Fan or not, everyone seems to have a mental list of adjectives to describe Lady Gaga. Bizarre. Gutsy. Reckless. Dramatic. Eccentric. Over-the-top.
During the pop star’s Wednesday night performance at Dubai’s Meydan Racecourse — her first-ever show in the Middle East — she managed to be all of the above and, surprisingly, more. As the show wore on, traits not often associated with her public persona shone through: humility, vulnerability, humanness. Sadly, we couldn’t capture it in pictures because no photojournalists were allowed in to the show and AP — the authorised agency to photograph the show — has not made available the pictures to the media yet.
Gaga is typically known for baring it all, physically speaking. In her other Artrave: The Artpop Ball shows, she has shed her clothes, completing an outfit change on stage for all to see. But in the UAE, after several promises to respect the cultural sensitivities and edit her show, Gaga bared her heart, instead.
“I have waited so long for the permission. So long for the okay. I have begged and asked them... When can I be with my fans in the Middle East?” she said, her voice shaky.
“We come from different places, we have different religions, but our hearts and this planet belongs to us all.”
Despite emotions running high, Gaga started the show off on the wrong foot after an hour-and-a-half delay. What was meant to be a 9pm kick-off turned into a 10.30pm one (her friend and collaborator, Lady Starlight, performed a 45 minute DJ set ahead of her), and the humidity of the outdoor venue didn’t help matters.
When Gaga finally took the stage for her first few numbers (ARTPOP, G.U.Y., Donatella, Venus, MANiCURE, Just Dance and Poker Face), she was almost unrecognisably tame. She changed from one shiny body suit to another and kept her choreography squeaky clean, a contradiction of what crowds have come to expect.
But after her fourth wardrobe change — the polka dot tentacles came out to play — things began to shift. She performed a slowed down Paparazzi and an incredibly sanitised Do What U Want before sitting at her piano for a stripped-down acoustic rendition of her song, Dope.
With a trembling voice, an awe-struck Gaga told fans: “You know all the words.”
In a more light-hearted moment, she giggled through attempts to speak in Arabic.
“Marhaba, keefkon ya wohoshi al seghar?” she managed to say, Arabic for, “Hello, how are you my little monsters?” (“I want to learn Arabic so bad, but I’m terrible at it, I’m sorry.”)
Before performing a bare-bones yet loaded Born This Way, Gaga stopped to address the crowd and encouraged acceptance, tolerance and equality.
During electric guitar and drum solos from her back-up band, Gaga dashed off for more of her frequent wardrobe changes, including a midriff-baring latex number and a neon orange and green dress, sans the transparent top half that she often dons.
She performed Edge of Glory, Sexxx Dreams (she introduced it as “X Dreams”), Alejandro and Bad Romance.
“Dubai. From us to all of you, I hope you accept our gratitude,” she said. “They used to tell me I was too crazy... That I would never come to the Middle East. I told them they were wrong, that they were the judgmental ones.”
She stepped into an uncomfortably preachy role during Applause, however, encouraging fans to cheer for “all of Dubai” and declaring them “free” for the night, as though she was a self-appointed saviour or the proverbial knight in shining armour.
Her last two numbers, closing out a 90 minute set, consisted of the trippy tune Swine (her dancers wore pig masks, of course) and finally, her encore, Gypsy. Flanked by her band and dancers, she took a final bow and, beaming, said her goodbyes: “Shukran... I love you.”
