Madonna leaves fans fuming after arriving to Paris concert 3.5 hours late

For Madonna, "a queen is never late". At the risk of eventually annoying her fans: the 2,800 spectators of the first of the singer's twelve concerts in Paris, had to wait until midnight on Saturday night to see their idol appear on the stage of the Grand Rex.

The fault of unforeseen technical problems, according to the production, caused by the incompatibility of certain decorations with the scene of the famous Parisian hall where the star must close a tour that she wanted as close as possible to her audience, in theaters and cinemas in the United States and Europe.

"Tables had to be modified leading to new rehearsals. Madonna is really very demanding. She wanted everything to be perfect for this first Parisian date. She worked with her dancers and musicians until 9pm tonight. Yesterday and the day before yesterday, she had already repeated four hours each time, "said a technician.

After an admittedly flawless show, Madonna released her audience - without apologizing - a little after 2:15 a.m. on Sunday. Most were left without public transport, like Jonathan, 28, living in the great Parisian suburbs.

"I don't know how I'm going to get home, but it was still worth the wait. The show was great!" Said the young man who had spent 221 euros for a jump on the orchestra. The places oscillated between 85 and 385 euros.

Despite the technical delay, a first part with the only musicians of Madonna in jazz lounge mode was maintained, without counting an intermission of 30 minutes.

Dancer, prisoner, mother, singer, saint, whore, spy, activist ...: Madonna is all of these at once and much more in this most intimate, committed and probably ambitious show of her career, in residence at the Grand Rex in Paris until March 11.

These twelve performances will complete this "Madame X Tour", which began in New York in September, passed through Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Lisbon (which inspired her latest album) and London.

For this first Parisian, Jean-Paul Gaultier, his favorite designer who again signs for her an equally provocative wardrobe, was at the forefront. Madonna who came to sit by her side in the middle of the show, paying tribute to the stylist who recently announced that she wanted to stop the collections.

"Wake up!", "The artists are here to disturb the peace", a quote from the black and homosexual writer James Baldwin, are some of the slogans that punctuate the show with police repression, wars, over the counter weapons in the United States, climate change and even homophobia.

A gigantic rainbow flag symbol LGBT, marks the end of the show, just before the song I Rise   with which Madonna and her thirty dancers including her children, and musicians, leave the hall raised fist, crossing the hall of the Grand Rex.