If Madonna was “Wow” yesterday, Hercules & Love Affair were “Now”. Their disco is small scale, but very modern day and right at the moment. Tape Recorder saw Hercules & Love Affair yesterday in Helsinki and found them much more interesting live than on record. The personality and all the nuances of their music came across on stage. There was no need for guest vocalist Antony Hegarty, when singers Nomi and Kim Ann Foxman took the stage and showed what disco and house looks like now.
Hercules & Love Affair are responsible for one of the best singles this year - Blind. Listen to Blind sung by Antony Hegarty below:
Yesterday Madonna took her Sticky & Sweet tour to Germany and Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. Tape Recorder sources in Berlin report that the show was a spectacle, a genuine “WOW”. There were a lot of 90s techno sounds and great remixes & mash-ups, and the back drops were once again amazing. The Britney clip and Into The Groove stood out, and Ray of Light was climax like. The German crowd loved You Must Love Me and Tape Recorder sources found Devil Wouldn´t Recognize You surprisingly outstanding. Madonna danced a great deal and took pauses playing guitar (the guitar seems to be a device for her to take breaks from dancing). Sticky & Sweet is definitely worth experiencing, but it´s not as coherent as Confessions.
Check out Madonna performing Into The Groove in Berlin:
Check out Madonna performing Candy Shop (she´s a bit nervous!), the opening number and Beat Goes On the second number (fantastic!). This is the gangsta-pimp theme of the show, Madonna is wearing a black leotard-style outfit designed by Givenchy and black, knee-length boots.
Just two days before Madonna´s Sticky & Sweet, the biggest tour of her career, opens in Cardiff. Here´s press release from Icon (source allaboutmadonna.com):
Madonna, currently putting the finishing touches to her fabulous new Sticky & Sweet Show in Cardiff, is readying herself and the 250 travelling personnel for the opening night this Saturday at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
Hot on the diamante shaped heels of her phenomenally successful ‘Hard Candy’ disc, ‘Sticky & Sweet’ promises two pulsating hours of non stop hits in a show that features 16 dancers, a 12 piece band, more than 8 costume changes for the lady herself and £l million of Swarovski crystals.
The audience is taken on a rock driven dancetastic journey that’s broken into four sections:
Pimp
A mashed up homage to 1920’s deco and modern day gangsta pimp. Madonna makes a grand entrance dressed by Givenchy.
Old School
Madonna tips her hat to her early 80’s downtown New York City dance roots with flashes of Keith Haring and the dance culture vibe of the time including the birth of rap.
Gypsy
A VIP trip to La Isla Bonita infused by the spirit of Romanian folk music and dance. A tour de force.
Rave
Far eastern influences emerge all sparkly and sporty.
‘Sticky & Sweet’ kicks off this Saturday August 23rd at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. The tour hits London’s Wembley Stadium September 11th.
