Madonna is set to kick of her Madame X Tour in just a few days and the pop legend is instituting a new policy for every single one of her shows: NO PHONES ALLOWED! NO EXCEPTIONS!
Ticket holders received a bossy memo this week saying the show will be a “phone-free experience.”
“Use of cellphones, smart watches, smart accessories, cameras or recording devices will not be permitted in the performance space,” the memo orders.
Fans will be required to keep their devices in secured Yondr cases that will be kept outside of the theater and can be picked up after the concert had ended.
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We’re sure that’s not going to be chaotic at all. A mad rush of exhausted Madonna fans trampling over one another as they race to get their cell phones the moment she exits the stage.
As for mobile ticket holders, they won’t be able to access their tickets after they are initially scanned to get into the venue.
“After the ticket scanning process, all phones and smart watches will be secured in Yondr cases that will be opened at the end of the event,” the memo reads.
So if you forget your seat number, too bad! We’re sure that’s also not going to be chaotic at all. A bunch of excited Madonna fans trying to remember off the top of their heads where they’re seated.
The memo goes on to say that anyone who needs to make a call or send a text during the show must go to the designated “Phone Use Area” and they will have to put their phones back in the Yondr cases before returning to their seats.
People caught using their phones during the show will be kicked out. No exceptions!
The irony here, of course, is that Madonna herself is notorious for bringing her phone to Broadway shows, comedy shows, concerts, etc. and texting the entire time, ignoring cellphone policies and generally not giving a damn about anyone else’s experience.
Earlier this year, she was spotted with her phone out at Dave Chappelle concert, which she used throughout the performance before being “whisked away by security” once the show ended.
In 2015, she pissed off Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and star Jonathan Groff when she texted throughout the entire first act.
“That bitch was on her phone,” Groff said afterwards. “You couldn’t miss it from the stage. It was a black void of the audience in front of us and her face there perfectly lit by the light of her iPhone through three-quarters of the show.”
And in 2013, she was banned from an entire movie theater chain for texting during a New York Film Festival screening of “12 Years a Slave.”
jcoberkrom
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Man About Town
How can she be called a has-been when her sales and popularity are as strong as they ever were?
Bob LaBlah
Earth calling Madonna. This is the planet earth calling Madonna. Are you listening dear? Can you hear us struggling peons trying to reach our aging queen? Good. Now listen and take some sound advice. Honey, you ‘re coming up on forty years in show business. Considering the age of your fan base are you SURE your star is shining that bright to talk to them in that tone? Youtube has done more to keep you relevant than your hits over the last twenty five years and you know it. You are already worth a billion dollars or so close to it that it fluctuates from day to day so what the hell are you frightened of? This is not the days of the late 90’s and early 00’s when you put a four letter word laced message online directed at people trying to post your music for free. Get smart and come back down to earth. There are many people your age who are attending your concert for the first time. Don’t give the a reason to ask why the hell are they paying one hundred plus bucks for a ticket to see a sixty year old woman who’s best hits are thirty years or older. Thats what that statement said to me. Personally I love you and remember those good old days but honey, at the price of those tickets and the fact that every song you’ve made can be heard on every radio station on earth at least three times a day makes me STRONGLY suggest to you to chill out and come back down to earth. Earth out.
startenout
Preach!
armandov
I actually think its a good idea and there are some venues that do ban cell phones. There is nothing more annoying than being behind someone at a concert who is holding their phone up in front of your face for the entire freaking show so you cant see. This is one of the reasons I not longer go to concerts.
And seriously, do these people actually go home and re-watch the concert on their phone? I know people post clips on YouTube or other places but can’t they just be in the moment and watch the performance as it happens and not through the lens of a phone?
Samuel1966
God!!!! Well said!!
Gabby
I am sorry your life has not turned out how you envisioned it and now spend your time taking out your frustrations on gay comment sections online. You sound really bitter and boring.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
@GabbyMae……….praise the lord. Honey please tell me who that is you’re talking about so I can invite them on over to my church (The First Self Righteous Church of Pascagoula) and sit with me and the girls down in the amen pew and hear ol’ Rev. Jimmy Joe Jeter preach on (and on) about salvation and the importance of self righteousness. Whomever it is seems to have really struck a chord with you which is a good thing because hopefully it will increase the number in my congregation (praise the lord).
Cam
So you have to stand in line to get in then stand in line afterwards as if it’s an overcrowded club in February with one person manning the coat check.
startenout
I’m sorry, Madge, but you’re just not worth all this hassle anymore. Remember when you were just starting out, edgy and cool? Good times. Now, you’re the grandma demanding they put away the devices at the table. LMFAO
sam83
For f’s sake enough of the Madonna hating articles on this blog. It’s like they’re all written by an obsessed Gaga fan determined to ruin the legacy of one of our most important and vocal allies. Every Madge article on this site is negative and never about her advocacy or legacy. The cell phone ban at a theater is not uncommon…Ariana Grande also did this during the Sweetener Sessions. Maybe Madge doesn’t want a f*!ng phone in her face the entire time since she’s never done intimate venue tours?
