Lady Gaga is not a minimalist. That is a known fact.
Tickets cost 1,500, 2,500, 3,500, 4,500 and 7,000 baht and can be purchased at Thai Ticket Major outlets. Call 02-262-3838 or visit www.thaiticketmajor.com. Visit www.facebook.com/bectero or www.facebook.com/bectero.
So instead of the usual promotional blurbs _ but really, what else is there to add to Lady Gaga's already prominent profile anyway _ of Lady Gaga's upcoming "The Born This Way Ball" Bangkok show on May 25 at Rajamangala National Stadium, here are some fun facts just to give you an idea of what it takes to put together a concert of such a grand scale.
"We will consume 3,500lbs [1,590kg] of chicken, 1,200lbs [544kg] of fish, 700lbs [317.5kg] of pasta, and 2,100 heads of romaine lettuce," noted Neil Thompson, deputy managing director of Bec-Tero Entertainment, which is promoting the show, during a recent press conference. "The band will use over 5,000 guitar strings, more than 2,500 towels on the stage. Dancers will use 50 pairs of shoes and go through 200 pairs of fishnet stockings ... 12,000 minutes [200 hours] will be spent on soundchecks, and the phrase 'copy' will be uttered over 2,312 times over our show's walkie-talkie system every show day."
Behind the popular pop diva is an unmatched proud army waiting to act on command. "There are 150 people in the touring party, including the singer; we have 40 wardrobe cases; Lady Gaga has 15 costume changes. In order to transport all the equipment for production, staging, lighting, pyro, sound and video, it will take two-and-a-half 747 cargo aircrafts, as well as 20 sea containers to transport the equipment." The list goes on.
Because she is Lady Gaga, it would be unforgivable if the live performance was not fresh and shocking enough. "Over 20 litres of fog fluid will be used during each show, and over 800lbs [360kg] of liquid CO2 will be used to create low line fog. It takes 35psi to create a low output of fog fluid on the stage."
Wait, everyone knows that Bangkok is one of the hottest cities on this planet. And surrounded by so much thick CO2 fog, our pop queen will definitely be steaming. But no need to worry Gaga fans. "We will use over 300 feet [91m] of air hose under the stage. We have enough power for the whole show, and the consumption of electricity will reach 1125kVA, 3000 amps, 864614.4 watts. The length of 4/0 cable to be used is over 1,000 feet [305m], equal to 1.5 miles [2.4km]."
Logistics and security are also high on the list of concerns. Dozens of shuttle buses will carry over 50,000 fans around the stadium grounds and the police have promised to send 630 officers, 150 of which are traffic police, to oversee the concert.
On this list, logistics and transportation comprise the biggest cost. So to break even, 70-80% of the seats need to be sold. Considering that there are only a few precious tickets left for the eager crowd since they first went on sale on March 17, the organisers can breathe a sigh of relief.
_ Zhang Qi
