“My show is not a conventional rock show, but a theatrical presentation of my music. And like theater, it asks questions, provokes thoughts and takes you on an emotional journey, portraying good and bad, light and dark, joy and sorrow, redemption and salvation. I do not endorse a way of life, but describe one, and the audience is left to make its own decisions and judgements. This is what I consider freedom of speach, freedom of expression and freedom of thought. Every night, before I go on stage, I say a prayer, not only that my show will go well, but that the audience will watch it with an open heart and an open mind, and see it as a celebration of love, life and humanity.” (From Truth or Dare)
Songs Performed:
Express Yourself
Open Your Heart
Causing A Commotion
Where’s The Party
Like A Virgin
Like A Prayer
Live To Tell
Oh Father
Papa Don’t Preach
Sooner or Later
Hanky Panky
Now I’m Following You
Material Girl
Cherish
Into the Groove
Vogue
Holiday
A Family Affair
Keep It Together
Box Office Ticket Sales: $60,000,000
Blond Ambition Tour Book
Tour Schedule
Japanese Leg
13/4/90 – Chiba Marine Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
14/4/90 – Chiba Marine Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
15/4/90 – Chiba Marine Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
20/4/90 – Nishinomya Stadium, Osaka, Japan
21/4/90 – Nishinomya Stadium, Osaka, Japan
22/4/90 – Nishinomya Stadium, Osaka, Japan
25/4/90 – Yokohama Stadium, Yokohama, Japan
26/4/90 – Yokohama Stadium, Yokohama, Japan
27/4/90 – Yokohama Stadium, Yokohama, Japan
North American Leg
4/5/90 – The Summit, Houston, Texas
5/5/90 – The Summit, Houston, Texas
7/5/90 – Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas
8/5/90 – Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas
11/5/90 – LA Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California
12/5/90 – LA Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California
13/5/90 – LA Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California
15/5/90 – LA Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California
16/5/90 – LA Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California
18/5/90 – Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California
19/5/90 – Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California
20/5/90 – Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California
23/5/90 – Rosemont Horizon, Chicago, Illinois
24/5/90 – Rosemont Horizon, Chicago, Illinois
25/5/90 – Rosemont Horizon, Chicago, Illinois (cancelled)
27/5/90 – SkyDome, Toronto, Ontario
28/5/90 – SkyDome, Toronto, Ontario
29/5/90 – SkyDome, Toronto, Ontario
31/5/90 – The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan
01/6/90 – The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan
4/6/90 – The Centrum, Worcester, Massachusetts
5/6/90 – The Centrum, Worcester, Massachusetts
6/6/90 – The Centrum, Worcester, Massachusetts (cancelled)
8/6/90 – Capital Center, Landover, Maryland
9/6/90 – Capital Center, Landover, Maryland
11/6/90 – Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
12/6/90 – Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
13/6/90 – Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
15/6/90 – The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (cancelled)
16/6/90 – The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
17/6/90 – The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
20/6/90 – Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
21/6/90 – Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
22/6/90 – Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey (cancelled)
24/6/90 – Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
25/6/90 – Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
European Leg
30/6/90 – Eriksberg Stadium, Goteborg, Sweden
3/7/90 – Palais Omnipsorts, Paris, France
4/7/90 – Palais Omnisports, Paris, France
6/7/90 – Palais Omnisports, Paris, France
10/7/90 – Stadio Flamino, Rome, Italy
11/7/90 – Stadio Flamino, Rome, Italy (cancelled)
13/7/90 – Stadio Delgll Alpi, Turin, Italy
15/7/90 – Reimer Reitstadion, Munich, Germany
17/7/90 – Westfallen Halle, Dortmund, Germany
20/7/90 – Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom
21/7/90 – Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom
22/7/90 – Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom
24/7/90 – Feyenoord Stadium, Rotterdam, Holland
27/7/90 – Vincente Calderon Stadium, Madrid, Spain
29/7/90 – Balaidos Stadium, Vigo, Spain
1/8/90 – Olympic Stadium, Barcelona, Spain
5/8/90 – Stade De L’Ouest, Nice, France
5/8/90 – Stade De L’Ouest, Nice, France
The Band:
Jai Winding, Kevin Kendricks – Keyboards
Carlos Rios, David Williams – Guitar
Darryl Jones – Bass
Jonathan Moffett – Drums
Luis Conte – Percussion
Donna De Lory, Niki Haris – Background Vocals
Dancers: Luis Camacho, Oliver Crumes, Slam, Jose Gutierez, Kevin Stea, Gabriel Trupin, Carlton Wilborn
Opening Act: Technotronic
Tour Opened: April 13 at Marine Stadium, Makuhari [Japan]
Tour Ended: August 5 in Nice, France
Costumes: Jean-Paul Gautier
Interesting Facts:
- Blond Ambition was the first mega tour of the nineties. It hit 27 cities over four months and sold out in every city, except Italy, where for weeks prior to the shows, the Pope had called for a boycott, resulting in the cancellation of one of the two shows planned.
- 18 trucks were used to get the 80×70-foot stage around. Over a hundred crew members spent two full days assembling the monstrous stage for every show.
- Choreographer Vincent Patterson recalls that Madonna wanted to “break every rule we can … She wanted to make statements about sexuality, cross sexuality, the church … But the biggest thing we tried to do is change the shape of concerts. Instead of just presenting songs, we wanted to combine fashion, Broadway, rock and the performance arts.” And in the words of author, and good friend Matthew Rettenmund, “They succeeded”.
- Pioneer Electronics sponsored the tour (Pepsi withdrew sponsorship after the “Like A Prayer” incident). It sponsored in exchange for rights to an exclusive laserdisc of the show, plus additional footage, Madonna promised not to release a competing video version for at least one year. However, since a video version in 1991 would compete with the May 1991 film, Truth or Dare, all plans were cancelled.
- Maclean’s said the show “unfolds like a kaleidoscope of sexual decadence. The references range from Berlin cabarets to New York leather bars.”
- Rollingstone called it “a nifty summation of the spectacle that is Madonna.”
- Because of costly problems to Madonna’s voice, four shows were cancelled (Chicago; Worcester, Massachusetts; Philadelphia, and a New York show in the Brendan Byrne Arena).
- Proceeds from the final New York show were donated to AMFAR totalling $300,000.
- In Toronto, the police received complaints that the show was lewd, and they threatened to charge Madonna if she did not agree to alter the masturbation scene during Like A Virgin. She refused to make the changes, yet no charges were made.
- HBO filmed and telecasted the final Blond Ambition show from Nice, France. It became the then highest rating concert event in HBO history.
Pro-Shot Versions of the Tour:
- Yokohama, Japan: filmed and aired for Japanese TV broadcast, later released in Japan only on VHS and LaserDisc. (Ponytail)
- Barcelona, Spain: filmed and aired for UK and Spanish TV broadcast. Two edited versions were also aired in Canada. (Curly Hair)
- Nice, France: filmed and aired on U.S. cable network HBO and slightly re-edited for release on LaserDisc the following year. (Curly Hair)
- Paris, France: filmed for use as concert footage in Truth Or Dare.
- Rome, Italy: a Roman station aired highlights from this concert over a news piece on Madonna. It seemed to be taken from professional film stock that rivalled the TOD footage. (Curly Hair)
- Houston, Texas: MTV once aired a video of “Holiday” from this date that, again, seems to be from professional footage filmed Truth Or Dare-style.