Madonna blames boos at Paris concert on "a few thugs"
(CBS News) Pop singer Madonna says the angry reaction from the crowd at her recent concert at Paris' Olympia club was caused by "a few thugs" and not her fans.
"Playing the Olympia was a magical moment for me and it was a real treat to do the special show for my fans and be so close to them," the singer said in a statement on her website. "Unfortunately at the end of the show - after I left the stage - a few thugs who were not my fans rushed the stage and started to throw plastic bottles pretending to be angry fans."
She continued, "The press reports have focused on this and not the joyous aspect of the evening. But nothing can take away or ruin this very special evening for me and my fans. When I looked out in the audience, everyone I saw had a smile on their face. I look forward to having this wonderful experience again."
The statement followed reports that the show last Thursday ended with boos and cries of "refund!" when the pop star left the stage after performing for just 45 minutes.
On Friday, Madonna's rep Liz Rosenberg said the length of the concert was in line with her previous club appearances.
"Madonna's Paris club show was planned as her heartfelt thank-you to France, which she expressed at the start of her show," Rosenberg said in a statement, according to MTV News. "Despite a grueling concert tour, she desperately wanted to perform for her fans in an intimate setting at the historic Olympia as a means to honor 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."
"The show was not billed as her full 'MDNA' concert and tremendous effort was made to keep the ticket prices reasonable and keep them strictly for her fans," Rosenberg continued. "The show cost Madonna close to $1 million to produce. She has done a handful of club dates in the past and they were never more than 45 minutes. And by the way, she put on a fabulous show, which was streamed for millions of fans around the world."
