Series: Top Ten favourite concert openings

10. Dance in the Dark (Lady Gaga: Monster Ball Tour 2009-2011)

Like Michael Jackson, Gaga also knows how to build suspense. The looped “dd-dd-dd” sounds are instantly recognisable by the crowd, but the song doesn’t even start. Instead, a remix of “Finally” plays as a video of Gaga spinning, being slapped and doing other things in slow motion is projected onto a white curtain covering the stage.

A 10-second countdown finally begins on the backdrop, and the crowd erupts to a crescendo as “Dance in the Dark” begins and Gaga’s SILHOUETTE appears. Gaga has a recurring theme throughout all her concert openings on her tours- she hides behind a mask, a curtain or a costume.

From behind the white curtain, Gaga pulls some poses including the iconic monster claw, grooves to the beat and even scratches the air, whilst still singing live.

The curtain is eventually raised during the bridge of the song. The crowd explodes as Gaga is finally revealed. 

This video is from one of Gaga’s first ever headlining stadium shows- in front of 55,000 people in Mexico City on the 2^nd last date of the Monster Ball Tour.

Series: Top Ten favourite concert openings

9. Future Lovers/I Feel Love (Madonna: Confessions Tour 2006)

The strange S&M equestrian theme and captivating screen backdrops aside, Madonna knows how to make an entrance- making the audience wait through a long video introduction.

A disco ball covered with $1 million worth of Swarovski crystals.lies in the middle of the arena or stadium. Then suddenly, it OPENS and out comes the Queen of Pop. The crowd goes mental.

Madonna is at her saucy best, walking her dancers with leashes and whipping out her riding crop for the first time since the Erotica era.

As if things couldn’t get any better, the performance transitions to one of the great disco classics ever: “I Feel Love”. Again, it’s Madonna doing what she does best in concert- mashups of her songs.

This video was filmed for the Confessions Tour DVD, but the audio is replaced with an audio bootleg of a rare live vocal from the opening night of the tour. It’s clear that both songs are hard to sing live, especially the long notes in “I Feel Love”. Madonna would lipsync this concert opener on most nights of the tour.

Series: Top Ten favourite concert openings

8. Jam (Michael Jackson: Dangerous World Tour 1992-1993)

Another iconic opener that so many pop stars since have tried to replicate. The ominous bells. The growl of a black cat (Janet has clearly inspired Michael lol). The toaster.

Then Michael just stands there. With his aviator sunglasses and headset microphone, in a military-like stance. The crowd screams.

Then Michael tilts his head to the other side. The crowd screams even louder. Michael takes off his sunglasses. Even louder.

Then Michael throws away the sunnies and kicks as “Jam” starts. The crowd LOSES IT.

You can slightly forgive the lipsyncing. Worrying less about how he’d sound breathless on stage, Michael lets LOOSE. He dances with even more precision and vigour than before; there are plenty of kicks, crotch-grabs, side-sliding and more. Michael IS the show, and is even more explosive than the pyrotechnics on stage.

Here’s Michael at his best- on the first of 5 nights at Wembley Stadium on 30 July 1992. The energy that emanates from that stage in infectious.

Series: Top Ten favourite concert openings

7. In The Back of My Mind (Fleetwood Mac: Behind the Mask Tour 1990)

This is a better opener than “The Chain”, as it’s both atmospheric but doesn’t start things too slow.

Series: Top Ten favourite concert openings

6. Steamy Windows (Tina Turner: Foreign Affair Tour 1990, Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour)

Tina is now commanding football stadiums in Europe. The stage is bigger than ever, reflecting her status as the Queen of Rock.

The intro with piano, harmonica and guitar works up the crowd. An enormous staircase comes down, awaiting the arrival of the Queen.

The drums begin to play, then pianist Kenny Moore screams “Ladies and gentlemen, TINA TURNER!”

Tina arrives at the top of her throne and classily stomps down the stairs. IN HEELS. AT THE AGE OF 50.

Here’s an amazing video from an outdoor stadium in Stuttgart. The Germans LOVE Tina, and you can see  the crowd clapping and jumping along to the beat. Tina doesn’t stop moving and her vocals remain indestructible. Tina’s costume also shows off her legs quite nicely. 

