July 28, 2012 12:57

Madonna's controversial Paris show was 'fabulous', insists singer's representative

Liz Rosenberg says 'MDNA' singer's intimate concert was a success - despite being booed and called a 'slut' by fans

Photo: Press

Madonna's press representative has insisted that the singer's gig in Paris earlier this week (July 26) – during which she was booed and called a "slut" by French fans – was a "fabulous show".

The Queen Of Pop's intimate concert at the city's 2,700-seat Olympia Theatre was marred by controversy after the audience reacted angrily when the 'MDNA' star left the stage after performing just eight songs.

Fans apparently felt short-changed after paying between 80 and 280 Euros (£62 and £219) for tickets for the show, with video footage uploaded to YouTube showing gig-goers chanting "Remboursez!" – the French for "We want our money back!" - shortly after Madonna finished her 45-minute set. Later in the clip, a group of fans also began to chant "Salope!", a derogatory term that translates as "slut" or "whore - scroll down to watch the video.

However, according to MTV, Madonna's press representative Liz Rosenberg has since released a statement defending the pop icon from criticism. "Madonna's Paris club show was planned as her heartfelt thank-you to France, which she expressed at the start of her show," she said.

"Despite her gruelling concert tour, she desperately wanted to perform for her fans in an intimate setting at the historic Olympia as a means to honour her love for French artists, French cinema and a tribute to France's long history of welcoming and inspiring artists, authors, painters, poets and minorities from other countries over the years."

Addressing the brevity of the gig, meanwhile, the statement continues: "The show was not billed as her full 'MDNA' concert and tremendous effort was made to keep the ticket prices reasonable ($100 for 2,000 floor seats) and keep them strictly to her fans. The show cost Madonna close to a million dollars to produce. She has done a handful of club dates in the past and they were never more than 45 minutes." She then added:

And by the way, she put on a fabulous show, which was streamed for millions of fans around the world.

The incident was not the first time Madonna has courted controversy on her recent jaunt around France. After the singer showed video footage of French National Front leader Marine Le Pen with a swastika superimposed on her forehead, the far-right political party threatened to sue the singer for "public insult". She will return to the country for a gig at Nice's Stade Charles-Ehrmann on August 21.

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