Madonna fans at the two Allphones Arena concerts in Sydney will get trains until 2am
SYDNEY Trains have scheduled services until 2am for Madonna’s two Allphones Arena concerts after she arrived on stage in Brisbane at 11.15pm.
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THE good news for Madonna’s Sydney fans this weekend is the trains to Olympic Park will be running until 2am.
The bad news is you will most likely be paying your babysitter overtime rates for the two concerts at Allphones Arena.
Saving the beat for last in Sydney! @hardcandyfit is addicted to sweat!! Get ready! ðŸðŸðŸðŸðŸðŸðŸðŸŽ‰ðŸŽ‰ðŸŽ‰ðŸŽ‰ðŸŽ‰â¤ï¸ #rebelhearttour pic.twitter.com/57N2DmXduz
— Madonna (@Madonna) March 15, 2016
After a 23-year wait to see the Material Girl back on the Australian concert stage, fans are having to endure an extra couple of hours for her Rebel Heart show to kick off.
Insiders are pointing at Greenwich Mean Time rather than Madonna time to blame for her tardiness.
REFUNDS AS MADONNA HITS BRISBANE STAGE AT 11.20PM
RENDEZVIEW: REAL STORY BEHIND MADONNA’S ‘MELTDOWN’
The pop superstar is reportedly keeping London hours as she continues her custody battle for son Rocco Ritchie who is living with his father Guy Ritchie in the UK.
The 15-year-old son quit the Rebel Heart tour in December and refused to return to his mother’s home base in New York. Court proceedings to resolve the teenage boy’s living arrangements have been ongoing in London as Madonna kicked off the final leg of the world tour in New Zealand and then Australia.
She broke down on stage during her opening night in Auckland when she spoke about how much she misses him.
“There’s no love stronger than a mother for her son, and if I talk about him too much, I’m going to cry. I hope he hears this somewhere and he knows how much I miss him,” she told the Kiwi crowd before playing La Vie En Rose for him.
Madonna dedicated the song Intervention to him at her one-off Tears of A Clown club show in Melbourne last week.
LOURDES AND ROCCO WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH MADONNA
But patience for the singer as she endures her personal dramas is wearing thin, with commentators pointing out on Thursday her fans have their own battles to deal with but turned up on time to see their pop idol play.
Her Australian promoter Live Nation issued a statement ahead of her Thursday night concert in Brisbane cautioning fans that she “may also be delayed” and to make alternative transport arrangements.
They also advised people how to seek ticket refunds ahead of her second Brisbane Entertainment Centre after the venue kept the box office open until 11.30pm on Wednesday night when Madonna took the stage around 11.15pm, angering many concertgoers.
Her Brisbane concerts were originally scheduled for weekend nights but were switched to midweek when she truncated her Australian stay.
“Additionally, due to the original date change of the concert in Brisbane, fans who require a ticket refund for this evening’s performance may do so today via the Ticketek Call Centre on 132-849 or the Ticketek Box Office — Myer Centre, 95 Elizabeth St, Brisbane,” Live Nation posted online.
Queensland’s Office of Fair Trading said consumers who have purchased tickets to see an artist or event have the right to expect that services will be “rendered with due care and skill and fit for particular purpose”, as well as “supplied within a reasonable time”.
“What is deemed reasonable depends on the facts of each individual matter,” a spokesman said. It was up to a court or tribunal, not the OFT, he said.
The OFT said it also understood refunds were given to ticketholders who made a request prior to Madonna taking the stage.
“The OFT encourages any consumer who is seeking a refund to contact the promoter, Live Nation, or their ticket provider in the first instance. If unsuccessful, consumers may lodge a formal complaint with the OFT.”
Behind the scenes of the #RebelHeartTour, Part 6! https://t.co/kjWGl3jcXM
— Madonna (@Madonna) March 16, 2016
Madonna attempted to make a joke about her tardiness at the Wednesday night concert but also hinted that her remaining three shows, including the final Rebel Heart shows of the world tour in Sydney this weekend, may not have such a late start.
”I’m hardly ever late. It’s you people that get here early that’s the problem,” she said, trying to crack a joke.
“Stay home, do your hair and make up, have a tequila. Roll yourself a fat one ... no, I don’t believe in that shit.
“Just come late and I won’t have to come early.
“We’ve got three more shows and we want to fix the problem.”
The fact she is filming the two concerts at Allphones Arena may dictate a more reasonable stage time.
Fans should be aware that the advertised times on tickets are for doors opening, not Madonna’s grand entrance which is via a Games Of Thrones-style cage.
Ticketek — tickets are still available for Allphones Arena on both nights — is also expected to send email blasts to registered ticket holders ahead of the Sydney shows, warning them of her habitual tardiness.
For all late-night train details for Sydney: http://www.transportnsw.info/
EMAIL:kathy.mccabe@news.com.au
TWITTER:@McCabeRadar
Originally published as Madonna fans at the two Allphones Arena concerts in Sydney will get trains until 2am
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