Music Notes

Madonna fans sue the singer over late concert starts, clearly not realizing that she's Madonna

by John Lucas on February 3rd, 2020 at 4:50 PM
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      Madonna no doubt thought she was making things easier on herself. Instead of hitting city after city night after night on her Madame X tour, the pop legend booked what amounts to a series of mini-residencies, which kicked off last fall with a string of 16 shows at Brooklyn Academy of Music's 2,109-capacity Howard Gilman Opera House.

      Unfortunately for Madge, the tour has been hit with a number of setbacks, including injuries and "production issues", which have forced the cancellation of 12 concerts to date. (These include two of the shows on her current leg of the tour, at the London Palladium.)

      Now, two disgruntled concertgoers who paid hundreds of dollars to see Madonna perform in Brooklyn have launched a lawsuit against the singer, saying that she took the stage hours later than the scheduled time.

      Antonio Velotta, who paid $800 to see the Material Girl on September 19, and Andrew Panos, who paid $321 for a ticket to the October 1 show, have filed a class-action suit in Brooklyn Supreme Court against Madonna and promoter Live Nation, claiming false advertising and breach of contract.

      Both concerts were supposed to start at 8:30 p.m. but Madonna did not set foot on the stage until 11:30 p.m. at the September 19 show and 10:40 p.m. on October 1.

      Velotta and Panos are seeking unspecified damages.

      This isn't the first time a fan has taken action against Madonna and Live Nation over set times. When the promoter announced that the start time for her December 17 show in Miami was being changed from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Florida's Nate Hollander filed suit, alleging breach of contract. Ticketholders were not offered refunds, and Holland claimed that the changed start time "devalued" his ticket to the point where he couldn't sell it.

      For her part, Madonna has made her feelings on this topic very clear. Bitch, she's Madonna, and she's always on time, no matter when she deigns to show up. (She failed to add "Let them eat cake," but it was certainly implied.)

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