Madonna delivers total ‘Satisfaction’ in a tent

May 12 2008 icWales

TWENTY-FIVE years after the release of her eponymous debut album, Madonna proved she has still got what it takes to wow audiences with an energetic set at Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

The queen of pop, below – who turns 50 on August 16 and a week later returns to Cardiff to play at the Millennium Stadium – closed the event at Mote Park in Maidstone, Kent, following acts including Duffy, Usher and The Feeling.

Those who had been waiting all day to see Madonna were not disappointed when she appeared on stage in the main tent dressed in a tight black outfit and black knee high boots and opened her set with song Candy Shop, from her number one album Hard Candy.

She dedicated her next song, Miles Away, to “anybody who’s afraid of falling in love”.

Madonna then launched into her number one single Four Minutes while screens on stage showed images of Justin Timberlake who sings on the track with her.

There was a surprise in store for fans when Madonna picked up an electric guitar, said she planned to sing an old song and launched into the opening lines of the Rolling Stones hit (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.

After only a few bars, she stopped and called out to the audience: “How many of you are drunk?” When they responded with a collective cheer, she replied: “That’s so worrying.”

After teasing the audience with the Stones cover, she then planned to sing “a song from the past, but not too far back from the past” and played her former number one Hung Up.

After finishing it with an impressive guitar solo, she changed into a pair of trainers and showed off some energetic dance moves during another song from her latest album, Give It 2 Me.

The style icon also donned a pair of black rimmed glasses and joked she was having problems with her sight.

The spectacle ended with 2000 hit Music which provoked a mass singalong from the crowd.

The 12,000 capacity tent, which is the largest of its kind in Europe, was not full however.

Radio 1 presenter Annie Mac who was DJ-ing on the outdoor stage and indie rock band Editors who headlined the In New Music We Trust tent, also attracted large crowds.

RnB singer Usher opened the event yesterday and made a blunder by welcoming the crowd to Manchester, prompting some members of the audience to boo.

Today’s line-up includes main stage headliners The Kooks, Brit award winner Adele, The Raconteurs, The Zutons and DJ sets from Zane Lowe and Vernon Kay vs Pete Tong.

Demand for tickets to this year’s Big Weekend was the greatest in the event’s three year history.

More than 500,000 people applied for the 30,000 tickets on offer, with tickets being allocated through a lottery system which favoured residents of Maidstone and the wider area.