Madonna: critics frown, town smiles
Madonna makes her first concert in Denmark a memorable one for fans and officials alike in the city of Horsens
Pop icon Madonna brought her European tour to Denmark Thursday night, wowing 85,000 fans who converged on the town of Horsens in Jutland. It was the country's largest concert ever.
The Material Girl has been on the pop scene for 23 years, but last night's concert was her first visit to Denmark and the only Scandinavian stop on her current Confessions tour.
Despite starting the show behind schedule, Madonna took the stage by storm, emerging from a giant disco ball to the sounds of well known tunes, asking the crowd if they were 'ready to ride with her'.
When the ride finally stopped two hours later, fans said it was worth waiting hours in line to see.
Reviewers, however, were less ebullient in their praise for the 48-year-old, whose 350 million albums sold make her the most successful female singer ever. They had high praise for the show's opening and closing, but said it lost its energy in the middle, where she slipped into a robotic and boring act.
'It was almost reliving when Madonna tripped and dropped her microphone during the concert, because that was the only reminder to the audience about the event actually containing real people and not just being an open-air music video,' blasted Berlingske Tidende's reviewer, who did admit that the show, which included Madonna on a cross, was 'impressive' and 'spectacular'.
Critics also panned the venue. Never the best vocalist, Madonna and her road crew where hampered by the open air facility. 'Like a Virgin was ruined by bad sound problems,' another reviewer complained.
The size of the venue also came under attack. 'Maybe some 10,000 of the 85,000 people who were there could see Madonna. The majority of the audience couldn't even see the screens that were put up.'
Horsens has made a name for itself by attracting some of rock music's best known names. Despite the so-so reviews of the music, yesterday's concert topped them all financially.
'We've got 85,000 guests in our city and we expect businesses to take in an extra DKK 30 million today,' said Horsens executive director Henning Nørbæk. 'Last year we had 23,000 guests for R.E.M, and we took in DKK 5.2 million.'
Yesterday's record may not get the chance to stand very long. Another 85,000 people are expected in Horsens next Sunday when the Rolling Stones arrive.