LADY GAGA'S TOUR PROVES SHE'S THE NEW MADONNA
When Lady Gaga appeared on the O2 Arena stage atop a giant blood red dress, my jaw hit the floor, and I’m not sure I ever picked it up again.
I knew she was going to bring something theatrical to the gig when her opening act was simply a recorded video of her singing opera and writing with a giant red quill.
Who other than Gaga could be her own opening act?
Delays and massive queues getting into the O2 meant the show started an hour later than normal, but the gig itself went off without a hitch, so I’ll forgive a little queue chaos (maybe just head there a little early for future shows).
The Mayhem Tour is simply epic, all her best songs packed into a two-and-a-half-hour visual feast filled with dramatic costumes and a giant skull.
Yes, really, there is an absolutely whopping prop skull which comes out on stage for her track Killah, because of course there is.
Gaga is relentless, weaving from song to song with full dance routines barely catching her breath before she’s off again.
In the first ‘act’ alone, she goes from Abracadabra into Judas into Aura into Scheiße, blending elements of the tracks together in a flawless opening.
To close this act, called ‘Of Vice and Velvet’, Gaga brought it home with one of her biggest hits to this day — Poker Face.
Seeing her perform it seamlessly live, almost 20 years after its release, with the crowd belting every word back, felt biblical.
Just when I thought she couldn’t get any more epic (after arriving on a giant bird cage), Gaga began her next section, lying in a sandbox serenading a skeleton.
The speed at which she goes through props is unlike anything I’ve seen before, even Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter might get a run for its money.
But it never felt like a distraction; nothing could steal the spotlight from the icon, except maybe the aforementioned giant skull.
The crowd was eagerly matching Gaga’s outfit energy, with plenty dressing up for her various eras.
Knowing how in-demand fits might be, viagogo launched ‘Born To Rotate’ with pre-loved brand ByRotation so fans can rent clothes for the shows — you can see the edit, curated by celebrity stylist Rhea Francois, on the app now.
Despite the spectacle, at every single step of the dramatic production, Gaga was letting us know her microphone was switched on. Her vocals were unwavering.
From moments where you could hear how hard she was breathing after the massive dance numbers to belted notes that left the room silent, she was doing it all.
Million Reasons stands out among the popular dance numbers; it’s a fan favourite, and I could see why, as I had full-body chills during her performance.
Gaga sang with so much emotion as she reached for the red version of herself on stage in a moving plea to herself to ‘give one good [reason] to stay’.
The art and the acting of her performance brought a new depth to the track, making it an unforgettable moment amid a sea of showstopping numbers.
Here, she finally slowed things down further, with Shallow sung from a simple boat appearing to float down the stage, evoking the ferryman of the underworld.
While at the piano, Gaga treated fans to a version of Die With A Smile and an ‘extra’ song dedicated to a couple in the crowd — Edge of Glory.
I never knew I needed a piano version of the track, but it worked perfectly, taking the song from yet another pop number to something genuinely incredible.
While Paparazzi, Born This Way, Just Dance, and new release The Dead Dance are all fun, it’s in these quieter moments that Gaga proves why she’s become such an icon.
Breaking that pop legend facade, Gaga broke into tears while the crowd roared their appreciation of her. It’s so clear she cares deeply for her ‘little monsters’ and the feeling is mutual.
Despite having recently released her album, it seems she may be ready to head back to the studio as Gaga teased that new music would be coming ‘soon’.
Finally, she wrapped up the show with Bad Romance before How Bad Do U Want Me for the encore, returning in a jumper and hat for a strikingly stripped-back look after the theatrics of the last three hours.
Thrilling, utterly artistic, and completely captivating — nobody in the music industry right now is doing it quite like the singer-turned-actor.
While I may have walked in thinking she was just a pop girl with edge, I’ve left firmly believing Lady Gaga is this generation’s Madonna.
Lady Gaga is performing three additional nights at the O2 (Tuesday 30 September, Thursday 2 October, and Saturday 4 October) before taking the tour to Manchester.
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Comment now Comments 2025-09-30T08:28:35Z