For anyone who missed it in the base, here is my Artpop Zone and M&G experience with Lady Queen on the 23rd:
Meeting the Queen of Music: Lady Gaga. My ARTPOPzone experience.
Pre-Concert:
So as some know I was lucky enough to buy two ARTPOPzone tickets for me and my boyfriend for the first of three London Shows of the Artrave back in February. All year I was looking forward to it and was worrying if spending so much money was worth it. Let me tell you: Yes it was!
About 2 weeks before the show I got an e-mail from Livenation with all the details. We were supposed to check-in from 6.30pm on at the Livenation desk. As we arrived a bit earlier we walked around the O2 and it was amazing to see people in costumes and there was Gaga music playing from every bar, someone was stanning hard for I Like It Rough which I obviously approved.
We checked-in without problems and had to fill out a form with our names, e-mail and describing what we wore and how we looked so they could later identify our pictures. We got the gift-bag with the tickets and a whristband but without the tour program. A host then guided us through some backstage doors and within seconds we walked past the main stage and around the catwalks into the artpopzone. He told us to put our stuff on our seats but we were allowed to dance and walk around the whole zone. There was also a bar where we ordered some alcohol to calm our nerves. Sadly they didn't have the Absolute Drinks but I think that was just an US thing.
Very soon Breedlove entered the stage and I really liked his set tbh. His performance was not too exciting as it was just him walking around but I really liked his music. Then he introduced Lady Starlight and she came to "DJ". She got her life from it and I liked the first 10 minutes, then we went to the bathroom and when we came back we didn't really pay attention as it was so repetetive. But she only played for about 30 minutes and she said "This is my last song some may be happy" and then the song went on for 10 minutes lol. During her set Breedlove came into the Artpopzone and took pictures with everyone and even followed me on Twitter the next day. The music after that was amazing though although it only lasted for maybe 10 minutes.
Suddenly I looked back and I noticed that her parents where with us too. Some people went to ask for pictures but her mom declined (which I've read before lol). But she talked with everyone who approached her and she was drinking her wine and in a very good mood. Bobby came too and stayed most of the concert. Then there were three other women which I didn't recognize. Somebody said it was Kimberly from Girls Aloud which I knew wasn't true lmao. It turned out to be Ruth Hogben.
Concert:
At 8.50 pm the lights turned off and the intro started. I was so surprised that she was pretty much on time. Then it was suddenly a blur. I remember people jumping and screaming and the view was amazing. We could clearly see the main stage. Gaga rose up and her costume was sparkling so much. When she sat on the piano during Artpop i was in awe. She was so close and beautiful and was looking directly into our eyes. We sang and danced.
When G.U.Y. started everyone stood up and I loved to see all people dancing during Donatella too. Venus was obviously a highlight. When she came to do the piano section it felt like she was singing only to us. She dedicated Dope to Ruth and she was very emotional and Cynthia huged her. Yoü and I was such a crowd pleaser which surprised me.
Then Gaga got a letter from a girl that talked about depression and how she was sad but Gaga helped her through and Gaga then said she takes pills against depression too and she is not afraid to admit that. She picked the girl up on stage and she performed Born This Way for Sarah. It was really emotional and it was such a special honest moment.
The new Sexxx Dreams intro was slayage and people loved Mary Jane Holland. She sang Bang Bang and during the end she came to the very end of one of the catwalks to the Artpopzone and ordered a beer from the bar. After the concert I asked the girl working at the bar if she travels with Gaga but she said she works for the O2 and it was surreal when Gaga talked to her lol.
Gaga's mom was going down during Jewels N'Drugs, she was feeling iiiiit haha.
Before she sang Gypsy she mentioned the words from the monster4life tweet she once posted. I am very sure now that these are lyrics to a song that means a lot to her.
The whole concert was obviously amazing and a big party. I lost my **** during Swine. We were just jumping. The show lasted for 2 hours and I was exhausted by the end haha. I had confetti glued under my shoes.
