The Fame Ball

• Summary
• Background
• Development
  • Stage
  • Visuals
• Tickets & Dates
  • Tickets
  • Dates
• Show
  • Opening acts
  • Summary
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • Eurasia
• Merchandise
• Personnel

For the release party on October 28, 2008 for The Fame, see Highline Ballroom.

The Fame Ball Tour
Tour by Lady Gaga
Associated album	The Fame
Start date	March 11, 2009
End date	September 29, 2009
Legs	10
No. of shows	31 in North America 1 in Oceania 3 in Asia 25 in Europe 7 in Asia 83 total
Concert chronology
Doll Domination Tour (2009)
Doll Domination Tour (2009)
The Monster Ball Tour (2009-2011)
The Monster Ball Tour (2009-2011)

The Fame Ball was the debut concert tour by Lady Gaga, in support of her debut studio album, The Fame released in 2008. The name used for the Haus for the tour was "Joanne" as a homage to Gaga's late aunt. The tour went through two alterations that are similar as both used nearly all the same interludes, backdrops, and songs but executed in a different way. The first half of the tour had a DJ doing the mixing and playing the tracks while the second half had a live band instead. For the Australian leg of the Doll Domination Tour, Gaga used a shortened version of the first Fame Ball.

Background

The tour was officially announced on January 12, 2009, through Gaga's official MySpace page. It was her first headlining tour; she has previously served as an opening act for New Kids on the Block's New Kids on the Block: Live tour, as well as The Pussycat Dolls' Doll Domination Tour. Learn more

Conception

In an interview with MTV News, Gaga described the tour as:

"It's not really a tour, it's more of a traveling party. I want it to be an entire experience from [the] minute you walk in [the] front door to [the] minute I begin to sing. And when it's all over, everyone's going to press rewind and relive it again. It's going to be as if you're walking into New York circa 1974: There's an art installation in the lobby, a DJ spinning your favorite records in the main room, and then the most haunting performance that you've ever seen on the stage."

Stage

According to Gaga, she prepared three versions of her show to cater to different sizes of the venues she was playing. In an interview with Billboard, she said

"I want to have a clear schedule of the dimensions for each venue so that we can properly execute all the technology and visuals. I need to mentally prepare days in advance if things are going to be taken out; otherwise, I won't have a good show...Every show's gonna be an A show by the time I'm done screaming at everyone -- 'Hang it! Hang everything! Find a place to hang it!' That's gonna be my motto."

She also stated, "This is going to be, like, the ultimate creative orgasm for me because I'm ready to move on. I'm not restricted to a certain structure for my show anymore. No limitations. I'm free."

Visuals and backdrops

These short films (Crevette Films) shot in December of 2008 were used again. They were first used on the Doll Domination Tour.

Summer concept

In May, during an interview with Toronto Sun Gaga announced that the tour is supposed to continue through European festivals in summer. The summer version of the tour started at Kool Hause on June 19, 2009, with Lady Gaga's old band from New York. Some of hers clothes had been modified and others completely changed to fit her mood and new inspirations.

Show

Tickets

On 20 February 2009, Huliq News reported that Gaga donated tickets and a meet and greet, for any show on her tour, in the United States or Canada, to raise money for Odyssey Charter School and elementary schools in Los Angeles affected by budget cuts.

Dates

All the Fame Ball Tour dates have the tag (Fame Ball) before the venue name.

Shortly after tickets went on sale, certain cities added a second show on the same night due to the high demand for tickets. There was no time to add a second night, so the show would take place twice on certain nights.

• North American Leg/DJ, see concerts in 2009 from March 11 to May 10.
• Short Set List/Australian leg of Doll Domination Tour, see concerts in 2009 from May 16 to May 30.
• Live Band, see concerts in 2009 from June 8 to September 29.

March 31 – New York, NY – Webster Hall .. rescheduled.

Opening acts

• The White Tie Affair - March 12 to April 9, 2009 (except April 4)
• Chester French - March 12 to April 9, 2009 (except April 4)
• Cinema Bizarre - March 12 to April 9, 2009 (except April 4)
• Gary Go (Europe) - June 29, July 18-20
• Hyper Crush (Europe)

Setlist

For concert summary, The Fame Ball/Show.

• Setlist
• North America
• Doll Domination
• Showcase
• Festival

Alternate versions of the show with minimal variations were planned by Gaga to accommodate different venues.

Performed on March 11 to May 2 and on June 19, 2009

Act I

1. The Heart + Haus Intro
2. "Paparazzi"
3. "LoveGame"
4. "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich"

Act II

1. The Brain
2. "The Fame"
3. "Money Honey"
4. "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)"
5. "Quicksand"

Act III

1. Starstruck/ Electric Feel / Day 'N Nite (Space Cowboy Mashup)
2. I'm a lie + "Poker Face" (Acoustic version)
3. "Future Love"

Act IV

1. The Face
2. "Just Dance"
3. "Boys Boys Boys"
4. "Poker Face"

Notes

Status on the poem?

