Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga is a very creative artist and likes pushing the boundaries in terms of her image and persona. She is very elaborate and this is emulated through her clothing, music videos and set whilst performing on stage.

Here are some images of staging that lady gaga has used for various live performances

 

Very often she plays upon the idea of death and and here she can be seen appearing out of a coffin. This shows the darker side of her music and creates a very theatrical almost operatic style show which tells a story to the audience. The red velvet inside the coffin gives a medieval impression linking the idea of dracula, vampires and danger; something very popular with the youth of today because of phenomenons such as twilight and the vampire diaries. You can also she that her costume is made of a PVC plastic which is very reveling and creates a more sexual image especially bondage type clothing. This gives her a sense of power much like a dominatrix would. The dancers that accompany her on stage also where this leather/PVC bondage type clothing which carries the theme through. The use of dark colors on the set and clothing enhances the mystery that she is trying to create but also gives in to the idea of the "dark ages" and the medieval theme that she is portraying.

 Here you can see a much brighter stage set up compared to the previous image however it still gives off a sense of danger because of the fire and tall pillar around the circumference of the stage. The overall theme of the stage is a circus which at first glance would seem like a fun and innocent themes however the use of the flames and the pale face of the ring master gives an eerie atmosphere. Also the large image of the ringmaster is intimidating and some may find it scary like how some find clown scary. The Ferris wheel looks old and unkept which again adds to the danger of the whole show. The large runway at the front of the stage gives her room to connect with the audience and create a rapport with them that would otherwise be lost in such a large arena.

This is her performance at the MTV music awards in 2011. This is a more conventional stage set up for Lady Gaga. The cages at either sides of the stage give the idea of being imprisoned but is also an interesting prop for her dance crew to use in there choreography. The idea of being in prison again adds to this themes of danger and criminality and creates a sense of "grungyness". she also almost always uses exclusively male dancers which in this kind of staging works well as they can portray the stereotypical criminal. There is a runway to a larger performance area coming out of the main stage which again gives her the opportunity to be closer to her fans and connect with them which i think is an important part of her image as she values her fans as the people that keep her successful. The lighting for this show is more elaborate than has been previously seen and this may be becuase her staging is slightly more simple. This interesting lighting keeps her stage looking alive and dramatic as that is what she is know for but without lots of pieces of set.

Lady Gaga is known for being creatively in charge of everything she does. She has her "Haus of Gaga" which is her creative team which help create individual clothing, set and also choreograph and direct her music videos. She has so much input into how she is represented. This helps her connect with her audience more as she is basically reflecting who she is as a person  through her clothing and themes in her videos and live performances.
She does however create a lot of controversy in doing so.

The dress seen here is made of 100% meat and sparked numerous insults amongst animal cruelty protesters as well as the "fashion police" who marked it as a fatal mistake. However costume choice such as this keeps Gaga in the spotlight and the media giving her more exposure to the public. Made by her creative team "Haus of Gaga", it shows her ever growing individuality and that she is not sared of breaking boundarie and being herself; something that her fans admire her for and aspire to be like.

This outfit was workn on the UK Xfactor lice show for her track "marry the night" The black costume links to the theme of nightime displayed in the song and shows a dark and mysterious side to Gaga. It present a more gothic imge much like the medieval set seen previously. However it is the severed head effect that caused the contraversy amognst viewers considering that the Xfactor is a family show. I think that this adds to the theatrical nature that we associate with her. Her artist image is not just about music but about creativity and individuality and making an impact.

This is the egg which she "hatched" out of at her Grammy performance in 2011. It said that she was "incubated" for 3 hours in the egg getting into character for her Born This Way performance. This sparked many many health and safety complaints as she was carried in on the red carpet and confined in such a small space. The idea of the egg however links to the theme of her track Born This Way as it displays her being brought into the world exactly as she is now and nothing has changed about her. She is an embassador for self esteem amongst her fans claiming that they shouldnt change for anyone and should always be themselves and therefore attracts a large loyal following of "outcasts" or people who feel they dont belong.


Judas was another controversial video for Gaga as she blends religion with sexual themes. The video includes a prelude which shows her riding on the back of a Harley Davison motorbike. The establishing shot pans across the