Although Madonna is performing her Rebel Heart Tour across the globe in a six month-long campaign, Thailand is possibly one of the most appropriate of places to be hearing what the Queen of Pop has to say.
"Because when those fascist dictators posing as righteous men come for you with their big leather boots to shut you up, to put a gag in your mouth, you'd better be prepared to fight for what you believe in," she said in her opening monologue along with a video introduction featuring Mike Tyson being chained up.
Those are strong words and strength -- in this case, feminine, motherly and sometimes political -- has always been the cornerstone of Madonna's appeal; a woman worshipped by her fans (her "children") who have waited for god knows how many years before the mother ship finally landed here. They turned out in droves at the Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani on her maiden Bangkok show on Tuesday night (the second show was last night). But they were kept waiting a little bit longer when the 8pm showtime that was printed on the ticket ending up being 10pm, which was when Madonna finally made her entrance -- in a cage padlocked with spears, before she broke out and the hall broke into cheers.
It was a sold-out show of course, with energy running sky-high. For Madonna, nothing is ever square and the stage was shaped like a red-lit cross topped with a heart -- though of course your imagination may suggest otherwise. After the opening movie shown on the bright screen, she kicked off her first-ever performance in the country with Iconic from her Rebel Heart album -- a perfect, party-rousing opening which had the crowd naturally erupting with pure ecstasy.
The show opened theatrically as the stage revealed a band of medieval crusaders/executioners dancing with her. So it proved that the American singer's 10th worldwide tour fulfilled its prophecy, as she described, of being a "characteristically theatrical spectacle".
Rebellion, defiance, political and religious references set the tone of the concert, while her showmanship and flamboyant set-up -- such theatricality -- softened the edge and enthroned her to remain at the height of pop. The first section entertained us with 2015 numbers from Rebel Heart. We heard the "go-hard-or-go-home" Bitch I'm Madonna, then followed the parade of religious references that puritans would choke on, from the forest of crosses to stripper nuns in the pulsating Holy Water, Devil Pray, Body Shop (no Joan Of Arc though!). Sexuality and religion are bedfellows in Madonna's chamber, while traditions and beliefs are called into question. These are upbeat tunes and yet fans from Madonna's early days may have struggled to sing along (and it seems that they represented a large portion of the audience packed in the arena).
The two-hour performance was creatively split into different thematic "acts" with settings and costumes -- from the unholy church of Madonna, a rockabilly American garage, a spectacle of Spanish Flamenco matadors, to a flapper Paris Jazz Club. The show boasted over-the-top production, a high-octane stage with a wild backdrop, a highly talented dancing troupe and enthralling choreography.
Every moment left concertgoers' jaws dropping and was full of surprises. Madonna herself has a good sense of humour and is a natural entertainer, ensuring audience participation. She played an electric guitar on Burning Up and an acoustic ukulele on True Blue and La Vie En Rose.
Music-wise, the night featured 24 songs, both old and new. Her 80s hits such as Like A Virgin and Material Girl were rearranged into something much cooler, though the new versions might not have excited the old fans who wanted to dance along to the original versions. The pop diva showed us that for a performer of her calibre who has to sing the "same old songs" over, she's not afraid to put a whole new definition to the released decades ago. It is change that creates something new. Sadly, she did not sing other early hits such as Papa Don't Preach, Music, Justify My Love and Vogue.
Moreover, beyond the exaggerated and excessively dramatic show, Madonna played on controversies (dancers clad in religious clothing in Devil Pray; a proudly topless dancer in Candy Shop, with the singer dropping a lot of f-bombs, including when she roused the hall to curse in unison).
The Madonna Rebel Heart Tour is not just a show. It raises questions. It encourages change. It challenges people to rethink. Defiantly, the 57-year-old singer is a living proof that she is a rebel fighter at heart. Her performance gave answer to the question of how this queen -- gracefully, powerfully and unapologetically -- stands the test of time. At 57, she's still a revolutionary.
