenanny is an Appalachian colloquialism that was used in early twentieth century America to refer to things whose names were forgotten or unknown. In this usage it was synonymous with thingamajig or whatchamacallit, as in "hand me that hootenanny." Hootenanny was also an old country word for...
where everyone comes down front, beats on logs and plays acoustic guitars and pennywhistles. Then it goes back to 'Holiday' which is an old dance number. It keeps you steppin'.
Madonna sings everything live. She's been that way from the beginning of her career, even with all the athletic dancing. She's a hard worker and she expects everybody else to work as hard or harder. I respect that."
The stage was as huge as a tennis court and was made movable. Above the stage was a vast electrical grid, composed of truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
sections, chain motors
Hydraulic motor
A hydraulic motor is a mechanical actuator that converts hydraulic pressure and flow into torque and angular displacement . The hydraulic motor is the rotary counterpart of the hydraulic cylinder....
, cabling
Cable
A cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry...
and the control devices
Control engineering
Control engineering or Control systems engineering is the engineering discipline that applies control theory to design systems with predictable behaviors...
that linked electronically or mechanically with the performances happening below. Four gigantic video monitors formed the backdrop of the stage. Other equipments included a mechanical bull
Mechanical bull
A mechanical bull, also known as a rodeo bull or bucking bronco is a machine that replicates the sensation of riding a bucking animal, such as a rodeo bull or horse. It is usually powered by a variable-speed electric motor...
and equipemnts for aerial movements. The sets were built in sections by three companies. A permanent crew of around hundred was hired. Monitor mixing was handled by four monitor engineers, with two of them for Madonna's monitors. Blake Suib, one of the engineers, commented that Madonna was a perfectionist and she knew when a sound, coming from the speakers, sounded bad or good during rehearsals. By the suggestion of music director Pat Leonard
Patrick Leonard
Patrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
, they tried out using 14 kHz of sound frequency in their live speakers, which was unusual to use at that point of time. Also they came up with the idea of using isolated amplifiers to pick up the sound of the instruments indivitually. Suib commented that "the creative process of coming up with new ideas, implementing them, and then soberly evaluating their results was time-consuming but worth it." The poster and the logo for the tour was developed by Chase Design Group. They wanted to make the logo as much aesthetic as possible. They developed a custom icon and logo type to convey the unique and ethereal qualities of Madonna's show, which was described by the group's founder Margo Chase as "a multilayered musical and spiritual journey through diverse worlds." Chase commened that since "Madonna is a student of Kabbalah, she requested that we include references to that body of knowledge." The resulting logo and poster, included both Arabic and Hebrew references. A number of designs were prepared by Chase and the one ultimately chosen by Madonna made it to the main poster of the show, which featured Madonna's face-shot from the "What It Feels Like for a Girl
What It Feels Like for a Girl
"What It Feels Like for a Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the third and final single released from her eighth studio album Music on April 17, 2001 by Maverick Records. The video mix of the song is a trance song, while the album version is a more demure pop and...
" video shots.
Concert synopsis
The show began with a dramatic performance of "Drowned World/Substitute For LoveDrowned World/Substitute for Love
"Drowned World/Substitute for Love" is a pop song written by American singer Madonna, William Orbit, Rod McKuen, Anita Kerr and David Collins for Madonna's seventh album Ray of Light . It was produced by Madonna and William Orbit, and received a positive reception from music critics...
"; Madonna entered amidst billows of dry ice, dressed in a sleeveless black top, crossover top with one net sleeve, jeans with zips and bondage straps, a studded dog collar and a tartan kilt. She performed the song standing on the middle platform of the stage. Afterwards a chaotic cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
-themed performance of "Impressive Instant" started, with dancers in gasmasks and headlights. She then played guitar for "Candy Perfume Girl", leading to the performance of "Beautiful Stranger
Beautiful Stranger
"Beautiful Stranger" is a Grammy Award winning dance-pop song written and produced by American singer Madonna and British song-writer and musician William Orbit, drawing heavily on the 1966 song "She Comes in Colors" by Love. "Beautiful Stranger" was written for the film soundtrack Austin Powers:...
" featuring a lost stage technician. Backdrops displayed scenes from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series that began with 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter...
and psychedelic fluorescent whirls. The Punk section finished with "Ray of Light
Ray of Light (song)
A high-speed electronic dance song, "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to rave, psychedelic and acid music. The track contains strong techno elements, as well as disco, trance and Eurodance influences, and it sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound...
