The amount of trouble we went to to get to Cardiff to see Lady Gaga was so stressful I was seriously having to consider just ditching and not going. It was a disaster. I’ve never been more stressed out in my entire life, one of my friends had to sell her ticket and I ended up spending a fortune speaking to inaudible foreigners on 118 118.
However, after two days of frantic phone calls, texts, profuse swearing and the onset of a shitty cold, we were on the train and on the way. I can’t say I was overly excited by this point, more numb with the disbelief we were actually going and freaking high from taking two of the strongest paracetamol I think I’ve ever had in my life.
Brydon: Take two of these Charley.
Me: *Swallow*
Brydon: HAHAHAHAHA.
Anyway.
Indeed, Lady Gaga!
We spent the day shopping and for once I didn’t spend any money. I felt inordinately proud of myself as a result, as both me and my mum have decided that the only reason for my seemingly innate urge to buy shit I don’t need is that I must have a shopping addiction. So we got to the Gaga queue with about 45 minutes to go before doors opened, me minus any shopping bags whatsoever and my god, it was fucking freezing! I’m pretty sure that helped anger my cold virus. Some lady came up to us and asked us if we had golden circle tickets. On showing her our tickets she told us to go join a different line so we were pretty chuffed – golden circle tickets and we hadn’t even realised! Then the other line went in first and we felt significantly subdued that the nasty lady had told us we had special tickets when we didn’t.
Gorgeous :)
Luckily, by some feat we managed to get to the barrier of the non golden circle so our spot wasn’t really too bad. I’m 5 ft 2 and I could see so I consider that a good place to stand. The first support band were a band called Semi Precious Weapons and was fronted by this faaaabulous guy wearing a pair of fishnet tights and gold high heels. Anyway, they were shit. Then Alphabeat came on, and well they were harmless enough. Both SPW and Alphabeat played about 5 songs each before buggaring off and didn’t exactly inspire the crowd, who seemed fairly unimpressed wih their exploits. I thought that we’d have to wait ages before Lady Gaga came on, but she seemed to get her shit together fairly quickly and within half an hour the lights went down, the stage was covered with this huge screen and all these crazy images of her looking all Gagaish were projected onto the screen with Dance in the Dark playing over the top, and it was beautiful.
Then the screen rolled up, and there she was! (Cue really awful photographs I took mid dance. If you wish to view these photos in all their blurry glory you may click on them and allow lightbox to do its thing)
Just dance!
She played (in this order)
- Intro
- Dance In The Dark
- Glitter And Grease (hadn’t heard this one before)
- Just Dance
- Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
- Vanity (hadn’t heard this one either)
- The Fame
- Lovegame
- Boys Boys Boys
- Money Honey
- Telephone
- Brown Eyes
- Speechless
- So Happy I Could Die
- Monster
- Teeth
- Alejandro
- Poker Face
- Encore:
- Paparazzi
- Bad Romance
Why yes, she is playing a lightning bolt shaped keyboard on top of a podium wearing a black mask.
A stand out track for me was definately Speechless (Abby: Do you reckon she realises her piano’s on fire?) She just has this incredible way of being able to make everything you’re feeling feel okay. Like it doesn’t matter what’s happened or who’s broken your heart or who makes you feel like crap or if you’re gay or feel inadequate or anything. You are all beautiful, she said. And you can tell that she means it. And that is worth more than the big show and the big songs and the giant bloody fringed lampshade she wore over her head and the dress made out of clear rubbery stuff. It doesn’t matter kids, remember that. Lady Gaga thinks you’re okay. Lady Gaga makes the pain go away, if only just for two hours, and she does it whilst wearing a spinning golden ball and singing about masturbation. And Abby held my hand and we sang along and it was so beautiful.
Lady Gaga thank you for being you, for being beautiful without wearing stereotypically sexy outfits and without pandering to men. You still turning heads. Thank you for writing Bad Romance and Speechless and for performing in Cardiff and for telling us all to just fucking dance, cos I needed to hear that.
Finale
And I think you are wonderful.