The Girlie Show ~ Live Down Under

T H E G I R L I E S H O W

L I V E D O W N U N D E R (DVD)

Taken from Madonna's tour in 1993, this DVD (rated 15 years and over) shows her stop-over in Sydney, Australia, and she is ably backed by singers Niki Haris and Donna Delory and by a team of superb dancers. And boy, what a show this turned out to be!

Chapters

Introduction/The Girlie Show Theme
Erotica*
Fever*
Vogue*
Rain*
Express Yourself*
Deeper and Deeper*
Why It's So Hard
In This Life
The Beast Within
Like A Virgin*
Bye Bye Baby*
I'm Going Bananas
La Isla Bonita*
Holiday*
Justify My Love*
Everybody Is A Star/Everybody*
Credits

The show starts with a fly over Sydney Harbour to the sports stadium where the concert is being held. A clown walks on the stage and looks up. A topless female dancer twists down a pole from the roof, to the background music of Erotica. As she leaves the stage, A short-blond-haired Madonna comes up from under the stage masked, dressed in black and as a kinky dominatrix complete with riding crop and she goes about seducing you. Though she is lip-synching, the performance is worth it because of the S&M moves she carries out...ooo-er!

Fever is a cover song, originally by Peggy Lee, but I don't think she would have done it quite this way! Madonna marches mechanically to the front shedding her outer clothing and S&M paraphenalia as she goes. She is joined by two hunky male dancers who soon strip to their briefs aided by Madonna. Madonna does sing the song differently to the Erotica album version, as it is much deeper. There is a whine at the end of each line that can get a little annoying, however, the dancing is sexy (with Madonna fondling and sitting astride her dancers) and well-choreographed, and the song ends with a bang with Madonna and her two hunky dancers sinking into the stage in a ring of flames as she sings "what a lovely way to burn".

A Thai rhythm strikes up and backing singers Niki Haris and Donna Delory come out dressed in Thai headgear and making Thai hand movements as the famous first few notes of Vogue play - the crowd goes crazy because this is one of Madonna's biggest hits worldwide. Madonna joins them dressed similarly striking a pose and is flanked by dancers in black half waistcoats. The 'vogueing' hand movements are replaced by elements inspired by Thai dance moves and the dancers show off individually and are applauded by the other crew members. Madonna walks over the backs of her dancers to the front of the stage to initiate the rap section and the main dance section. This is the highlight where Madonna and the backing singers line up behind one another and seem to become one many-armed individual, like the Thai gods and goddesses. The song is ended with a short dance routine which is excellent. While Madonna lip-synchs the song (though you can hear her singing over the top of it on one side of this double-sided DVD) the reworking of the dance and costumes results in a stunning backdrop to this superb song.

The stage is lit softly to reveal Madonna, Niki and Donna sitting dressed in black full-length chorister gowns singing Rain. This version is more gospel than the Erotica version, with the three singers harmonising with each other at points - which is good because Madonna's solo parts are not sung all that well! Madonna rises for the climax of the song ("here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say...never go away") as they turn on a moving part of the stage to face a 'sunrise' effect with yellow lights. Then they launch into a small section of "Just My Imagination" before rejoining Rain and here is where Madonna's voice kicks in like it should have done from the start to a beautiful ending.

The clown returns to entertain the crowd while Madonna and co are changing for the next section of the show. It's 'raining' to an instrumental version of 'Rain' and dancers dance with twirling umbrellas and the lead female dancer in particular captivates the clown, who reaches out to her in desire. However he is too shy to make a final move and is left standing there forlornly when she dances away, with just her umbrella to remind him of her.
And altered male voice introduces a Seventies disco scene complete with silver foil curtains and flashing lights. Madonna descends from the ceiling sitting astride a giant silver disco ball (one of a virtual constellation of disco balls!) stoking the crowd up with the first few lines of her classic Express Yourself. She is dressed changed into tiny purple hotpants and a gypsy-esque multicoloured (in typical Seventies fashion) and baggy blouse, sporting a blonde afro wig and Seventies platforms. The performance is powerful and convincing, the dancing being inspired by Night Fever and James Brown and the singing being powerful and rousing. The three singings bop to the front in perfect Seventies fashion and interact with the crowd, Madonna inserting spoken sentences into the song before they shuffle back to the main stage where Madonna gives a small speech inspired by 'Express Yourself', before they gyrate to the notes of the next song.
As they gyrate (punctuated only by a male dancer pretending to be a over-zealous fan who leaps on stage and strips to tiny pink hotpants!), it becomes obvious that the next song is Deeper and Deeper which Madonna plays up to spectacular Seventies effect; sporting differently coloured feather boas, the dancers and Madonna put on a superb and intricate dancing performance that far surpasses the original song and with Madonna's singing though deeper and deeper than the original (sorry for the pun!) is powerful fantastic. The lengthy instrumental dance section towards the end is stunning and then the whole crew visit each side of the stage before whole scene descends into a simulated mass orgey. A must-see.

