Lady Gaga is more than just a singer. It's been clear for quite some time now that she's not just another popstar looking to cash the next cheque. Instead she brings an art and ingenuity to her art form, and things are no different when she takes to the stage in her current world tour 'artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball'.
Some question how genuine she really is. It's hard to side with those people when Gaga gets someone she recognises as 'family' (Jay - a man she knows through Terry Richardson) up on the stage with his boyfriend Shawn to propose. Perhaps the biggest cheers of the night erupted when he quite clearly said 'yes' and the two embraced in a passionate kiss to seal the deal. Gaga rushed over to hug them before ushering them to sit just behind her piano whilst she sang a slowed-down rendition of 'Born This Way'.
"I wish you a beautiful, long and happy life." she told the newly-engaged couple, before telling anybody in the audience who was uncomfortable with what was going on to "f**king go, because you're on the wrong side of history". Nobody moved but plenty of people screamed and cheered. It was heart-warming to say the very least. We really are making progression and Gaga has been a catalyst for some of that.
For very much the rest of the show, Gaga was on top form as rave princess, jazz queen and ultimate pop sensation, parading around the inventive stage which was made up of multiple platforms and catwalks ensuring that no matter where you were sat or stood, you got more than just a glimpse of what was going on.
Dancers threw toys into the crowd during intervals, Little Monsters who bought the Early Entry packages went wild with their bubble guns and everybody seemed to be having a great time. After heaps of negative press for an album that actually didn't do bad - just not as well as those before it - Gaga proved that the body of music she had created and titled 'ARTPOP' was the perfect catalogue of tunes for an over-sized arena rave.
Those newer songs came alongside the classics that have made her who she is today ('Just Dance', 'Alejandro', 'Bad Romance' etc.), and everytime she commanded her legions of fans to jump, or wave their hands or throw up their Vs, they did exactly as they were told.
So here's a massive round of 'Applause' not only for Gaga, but her troupe of dancers and musicians who joined her and helped make one of the best stage shows the Phones 4u Arena has ever seen.
Tagged in Lady GaGa