When Lady Gaga turned Coachella into a cathedral of chaos in April, Rolling Stone hailed it as the “performance of a lifetime.” With the launch of her Mayhem Ball tour in Las Vegas Wednesday night, Gaga didn’t just revisit that show — she expanded it, sharpened it, sprinkled in some nostalgia, and fully realized the gothic dream she had only just introduced.
Thematically, the Mayhem Ball tour followed the same through line as Coachella and the one-off Mayhem shows in Mexico City, Rio De Janeiro and Singapore earlier this year: It captures Gaga’s internal strife, with her light side (an angelic, innocent Gaga with blonde hair and curls) facing off with her darkness (dark reds and vampy, gothic energy).
Most of the first act remained consistent with the earlier Mayhem shows, with Gaga taking the stage atop a three-story dress, though it opted for a more operatic version of Born This Way’s “Bloody Mary,” which seamlessly transitioned into Mayhem centerpiece “Abracadabra.” The act focused on the “lady in red” dark side of Gaga she sings about on that song, as she presented herself at the center of the stage — an adapted, more intimate version of what she used at Coachella. For the first three songs, including a crowd-favorite performance of “Judas,” it seemed Gaga might deliver the same, or nearly identical, set fans had seen before. But to the surprise of many in the crowd (myself included), she slipped in a remix of Artpop favorite “Aura,” a nod to fans who’ve long begged her to resurrect tracks from what they consider her most overlooked album. It was just a taste of the deep cuts and fan-honoring she had for fans — and Artpop finally found some justice.
For songs like “Scheiße” (sung from a Last Supper–esque table), “Perfect Celebrity” (performed from inside a pit of sand surrounded by skulls) and “Poker Face” (during which she faced off against the “good” version of herself), the choreography and staging remained unchanged from what fans had seen before. If it ain’t broke, Gaga knows better than to fix it.
What Gaga did in many moments, however, was enhance what had been seen before: She added elements to outfits with more intricate leotards and capes, and in others, the show incorporated new lighting effects and pyrotechnics that wouldn’t translate on a festival stage. While at Coachella, she waltzed with skeletons; here she danced in a larger-than-life gothic black dress in front of a gigantic skull, before playing Mayhem’s “LoveDrug” for the first time live while strutting down a spiral staircase. During “Paparazzi,” where Gaga stepped onto the stage in a metallic cape and armor while on crutches, a rainbow flag lighted up on her miles-long cape as she delivered an unexpected rendition of the song’s bridge — with the “Don’t stop for anyone/We’re plastic, but we still have fun” line — for the first time since 2011.
Folded within her intricate storytelling about inner good vs. evil was a celebration of her Little Monsters and the depth of her catalog, as she made room for fan-favorite songs few imagined Gaga would sing on a tour six albums into her career. She performed a shortened version of “Applause” in an ArtRave-meets-Mayhem costume before transporting fans back to 2009 with “Just Dance,” emerging in The Fame-est of leotards. But the most surprising moment came when Gaga played “Summerboy” live for the first time since, literally, 2007 (which was the only other time she’s ever performed it). It was a reminder of how deeply connected she still is to that 21-year-old Gaga playing dive bars in New York City for small crowds unaware of the pop genius that stood in front of them.
Then came “Million Reasons,” a welcome surprise and the only Joanne song to make the setlist. The track served as the ideal soundtrack to a transitional moment in the show, where the light and dark versions of Gaga face off before ultimately joining hands, accepting that both sides must coexist in harmony. After a Phantom of the Opera-esque rendition of “Shallow” from atop a boat, and a stripped-down piano version of “Die With a Smile” sans Bruno Mars, Gaga addressed the crowd for the first time. She thanked her fans for being “a wonderful community I can rely on,” pausing several times to take in the applause.
The Mayhem Ball could have easily been a stadium tour — she’s playing three to five arena nights in most cities, and she’s done it before with Chromatica. But when she performed “Vanish Into You,” and sang it into fans’ faces at the floor barricade, it became clear that it’s the intimacy with her Little Monsters that she craves, at least right now. “I wish I could meet all of you,” she said at one point during the show.
The show seemed to close with a climaxing, pyrotechnic-backed rendition of “Bad Romance,” as Gaga returned to the stage reborn as a feathered angel in white, but now with the darker-hued hair of her shadowy side, declaring, “We are monsters, and monsters never die.” But with the story of light and darkness’ coexistence told once again, Gaga had one final surprise. After credits rolled onscreen, a makeup-less Gaga appeared, standing in a backstage dressing room wearing just a beanie as she changed out of her show costume. Her face bare, stripped of the elaborate looks and crimson lips, and sunglasses covering her eyes. She was no longer the Mayhem Ball character, but the real woman behind it. It was a raw glimpse at the mad genius behind the show. The camera followed her as she walked beneath the stage for a last hurrah, singing “How Bad Do U Want Me,” a Mayhem favorite, before reemerging onstage for a final goodbye.
“I hope you know that the ritual of being yourself is a beautiful practice. It’s a practice you deserve to have every day in your life,” she told the crowd. Maybe Gaga forgot that she’s the one who taught so many of us how to do exactly that.
Set List
ACT I: Of Velvet and Vice
“Bloody Mary”
“Abracadabra”
“Judas” / “Aura”
“Shit”
“Garden of Eden”
ACT II: And She Fell Into a Gothic Dream
“Perfect Celebrity”
“Disease”
“Paparazzi”
“LoveGame”
“Alejandro”
“The Beast”
ACT III: The Beautiful Nightmare That Knows Her Name
“Killah”
“Zombieboy”
“Lovedrug”
“Applause”
“Just Dance”
Act IV: Every Chessboard Has Two Queens
“Shadow of a Man”
“Kill for Love”
Summerboy “
“Born This Day”
“Million Reasons”
“Shallow”
“Die With a Smile”
“Vanish Into You”
Finale: Eternal Aria of the Monster Heart
“Bad Romance”
Encore
“How Bad Do U Want Me”
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