Rolling Stone Australia — July 2017

¥STRUTTING INstacked heels across

theturfofLevi’sStadiuminSanta

Clara, California, wrapped in gold-

enbandoleersandflankedbyaBlack

Panther-styled phalanx of dancers,

Beyoncé performed “Formation”

atthe2016SuperBowlinacameo

appearance even fiercer than her

2013SuperBowltriumph.Itwas

the overture to a tour that redefined

stadium-scale concert staging. “She

had an overall vision of what she

wanted,” says Steve Pamon, chief

operating officer of Beyoncé’s label,

Parkwood Entertainment. “Not only

intermsofabusiness,butinthe

type of experience we want to give

the fans.”

Four days before the tour began,

Beyoncé surprise-dropped her in-

stant classicLemonade.British set

designer Es Devlin, who had pre-

viously worked with Kanye West

and U2, created a kind of spectac-

ular intimacy that fit the album’s

personal themes. At midstage was

the “Monolith”, a video-screen cen-

trepiece standing seven storeys high

that projected the show in 70-foot

magnification, making every seat

feel front-row. On opening night

in Miami, Bey burned through

“Crazy in Love” and “Bootylicious”

in a fire-engine-red latex bodysuit

and matching boots, looking like an

animeempress.Theshowsalsodi-

alled it down for slow jams like the

breakup meditation “Mine”, during

which the Monolith split in two to

reveal dancers suspended on cables

while Bey and a squadron in lace

bodysuits rose up from beneath the

stage. At the end of the show, a mov-

ing catwalk connected the main

stage to a huge wading pool, where

Beyoncé and her dancers splashed

around in a baptismal moment that

reflectedLemonade’sjourneyfrom

betrayal to rebirth.

The Formation World Tour began

around the time of Prince’s death.

In Minneapolis, she performed his

classic “The Beautiful Ones” before

a rapt crowd, honouring a hero and

placing herself in his epic lineage. “I

would put that tour up against any

performance,” Pamon says. “By any

artist at any age.” BRITTANY SPANOS

¥“ YOU’RE NOTgoingtoseemeplay-
ingthebanjo,”TaylorSwiftwarned
Rolling Stoneattheoutsetofher
1989 world tour. On herSpeak Now
andRedtours, she claimed her turf
at the crossroads of country, pop
and classic arena rock. But for1989,
Swift made her bold move into full-
ondancepop.Sheturneduptheglitz
withnewmateriallike“NewRoman-
tics”and“BlankSpace”(“blatantpop
music”,assheputit),butshedidn’t
compromise on her trademark emo-

tional overshares, whether open-

ingupinconfessionalinterludesor

torching up ballads (“Clean”). Swift

aimed for a glammier look onstage,

reflectingthegrown-upflairofthe

music,andsheinvitedhigh-pro-

file guests: In Nashville, she duet-

tedwithMickJagger;inL.A.,she

brought out Beck, St. Vincent, Jus-

tin Timberlake, Chris Rock and Al-

anis Morissette. It all summed up

her staggeringly ambitious vision of

modern pop. ROB SHEFFIELD

¥THERETURNOFCHRISTINEMcVIEafter 16 years brought the Mac’s live

show to a whole new dimension. Lindsey Buckingham’s guitar solo on

“GoYourOwnWay”soaredtonewheights;StevieNicksseemedpos-

sessedduringthenightlyexorcismof“Rhiannon”;andallthreevoices

lockedseamlesslyon“LittleLies”.Itwasallthemagicof1977with-

outthedistractionsofharddrugsandsexualsoapoperas.ANDY GREENE

2014-15 FLEETWOODMAC

2015

2016 FORMATION TOUR

BEYONCE

TAYLOR SWIFT

‘ONWITHTHE

SHOW’TOUR

‘1989’ TOUR

July, 2017

GREATEST

50 CONCERTS

THIS PAGE: JOHN SHEARER/GETTY IMAGES. OPPOSITE PAGE: DANIELA VESCO/INVISION FOR PARKWOOD ENTERTAINMENT/AP IMAGES

Swift in

Nashville,

2015

TAYLOR’S

TOP

DUETS

Swift brought

up dozens of

guests on

the ‘1989’

tour. Here

are the best

moments:

The

Weeknd

EAST

RUTHERFORD, NJ

“Can’t Feel

My Face”

Lorde

WASHINGTON, DC

“Royals”

Beck and

St. Vincent

LOS ANGELES

“Dreams”

Justin

Timberlake

LOS ANGELES

“Mirrors”