Meeting Gaga backstage in Phoenix (6/30) [New Info]

[ValyrianWarhol 0]

MY BACKSTAGE EXPERIENCE WITH GAGA:
 
After Lady Gaga's Artrave- the ARTPOP Ball concert in Phoenix, AZ, July 30th, the 20 people - including myself - who bought the "ARTPOP Zone Package" for that specific city basically got to sit and talk intimately with Gaga inside a lounge backstage for around 35-40 minutes, and have a professional photo taken with her after.
 
I'm not originally from the US and this was my first Gaga concert ever. This was also the first time I'm actually meeting her, so needless to say, it was all a f-cking mess of emotions throughout the day.
 
We were told by Joya, one of Gaga's stage managers, to grab some drinks and freshen up since Gaga takes around 30 minutes to rest and change outfits before the meet-and-greet proper.

 

One of the security guys was talking to someone on the walkie-talkie, and I could make out from the exchange that Gaga was already walking. And then suddenly, the security guy pulled the door open.
 
She slid inside - huge circular glasses, platinum dreadlocks, purple/pink-colored fur jacket, pink tank and pacifier in mouth.
 
Gaga. Lady F-cking Gaga.
 
It was all too much to process in one second, like a tsunami hitting the shore, only the shore was probably sh-tting himself. She was perfect. And tiny. Oh so tiny.
 
I could go on describing that monumental second, but I need you to stay with me on this one.
 
At the lounge, Gaga insisted that the approach of the meet-and-greet be like a dialogue where we hurl questions, she responds, and we all exchange thoughts.
 
Throughout the 40-minute dialogue (which actually seemed longer than that) Gaga disclosed a lot intimate stories about herself and the industry that even I, as a massive fan of hers, wouldn't have been able to learn from watching her interviews online or reading her tweets. The conversation was on a level that was similar to when you're talking to a close friend. The entire thing was honest, straightforward and non-sugarcoated. But it was also beautiful and Gaga didn't even try to engage. She just allowed the conversation flow naturally. It wasn't like talking to Lady Gaga, the icon, it was like talking to Stefani, your best friend of six years.

Here are the things tackled during our dialogue with Gaga (which I could vividly remember enough to share publicly):

1. Gaga told us that she was well aware that people either hated 'ARTPOP' or treated it as "their entire life". She revealed in an "FYI" manner that, STEVIE NICKS, as a matter of fact, loved 'ARTPOP'!
 
2. A fan told Gaga that his toddler kids wanted to know what her "top three favorite songs to sing" were. Gaga paused for a second and thought about it and then said number one was "Black Jesus + Amen Fashion". "I just like singing that song. It's so gay and so wonderful." Number two was "Sexxx Dreams" and number three was "Born This Way".

Gaga laughed because the idea of telling his kids about "Sexxx Dreams" would be awkward and too mature for children, so Gaga said, "Just tell them "Just Dance", "Poker Face", and "Born This Way"."
 
3. It has been speculation a few days back that Gaga might be doing a hip-hop project soon. Though she didn't mention anything about hip-hop to us backstage, Gaga said something to the effect of wanting to do a classic rock/power ballad-type album after the artRave tour and 'Cheek to Cheek'.
 
4. She was asked where film and acting falls on her future plans and she generally says that she has no plans on starring in a movie in the near future. She says that she would really like to just focus on making music and that movies can come later.
 
5. She talked extensively about one of her mentors Marina Abramovic and how she inspired and trained her. I'm sure there was nothing said about Marina that couldn't be read already in Gaga's previous magazine/TV interviews, but one thing that was sort of breaking news, I think, was the Gaga telling us that Marina hated Jay-Z's performance art music video for "Picasso Baby". When I asked why, Gaga simply said, "I'm not gonna tell you that," so I guess she didn't want the reason to go public.
 
6. Gaga also talked about art in general was a more accessible, more appreciated concept. She loved that art now had more mass-appeal. "Koons is everywhere now," she exclaimed.
 
7. Though I personally don't think it's respectful to comment on anyone's weight, a fan pointed out that Gaga was "so thin" in the 'Bad Romance' and 'BTW' music videos. Surprisingly, Gaga didn't find this offensive at all and even said, "Oh honey, you don't even know. I was a total b---h filming 'Born This Way'". It was all very tongue-in-cheek.
 
8. A fan asked if she ever tries to make shows "less risque" depending on what city/country/cultural norms her shows were in. She answers back with full conviction, "I never tone down any of my shows. Ever. Not for anyone."
 
This led to her sharing her experience during the Russian leg of the BTW Ball where she was asked by the Russian government that her concert be "not gay".
 
Gaga said that she responded to the Russian government by taking to the streets,  hands in the air, and shouting "Arrest me, I'm a f-ggot!"
 
Gaga opined that Putin was scared of actually arresting her, because then she'd be all over the news and trying to suppress gay propaganda would actually backfire badly for the Russian government.
 
9. For the Robert Wilson art exhibit at the Louvre, Gaga told us she posed completely still as a performance art for all of her video portraits.
 