" when Madonna danced energetically across the stage. The geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
segment started with a video interlude of "Paradise (Not for Me)" and nearly naked dancers hanged upside down from the ceiling. As the video ended, the dancers stood in front of the stage opening their mouth which was lit from inside. Madonna appeared on the stage, wearing a hand-painted kimono
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
with fifty-two-feet long sleevespan, to sing "Frozen
Frozen (song)
"Frozen" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her eight studio album Ray of Light. It was released as the lead single from the album on 23 February 1998 by Maverick Records...
". The backdrops display silhouettes of burning trees against racing, blood-red clouds. A short, intro of "Open Your Heart
Open Your Heart (Madonna song)
"Open Your Heart" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fourth single from her third studio album True Blue on November 12, 1986, by Sire Records. It has since appeared remixed on the compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
" lead to "Nobody's Perfect" where Madonna was portrayed to be sacrificed for her sins. This was followed by "Mer Girl" which turned into the fast-action, ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
/samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
martial arts battle performance of "Sky Fits Heaven", transforming back into the slow-tempo "Mer Girl". This section was inspired by the Chinese film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a 2000 wuxia film. An American-Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwanese co-production, the film was directed by Ang Lee and featured an international cast of ethnic Chinese actors, including Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang Chen...
(2000). Madonna's battered and bruised face is shown in the backdrops as she emerged with a shotgun from the battle on stage and shot her dancer. As Madonna disappeared into the floor, a violent, sexually explicit Japanese animation dance remix interlude of "What It Feels Like for a Girl
What It Feels Like for a Girl
"What It Feels Like for a Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the third and final single released from her eighth studio album Music on April 17, 2001 by Maverick Records. The video mix of the song is a trance song, while the album version is a more demure pop and...
" was shown, featuring footage from the Japanese Anime Film Perfect Blue
Perfect Blue
is a 1997 Japanese animated psychological thriller film directed by Satoshi Kon and written by Kon and Sadayuki Murai based on the novel of the same name by Yoshikazu Takeuchi. Junko Iwao plays Mima Kirigoe, a member of a Japanese pop-idol group called "CHAM!", who decides to pursue her career as...
.
Madonna appeared as a cowgirl, wearing a stars and stripes vest, for an acoustic guitar performance of "I Deserve It" and dedicated it to her then husband Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie
Guy Stuart Ritchie is an English screenwriter and film maker who directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla and Sherlock Holmes.-Early life:...
. This was followed by line dancing
Line dance
A line dance is a choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines or rows without regard for the gender of the individuals, all facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time. Line dancers are not in physical contact...
with her dancers dressed as cowboys during "Don't Tell Me
Don't Tell Me (Madonna song)
"Don't Tell Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the second single from her eighth studio album Music on November 21, 2000 by Maverick Records. The single has sold around 4.5 million copies to date.-History:...
" wear she accessorized herself with a racoon
Racoon
Racoon is a Dutch rock band, formed in 1997. Their first big appearance was at the 1999 Noorderslagfestival. First album Till Monkeys Fly appeared in January 2000, produced by Michael Schoots . The first single, Feel Like Flying, became a hit and got a lot of airplay on the Dutch radiostation 3FM...
's tail. For "Human Nature
Human Nature (Madonna song)
"Human Nature" is the fourth and final single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her sixth studio album Bedtime Stories, released on June 6, 1995 by Maverick Records.-Song information:...
", she rode a mechanical bull. After the performance, she sang a macabre themed song titled "The Funny Song". Next performed song was "Secret
Secret (Madonna song)
"Secret" is a song by Madonna, released as the first single from her 1994 album Bedtime Stories. It was released in September 1994 and became a top ten hit around the world, including reaching number three in the United States and five in the UK...
", which featured scenes of riverside baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
, Sufi dervish ceremonies and Buddhist prayers in the backdrops. She finished off the segment with "Gone", which was replaced with "You'll See
You'll See
"You'll See" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her ballads compilation Something to Remember . The album was released with the intention of tone down the image of Madonna, who was being heavily criticized at the time. The singer decided to work with producer David Foster, who...