Taking a short break from my list of favourite concert openings, to post this photo set of Gaga’s changing looks throughout the Born This Way Ball tour.

I’ve picked “Marry the Night”, as it’s definitely a highlight of the Born This Way Ball whether it was performed as the studio, acoustic or acoustic/studio version. Gaga never changed her costume, so the changes in her wigs, make-up and even her eyebrows are even more striking.

Opening night (28 April 2012), Seoul

Hong Kong, Night #2

Hong Kong, Night #4

Tokyo

Taiwan, Night #1

Taiwan, Night #2

Singapore

Auckland

Brisbane

Sydney, Night #1

Melbourne, Night #1

Bucharest

Vienna

Helsinki, Night #2

Amsterdam

Milan (the infamous snatching-her-own-weave moment)

Mexico City

Johannesburg

Final night (11 February 2013), Montreal, after tearing her hip ;(

Bring on ARTPOP!

Series: Top Ten favourite concert openings

5. Express Yourself (Madonna: Blond Ambition 1990)

The tour that changed pop concert tours forever. It must have been a sight to see Madonna emerging from an elevator on a stage resembling the factory from the music video.

Everything linked to this concert opener has become iconic. The ponytail hair during Japanese and North American concerts or the Marilyn-Monroe-like curls during the European Tour. The cone bra. The suit. News reports constantly replay the iconic image of Madonna in the elevator addressing the crowd with the headset microphone, which is synonymous with Madonna (sorry Kate Bush, David Bowie and Janet Jackson). Madonna’s energy and antics such as dry-humping her dancers make up for the lip-syncing.  

Here’s a performance from the night Madonna was threatened with arrest in Toronto, with the ponytail hair.

Series: Top Ten favourite concert openings

4. Wanna Be Startin Somethin (Jacksons: Victory Tour 1984; Michael Jackson: Bad World Tour 1987-1989)

The magic begins even before a single note is played. The Jacksons appear at the top of a flight of stairs, then slowly march in time down like machines. The anticipation is already too much for some. The Jacksons slowly and deliberately remove their sunglasses. The crowd screams even louder. Then the iconic opening drum kick. The groovy synth bass. The orchestra hits. The guitar riffs. The hip-thrusting. Finally, Michael does a call-and-response with his brothers whilst moving effortlessly across the stage.

On Michael’s first solo tour, this song takes a life of its own on the stadiums-only European leg. These stadiums are PACKED. Faintings are guaranteed. Concert openings are clearly even more epic in a stadium setting.  

This live version from Wembley Stadium on 16 July 1988 starts with a rumbling, wailing guitar similar to the intro used on David Bowie’s 1976 tour. The crowd waits to catch a glimpse of Michael. Panels of lights rise and fall, with smoke obscuring Michael and his dancers at first. When the synths and smoke die down, Michael is finally revealed. The crowd ERUPTS. The drum kick hits, the synth bass begins grooving and suddenly 72000 people are jumping to the beat.

For the next 5 minutes (apart from a 30-second break in the middle), Michael’s energy doesn’t let up. The grunts, the crotch-grabbing, the running, kicking and jumping across the stage, the soulfulness, the confidence, the random yelling and generally the BAD-ASS-ness of this performance are enthralling to watch. Quite possibly my favourite Michael Jackson live performance ever.

David Bowie, Marion Cotillard, and Gary Oldman in David Bowie’s new music video for The Next Day (x)

(via bowie-sexual-frustration)

Series: Top Ten favourite concert openings

3. If Looks Could Kill (Heart: Heart Tour 1985-1986)

The build-up is amazing. Drums. Then bass. You can even tell who starts playing guitar first based on the crowd reactions: the crowd wolf-whistles as Nancy Wilson steps on stage before Howard Leese starts his lead guitar solo. Lead vocalist Ann Wilson then KILLS it, singing even better than on the album.

The 1980s line-up of Heart may have sold-out to corporate rock, but they are still a cooking live band. They turn a tepid album opener into an absolute shredder live. Here’s a live version from 1985 (ignore the youtube details), unfortunately without the full eerie synth intro.