Lady Gaga Burns the (Opera) House Down with The Mayhem Ball Tour (Review)
This past week, Lady Gaga kicked off The Mayhem Ball Tour at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fans poured in from all over the world to see Mother Monster’s grand return to the main stage since her last tour in 2022 with The Chromatica Ball Tour. I had the pleasure of attending the third and final night of the show in Sin City, and overall, what Gaga gave the audience that night wasn’t just a concert. It was a full-on theatrical, musical experience that left Little Monsters screaming, crying, and dancing all within the same breath.
The Mayhem Ball Tour’s 28-song-long spectacle was something you would expect to see at your standard Broadway/Vegas residency-level production. This tour isn’t just a comeback. It’s a manifesto guided by the voices of Mayhem.
Lady Gaga has always been known for her creativity and bold choices, both on and off stage, but this show felt more like Gaga had near, if not total, creative control over the show as opposed to previous tours, with the bold “Directed by Lady Gaga” header near the show’s end credits.
The show expanded on her Coachella and Copacabana shows, giving her Little Monsters a mix of the old, the new, and the completely unexpected. The performance was broken into four distinct acts and an epic finale that burned the (opera) house. Each act carried its own look, sound, and emotional tone, forming a story-driven plot that fans have not seen from Gaga since her Monster Ball and Born This Way Ball days in the early 2010s.
Pre-Show: an operatic ambiance, the Voices of Mayhem and the Endless Scribe
In the days leading up to the ball, Ticketmaster and AXS sent out repeated emails stating that the show did not have an opening act and that it would promptly start at 8:00 PM. (First spoiler of the night: That did not happen.) Instead, fans had the opportunity to share their “Voice of Mayhem” as fans were invited to share the moment they felt the Mayhem inside, which would then be displayed on screen at the main stage. Little Monsters took the chance to share bits of their stories, where they were from, who they were, and even a proposal, which prompts me to wonder if Sean said yes?! (I hope they did).
All throughout the pre-show, the arena was filled with select operatic pieces such as “Habanera” from Carmen, which I will admit was the only one I recognized, setting the ambiance for what fans would eventually experience later on throughout the show.
Around 8:15 PM, we get our first glimpse of Gaga on screen as the Lady in Red, scribing away with a feathered pen on a scroll FOR 25 MINUTES. She’s written #1 charttopping singles and hits in less time. Perhaps one of the loudest cheers of the night came at 8:40pm, when the Lady in Red finally put the pen down and the show had begun. The late start would probably be my only gripe with the show, but in all honesty, once the performance began, I only saw it as mildly amusing.
Gaga & The Mistress of Mayhem: the dueling twins
Once the Mistress finally put down her pen, the show kicks off with Gaga and her alter ego, the Mistress of Mayhem, both reciting the Manifesto of Mayhem. The opening speech gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect with the story and message the show is trying to depict, with Gaga playing both herself and the Mistress of Mayhem as “dueling twins” through the power of her music.
That very theme is present throughout the entire show, just about all the way until near the end, when both come to terms with the other’s existence and become just one Lady Gaga. Just as the Manifesto finishes, the show kicks off with an original operatic piece sung by Gaga and a figure resembling the Mistress of Mayhem in the audience, signaling the beginning of the spectacle to come.
The Mayhem Ball Tour setlist:
The 28-song setlist for the performance fluctuated between music from her new album, Mayhem, as well as previous hits from her previous eras, including The Fame, The Fame Monster, Born This Way, Artpop, Joanne & A Star is Born.
Act I: The Velvet and Vice
- “Bloody Mary”
- “Abracadabra”
- “Judas”
- “Aura”
- “Scheiße”
- “Garden of Eden”
- “Poker Face”
Act II: And She Fell Into a Gothic Dream
- “Perfect Celebrity”
- “Disease”
- “Paparazzi”
- “Love Game”
- “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 Way”
- “Million Reasons”
- “Shallow”
- “Die with a Smile”
- “Vanish into You”
Finale: Eternal Aria of the Monster Heart
- “Bad Romance”
- “How Bad Do You Want Me?”
No song from her previous album, Chromatica, was featured in the show, which is not surprising. With such an incredible discography across her 15-year career, it was obvious that some songs were not going to be able to make the final cut for the show. For my own taste, I would have added a couple of more songs from her previous albums that I feel would have fit the theme for the show such as:
- The Fame Monster: “Dance in the Dark”
- Born This Way: “Marry the Night,” “Heavy Metal Lover,” & “Electric Chapel”
- ARTPOP: “Venus”
- Joanne: “Dancin’ in Circles”
- Chromatica: “911” & “Replay”
Still, it’s a solid setlist that will please general audiences and die-hard Little Monsters.
The Mayhem Ball Tour production:
Each act had its own identity and story to tell. The stage, built like an opera house, would be expanded with the use of LED screens and transform as needed, immersing the audience completely into Gaga’s Gothic Dream. This combination of elements really reminded me of her previous 2012 tour, The Born This Way Ball.
Something I also appreciated was that her dancers weren’t just there for background. They each were characters, sometimes leading the scene throughout the interludes to push the story forward, as did one interlude where various versions of the Mistress of Mayhem were spotted during the interlude in the audience, searching for Gaga. Also, props to the tech and sound department for the use of the Pixmob bracelets in a creative way as a way to immerse the audience into the show as well through the power of Lady Gaga’s music.
The sound was clear and powerful, with her vocals front and center. Even during the busiest numbers, Gaga never missed a beat, such as during her opening medley as she belted out “Abracadabra,” “Judas,” “Aura” and “”Scheiße, all while delivering intense and complex choreography. Shoutout to Parris Goebel for reinventing Gaga’s performance with something new, fresh, and exciting!
Final Thoughts: Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball Tour is a must-see
This concert was more than just a collection of songs. It was a story about coming to terms with identity, fame, pain, and survival. Gaga didn’t just perform. She opened herself up (and she delivered!). Whether you were a longtime Little Monster or someone seeing her live for the first time, the show made it impossible not to respect her as one of this generation’s greatest pop music performers. And to quote Gaga herself during the show, “This was fucking real.”
At its core, The Mayhem Ball Tour is about owning your madness, coming to terms with it and embracing it as a part of yourself that can heal you and become into music, movement, and meaning beyond the pain it causes. After three nights in Vegas, it’s clear: Lady Gaga hasn’t just returned. She’s evolved.
Also check out: Review: Paramore The Is Why Tour at Little Caesars Arena
