MY BACKSTAGE EXPERIENCE WITH GAGA:

After Lady Gaga’s Artrave- the Artpop Ball concert in Phoenix, AZ, July 30th, the 20 people – including myself – who bought the “ARTPOP Zone Package” for that specific city basically got to sit and talk intimately with Gaga inside a lounge backstage for around 35-40 minutes, and have a professional photo taken with her after.

I’m not originally from the US and this was my first Gaga concert ever. This was also the first time I’m actually meeting her, so needless to say, it was all a f-cking mess of emotions throughout the day.

We were told by Joya, one of Gaga’s stage managers, to grab some drinks and freshen up since Gaga takes around 30 minutes to rest and change outfits before the meet-and-greet proper.

One of the security guys was talking to someone on the walkie-talkie, and I could make out from the exchange that Gaga was already walking. And then suddenly, the security guy pulled the door open.

She slid inside – huge circular glasses, platinum dreadlocks, purple/pink-colored fur jacket, pink tank and pacifier in mouth.

It was all too much to process in one second, like a tsunami hitting the shore, only the shore was probably sh-tting himself. She was perfect. And tiny. Oh so tiny.

I could go on describing that monumental second, but I need you to stay with me on this one.

At the lounge, Gaga insisted that the approach of the meet-and-greet be like a dialogue where we hurl questions, she responds, and we all exchange thoughts.

Here are the things tackled during our dialogue with Gaga (which I could vividly remember enough to share publicly):

1. Gaga told us that she was well aware that people either hated ‘ARTPOP’ or treated it as “their entire life”. She revealed in an “FYI” manner that, STEVIE NICKS, as a matter of fact, loved ‘ARTPOP’!

2. A fan told Gaga that his toddler kids wanted to know what her “top three favorite songs to sing” were. Gaga paused for a second and thought about it and then said number one was “Black Jesus + Amen Fashion”. “I just like singing that song. It’s so gay and so wonderful.” Number two was “Sexxx Dreams” and number three was “Born This Way”.

Gaga laughed because the idea of telling his kids about “Sexxx Dreams” would be awkward and too mature for children, so Gaga said, “Just tell them “Just Dance”, “Poker Face”, and “Born This Way”.”

3. It has been speculation a few days back that Gaga might be doing a hip-hop project soon. Though she didn’t mention anything about hip-hop to us backstage, Gaga said something to the effect of wanting to do a classic rock/power ballad-type album after the artRave tour and ‘Cheek to Cheek’.

4. She was asked where film and acting falls on her future plans and she generally says that she has no plans on starring in a movie in the near future. She says that she would really like to just focus on making music and that movies can come later.

5. She talked extensively about one of her mentors Marina Abramovic and how she inspired and trained her. I’m sure there was nothing said about Marina that couldn’t be read already in Gaga’s previous magazine/TV interviews, but one thing that was sort of breaking news, I think, was the Gaga telling us that Marina hated Jay-Z’s performance art music video for “Picasso Baby”. When I asked why, Gaga simply said, “I’m not gonna tell you that,” so I guess she didn’t want the reason to go public.

Jay Z fans will remember that Marina starred in the rapper’s performance art visual for the aforementioned ‘Picasso’, shot to promote his latest album ‘Magna Carta, Holy Grail.’

 

 

The rapper is yet to respond the singer’s claims.

Your thoughts?