Madonna faithful camp out in Melbourne
They are among Madonna's most extreme fans, camping on the concrete for two nights to secure the best spot at her secret Melbourne show.
Israel Henriques, of Perth, has seen the superstar perform 138 times.
"By the end of the tour, it will be 145," he told AAP.
"She's a very expensive woman, isn't she guys?" he says to the other hardcore fans he's camped on the Forum Theatre steps with since Tuesday night.
The intimate Thursday show, Tears of A Clown, is exclusively for Madonna's Icon fan club winners. It will fuse music, art and comedy in the 1500-capacity theatre.
The Material Girl tweeted it was a "small gift for Australia for being so patient" after her 23-year absence.
Madonna is in Australia for her Rebel Heart tour, which kicks off on Saturday in Melbourne.
Israel, and the other fans, follow Madonna's tours around the world.
The secret Melbourne show is general admission, so he will be racing to the front row to get as close as he can to the singer he's loved since his teens.
"I've always admired how she says it how it is," Israel said.
"We know each other. We're on a first name basis."
Jenny Crooks is here from the UK. She says the star's inspiring lyrics helped her through her younger years.
"The more I've gotten to see her up close, and you get to look in her eyes and get some engagement, then that's what I want to continue to do," she says. "Get close to that person who's given me so much."
Michael Franz, from Germany, planned to come Down Under just to see Madonna but ended up staying for a working holiday.
"Each time when I get to interact with her or when she touches my hand, that's awesome," he says.
But the biggest buzz came last tour when she struck up a conversation with him.
"That was the first time she really interacted with me," he said.
"It took me hours to come down from that high."
Scotsman Jonathan Pert got off the plane Wednesday morning.
"I'm here purely for Madonna," he said.
"I would never have missed this, I think it's a once in a lifetime.
"I don't think my work was really thrilled, but I'll make it up to them."
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My buddy Israel.
