When a major artist cancels a concert, it is understandable that you as a fan switch between understanding and disappointment. But sometimes it can not be otherwise or the concept predominates, as for Lady Gaga: she suffers from chronic pain and is frank about it in the media. Nevertheless, it was nevertheless a sour apple that she had to cancel a part of her world tour last year, including that on October 3 in the Ziggo Dome.

In retrospect, it’s a good thing that Gaga saved her powers, because during the jump-off, yesterday in the Ziggo Dome, she shot exactly as you would hope. Her latest album, the more personal Joanne from 2016, does automatically expect a more subdued, outgoing performance, but nothing is less true: Gaga treated the fans to a generous, fiercely executed cross-section of her work, and was able to conjure up almost all hits and favorites from her pink cowboy hat.

Pink cowboy hat, well known, appears to be pushed up from a moving stage as she puts on the pumping Diamond Heart: an ideal set opener, but nevertheless a somewhat oddly undervalued Gaga song.

It is one of those songs where she makes her voice snappy, something she also does during a stirring A-YO, flanked by dancers dressed in simple black.

It is striking how Gaga rockets live harder than she does on her albums: songs like Pokerface and Alejandro are lifted to a higher level by fine tear guitars. Meanwhile, stages tilt diagonally, give light and Gaga disappears into the ground at a certain moment. It becomes more spectacular when three peculiar, hot-dog-shaped spaceship objects drop from the ceiling, unfold themselves, and form walkways, allowing Gaga to parade from one to the other.

That moment marks the peak of the concert. An excitement performed by Applause is already a highlight in itself, but the most impressive is Gaga when she performs a song like The Edge of Glory beautifully on piano, so her vocal qualities can shine undisturbed. About the intimate, somewhat too long talk about her deceased aunt Joanne, opinions will be divided: you understand her intention to humanise herself, but above all she is a superstar. In the Ziggo Dome she underlined smoothly, but at full strength why. (Hans van Lissum)

 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR