Mayhem was exactly what ensued when tickets to The Mayhem Ball went on sale. The amount of angst generated by any interaction with Ticketmaster should be a lesson in psychological torture. The dynamic pricing model (prices fluctuating based on demand) is insane, not to mention the fact that they enable scalpers - as soon as presales started, tickets were immediately being resold at ridiculous prices. Add to this having travel plans for all of the NYC dates and an inability to travel during the remaining US date and you get an extremely stressful day. Despite all of this and thanks to the pop gods in conjunction with Verizon presale access, we managed to secure tickets to an added NYC show on Sunday.
Gaga announced the tour on March 26, creating somewhat of a fan frenzy. As part of her announcement, she issued the following statement: “We chose arenas this time to give me the opportunity to control the details of the show in a way you simply can’t in stadiums—and honestly, I can’t wait. This show is designed to be the kind of theatrical and electrifying experience that brings Mayhem to life exactly how I envision it. The Mayhem Ball is officially coming your way. See you soon, monsters”.
The show was, in short, a macabre masterpiece. It was art, it was theater, it was everything you could want and need from a Gaga production, from elaborate costumes to killah choreography, and mind blowing vocals. She was easily forgiven for starting the show an hour later than usual because she accepted her VMAs, including a well-deserved Artist of the Year, in person. She later incorporated the Moon Person statues into her performance of Perfect Celebrity in which she sings from a giant sandpit surrounded by skulls and skeletons which turn out to be her dancers, waiting to come to life.
She opens the show with Bloody Mary on top of a vibrant red, pin cushion-esque gown designed by Samuel Lewis, Athena Lawton, and William Ramseur, a nod to Thierry Mugler's iconic 1985 Lady Macbeth dress. She then performs my favorite song from the new album, Abracadabra, with the dress opening to reveal caged monsters inside. The visual feast continues from there with several costume changes and electrifying lighting effects and projections. Some of my personal favorite moments:
💀 The spectacular opening sequence;
💀 Pokerface, where she duels with with a doppelganger (dressed in her iconic white Bad Romance ensemble) on a chessboard style dancefloor;
💀 Paparazzi, with an exceptionally long white train billowing out behind her, which eventually lights up in rainbow colors;
💀 The aforementioned sarcophogas/sandpit moment of Perfect Celebrity which transitions into the deliciously dark Disease;
💀 The haunting reinterpretation of Shallow, sung during a Venetian gondola ride down the extended stage to the B-stage;
💀 Applause - because it is one of my favorite Gaga songs so it was amazing to hear it live
The complete setlist was as follows:
Act I: Of Velvet And Vice
Bloody Mary
Abracadabra
Judas
(contains elements of "Abracadabra")
Aura
(shortened; contains elements of "Judas" and "Scheiße")
Scheiße
(shortened; extended intro with elements of "Judas" and "Aura")
Garden of Eden
Poker Face
Abracadabra
(Gesaffelstein Remix; ballroom battle)
Act II: And She Fell Into A Gothic Dream
Perfect Celebrity
Disease
Play Video
Paparazzi
LoveGame
Alejandro
The Beast
Act III: The Beautiful Nightmare That Knows Her Name
Killah
Zombieboy
LoveDrug
Applause
Just Dance
Act IV: Every Chessboard Has Two Queens
Shadow of a Man
Kill for Love
Summerboy
Born This Way
Million Reasons
Shallow
Die With a Smile
(Solo)
The Edge of Glory
(solo acoustic; Lady Gaga on piano)
Vanish Into You
Finale: The Eternal Aria Of The Monster Heart
Bad Romance
Encore:
How Bad Do U Want Me
The Dead Dance
(Lady Gaga sang to parts of the tape)
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