" on some select U.S. venues. Dancers started the Evita
Evita (film)
Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
tango
Tango (dance)
Tango dance originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata , and spread to the rest of the world soon after....
interlude of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina
Don't Cry for Me, Argentina
"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" is a song from the 1978 musical Evita with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Sung by the title character Eva Perón, it was titled “It's Only Your Lover Returning” before Rice settled on the eventual name...
". A number of candles were lit along the side of the stage. Madonna appeared in a half-dress and performed the Spanish version of "What it Feels Like For a Girl" titled "Lo Que Siente La Mujer". She finished the segment with an acoustic version of "La Isla Bonita
La Isla Bonita
"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fifth and final single from her third studio album, True Blue, on February 25, 1987, by Sire Records. Originally written as a lament, the song was first offered to Michael Jackson before Madonna accepted it...
" accompanied by flamenco dancing. Madonna appeared on stage, in a halter D&G t-shirt that read "Mother" on the front and "F*cker" on the back and a fur coat, singing a mash-up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
of Stardust
Stardust (band)
Stardust was a one-time musical collaborative effort consisting of producers Thomas Bangalter, Alan Braxe, and vocalist Benjamin Diamond.-History:The project released the popular club track titled "Music Sounds Better with You" in 1998...
's "Music Sounds Better With You
Music Sounds Better with You
"Music Sounds Better with You" is a 1998 single by French house music band Stardust. The vocal performance of the song was provided by Benjamin Diamond of the band. The song uses a sample of the song "Fate" by Chaka Khan, which appeared on her 1981 album What Cha' Gonna Do for Me...
" and "Holiday
Holiday (Madonna song)
"Holiday" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album. Released on September 7, 1983 by Sire Records, it later appeared remixed on the 1987 remix compilation You Can Dance and the 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection, and in its original form on the...
". She and her entourage finished the show with a ghetto-themed "Music
Music (Madonna song)
"Music" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 8th studio album Music and was released on August 21, 2000, by Maverick Records. It was also released on DVD single, a debut in this format by Madonna. It earned two Grammy Award nominations in 2001, for Record of the Year...
", introduced by Ali G
Ali G
Ali G is a satirical fictional character invented and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Originally appearing on Channel 4's Eleven O'Clock show, Ali G is the title character of Channel 4's Da Ali G Show, original episodes of which aired in 2000 and on HBO in 2003–2004, and is the...
, as her music video images flashed onscreen behind her. The song was mashed up with Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
's song "Trans-Europe Express
Trans-Europe Express (album)
Trans-Europe Express is the sixth studio album by German electronic music band Kraftwerk. Recorded in mid-1976 in Düsseldorf, Germany, the album was released in March 1977 on Kling Klang Records. The album's themes were influenced by friends who suggested writing songs about the Trans-Europ...
". The phrase "The End" appeared on the backdrops, and signified the show was over.
Several changes were made to the final shows in Los Angeles after the September 11 attacks: Madonna wore an American flag kilt during the show's opening segment as a display of patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
, the closing of "Mer Girl" (part II) was altered to remove the staged shooting of a character; Madonna instead put the gun down, hugged him and they left the stage together. The macabre cannibalism-themed "Funny Song" was removed. Additionally, as a surprise for Madonna at the final concert date, her husband at the time, Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie
Guy Stuart Ritchie is an English screenwriter and film maker who directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla and Sherlock Holmes.-Early life:...
, appeared as the lost technician at the end of "Beautiful Stranger", the Samurai during "Sky Fits Heaven" wore Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
jerseys. Also, all of the dancers joined in for the final dance section of "Holiday", which usually only featured Madonna and her two backing singers. During the New York City performance of "Secret", she dedicated the song to its inhabitants.
Critical reception
Cory Moss from MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
wrote that "music might make the world go round, but costumes and theatrics make it more fun. Nobody knows this better than the Material Girl." Michael Hubbard from MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
commented that "you'd struggle to find a better show than Drowned World and you'd find it difficult to find a mainstream artist who can command near-universal respect for anything like as long as this fine lady. One could almost judge the artist by what was left out [...] she displayed that temptress quality which has beguiled us for nearly two decades and that, combined with her exquisite music, is why Madonna is so special." Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
wrote: "Though her Cowgirl image is easily her least significant incarnation to date, Drowned World proves that Madonna is still unmatched in her ability to lift cultural iconography into the mainstream. [...] Those who thought Madonna hung up her handcuffs along with the notorious Sex book should look again closely. With its themes of chaos, dominance, and, ultimately, celebration, Madonna's Drowned World explores her ever-fervid intrigue with both imposed and pious restraint."
