Going Gaga…(just for a while)

I usually write here about reading and poetry (often with a considerable dash of random thoughts and musings thrown in for good measure) – it does make sense, with this being the blog of The Reader Organisation and all. But alongside reading, music is my big passion in life, and a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of witnessing perhaps the biggest name (and personality) in pop, Lady Gaga, live. I am just a tiny bit enamoured (I’ve decided that’s a more favourable word than ‘obsessed’) with her and to see her on stage – the place where her glitter, sparkle and studded high heels, as well as her all-round star quality, shines brightest.

The Lady is much more than the hype and headlines that surround her. Seeing her live show you realise her incredible vocal ability, her seemingly innate musical talent and her clear passion for putting on a showstopping performance – indeed, it was more like a catwalk show/art exhibition at times than a straightforward concert, with mini-films being played between the set and costume changes (of which there were many). It truly was a theatrical extravaganza.

Here’s a couple of photos I managed to snap between all the craziness:

And a fascinating fact (and also to bring things back ever so slightly to the norm): one of the various tattoos adorning Lady Gaga is a quote, in his native German, from poet Rainer Maria Rilke (who is another personal favourite). It reads: “In the deepest hour of the night, confess to yourself that you would die if you were forbidden to write. And look deep into your heart where it spreads its roots, the answer, and ask yourself, must I write?” As a writer as well as a reader, it’s a philosophy that hits a chord with me. And another reason to love Lady Gaga, as a fellow fan of Rilke.