• Space Cowboy played the tracks during the show.
• March 12 to May 2(?), June 8 to 19, 2009
  • A small clip of "Starstruck" was played at the end of "Paparazzi".
  • Before the acoustic part of the show, Space Cowboy performed a little interlude with samples "Starstruck", "Electric Feel" (Justice Remix) by MGMT, and "Day 'N Nite" (Crookers Remix) by Kid Cudi.
  • An a capella verse of "Quicksand" was performed on March 24, 2009 in Chicago.
  • "Future Love" was only performed on this leg of the tour.
  • "Boys Boys Boys" and "Poker Face" were performed as the encore.

Performed on May 3 to June 16, 2009

Act I

1. The Heart + Haus Intro
2. "Paparazzi"
3. "LoveGame"
4. "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich"

Act II

1. The Brain
2. "The Fame"

Act III

1. The Face
2. "Just Dance"
3. "Poker Face" (Acoustic version)
4. "Poker Face"

Showcase

This set list was used at Moscow nightclub, Famous.

1. "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich"
2. "Money Honey"
3. "LoveGame"
4. "The Fame"
5. "Just Dance"
6. "Poker Face" (Acoustic version)
7. "Poker Face"

Showcase II

Performed on June 7, 14 and 17 of 2009.

1. The Heart + Haus Intro
2. "LoveGame"
3. "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich"
4. The Brain
5. "Paparazzi"
6. "Poker Face" (Acoustic version)
7. "Poker Face"
8. The Face
9. "Just Dance"

This set list was used from June 26 to August 23, 2009

Act I

1. The Heart + Haus Intro
2. "Paparazzi"
3. "LoveGame"
4. "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich"

Act II

1. The Brain
2. "The Fame"
3. "Money Honey"
4. "Boys Boys Boys"

Act III

1. The Face
2. "Just Dance"
3. "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)"
4. Band Jam (Punk Rock Rave)

Act IV

1. "Brown Eyes"
2. "Poker Face" (Acoustic version)
3. "Poker Face"

Notes

• Space Cowboy was replaced by "The Kidz", a live band.
• After "LoveGame", a modified version of "Willkommen" was performed on July 17th, 18th, and 21st.

Notes

Credits

Personnel

• Creative director(s) — Matthew "Dada" Williams
• Choreographer — Laurie-Ann Gibson
• Costume design — Haus of Gaga
• Tour promoter(s) — LiveNation, AEG Live
• Tour sponsor(s) — Dylan George Jeans, MAC Cosmetics

Band

The live band are old friends of Lady Gaga from New York.

• DJ — Space Cowboy (March 11, 2008 to April 23, 2009), DJ Nicodemus (Nicolas Constantine) (May 1-June 19)
• Guitar — Nicolas Constantine (June 26-September 29)
• Bass — Thomas Kafafian (June 26-September 29)
• Drums — Andreas Brobjer (June 26-September 29)
• Keyboards and synth — Brian London (June 26-September 29)
• Keytar — Lady Gaga (in "Paparazzi")
• Dancers — Michael Silas, Ian McKenzie, Asiel Hardison

Crew

• Concert video design — Lady Starlight (director) and Lady Gaga

Era Discography HitMixes The Cherrytree Sessions Videography Performances The Fame Ball Fashion Media Just Dance (feat. Colby O'Donis) "LoveGame" "Paparazzi" "Poker Face" "I Like It Rough" "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" "Starstruck (feat. Flo Rida & Space Cowboy)" "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" "The Fame" "Money Honey" "Boys Boys Boys" "Paper Gangsta" "Brown Eyes" "Summerboy" Bonus tracks "Disco Heaven" "Again Again" "Retro, Dance, Freak"

Tours, residencies or concerts as opening act
Headlining tours	The Fame Ball (2009) The Monster Ball Tour (2009–2011) The Born This Way Ball (2012–2013) artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball (2017–2018) Joanne World Tour (2014) The Chromatica Ball (2022)
Co-headlining	The Fame Kills with Kanye West (2009-2010) Cheek to Cheek Tour with Tony Bennett (2014–2015)
Residencies	Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom (2014) Enigma + Jazz & Piano (2018–2024)
Promotional concerts	Just Dance Promo Tour (2008) artRave (2013) Dive Bar Tour (2016)
Supporting act	New Kids on the Block: Live (2008) Doll Domination Tour (2009) Take That Presents: The Circus Live (2009) This Is It (2009)
Related articles	Performances

edit