The Mayhem Ball

by Maja Wodtke

A few weeks ago, on Saturday, the 4th of October, I had the incredible chance to attend Lady Gaga’s concert, The Mayhem Ball, that took place at the O2 arena in London – one of the world’s largest indoor arenas. The performance started at 8:30pm and went on till around 11pm of local time. At the entrance, everyone received remotely controlled bracelets that were later being lit in different colors during the performance depending on the scenography or theme of a specific song. Before the concert even begun, I was amazed by the other fans’ outfits. The dominant colors were black and red, and many people went wild on their makeup as well. The positive atmosphere and the sense of community on the tribunes – even during the almost two hours long wait – was contagious. While most of the audience was still at the bars getting what was apparently the most important part of the experience – food and drinks – those already inside the auditorium could listen to the entire repertory of the Carmen opera as a pre-show. This choice could appear surprising at first, but as I later found out, it was carefully selected to create a theatrical atmosphere that would introduce and smoothly connect to the show's themes.

The entire scenography and story drew inspiration from Alice in Wonderland, but with an inventive, darker twist to it as the perspective switched from the Red Queen’s to the White Queen’s throughout the show. Gaga altered songs from both the iconic The Fame Monster album (2009) and this year’s Mayhem (but not only!), both showing Alice’s story as well as the artist’s career’s evolution. The choreographies and creations impressed the audience and stirred fans’ melancholy as they were often based on these from the original music videos. This came out as a beautiful way of summarising her career so far, especially for those who grew up in the era of Lady Gaga’s rise. At the end, she shared with us her own reflection on her path talking about what she went through to get there, and how the world hasn’t always been kind to her. She wanted to give her fans the strength to fight for what is truly important for them in life and not to look too much at what other people might think of it – a beautiful message to always keep at the back of your head.

The performance concluded with two encores: Bad Romance and How Bad Do You Want Me?, the last one partially performed behind the stage and filmed in real time for projection on the big screen for the audience.

Personally, I will always cherish this memory, and if you ever get the chance to see Lady Gaga live, you must not miss it because this experience is one of a kind, and once lived, absolutely unforgettable. Mother Monster never disappoints!

Photos courtesy of the author.