Lady Gaga heads to Birmingham for two dates

The global superstar is heading to Arena Birmingham on Wednesday, and Genting Arena the following night as part of her Joanne tour.

In September, she announced that she’d be postponing her European tour until 2018, only days after she cancelled a concert in Rio due to “severe physical pain”.

The singer has been vocal about her battle with Fibromyalgia, a condition which causes chronic pain to spread across the whole body.

Speaking to fans about her battle with illness, Gaga said:“I have always been honest about my physical and mental health struggles.

“Searching for years to get to the bottom of them. It is complicated and difficult to explain, and we are trying to figure it out. As I get stronger and when I feel ready, I will tell my story in more depth, and plan to take this on strongly so I can not only raise awareness, but expand research for others who suffer as I do, so I can help make a difference.”

But fans should make the most of their opportunity to see her because soon she’ll be heading to Las Vegas.

In December, she Tweeted: “The rumors are true! I will have my own residency at MGM’s Park Theater. Get ready for a brand new show!! It’s been my lifelong dream to be a Las Vegas girl, I’m so overjoyed! LOVE YOU LITTLE MONSTERS WE DID IT, MEET ME IN Las Vegas!! #LasVegasGoesGaga”.

The announcement capped a remarkable end-of-2017 for Lady Gaga. In November, she was nominated for Grammy Awards.

She tweeted her 76 million followers: “I’m humbled and grateful that my album Joanne was nominated and also my song Million Reasons. Thank u so much Monsters & Grammy voters for believing in this music and me. I love u so much. This is a day to truly celebrate lots of hard work, perseverance & gratitude through music.”

More recently, she’s remembered the second anniversary of David Bowie’s death while also endorsing Oprah Winfrey for President.

She tweeted: “It’s been 2 years since legendary musician and artistic pioneer David Bowie passed away. His legacy will live on forever.” She added: “Oprah for president? She’s got my vote.”

Gaga has told interviewers that she’s working on her new album, which will follow her Joanne world tour.

“I’ve started writing,” she said. “I’ll let ya know.”

“I have a lot of ideas and a lot of things I want to create, so you’ll see in a bit. I need some time to create.”

Creating new music while touring her present album is a familiar concept for Gaga. Large portions of her 2011 hit Born This Way were devised as she toured in support of The Fame Monster the previous year.

Fans might get to hear snatches of her new direction in Birmingham – but mostly, she’ll stick to the Joanne script.

“That’s not to say I won’t do songs here or there that I can call during the show. But, this show’s actually extremely complex and complicated, and the stage is coded with a computer. It’s intense and the cues all have to be met at a particular time. It’s high stress and tense backstage to make sure everything happens at the exact moment it’s supposed to. So, the setlist might change a little bit, but mostly you’re coming to see a piece that we’ve created for you. It’s two hours and fifteen minutes we’ve thought about very closely. It’s from our heart, and it’s from a band, dancers, artists, and everyone we’ve worked with in the 10 years we have behind us together.”

She’s also keen to look after her fans – the Little Monsters – while she’s on the road.

“What has bonded Little Monsters and I together, since the beginning, is spreading a message of love and unity and acceptance to the world, so as the years have gone by, we’ve all grown up and changed, but it’s our values that stay the same. It keeps us strong. No matter what happens in our lives, in my life, the world, we always have that common ground and value system that we care about. The Joanne World Tour so far has been really exciting for a lot of reasons, mostly to reunite with my fan base and feel that love they bring every night, and I pray that multiplies.”

Gaga has been a unique artist who has headed in her own direction from the start. Buoyed by ever-changing fashions, new musical directions and the opportunity to collaborate with different artists, she has embraced pop, the Great American Songbook and more.

“You have to be sure about who and what you are, and have that be the most important thing. If every time somebody has a comment about what to do or makes a statement about your work, if you shift as if the wind were blowing, [then] you have no perspective or spinal cord as an artist.

“Every single one of my albums – no matter if they were received with critical acclaim, commercial acclaim, or artistic acclaim – every time I plant my feet further into myself, and that is what I believe to be honorable as an artist. You fall on the sword always. It’s your work, and when I make my work, there’s a reason and I think about it and I love it, and that’s what matters.”