Simon Price from The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
said that the tour "is a triumph of hydraulics, bungee rope acrobatics and cutting-edge choreography." However, he felt that the setlist consisting of mainly current songs implied that Madonna was doing "a paranoid attempt to frame herself as part of the present and not the past? The irony here is that, given the ever-decreasing spirals of pop revivalism, in order to be truly contemporary, rather than eschewing her past, Madonna would need to be ripping herself off circa 1984." John McAlley from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
commented that the music was "loud, energetic, well-sung, and perhaps a little too often beside the point" and that "[it] struggle[d] to rise above its[the show's] theatrics." He added that one will be "awed by Madonna's palpable life force and intelligence. [...] There are plenty of reasons to bow at this artist's feat." Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said that "through the concert, Madonna made a display of arrogance, tossing off profanities, striking tough postures and glaring more often than she smiled. She represents self-love backed by plenty of gym time and a whole troupe of devoted flunkies, all laboring to delight an audience she only seems to disdain. Music makes the people come together, she sang in the finale – together, that is, if Madonna is clearly in charge." Alexis Petridis
Alexis Petridis
Alexis Petridis is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for UK newspaper The Guardian, as well as a regular and contributor to the magazine GQ.Petridis began his career writing for Varsity whilst a student at the University of Cambridge...
of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
felt that "with its perfect dance routines, special effects, devoted audience and hint of bullish arrogance, the Drowned World show befits the world's most famous woman."
Commercial response
Tour dates were limited to cities in Europe and North America. This decision caused some resentment among fans in other parts of the world. Drowned World became the first (and only) Madonna tour to skip over Canada completely. For many weeks prior to the launch of the tour dates, Arthur Fogel from Live NationLive Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
himself attempted to book dates in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
at the Air Canada Centre
Air Canada Centre
The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
between the Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, and Detroit dates, though no free bookings were available. In the end no dates were scheduled in Toronto, to the disappointment of many Canadian fans. Ticket sales were swift in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on April 25, as Madonna sold out her dates at Earls Court Exhibition Centre
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West...
in record time - six shows in six hours. Madonna made history with the fastest-selling show ever at Earl's Court, as 97,000 tickets were sold. The first show sold out in just fifteen minutes, and the online ticket website took one million hits in the first ten minutes while thirty million attempts were made to phone Madonna hotlines. All dates of Madonna's Drowned World Tour sold out within minutes of going on sale. After the tour was over, industry reports presented that it earned $75 million in total, from forty-seven summer sold-out shows and eventually played in front of 730,000 people throughout North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, averaging at $1.6 million per show. Drowned World Tour became the highest-grossing concert tour of 2001 by a solo artist, as well as the fourth highest-grossing among all, behind U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, N Sync and the Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
. The tour received the Major Tour of the Year and Most Creative Stage Production awards nominations at the 2001 Pollstar awards
Pollstar
Pollstar is a concert tour industry's leading trade publication that gets its information primarily from the agents, managers and promoters who are producing concerts. Founded in 1981, it is based in Fresno, California and has an office in London with correspondents in six countries. Pollstar is...
, but lost them to U2.
Broadcast and recordings
The concert was broadcast live on HBO from The Palace of Auburn HillsThe Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association...
in Auburn Hills, Michigan
Auburn Hills, Michigan
Auburn Hills is a city in Metro Detroit, Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. The city was formed in 1983 when Pontiac Township became the City of Auburn Hills.-Economy:...
on August 26, 2001. The broadcast was announced by Nancy Geller, senior vice president of HBO Original Programming. She commented, "It's a thrill for us to have Madonna back, because we know it is going to be a spectacular show, with that combination of her amazing talent and extravagant style which only Madonna can bring." The broadcast known as Madonna Live! – Drowned World Tour 2001 was produced by Marty Callner
Marty Callner
Marty Callner is a director. His primary work is with music videos. Marty has directed work from such popular artists as Cher, The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith and has work recorded back as far as 1977 and as recent as 2009. He has been nominated for 7 Emmys, 3 DGAs, and 1 CableACE Award...
and directed by Hamish Hamilton
Hamish Hamilton
Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half-Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton . Confusingly, Jamie Hamilton was often referred to as Hamish Hamilton...
