Madonna has become the latest big-name artist to shake up the music industry, after signing a unique new contract with concert promotions company Live Nation.
The presence of Madonna feels almost incidental, as Price deals in back-beats and a pounding glib electro-clash. What comes out the other end, sparkling yet full of post-modern grit, is a Madonna song for people who don’t like – or even are actively hostile towards – Madonna.
The Queen of re-invention is at it again, and this time it’s all about dance music. Co-produced and co-written by Stuart ‘Les Rhythmes Digital’ Price, this album is a creative leap into ‘future disco’ that captures the thrill of the iconic superstar’s earlier hits.
Despite the hype and controversy surrounding ticket sales in the run up to Slane 2004, on the night it certainly looked as near to a sell-out as made no difference.
Has Madonna become the immaterial girl? Or will the Re-invention tour re-establish her as the foremost female icon on the planet? On the eve of her first ever Irish appearance at Slane, Peter Murphy takes a look at the strange twist the Queen of Pop’s career has taken – and how she is now fighting back, for all she’s worth.
After several months of will she/won't she speculation, MCD have announced that Madonna will definitely bring her Re:invention Greatest Hits World Tour to Slane Castle on Sunday August 29.
With Madonna's tour about to debut in Los Angeles this Monday, some of Slane's residents seem determined to keep their town out of pop history. The Re-invention tour is a virtual sell out - 47 of the 48 shows currently sport HOUSE FULL signs - with Slane likely to do the same within hours of tickets eventually going on sale.
Meath County Council have received a formal licence application from Slane promoters, with the date - confirmed as "the Lord's Day" - drawing protests from the local parish priest and tabloid media
As predicted first by hotpress.com over a month ago, Madonna has been confirmed as the headline artist for Slane 2004. The concert has been scheduled for Sunday, August 29, signalling a change in practice for the annual Slane Castle event, which has not taken place on a Sunday since Bob Dylan appeared there in 1984.
The odds on Madonna playing Slane on the weekend of August 28/29 have shortened considerably with the singer confirming a third London date at Wembley Arena on August 22.
To be the honest, the history of Madonna remixes has been a chequered one. Even during her last golden period, every ‘Like A Prayer’ or William Orbit overhaul of ‘Justify My Love’ was followed by another dull as dishwater 4/4 dance mix of some other tune. Such trepidation, however, can be dismissed when approaching this impressive seven-track collection.
Whoever told Madonna that this song was actually any good must’ve been more concerned with their payroll than her actual music, for I fail to recall the last time I heard a record quite so utterly abysmal. Everything about it screams cock up: from the piss poor beats to the total lack of melody, from the humiliating “rap” to the cringeworthy lyrics. This song is exactly what it says on the tin: a forty-something woman with modest vocal talent attempting to be down with the kids. Tragic.
"Its hardly the “revolutionary point of view” that she is laying claim to, but it does sound all the more invigorating coming straight from the lips of the most famous woman in pop"
Pop fans d’un certain age will remember the jolt: the electrifying shock of the new, followed by the realisation that nothing will ever be the same again.