Bob LaBlah
@Sam83…….”It’s like they’re all written by an obsessed Gaga fan determined to ruin the legacy of one of our most important and vocal allies. Every Madge article on this site is negative and never about her advocacy or legacy.” “Maybe Madge doesn’t want a f*!ng phone in her face the entire time since she’s never done intimate venue tours?”
Dear, it sounds as though you missed the part in the article where she had NO problem texting back and forth during a play (Hamilton) whose seats cost the same as most young gay men clear in a month and still can’t pay rent without a not-on-the-lease roommate in NYC. The last I heard a cell phone is lit when it is in use and I’m sure other people noticed it too since no published denials of the incident exist. Surely you are aware that the negative articles can not be printed unless they are true without a lawsuit being filed. Madonna is of Italian descent but she is not a descendant of Queen Isabela or Ferdinand. As a matter of fact her relatives are more than likely descendants of the crew portion of Columbus’ voyage to the America’s than the officer class. In other words she is poor white trash that got lucky by singing and manipulating her way to the top. When does Madonna open her mouth and announce ANYTHING that in some way or other isn’t going to put coins of some sort in her purse? She only opens her mouth when its in her benefit and shows up for gay/HIV events because she knows where the bulk of her fan base is in todays youth oriented market. Open your eyes kid and see that greedy from the wrong side of the railroad tracks idol of yours for what she was all along. Gaga’s fans do not have to lift ONE finger for negative publicity for this old woman. She is providing all the ammunition needed and I’ll bet she couldn’t care less.
Gabby
Queerty hates Madonna and alway always always talk sh*t about her. The worst is the gay men on these comment sections. Has been? Her latest album #1 in almost every country, being hailed by fans and critics as one of her best. The tour is basically sold out, how is that a has been. Her last couple of tours set records for a solo artist that no other solo artist can break. Has been??
Banning cell phones during a show is not a new thing but neither is disrespectful, ungrateful and bitter queens.
lykeitiz
Yes….absolutely! It’s ridiculous and offensive to those who actually lived through Madonna’s beginnings and her rise.
Terrycloth
Don’t be surprised when you look out from the stage and see a thousand or less in the audience..some needs phones because of an emergency with a baby sitter, or someone father mother has gone to hospital.or to let you know ride times or pickup spot has changed…its ringing in a locked pouch.. Heaven forbid someone takes your picture. Granted I am not crazy about an artist is putting on a kick ass show and there are thousands of phones in the air..some artists love it.exposure for free posted to Youtube. It can make careers..yours is pretty safe madge
spartanluv
Once again, a misinformed article full of spelling errors…
The actual letter reads that THE PHONE STAYS WITH YOU during the show, and if you want to unlock it from the pouch, go to the lobby. But WTF Cares? Your cheap ass probably was never going to go anyway, and now you just have something to bitch about. Thank you NEXT!
Brian
This article is incorrect. You don’t hand over your phone, you keep it on you the whole time. The case just makes you unable to access it in the theater. Madonna is hardly the first artist to require this, and certainly not the last.
But thanks Queerty for yet again sh!tting all over the artist that has done more for gay people than any other musician in history. Way to show our respect.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
“But thanks Queerty for yet again sh!tting all over the artist that has done more for gay people than any other musician in history. Way to show our respect.”
Considering the ending of Pink Flamingo’s I’m not surprised at all YOU would appreciate them doing just that and are probably jealous. The contestant for the title of The Filthiest Person in the World is your idol?
michel_banen
I absolutely agree with Brian. Kate Bush did the same a few years ago but no one complained about that.
And Sister Bertha Blablabla; how I’d rather love to see Divine live…. another true 80’s icon !
miki
Exactly Brian, they seriously hate Madonna, its unbelievable, they doing this for years now!!
jayson2909
I went to see her a while back to cross it off my bucket list and I was surprised that the concert was so boring. She was very robotic. Walk over here, stand, pose…. Walk over there, stand, and pose. It was laughable.
Gabby
Your lying
Erma Ferkingerd
Has nothing to do with the cameras. It’s so she does not get distracted from all those audible woof notifications on Scruff.
rustyiam
Queerty hates Madonna, if I thought like kangol and cam I would say the reason is racism!
Ricanthony
Bitter, cheap homos who probably can’t afford the actual ticket to the show. I’m for it. Live in the moment and enjoy the show. I’ve seen her 7 times. She’s worth giving the attention. Or, simply wait for the digital/Blu-ray release.
JesseBenz22
I always imagined Madonna would evolve into a grande dame of the arts, evoking sheer elegance like Catherine Deneuve or Barbara Streisand, at her age… boy, was I wrong.
