The Material Girl
Lizzy Bergstrom

     Madonna lit up the stage six times in London, the most in any one city, and had many fellow celebrities in the audience, including her London born husband Guy Ritchie.  Elton John, Mick Jagger, George Michael, Puff Daddy, Ben Stiller, Pierce Brosnan, Ricky Martin and Claudia Schiffer also came out in full force to experience Madonna doing what she does best: performing.  But, no one gets a free ride at a Madonna concert.  Even these famous individuals had a hefty price tag of 75 pounds per ticket, equivalent to $115, which offended a few distinguished guests accustomed to ìstarî treatment.

     On the streets outside Earlís Court Arena, no 75 pound tickets were available.  Touting  was the name of the game.  It is not illegal in London, but it requires a permit.  Touting consists of who can tell the most believable either the buyer or the scalper.

     For example two twenty-something women from Kentucky were determined to get tickets, but at a reasonable price.  When a scalper, Luis, found them scanning the crowd for extra tickets, one woman explained how she idolized Madonna, and how she grew up dreaming to one day be just like the Material Girl.  She described dancing around her bedroom dressed like Madonna and singing along to her role models songs.  She rationalized with Luis saying that she didnít have much money, but this concert would be a dream come true for her and how could he possibly not sell her and her friend good tickets for a good price. The poor guy was defenseless. He sold them the tickets for $100, a steal for scalping outside the arena the night of the show, and the two Kentucky women went in excited as ever to see Madonna Live.

     The next night two twenty-something women, one from Florida and one from Wisconsin, set out on the crowded tube with 16,000 other fans who already had tickets to the Drowned World Tour.  The gigantic posters of Madoona in cowboy boots  and a cowboy hat made the girls shriek with excitement, making them a target for touters.

     Bob, the shark attacker scalper, immediately honed in on them. The two innocent women explained that their friends paid 65 pounds for tickets the night before and they were hoping to too.  Bob explicitly reported that tonight, the tickets were astronomically higher because it was nearing the end of Madonnaís tour in Britain and because Prince Charles was attending to tonight, so security would be tighter and fewer tickets were available.  Bob was quite the storyteller, but the women were not convinced.  His techniques were fierce though and he never let up.   He never left their side, not even for a moment and kept on rambling never giving them an opportunity to think.

    Bob had a few conniving bones in his body and knew how to get to their hearts.  He went in for the kill saying that he had an adorable young daughter at home and a wife and that touting is how he put food on the table.  He explained that he had to purchase the tickets for high prices in the first place, so he had to sell them for even higher to make the little profit he did.  Bob had gotten them.  The woman felt bad for him and his little daughter and wife.  Needless to say, the two women paid 175 pounds, equivalent to 265 dollars.  Bob had told the believable story and won the good deal.

    These prices seem outrageous t for a concert ticket, but Madonnaís Drowned was so much more than a concert.  It was a Madonna extravaganza.  According to Zara Letheridge, 24, another concert attender who scalped a ticket and paid a massive price, ìShe is just a living legend.  It was the most fantastic thing I have seen in my life.  She looks amazing, her voice was spot on and the dance routines were out of this world.î  Madonnaís last tour was eight years ago and who knows if sheíll wait another eight to perform when sheís fifty.  From the rich and famous to the common day people, these tickets were worth every penny to see this star do what she was born to do.