The rebirth of Lady Gaga? <i>ArtRave</i> concert proves she's not over yet
Beneath the technicolour dreadlocks lies the real Gaga. Paul Kane/Getty
Lady Gaga's ArtRave: The Artpop Ball has all the hallmarks of classic Gaga: outrageous costumes (hello, polka-dotted squid tentacle dress!) elaborate staging (a dome-and-stalagmite fortress) and self-help speeches from Mother Monster herself.
But there's one extra element concert-goers may not have expected: Vulnerability.
At Saturday night's ArtRave at Sydney's Allphones Arena, Gaga battled a bout of sickness to deliver a relentlessly upbeat set-list of bass-crunching dance music, mostly from her third studio album Artpop.
It's no secret Gaga's popularity has slumped in the past year, with Artpop falling far short of the success of Born This Way and Gaga battling a hip injury, management dramas and even a canned music video for her R Kelly collaboration 'Do What U Want'.
But, if anything, being kicked down has softened out Gaga's edges and made her more human — which is no mean feat for someone who once "hatched" from a giant egg at the 2011 Grammys.
At ArtRave, the most memorable moments are when it's just Gaga belting it out over the piano.
With her song about drug and alcohol addiction, 'Dope', and a stripped-back ode to her GLBTI fans, 'Born This Way', Gaga forges a connection with everyone in the room through brittle, powerful vocals and a conviction rarely seen at a pop concert.
Gaga's connection with what she calls "one of the most authentic fan bases of the new millennium" is most evident when she reads out a letter written by a gay fan inspired by Gaga to come out to his parents.
At first it sounds scripted... until the camera swings to the fan, hand on his heart and nearly in tears. Gaga invites him backstage after the show and it becomes clear just how real her bond is with her Little Monsters.
There's definitely a sense of a more human Gaga at this show, less fierce than her persona at 2010's Monster Ball and 2012's Born This Way Ball.
"For those who came for Artpop, thank you. For those who didn't, get a drink or a glow stick or get the f--- out," Gaga says semi-apologetically.
Well, anyone coming to a show called The Artpop Ball ought to know it won't be a "greatest hits" Gaga re-run. That being said, straight performances of 'Just Dance', 'Poker Face', 'Bad Romance', 'Paparazzi' and 'Alejandro' get their moments to shine.
Of the Artpop songs, the most effective are Gaga's lonely-on-tour anthem 'Gypsy' and the ghetto-blasting 'Swine', in which dancers spew paint and wear pig masks, revelling in Gaga's "free-yourself" philosophy.
Gaga's greatest costume and wig change happens on stage — Deconstructed Gaga, if you like. And here lies the key to the rebirth of Gaga: The human beneath the pop star is far more beguiling than any of the crazy outfits, wigs and tentacles could ever be.
'Coz she was "born this way".
Lady Gaga's ArtRave: The Artpop Ball tour heads to Europe next. Visit Live Nation's website for more info.
View slideshow: Gaga and other stars who love a bit of body paint!
Author: Adam Bub. Follow on Twitter.