Instead, we’ve watching her slowly destroy her once-incredible legacy as one of the most significant pop artists of the late 20th century. And I say that as a devoted fan for over 30 years.
The whole “Madame X” era has been just dreadful. The album made zero impact on the charts or on the radio, the ticket sale was disaster — and now, this latest development regarding cell phone usage is just ridiculous.
Save your money for Cher, kids. She always puts on a terrific show that starts on time and you won’t have to hand over your cell phone.
miki
Cher is now a karaoke artist with album of bad ABBA covers, she didnt have impact on charts since Living proof album. Madonna’s sales tickets are fine, she’s now have 88 shows. Stay pressed hater, bye!!
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
What’s a cell phone?
Man About Town
I think it’s a special phone privileged prisoners get to use in their cells.
truthseeker
She’s doing this because her ticket sales for tiny theaters are a disaster. Her management team thinks it’ll help if the only way to see the show is to buy a ticket and not just watch it on Youtube
Brian
They are far from a disaster. I don’t know about the rest of the tour, but there are a tiny handful of tickets left for her eleven LA shows, and most of the few that are left are the $1200+ VIP tickets.
miki
Your hating on Madonna is unbeliveble, you doing it in every article about her!! You seriously have no shame!!! Change your site name for Madonna haters, you are doing it for years!!! BTW Bruno Mars just did free phone show, no one dies!!!
Jerry
Many entertainers are going are banning devices, they are a huge distraction and I for one am very happy. Yondr is a simple locking case that you keep with you and is quickly unlocked when you exit the venue. Quit your whining
JPDonahue
All the comments saying Queerty hates Madonna, because they are reporting a true story, are on the same level as those trump supporters who scream FAKE NEWS whenever he’s called out (daily, hourly).
Madonna is no longer the diva she once was. It’s all her undoing. Nobody else.
Oh, Comments! You never fail to amuse!!
Brian
Nobody cares that this is being reported, we are just pointing out the negative spin that Queerty puts on every article about Madonna. These cases are becoming increasingly common at shows but you would never know that from this article. Which, BTW, falsely claims that people’s phones will be taken from them.
JPDonahue
Ok, Brian, fair enough.
Please fill in the stories from the past year that Queerty (again… they are very problematic… pretty much a tabloid site) has failed to post, that would make them Fair and Balanced?
I do follow a lot of pop culture and arts sites. She’s not doing much these days.
The cancelled-without-rain-date stunt was pretty obnoxious and now, this phone thing is extremely hypocritical. The woman can’t sit through anything without her phone out.
This reminds me of the 90’s when Michael Jackson complained about how the press wouldn’t leave him alone… but… instead of producing music he was trying to buy the remains of the Elephan Man, sleeping in an oxygen bed, dandling the baby over a balcony… AND! making sure the press was overly aware of all of it.
Her new album, like it or not, has not set the world on fire (but, that true of most artists… What older, established artist has the success of their early days, later?) The new show, waaaaaay scaled back, in much smaller venues, is apparently a mess.
This isn’t about Queery… MANY others are running the same stories. She’s the only one that can turn the bad press around.
Plus… she never has… EVER… had a sense of humor about herself or her art. She reminds us of that with every interview.
Brian? By the way… LOVE your avatar! I knew Divine. I can only imagine what he’d have to say on the subject.
Bob LaBlah
@JPDonahue……A few other things about Michael Jackson: not only had Quincy Jones stopped taking phone calls from Micheal he just about all of the music world did not attend his funeral nor send flowers. He died more or less in disgrace and ironically the very family that he refused to financially support are not enjoying and spending the royalties from his billion dollar residuals now that he is no longer alive to spend it into bankruptcy like he almost did. He was months away from bankruptcy before he died, or should I say participated in his own death thanks to that doctor he HIRED to administer those drugs. Shameful. As for drugs and alcohol Madonna ain’t no saint herself. She rode around in a limousine in her earlier days picking up hispanic guys off the streets of NYC to have sex with. OH YES SHE DID!
Crystix
Poor granny. At least she makes it easy to never want to see her live
lykeitiz
Bruno Mars, Cyndi Lauper, Jack White, Alicia Keys, The Lumineers, Bob Dylan, and before he died….Prince……have all banned cell phones from shows, and more and more of them are using the same Yondr service that Madonna will be. Contrary to what the article states, concert-goers cell phones will not be taken from them.
Of course, facts don’t ever get in the way of the Madonna-hating babygays at Queerty from slandering her.
bga2237
This article is holistically incorrect.
You KEEP your yondr pouch with you during the entirety of the show and get it unlocked at one of the exits upon leaving.
There is also a little phone-use area inside the show if you want to use your phone for emergencies, etc.
justgeo
She needs her holes sewed up!!!!!!