. "Gone" was performed for the television broadcast and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release.
The Drowned World Tour 2001
Drowned World Tour 2001
Drowned World Tour 2001 is live music video title by singer Madonna. It was released by Warner Music Vision on November 13, 2001 and was released to accompany the second greatest hits album GHV2. It contained a live date from the Drowned World Tour recorded at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn...
DVD was released in all regions on November 13, 2001. Three audio tracks were made available: a DTS track, a Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
5.1 track, and a Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
2.0 Stereo track. A photo gallery was included as a bonus feature. Like the original airing of the show, the DVD received very good reviews. The photographs used on the DVD packaging were taken by Madonna's friend Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
. The DVD was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for shipment of 100,000 copies in DVD units.
Setlist
- "Drowned World/Substitute For LoveDrowned World/Substitute for Love"Drowned World/Substitute for Love" is a pop song written by American singer Madonna, William Orbit, Rod McKuen, Anita Kerr and David Collins for Madonna's seventh album Ray of Light . It was produced by Madonna and William Orbit, and received a positive reception from music critics...
" (contains elements of "Music", "Human Nature" "Ray of Light" and "Impressive Instant") - "Impressive Instant"
- "Candy Perfume Girl"
- "Beautiful StrangerBeautiful Stranger"Beautiful Stranger" is a Grammy Award winning dance-pop song written and produced by American singer Madonna and British song-writer and musician William Orbit, drawing heavily on the 1966 song "She Comes in Colors" by Love. "Beautiful Stranger" was written for the film soundtrack Austin Powers:...
" (contains elements of "Soul Bossa Nova (Dim's Space-A-Nova)") - "Ray of LightRay of Light (song)A high-speed electronic dance song, "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to rave, psychedelic and acid music. The track contains strong techno elements, as well as disco, trance and Eurodance influences, and it sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound...
" (ends with a reprise of "Drowned World/Substitute For Love") - "Paradise (Not for Me)" (Video Interlude)
- "FrozenFrozen (song)"Frozen" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her eight studio album Ray of Light. It was released as the lead single from the album on 23 February 1998 by Maverick Records...
" (Stereo MC's Remix) - "Nobody's Perfect" (with "Open Your HeartOpen Your Heart (Madonna song)"Open Your Heart" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fourth single from her third studio album True Blue on November 12, 1986, by Sire Records. It has since appeared remixed on the compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
" chord intro) - Medley:
- "Mer Girl"
- "Sky Fits Heaven"
- "Mer Girl" (Reprise)
- "What It Feels Like for a GirlWhat It Feels Like for a Girl"What It Feels Like for a Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the third and final single released from her eighth studio album Music on April 17, 2001 by Maverick Records. The video mix of the song is a trance song, while the album version is a more demure pop and...
" (Remix)(Video Interlude) - "I Deserve It"
- "Don't Tell MeDon't Tell Me (Madonna song)"Don't Tell Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the second single from her eighth studio album Music on November 21, 2000 by Maverick Records. The single has sold around 4.5 million copies to date.-History:...
" - "Human NatureHuman Nature (Madonna song)"Human Nature" is the fourth and final single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her sixth studio album Bedtime Stories, released on June 6, 1995 by Maverick Records.-Song information:...
" - "The Funny Song"
- "SecretSecret (Madonna song)"Secret" is a song by Madonna, released as the first single from her 1994 album Bedtime Stories. It was released in September 1994 and became a top ten hit around the world, including reaching number three in the United States and five in the UK...
" - "Gone" (Replaced by "You'll See" in selected US shows)
- "You'll SeeYou'll See"You'll See" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her ballads compilation Something to Remember . The album was released with the intention of tone down the image of Madonna, who was being heavily criticized at the time. The singer decided to work with producer David Foster, who...
" (Replaced "Gone" in selected US shows) - "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (Dancer/Instrumental Interlude)
- "Lo Que Siente La MujerWhat It Feels Like for a Girl"What It Feels Like for a Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the third and final single released from her eighth studio album Music on April 17, 2001 by Maverick Records. The video mix of the song is a trance song, while the album version is a more demure pop and...
