We drove to London for the weekend to see Madonna, part of Kim's 30th birthday celebration. We took Eurotunnel - a car transport service (they don't let you drive yourself) - through the Chunnel.
London is way more interesting than either of us expected. We rode the super touristy double decker bus, which was so fun we went around twice.
We walked over Westminster Bridge past the London Eye and Parliament, and listened to Big Ben ring out the hour. We walked around Piccadilly Circus and Soho the day of the pride parade (chaos). We visited the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square - I can't believe that the National Gallery (as well as Tate Modern) is free! Points for England. We saw the Horse Guard at Whitehall. We ate at Nobu - one of the top three eating experiences so far.
The Material Girl. Aka Madge, Mo, Nonnie, Maddy, and most recently M-dolla. She performed at the O2 arena, Europe's newest state-of-the-art concert venue. We had fantastic seats. The sound system was great. It was of course a sold out show. I saw her in Montreal 15 years ago - a show that was so spectacular it left me with the most splitting headache I've ever had. This time I tried not to expect anything. I did not want to be
saddened. Kim had never been to her show and I think she was a little dubious. But from the minute she rose up out of the stage (on a throne, no less) it was clear. This was going to be an Entertainment Extravaganza. And was it ever. Pretty much a non-stop two and a half hour assault on the senses (in a good way). You say she's not the best singer, dancer, song writter? I say blah blah blah. The woman knows how to entertain. Her show is incredible. A high tech Pop Opera production executed to perfection. A blitz of lights, costumes, dancers, DJs, video images. She did a Gogol Bordello-ish La Isla Bonita. A heavy rock/metal Borderline. One of her dancers did an MJ tribute; everybody went nuts.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMVPfetWvhw
Of course she included lots of foul language, social commentary, bossing the crowd, flexing and parading about, talking about her own ego. And yeah, her face looks a little like marble, but, as one reviewer put it, "her backside still looks like it could crack a walnut, her legs have muscles like a horse and her arms would make any gym loving man take serious note if she lined up for a bench press". Ever my fitness hero. No, she is not washed up. Or irrelevant. The majority of the crowd was not over 30. Even NATO is aspiring to model its reorganization after what business analysts call "the Madonna-curve". To quote; "this curve is named after the legendary pop-diva who reinvented herself each time her style and stardom went into inevitable decline, but whose audacity has lifted her up to ever higher levels of relevance and fame." I rest my case.