Backstage
We were told to wait for a few minutes in the zone and then Joya, a Livenation host that does all the M&Gs escorted us backstage. We walked through a few doors and were suddenly in a big room with some couches and chairs. Some pictures were hanging with signed stuff from Kylie, Katy and other artists. We were invited to use the bar for free and there were several toilets to freshen up.
Joya sat on this chair that Gaga would use later, so here's a pic to give you an idea how close we were to her:
We set on the far left at the end and this was our view.
There were some Cheek to Cheek songs playing in the background. Joya then told us all the rules. Gaga would probably arrive within the next hour. We had to turn off all mobiles and any electric devices. Gaga wants to keep it private and friendly. We were allowed to ask her anything. Joya warned us that the picture would be taken very quick as the security is strict and that we couldn't really talk then with her. So if we had to tell her something we'd have to tell her during the group meeting. She also told us not to kiss Gaga during the pictures as she could get sick and not to lift her up as someone did that before and they don't want her hip to break again.
Suddenly she got the tour programs delivered into the room and she said they were freshly signed so we better take care. Joya asked us where we were from, how we got the tickets and what we liked about the show. She asked us what props we liked and which we didn't, if we noticed anyone special in the artpopzone. And then she asked us which of the last three tours we prefered and most said BTWball, some said Monsterball, no one said Artrave
But she said she understands as all of them are very different lol.
She calmed us and said Gaga was really nice and not like some other stars that are awkward towards their fans. Someone coughed and said "Britney" and she only smiled. I know from another M&G story that she did work with Britney on her M&Gs before so who knows if she meant her.
She also told us to put our gifts on a big table so the security can check it. But she asured us that Gaga gets everything into her wardrobe, hotel rooms, storage room or her new big house that she just bought.
Suddenly 5 more people entered the room who I don't know who they were. They also never spoke to Gaga later on so I don't know if they won something or were just some friends or whatever. I also had to laugh when one of Gaga's securities entered and asked who that one guy was, when it was the photographer. He actually kicked him out and said they'll call him back when they take the pictures.
Joya also said she usually gets a few minutes warning before Gaga comes in. Suddenly the door opened and another security entered and just asked: No cameras or phones on, right? Joya nodded and...
Meeting Gaga
Gaga just walked in. We were so surprised that she was just suddenly in here and she looked amazing! We all gasped and said: You look so great, who's the designer? She said: Alexander....don't remember his second name lol. Then she tried to sit on the chair but the dress was tight and it was high so she almost fell over. Once she sat on it the chair spinned around and she smiled and said: "I was meant to do that" My bf told her "You are a pro" and she smiled and said "I was born to do this" and spin another round on the chair.
She asked how we we were and if we already got our drinks. She then ordered a red wine mixed with a coke from the bar. So I don't remember in what order what happened as it was very free and everyone could just talk or ask anything and some were more talkative than others. I'll list the most important stuff:
We talked more about her depressions and she said she is very happy now but she does take antidepressants and that Sarah's story inspired her to talk about it tonight. She's not ashamed of it but she won't say what pills exactly she's taking. She's been taking them for the past 4 years and she said she hopes one day she won't need them
. She stressed how important it is to take them daily which she didn't always and that at first she was scared but now she is excited when she takes them
. I wouldn't worry though, at least she's getting the help she needs and she genuinly seemed very happy with her life right now.
A girl asked her about anxiety and she told her to take some ice out of the freezer and that it would hurt so much that she would forget about her panic attack for a moment. She said she does that sometimes too and says to herself "You are ****ing Lady Gaga, get yourself together"!
She also said you should never rely on other people as in the end you will always get disappointed by them.
Another girl told her that she used to make movies but lost her motivation for it and she read that Gaga wanted to quit music too but Tony inspired her so she asked for some advice. Gaga said: "You just have to find the passion back, the reason why you started doing what you did". And that's what Tony gave her, he forced her to sing again clearly and she found her passion now.
She mentioned that she is very lucky to be where she is now but if she wouldn't be a superstar she'd still be singing somewhere and performing as that's her passion. She said she never wants to sell out cause once you're a sell out you lost the fight and you are dead.