" - "La Isla BonitaLa Isla Bonita"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fifth and final single from her third studio album, True Blue, on February 25, 1987, by Sire Records. Originally written as a lament, the song was first offered to Michael Jackson before Madonna accepted it...
" - "HolidayHoliday (Madonna song)"Holiday" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album. Released on September 7, 1983 by Sire Records, it later appeared remixed on the 1987 remix compilation You Can Dance and the 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection, and in its original form on the...
" (contains elements from "Fate") - "MusicMusic (Madonna song)"Music" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 8th studio album Music and was released on August 21, 2000, by Maverick Records. It was also released on DVD single, a debut in this format by Madonna. It earned two Grammy Award nominations in 2001, for Record of the Year...
"
Source:
Tour dates
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | |||
| June 9, 2001 | Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... |
Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
Palau Sant Jordi Palau Sant Jordi Palau Sant Jordi is an indoor sporting arena and multi-purpose installation that is part of the Olympic Ring complex located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain... |
| June 10, 2001 | |||
| June 13, 2001 | Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,... |
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Fila Forum |
| June 14, 2001 | |||
| June 15, 2001 | |||
| June 19, 2001 | Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Max-Schmeling-Halle Max-Schmeling-Halle Max-Schmeling-Halle is a multi-purpose arena, in Berlin, Germany, named after the famous German boxer Max Schmeling. Apart from the Velodrom, it's one of Berlin's biggest sport places and holds from 8,861 people, up to 10,050 people.... |
| June 20, 2001 | |||
| June 22, 2001 | |||
| June 23, 2001 | |||
| June 26, 2001 | Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy Opened in 1984, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, often abbreviated as POPB or Bercy, is an indoor sports arena on boulevard de Bercy located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris... |
| June 27, 2001 | |||
| June 29, 2001 | |||
| June 30, 2001 | |||
| July 4, 2001 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Earls Court Exhibition Centre Earls Court Exhibition Centre The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West... |
| July 6, 2001 | |||
| July 7, 2001 | |||
| July 9, 2001 | |||
| July 10, 2001 | |||
| July 12, 2001 | |||
| North America | |||
| July 21, 2001 | Philadelphia | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
First Union Center Wachovia Center The Wells Fargo Center is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.... |
| July 22, 2001 | |||
| July 25, 2001 | New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the... |
|
| July 26, 2001 | |||
| July 28, 2001 | |||
| July 30, 2001 | |||
| July 31, 2001 | |||
| August 2, 2001 | East Rutherford | Continental Airlines Arena | |
| August 7, 2001 | Boston Boston Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had... |
Fleet Center TD Banknorth Garden TD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, N.A. and is often simply referred to by local Bostonians as, The Garden, The Fleet Center, or the traditional Boston Garden... |
|
| August 8, 2001 | |||
| August 10, 2001 | Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
MCI Center Verizon Center Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies... |
|
| August 11, 2001 | |||
| August 14, 2001 | Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010... |
National Car Rental Center BankAtlantic Center The BankAtlantic Center is an indoor arena located in Sunrise, Florida, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and adjacent to the popular Sawgrass Mills Mall.The arena features 70 suites & 2,623 club seats.The arena is directly accessible from the Sawgrass Expressway... |
|
| August 15, 2001 | |||
| August 19, 2001 | Atlanta | Philips Arena Philips Arena Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association... |
|
| August 20, 2001 | |||
| August 25, 2001 | Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, Michigan Auburn Hills is a city in Metro Detroit, Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. The city was formed in 1983 when Pontiac Township became the City of Auburn Hills.-Economy:... |
The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association... |
|
| August 26, 2001 | |||
| August 28, 2001 | Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
United Center United Center The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League... |
|
| August 29, 2001 | |||
