8/16/2013

Happy Birthday Madonna!

Madonna turned 55 today! Happy Birthday! "Like a Virgin" was my third LP that I ever got and I've loved her ever since. I played it on my stereo that I saved up for by going door to door selling Christmas cards when I was 12, and I got the album for Christmas in 1985. Yes I know -- a quick google search reveals that it was actually released in 1984, but I grew up in Sweden, OK? In those days music wasn't released world-wide on the same day and a one-year old album was still considered shiny and new.
My 1985 Christmas gifts. Notice the recordable cassette tapes up on top!

The first time I saw her in concert was for the Blond Ambition Tour in 1990 in Gothenburg. Funnily enough, I now know some of her dancers from that tour!

Me in my (slutty) concert T-shirt. I still got it! Aaah, the horror of high-cut jeans....  

Last year I saw Madonna in concert at Madison Square Garden. My friend Jimmy was in town from London. Jimmy designed some furniture for her as well as that Super Bowl throne that I blogged about so he got us VIP tickets. The best part of having VIP tickets at Madison Square Garden is that one doesn't have to enter with the rest of the crowd. We went straight to the VIP pre-party with open bar. From there we found our seats right before the show started (instead of waiting for hours for it to begin) and we could bring our drinks with us too!

At the pre-show VIP party I was introduced to (one of) Madonna's assistants. I jokingly asked if she could share some crazy M. stories (M. That's what they call her). She totally froze up and didn't get the joke at all. So I laughed and carried on (and I blame the open bar here): "A-ha! I bet she made you sign a confidentiality agreement!" No response. And noone else was laughing. Luckily the show was about to begin and we entered to find our seats.

Guess who was sitting next to us? Some Danish girl who we chatted up. Guess who was sitting next to her? Carlos Leon! Madonna's ex and Lourdes' dad. Turned out he was dating said Danish girl who was kind enough to introduce us. Carlos is still a hottie by the way (though no Jesus), but I can report that the happy couple worked their way to the exit a little before the last note was sung.

On my other side was a photographer with a crazy zoom lens taking tons of pictures. "Who are you taking pictures for?" I asked. "Madonna" was the response. She informed me that she was hired to travel to all the concerts to take pictures and then put together a tour photo book for M. Here are some of my own, less professional, shots from the show:

That's the light show technicians in front of us. Behind us were the audio guys. 

I still know the words for the bridge all these years later... And of course the moves. 
Madonna expresses herself on the floor... 

Jimmy and I enjoy ourselves. Thanks Jimmy for letting me be your +1!