Re-Invention World Tour

Infobox concert tour
concert_tour_name = Re-invention World Tour


image_caption = Madonna performing during her 2004 World Tour
artist = Madonna
album = "American Life"
start_date = May 24 2004
end_date = September 14 2004
number_of_legs = 2
number_of_shows = 39 in North America
17 in Europe
56 Total
last_tour = Drowned World Tour
(2001)
this_tour = Re-invention World Tour
(2004)
next_tour = Confessions Tour
(2006)

The Re-invention World Tour was the sixth world concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna, visiting North America and Europe. It included dates in 20 cities, selling out 55 of 56 shows and attracting more than 900,000 fans. In the fall of 2004, Billboard Magazine awarded Madonna "Backstage Pass" Award in recognition of having the top grossing tour of the year, with ticket sales of nearly $125 million. [cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000707078|title=Madonna Tour Gets Top 'Backstage Pass' Honor|date=2004-11-04|accessdate=2008-07-13|work=Billboard]

About the Tour

The tour was chronicled in "I'm Going to Tell You a Secret", a two-hour documentary which included taped segments of the show, and backstage elements, including the auditioning of some of Madonna's dancers. A DVD, with a bonus CD of selected songs from the set, was released June 20, 2006.

The show was divided into five acts with different themes: French Renaissance/Marie Antionette revival, military/army, circus/cabaret, acoustic/religious and tribal/Scottish. "Nothing Really Matters" was meant to be part of the opening scene, following "Nobody Knows Me". The song itself was eventually scrapped, though elements of the intended choreography would eventually find its way into the show via "Nobody Knows Me". "Dress You Up", "Love Profusion" and "I'm So Stupid" were all part of the setlist. "I'm So Stupid " was cut for time constraints. Madonna had difficulty learning the guitar chords for "Dress You Up" so it was replaced with "Material Girl". An acoustic version of "Love Profusion" was meant to be interchanged with "Nothing Fails" during some of the European shows, but it never happened. "Swim" was replaced by "Frozen". Other songs that were considered were "Take a Bow" and "Live to Tell" but Madonna decided she didn't want to do that song again. cite web|url=http://www.drownedmadonna.com/modules.php?name=mike_mcknight|title=Mike McKnight: Madonna's Touring Technology Wizard Exclusive Interview|accessdate=2008-07-13|work-Drowned Madonna Fan Site] . At least one song from every album Madonna released was in the setlist. Madonna's performance of John Lennon's classic pro-peace song "Imagine" was a surprise to many fans and critics. Asked why she chose to cover this song Madonna simply said: "I wanted to make a statement with the ultimate peace song."

Madonna did not play any Friday night gigs on this tour as the teaching of the Kabbalah forbids it. She also pledged to respect the Jewish practice of Shabbat by dining with her close family every Friday rather than working.

During the end-segment while performing "Papa Don't Preach" and "Crazy for You", Madonna wore black t-shirts with various "... do it better" lines (reminiscent of her 1986 "Papa Don't Preach" music video). The lines read on various shows:
* Kabbalists Do It Better
* Midwesterners Do It Better
* Italians Do It Better
* Brits Do It Better
* Irish Do It Better
*Brazilians Do It BetterFor a few of her shows in the United States, she wore a t-shirt which read "Vote Or Die", addressing the then-upcoming U.S. presidential election.

The stage for the show had a huge structure with big screens that move around the stage, a number of elevators, a huge platform in V shape that was attached to the main stage in two songs, a conveyor belt, raising platforms and a revolving stage.