| September 1, 2001 | Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... |
MGM Grand Garden Arena | |
| September 2, 2001 | |||
| September 5, 2001 | Oakland | Oakland Arena | |
| September 6, 2001 | |||
| September 9, 2001 | Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... |
Staples Center Staples Center Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles... |
|
| September 13, 2001 | |||
| September 14, 2001 | |||
| September 15, 2001 | |||
Box Office Score Data
| City | Venue | Tickets Sold / Available | Gross Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | Palau Sant Jordi | 36,136 / 36,136 (100%) | $2,039,112 |
| Milan | Fila Forum | 36,100 / 36,100 (100%) | $3,926,815 |
| Berlin | Max-Schmeling-Halle | 43,455 / 43,455 (100%) | $2,864,786 |
| Paris | Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy | 68,000 / 68,000 (100%) | $4,443,155 |
| London | Earls Court | 107,415 / 107,415 (100%) | $8,734,149 |
| Philadelphia | First Union Center | 31,128 / 31,128 (100%) | $3,382,485 |
| New York | Madison Square Garden | 79,401 / 79,401 (100%) | $9,297,105 |
| East Rutherford | Continental Arena | 16,457 / 16,457 (100%) | $1,842,155 |
| Boston | Fleet Center | 29,886 / 29,886 (100%) | $3,503,520 |
| Washington, D.C. | MCI Center | 32,061 / 32,061 (100%) | $3,472,148 |
| Fort Lauderdale | National Rental Car Center | 31,572 / 31,572 (100%) | $3,603,573 |
| Atlanta | Philips Arena | 29,617 / 29,617 (100%) | $3,553,444 |
| Auburn Hills | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 34,407 / 34,407 (100%) | $4,127,533 |
| Chicago | United Center | 33,725 / 33,725 (100%) | $3,743,830 |
| Las Vegas | MGM Grand Garden Arena | 29,587 / 29,587 (100%) | $6,503,950 |
| Oakland | Oakland Arena | 31,195 / 31,195 (100%) | $3,351,320 |
| Los Angeles | Staples Center | 61,464 / 61,464 (100%) | $8,303,165 |
| TOTAL | 731,606 / 731,606 (100%) | $76,792,245 | |
Personnel
Main- Conception – Madonna
- Creative Director – Jamie KingJamie KingJamie King is a creative director and choreographer whose work directing concert tours for pop stars has grossed over two billion dollars...
- Video Director – Dago Gonzalez
- Musical Direction – Stuart PriceStuart PriceStuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...
- Costume Design – Jean-Paul GaultierJean-Paul GaultierJean Paul Gaultier , born 24 April 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. In the past, he has hosted the television series Eurotrash....
, Dean and Dan Caten of D-Squared, Dolce & GabbanaDolce & GabbanaDolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury industry fashion house. The company was started by the Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in Milan, Italy. By 2005 their turnover was €597 million....
, Donatella VersaceDonatella VersaceDonatella Versace is an Italian fashion designer and current Vice-President of the Versace Group, as well as chief designer. She owns 20 percent of the entire stock market assets of Versace. Her brother, Santo Versace, owns 30 percent...
and Catherine MalandrinoCatherine MalandrinoCatherine Malandrino is a fashion designer. She was born in Grenoble, France and now works in New York City as well as in Paris.-Profile:... - Choreographer – Alex MagnoAlex Magno (choreographer)Alexandre Magno is a Brazilian born, Emmy Nominated choreographer and director. Alex has a wide vocabulary of dance styles, which includes Hip-hop, Jazz, Ballet, Samba, Flamenco, Tango, Salsa, and Martial Arts...
Band
- Keyboards – Marcus Brown and Stuart Price
- Drums – Steve Sidelnyk
- Guitar – Monte PittmanMonte PittmanMonte Pittman is an American musician, songwriter and studio musician, based out of Los Angeles, known largely as Madonna's long-time guitarist but has quite a diverse professional resume, including stints that range from glam-pop star Adam Lambert to metal legends Prong.-Career:Pittman started...
- Bass-guitar – Stuart PriceStuart PriceStuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...
- Percussion – Ron Powell
- Backing Vocals – Niki HarisNiki HarisNiki Haris is an American actress, dancer, and singer of pop, R&B, Dance music and jazz, perhaps best known for having been one of Madonna's backing vocalists from 1987 to 2001.-Early life and family:...
and Donna De Lory - Head Dancer – Christian VincentChristian VincentChristian Vincent is a Canadian-American professional dancer, choreographer, actor and model. His most visible role has been as Ricky Davis on the LOGO sitcom Noah's Arc, which chronicles the lives of four gay African-American friends in Los Angeles.Vincent has also appeared in the films She's All...
- Dancers – Ruthy Inchaustegui, Nito Larioza, Tamara Levinson, Anthony Jay Rodriguez, Jamal Story, Kemba Shannon, Eko Supriyanto, Jull Weber and Addie Yungmee.
- Technology Director and Additional Keyboards – Mike McKnight