Someone asked her what her biggest achievement was and she said: Singing with Tony. That he's american-italian just like she is
and that she grew up listening to him in her house and that it was a great honor. How he was the oldest person to have a no.1 on the album charts and that he broke his own record. That he held the record 2 years ago when he was No. 1 with Duets 2 which she was part of too (so is she claiming that he was No. 1 back then just because of her like we do here?
).
Somoene asked her if she was really planing on bringing back the BTWball to London and she just smiled and said in a cheeky voice "I want to....". Take what you want from that.
Then she said she is very inspired for her next SOLO album but she didn't want to give away any details when we asked. Not what style and not when something is coming. But her voice sounded really excited though guys, I really feel like she's been working on it for a while. She then told us to tell that it's gonna be very experimental. She clearly knows that stories get leaked backstage so she was just taking the piss with that one haha.
She also said: Ok who didn't ask any question yet and me and my bf rose our arms and others too. So then she talked with somebody else how it's important to surround yourself with positive people and if somebody always brings you down you better loose that person. Money can't buy you happiness and it brings a lot of problems into the business. That she never feels like she is finished and that she always has to fight.
She said: Two more questions!
Then she turned to my boyfriend and he thanked her. He said that she brings tears to his eyes with all her music and all the effort she puts into her performances, clothes and songs. That he has been a fan since she was a supporting act for the PCD (and she gasped!) and that back then she said "Some of you may know me, some may not but my name is Lady...Gaga" and that she should look at where she is now that everybody knows her and what she had achieved. She was very emotional (and I was proud how he worded it so nice) and she thanked him a lot.
She then went on to tell how her show kept getting smaller for the PCD as they were hanging the curtain different every night and she'd get less and less space. She said someone (not the girls but from her team or so) was trying to make Gaga smaller and said she can't use the bubble piano and all props. She would then laugh and say: "I was a stripper just me give me my stage and I'll make it work!" She'd then be in the arena everyday and would look how they build her stage and make sure everything is there. It was a lovely throwback at how she had to fight to get where she is.
Then she suddenly looked at me, pointed at me and said: YOU! My heart stopped for a second. Lady ****ing Gaga just looked at me lol. I had many questions of course but guys you have to realize that you have to look at the flow and what will keep her talking and what she probably will answer and what not. So then I just started talking and I said "How do you feel the music industry has changed in the past 5 years? Cause I feel it became very shallow lately but I do feel it's slowly becoming more organic and real again", she nodded and said "I totally agree. When I started it was all great, then it became a bit shallow and then suddenly it all became VERY shallow. And that's not what I want. I don't want to sell out and become the machine cause then you are dead. You know with the internet people also earn a lot of money with clicks so they will make sure to talk about you just to make people click and earn money. I'm from a subculture in New York and when I die I want people to say she was the girl that never stopped being that subculture. People don't really understand us, we are not the popular kids, we are the shy kids in the corner that don't get along with the popular kids. We love Nostalgia and the 70's and Woodstock". Something like that. She would look into my eyes all the time and talk directly to me. It was soooo surreal!
Then she said: Ok, let's take pictures! So I was the last question
We were then escorted into another room and were supposed to leave everything there. Then we'd enter the room again in groups of three. And I was so relieved to see that she was standing instead of sitting haha. It really only takes a second to take the pictures. One security tells you where to stand and then he tells you to go to her. She had her hand open and welcoming to me. I stood next to her, held my arm around her and we took several pics (but we only get the best one sent). Then another security came forward me and just said: GO! lol. I just looked at her and said "Thank you" and she said "no thank you" and that was it.
We then left through another exit and took the night bus for an hour and then we only slept for 3 hours before taking the flight back but it was all worth it. She is SO down to earth guys and she really loves and lives for us. She is truly special. She talked to us for about 45 minutes
Sorry for writing a ****ing book but I just wanted to write everything I remembered lol.
So once again our pic:
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