This tour is often considered the most accomplished and comprehensive of Madonna's career by both fans and critics. It was largely appreciated by fans for its large range of hits from the singers recent and classic catalogue. It was also praised by critics for an effective incorporation of religious symbolism and world events.

etlist

#"The Beast Within" (Video Introduction) (contains elements from the exhibition "X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS")
#"Vogue" (contains elements from the exhibition "X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS")
#"Nobody Knows Me"
#"Frozen"
#"American Life"
#"Express Yourself"
#"Burning Up"
#"Material Girl"
#"Hollywood" (Remix) (Video Interlude)
#"Hanky Panky"
#"Deeper and Deeper"
#"Die Another Day"
#"Lament"
#"Bedtime Story" (Remix) (Video Interlude)
#"Nothing Fails"
#"Don't Tell Me"
#"Like a Prayer"
#"Mother and Father" (contains excerpts from "Intervention")
# "Imagine"
# "Into the Groove" (contains elements of "Susan Macleod")
# "Papa Don't Preach" (contains excerpts from "American Life")
# "Crazy for You"
# "Music"
# "Holiday"

Source: [cite web|url=http://www.mad-eyes.net/tours/re-invention-tour/details.htm#songs|title=Re-Invention Tour Details|date=2004|accessdate=2008-07-13|work=Mad-Eyes] [cite web|url=http://madonna.com/tours/tour.php?tourid=6|title=Tour Achieves: Re-Invention Tour|accessdate=2008-09-08|work=Madonna's Official Website]

Tour dates

Box Office Score Data

Additional Notes

* 3 shows at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv were scrapped shortly before being put on sale due to safety concerns. Stops in Moscow and Helsinki were considered as replacements but never materialized due to time constraints.

Trivia

*While the tour was being produced the chosen name was rumored as "The Whore of Babylon Tour", but Madonna herself confirmed this rumor was not true. Other names considered were "Nobody Knows Me" and "Ground Zero".

*On April 22, 2003, during the taping of MTV's "Madonna: Live & On The Record", it was suggested to Madonna to perform "Burning Up" on guitar to which she would later abide. This was confirmed by publicist Liz Rosenberg in "ICON" Fan Magazine Q&A and by Madonna herself at Borders NYC book signing for "Lotsa de Casha" in June 2005.

*During the tour Elton John chided Madonna for lip-synching in her shows. “Since when has lip-synching been live?” he said. “Anyone who lip-syncs in public on-stage when you pay 75 pounds (US $134) to see them should be shot. That’s me off her ...Christmas card list,” he added. “But do I give a toss? No.” Madonna’s publicist, Liz Rosenberg, rejected John’s allegations. “Madonna does not lip-sync nor does she spend her time trashing other artists,” Rosenberg said in a statement. “She sang every note of her Re-Invention tour live and is not ashamed that she was well paid for her hard work. Elton John remains on her Christmas card list whether he is nice...or naughty,” she said. Mike McKnight who is the technology director of the tour, commented "She sings, and we go through all kinds of very complicated sound effects units to pull off the vocal sound she wants live. Believe me, it would be a lot easier if she’d just lip synch, but she will not do it."

*In August, Arthur Fogel announced TNA was considering adding a 2nd leg to the Re-Invention Tour in North America in November & December with proposed stops in Dallas, Denver, Seattle, Vancouver, Phoenix, Fresno, Columbus, and Montreal. Madonna ultimately decided against this as she would be away from her children for the duration of the tour extension. Instead she began recording her next studio album, "Confessions On A Dance Floor", and editing her tour documentary. Several of the proposed cities would show up on the Confessions Tour itinerary.

Broadcasts and Recordings

The show was expected to broadcast on CBS. The show was taped on the final night in Lisbon. The special event was eventually scrapped, mostly because of Madonna's demands of having commercial free time and over two hours of footage.

It was announced at the end of 2004 that a DVD release entitled "Get Up Lisbon! - The Re-Invention World Tour Live" would be released later in 2005, with some record sites even listing it. [cite web|url=http://www.ultimatemadonna.com/reinvention/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=13|title=Re-Invention Day by Day|date=2004-08-24|accessdate=2008-07-13|work=Ultimate Madonna] The DVD never materialized and was eventually scrapped due to the documentary "I'm Going To Tell You A Secret" being released. Due to contractual agreements Madonna and Warner Bros. were unable to release the live DVD, instead a DVD+CD containing the documentary and a live album of highlights from the show was released in May 2006 (two years after the start of the tour), with concert footage taken from a Paris, France date, with the songs heavily edited. Since the 2004 announcement there has been continued rumors surfacing about a DVD release of the show.

References