The orgey continues (with dancers, stripping off their tops - including female dancers!!) for the next song, Why It's So Hard and jauntiness music that reminds me of Crocodile Dundee (am I the only one who thinks this?) which can sound annoying on the album is perfectly set in this live show as Madonna manages to create an atmosphere for the song which is both quiet and intimate and a mass love-fest which includes the crowd. Madonna dances with her dancers and her long-haired guitarist as she sings and instructs everyone to love their brother and sisters, and the singers is almost album-perfect in quality. At the end, everyone but Madonna fades back into smoke as Madonna, Niki and Donna beautifully sing out the song.

Madonna is left on her own, sweaty and with messy flat hair (since her afro wig was removed during the orgy in a harkening-back to the 'Open Your Heart' video) but sexy still, and she takes a moment to appreciate the cheers of the crowd and to drink some water, which she also pours down her cleavage (to great cheers!) and jokes with the crowd. She then lowers the mood by making a solemn speech about the dangers of AIDS and how not to give up. This provides a great intro for the next song.
She wanders to the front of the stage on her own and sits down in front of the crowd. In this Life is a song about two close friends of Madonna's who died before their time from AIDS, and how people shun sufferers and cause them much pain. It is a real tear-jerker, and it has a haunting quality to it. Madonna obviously feels strongly about this, and it shows in her powerful performance, which is simply a solo effort with her sitting in the spotlight with no dancers or backup, apart from the clown who observes solemnly from a perch on a step-ladder. The crowd's reaction at the end is extremely appreciative as they realise that Madonna was not only singing to them but also helping spread the message about AIDS. Madonna walks off at the end, ignoring the seated clown.

While Madonna and the others change for the next segment, a stunning dance is performed to a remixed version of 'Justify My Love' with Madonna reading from the Bible's Book of Revelations - this is The Beast Within and is danced to in particular by two male dancers (one black - the 'good' one, possibly the Messiah returning; and one white - the 'bad' one, representing the Beast which is described to be given authority by Satan at the Apocalypse). Dramatic and powerful, even without Madonna's physical presence, this is not simply a fill while Madonna gets changed, though it might appear so at a casual glance. The two main characters fight their way through the entire song while the other dancers represent the peoples of the world at the end of days, who are also torn by the opposing forces of Good and Evil. The 'Beast' has the upper hand for most of the dance, but the Messiah rallies towards the end and the two sink into the stage at gripping at each other in a final last effort as the music and the lights fade.
The dark mood is lifted by the Show's circus music, chandeliers and Madonna rising from the stage sitting on a wooden trunk. Famous and infamous in equal measure, Like A Virgin was frowned on, condemned, ridiculed, but it was extremely successful. It may have dated, but for many people, this is the song they first think of when they hear Madonna's name. But if you were expecting Madonna's traditional high-pitched rendition of this song with Madonna dressed in a white wedding dress or a bed-straddling fake masturbation to Arabic music (like in Blond Ambition), then you'll be very surprised. Madonna appears dressed in the fashion of a male cabaret singer, complete with top hat, cane and tails, and she procedes to sing the song in a deep, german-accented voice ('Like a wergin...'), to a Parisian theme music. This is a performance which is in effect a brilliant homage to screen diva Marlene Dietrich (who, it was falsely-rumoured at the start of Madonna's career was her mother!) - and Madonna even resembles her here! Madonna has always tried to modify this song which each successive performance, and this has kept this song alive long beyond its normal 'lifespan'. She whirls in dance and twirls her cane in this performance as the clown returns, hiding from her but trying to observe her too, which leads to his 'downfall' as Madonna notices him (but gives no obvious sign, carrying on with the song) before chasing him off the stage at the end in a hilarious side-show. Finally, she launches into a version of 'Falling In Love Again' to round off a memorable performance.

Madonna moves straight onto Bye Bye Baby by transforming her voice into that of a circus ringmaster, introducing the arrival of three female strip-club dancers dressed suitably scantily and Niki & Donna who are dressed in a similarly masculine fashion as Madonna. A strange voice-alteration (EQ'ing) is used in this song which squeezes her voice so it sounds like it's coming from an old-fashioned radio set, but that does not take away from the power of the delivery. The dance routine revolves around three chairs which all the performers use in the song. The female strippers first come and seduce the three 'men' by rubbing against them and holding sexy poses and totally dominate them before Madonna & co come back and roughly take control again, as is fitting for the theme of the song. At the end of the song, as the strip club girls retreat, the three 'men' go into a heavily-hammed parody of male chauvinism.

