Madonna at a recent stop in Scotland on her MDNA tour. Hardcore Madonna fans thought they were getting the opportunity of a lifetime when, last week, the Material Girl put on a show at Paris' intimate Olympia Club. To secure one of the venue's 2,000 seats, Madonna lovers began standing in line the day before, shelling out between $100 and $350 each for a single ticket. But many concertgoers were puzzled when Madge left the stage after just eight songs and 45 minutes … and never came back. Turns out the show was over.
According to reports, audience members booed the stage and began chanting "refund" along with a few other more offensive words. While Thursday night's show was streamed live on YouTube to millions of viewers, the video has since been disabled (after receiving more than 14,000 dislikes, versus 12,000 likes), with promises of a "director's cut" version coming soon.
On Monday, Madonna took to her website to dispute claims her real fans were unhappy with the show. "Playing the Olympia was a magical moment for me and it was real treat to do this special show for my fans and be so close to them, Unfortunately at the end of the show — after I left the stage — a few thugs who were not my fans rushed the stage and started throwing plastic bottles pretending to be angry fans," she wrote. "The press reports have focused on this and not the joyous aspect of the evening. But nothing can take away or ruin this very special evening for me and my fans. When I looked out in the audience, everyone I saw had a smile on their face. I look forward to having this wonderful experience again."
Madonna spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg also recently made a statement, claiming that the show — planned as a thank you to France — wasn't actually part of the singer's international MDNA tour, the length was appropriate, and "tremendous effort" was made to keep ticket prices reasonable (tickets starting at $100, mind you). "She has done a handful of club dates in the past and they were never more than 45 minutes," Rosenberg said. "And by the way, she put on a fabulous show which was streamed for millions of fans around the world."
Many concertgoers still disagreed, of course. "Way to rip off your fans," one tweet read. "I am so disappointed!" another fan wrote.
The show was planned after the songstress kicked up some controversy during a (regular-length) concert in Paris earlier this month by showing an image of the president of France's right-wing Front National party, Marine Le Pen, with a swastika on her forehead. Madonna addressed the hubbub at the Olympia: "I've heard that a certain Marine Le Pen was upset with me," the 53-year-old shouted from the stage during the show. "It's not my intention to make enemies."
Well, Madonna, it looks like you just did.
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