Except for one portrait where she was hanging upside down and posing still. She could only do that for 10 minutes.
 
10. She brought out Asia halfway through the dialogue. A fan asked if she was rescued from a shelter. She said Asia was from a breeder. Gaga said something to the effect of "It doesn't matter where you got the dog, to me, it's all about finding the right dog for you."
 
Asia was also a star in her own right and was scurrying around. Gaga liked to call Asia "A" a lot. And I fell deeper in love with Gaga every time she would baby-talk Asia and cuddle her. It was seriously one of the most inspiringly ordinary human things you could ever see Gaga do!
 
OTHER MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM THE DIALOGUE:
"I can sing with sore throat. I can sing with the flu. I cannot sing with bronchitis. I just can't breathe."
 
"I wasn't really gonna attend the Oscars but Donatella was like, 'Please, daaahling, you have to do this for me.'"
 
"I refuse to be a product or a commodity!" (Which I hope was meant to be a dig at someone who's been shading her recently.)
 
Looking back, there were tons of things that were discussed backstage that were also a giant blur because it was so amazing.
 
After the dialogue, we had our individual photos taken with Gaga. I approached her actually shaking and tearing up and started with something like, "Holy sh-t, I can't believe this is happening! I came all the way from the Philippines! I've loved you for six years..." In the middle of my word vomit, she hugged me SO TIGHTLY that time and space seemed to just wash away. It was unbelievable. I can't even. 
 
I mean the magnitude of it all! This was my first time, I wasn't prepared for this. Nobody taught me how these things would go. I could've been cooler than that, but I'm glad that I didn't because the spontaneity of it all was just f-cking magical.
 
They took our photo. 
 
After that, I hugged her tight this time. "I love you so much, I hope you know that," I semi-whispered in her ear, "Thank you for everything, Gaga." (Drama bomb, yes, but if you walk out of this experience all cool and sh-t, you didn't really do the meet-and-greet right,)
 
Overall, my love and respect for Gaga deepened a hundredfold after my backstage experience. She just has so much to offer this world as a both a public figure and an ordinary human being with actual feelings, and I can't believe that even I used to be guilty of oversimplifying the media weirdness of Lady Gaga - art for art, theatrics for theatrics - but walking out of that experience, I can safely say that she's way more than that. She is a breathing, living human being! And I know she tells us ceaselessly that she's deeply  connected to her fans, but that did not feel truer to me than when I personally met her.
 
The Gaga I talked to in Phoenix was well-aware of the entanglements of both business and personal life and isn't pretending that she's not. But in the meantime, while she can't topple the inner workings of the business given the current landscape of industry, she's just taking it down the things wrong with it one album at a time.

I am just so happy that I've had a chance to meet her and actually become a part of her memory. Less than an hour might not be seem a lot, but the meet-and-greet was everything to me. 
 
I hope to impart to you the feelings I've experienced through this.  :) Thank you for reading my first-ever post here on GagaDaily!

P.S.
I FEEL REALLY STUPID BECAUSE I FORGOT TO ASK GAGA HOW SHE'S PREPARING TO GO TO OUTER SPACE IN 2015! SO IF YOU'RE MEETING HER, PLEASE ASK ABOUT ZERO G COLONY (http://www.zerogcolony.com/)!

P.S.S.

I made Gaga these ARTPOP dragon eggs to reconcile my love for her and Game of Thrones. Security at the venue confiscated them along with my backpack and "assured" me that they would "get them to her production team". I had no choice but to give them up.

 

EGGS: https://twitter.com/Andrew_Gahol/status/494688346015158272

[Chase 407]

amazing

[Benji 20,113]

Ahh that's so nice!

[rebornrocks 1]

Omg, you're so lucky.  :cry:

 

I wonder why Marina hated the Picasso Baby film??? 

[HermioneGranger 608]

This proves that Gaga is an amazing human being. Too bad People dont see that.

[Elizabeth 450]

Thanks for posting, it sounds like you had an absolutely amazing experience! 

[mariomania1234 11,368]

Thanks a lot for sharing that!  :)  What a wonderful read. You're so lucky. 

[Arturo 40,746]

Thanks for posting, I love reading these :)

[Laceface 2,964]

Wow, amazing. I'm glad you had a wonderful experience :) 

[Haroon 49,685]

This sounds lovely I'm glad you had a good time Oh and your memory is amazing, like you remember so much so vividly, I would've been in shock and had everything remembered as one big blur I hope you got a nice picture with her!

 

Also, welcome to the forum

[ELECTRAHEARTPOP 93]

Amazing, kind of disappointed at the Jay Z dig though

[HANZ 4,380]

that was amazing

 

ps: I didn't know she loved black jesus that much

[Salvador Dali 0]

The Jay-Z shade.

Edit: That was a great read. Glad you had fun.

[Logan 20,538]

This is one of the best meet and greet experiences I've read so far, and the information she shared with you all was amazing and enlightening. I'm glad you got to experience this :) Cherish the memory. 

[Altair 1,999]

I actually started getting teary eyed.

thank you sooooo much for sharing that with us :')