From this, they move into yet another league of comedy with I'm Going Bananas - a comic song with a strong latin influence. The voice used is completely different yet again (like that of the famous Brazilian singer Carmen Miranda). Madonna and her backing singers shed their hat and tails, shedding to reveal handkerchiefs tied on their head and striped blouses. As Madonna describes how she's going 'loco', the three of them mess around with staid 'Dr Alonzo', played by one of the male dancers, which adds a further touch of hilarity to this already comic song as he is seduced and starts dancing with them.
Madonna starts the song with an explosion of Spanish phrases which she pretends she doesn't know what they mean - which is a nice intro into the latino classic La Isla Bonita. Madonna's moves are smooth and stylish - a match for any latin dancer in this favourite, and though the whine threatens to make a return to her singing, she bottles it up and turns in an overall good singing performance - at one point being elevated on a giant red platform. The dancing routine at the end with four male dancers is knockout, with the speed and style of Madonna's moves outstripping that of even her professional dancers!

Madonna then ends the latin section by sending prayers of thanks with her dancers to God for not raining on her show, gives a jokey lecture on not stealing from hotels and also jokes about how she doesn't like the concert cameras zooming in on her 'when sweat and snot are flying'! The level of interaction with the crowd in this show is at its highest in her career, and you can see she is really enjoying performing.
Dancers and the backing singers appear, dressed in long military coats to the accompaniment of a military march on the drums, which is helped along by claps from the crowd. Madonna comes out dressed in a similar fashion, but she is clearly the sergeant. A giant US flag comes down and covers the backdrop. A thumping bass and Madonna's cry announce this is Holiday, the most famous early Madonna hit. This version is pumping and updated into the Nineties and the best ever - with great touches like the tune being played with the aid of naval pipes, thus carrying on the military theme. The dance routine is charged, again being inspired by the military and the choreography is fantastic, the formation of dancers coming up with move after superb move. In an interlude, there is a little made up song for Australia where she gets the crowd to sing along, then they go back into 'Holiday' complete with explosions of confetti string, ending as if they were ending the night. Then Madonna pretends not to want to end the show and breaks free from her backing singers, who try to restrain her...ultimately, they have to carry her off! But that isn't the end, oh no.

The stage is dark, a chilling set of notes is played and dancers appear dressed in equisite Victorian English fashion. A giant black and white chequered cloth covers the entire back wall as Madonna emerges from the floor, dressed in top hat, eye-patch and swathed in a huge satin cloak...and she's ten feet tall! The crowd goes wild as the seductive first few notes of Justify My Love are played. The mystery of Madonn's height is revealed as she lets the cloak drop to reveal she's actually standing on a few steps. Beneath her cloak, she was dressed in a white shirt with frilly sleeves, a striped waistcoat, a black frilled skirt and opera glasses - all in black and white. All the other performers are dressed individually with superb taste but in the same black and white colour scheme even though each of their costumes is different from one another's. The performance is dramatic and elegant, albeit lipsynched for the most part with Lenny Kravitz's haunting backing vocals floating behind Madonna's sexy crooning and spoken vocals. At the end, there is a 'dance' section where Madonna, Niki and Donna break into live vocals for the first time in the song as they belt out 'Justify, justify, baby! Justify my love, my love!' as the backing performers stage a fashion parade. The audience cheer in appreciation as Madonna stalked off the stage alone at the end, to chilling music again.

There couldn't be a greater contrast now as Madonna reappears dressed in cut off denim shorts with a yellow Australian sports jersey on and sings Everybody Is A Star with wonderful warmth. It's only a short intro, however for her own first ever single, Everybody where she is joined by her dancers and singers who are dressed similarly except that they wear white vests. The disco notes of this earliest of Madonna classics accompany Madonna's feel-good thank-you to all her support - from singers to dancers to musicians. At the end of the song, it's the dancers and singers this time who don't want to leave and Madonna has to chase them off. Then she leaves and the crowd think it's all over. But then the clown makes his reappearance and waves goodbye, dances, stokes up the crowd one last time before finally revealing his face and hey presto, it's Madonna this time! This sends the crowd crazy and she sings 'everybody is a star' and winks before the red curtain falls on this superb show, leaving the crowd chanting her name over and over again.

Rating
This concert was everything it should have been - dramatic, humorous, sexy, powerful and an exhibition of superb talent - Madonna's, Delory and Haris's, the dancers' and the musicians'. While Blond Ambition was indeed a fantastic show, it's quite clear that Madonna's performance has matured and become polished in the couple of years between the two tours - she sings live more, the twists and takes on the old songs were carefully thought out to keep them fresh, and the new songs only enhance the overall effect as her talent in songwriting has improved since the 1980s. All of this was set against the background of the biggest backlash Madonna has ever faced in her career (due to the SEX book) and it's remarkable therefore that she seemed to be enjoying herself as much as she did; but there you are, she's a performer who loves to be on stage. This was some concert!
In fact, to call it a concert is to demean it to the ranks of other artists' song-and-dance routines (or, more often than not, song-or-dance routines!). Blond Ambition was a concert (albeit the very best of concerts), however this is so much more - a theatrical extravaganza, more like the Broadway shows of old during the Golden Era of entertainment, underlying that Madonna is, at least for the forseeable future, the last of the great divas and show-artists. BUY THE DVD!!
10/10.
Buy it at Amazon.com today!
� Josh Deb Barman 2000 (thanks to Madonnashots & others for the photos)