Echo Arena goes Gaga for Paparazzi star

 YouTube: 'Just Dance' live in Liverpool; Lady Gaga gave Liverpool the works (Pic: Untrained Eye on Flickr)

Triple Brit Award winner Lady Gaga thanked her ‘little monsters’ with a show-stopping performance as her 'Monster Ball' world tour came to Liverpool’s Echo Arena last night.

On the eve of the show, the second gig of her UK dates, Lady Gaga was spotted in Liverpool at the Restaurant Bar and Grill on Brunswick Street, acting like the diva we all expected her to be. Paparazzi were swarming outside the restaurant, but Lady Gaga had the blinds pulled down on them and demanded to sit on her own in a section that is normally closed when the place is quiet. Our JMU Journalism spies in town claim that she’s “extremely ugly in real life”. You can’t please everyone, eh?

The Lady herself did not disappoint fans on Wednesday at the Arena with her trademark eccentricity and creativity, as well as sheer vocal talent. This was a chance to see her as the artist who is continuing to cement her status as a huge international superstar.

The show follows Lady Gaga and friends (or rather her dancers)
on her quest to reach the Monster Ball which she explained was
her own creation so that her ”fans could have a place to go, a
place where all the freaks were outside and (she) locked the doors”.

To find the ball, Gaga and her friends needed to follow a ‘glitter
pathway’ from her home city of New York, passing through an
enchanted forest where she did battle with a giant mouthed and
multi-limbed beast that could have easily devoured her. Although,
with her loyal and highly energised fans by her side, she was able
to prevail and the balance was restored in Gaga’s world once more.

She performed tracks from her debut album ‘The Fame’. However,
the concert was based on her follow-up album ‘The Fame Monster’,
which is a collection of songs that she believes reflects the darker
side of being within the spotlight.

Lady Gaga cruised though her crowd, pleasing all with hits such as
the 2008 synth-pop classic which rocketed her to fame ‘Just Dance’
and ‘Poker Face’. ‘Bad Romance’ got the crowd screaming, singing
and jumping like they really meant it.

She also treated to us to a few of her newer tracks, such as ‘Dance in the Dark’, ‘Telephone’ (featuring
Beyoncé) and a more sensitive piano-based ballad entitled ‘Speechless’. In true Gaga style, the piano was on fire. The song was addressed to her father and more than anything was able to show the audience that apart from putting on a spectacle she can sing extremely well, which is sometimes overlooked in her performances.

After making it well known that some serious money had been spent on the production of this tour, the show lived up to its billing. There was an authentic looking downtown New York, which featured a subway and signs including ‘Sexy Ugly’ and ‘Why the f**k have I done this?’, to a convincing forest where she did battle with the beast.

Gaga, known for her notorious fashion sense, didn’t fail in the costume department either, changing 15 times, including into a green, figure-hugging leotard, a hairy white all in one monster outfit, and a winged angel creation.

At various points throughout the show, she would take a moment to thank her 'little monsters' with "I love you so much," and "thank you for coming to see my show". She has achieved so much in 18 months and I felt touched for her to tell us of how much we are appreciated.

On the down side, she made us wait an eternity before arriving on stage. Scheduled to come on at 8:45, she was actually half an hour late. Apparently, this was due to the complexity of the stage production. Listening to Jacko songs and participating in a Mexican wave had to be enough to curb the audience’s wild anticipation.

The sound was unbelievably, mind-numbingly loud. Hearing the bass pulsating through my head was enough for me to consider contacting NHS Direct with complaints of premature deafness.

All in all, Gaga delivered. It was a show that could not be missed just because of its typical Gaga grandeur. She deserves the acclaim and recognition she gets... and long may it continue.

Lady Gaga made 15 wardrobe

changes at the Echo Arena (Picure: Proacguy, Flickr)