Lana Del Rey review – mid-century melodrama as mindblowing stadium spectacle
Lana Del Rey is standing in a blue-on-white summer dress in front of a wood-panelled house, crying real tears next to plastic weeping willows, momentarily overcome by the size of the audience staring back at her. This sort of tension, the push-pull between genuine vulnerability and an exploration of aesthetics, has always been there in her music, and her wonderfully ambitious first stadium tour runs on it. Its theatrical staging and big ideas are all the more remarkable thanks to some very human moments of doubt.
Opening with Stars Fell on Alabama, one of several new songs foreshadowing a country record that might be around the corner, Del Rey's voice is barely there, with its final notes followed by a dash to the wings to kiss her husband. But she stays on the rails. During Chemtrails Over the Country Club and Ultraviolence, she falls to the floor in Busby Berkeley-esque arrangements alongside her dancers, her vocals now steely as power chords and pulsing red lights ratchet up the drama.
At the heart of the concert is a remarkable set piece following Quiet in the South. The house starts to burn, its air of Douglas Sirk melodrama and stultifying domesticity tumbling into Hitchcockian mania. A section of Bernard Herrmann's Vertigo score plays and Del Rey answers it with an off-stage recitation from Allen Ginsberg's Howl, which becomes the intro to Young and Beautiful. It's bravura stuff, capped by her gradual rise from a secondary stage as the track ends, now clad in a cocktail dress. The crowd comes unglued.
Famously, though, the problem with big swings are the misses. There are a few here, notably a hologram Lana sitting in a window while snippets of Norman Fucking Rockwell and Arcadia ring from the speakers. Aside from wasting two killer songs, it creates an unwanted break in the dialogue she maintains between artist and audience elsewhere – there aren't many stadium spectacles driven by the gut-level understanding found in Del Rey's plea to the room during a mesmerising Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd: 'Don't forget me.' Not a chance.
Touring the UK and Ireland until 4 July 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
Disturbing new text evidence from stuntwoman suing Kevin Costner over ‘unscripted' rape scene and ‘abuse of power'
A STUNTWOMAN'S lawsuit against Kevin Costner claiming that she was subjected to a "violent" unscripted rape scene has been amended to include disturbing alleged texts. Devyn LaBella, 34, alleged in one message there had been an 'abuse of power.' 3 3 3 The former gymnast who has worked as a Hollywood stunt performer since 2020 on the likes of Barbie and Yellowjackets filed her lawsuit on May 27 in Los Angeles Superior Court. She has alleged that she was subjected to an unscripted rape scene without proper warning, consent or protocols while shooting Costner's film Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 2. Costner, 70, who was acting as well as directing on set for the movie, has denied all the allegations. His lawyer has denied there was "anything sexual in the shot." LaBella amended her lawsuit on June 18 to include alleged text messages, reported the US Weekly. The publication claimed that it had seen new evidence submitted against Costner and his production firm Territory Pictures. The shoot included a planned sexual assault scene, shot in May of 2023, that LaBella performed much of because of its violent and physical nature, the initial lawsuit said. LaBella's lawsuit said she was the stunt double for one of the Horizon leads, Ella Hunt, 27, throughout the Western. For the initial scene, protocols were followed, including meetings, rehearsals, the presence of an intimacy coordinator and minimal crew, the lawsuit stated. But it alleged that the following day, in an unscripted scene with no warning, rehearsal or choreography, Costner directed an actor to pin LaBella down on a wagon and simulate rape. The lawsuit claimed that Costner asked for many takes as he experimented with the violent action and did not make it clear when a shot was beginning or ending. The amended lawsuit includes alleged text messages LaBella claimed to have exchanged with the film's intimacy coordinator, Celeste Cheney, the day after the alleged scene was shot. LaBella wrote in the alleged text, dated May 3, 'Hi Celeste... I wanted to discuss yesterdays abomination when we both have a chance. "Are you around today? I was put in a really wrong position and it's really affected me." INTIMACY According to the Weekly, Cheney replied, "Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear this, Devyn. Yes, of course, let's talk it through." In a further alleged message, LaBella reportedly asked the coordinator, 'Why was there no intimacy coordinator?' The Weekly claimed that she also allegedly texted, 'Why was a stunt double doing this non stunt work — especially given the sensitivity of it? 'Who is gonna take responsibility for the abuse of power …' EXPLICIT ACTION These questions were among more than a dozen that LaBella allegedly asked Cheney in relation to the scene. For example, the amended lawsuit said she also allegedly asked, "how did lining up a shot turn into a rape sequence?" and "why was sensitive and explicit action commanded when it wasn't in the script?" The Weekly claimed that Cheney later wrote an incident report in which she allegedly noted that 'apologies were made to Ella [Hunt] and Devyn by various parties involved.' COSTNER'S ATTORNEY RESPONDS Costner's attorney, Martin Singer, has rejected LaBella's claims. He said in a statement, "Ms. LaBella was doing a rehearsal on an insert shot for a scripted scene." Any shot whose only objective is to draw the viewer's attention to a single aspect inside a scene is referred to as an insert shot, according to the Nashville Film Institute. Singer told The U.S. Sun, "There was no intimacy or anything sexual in the shot. "There was tugging on a dress while she was fully clothed in a dress with long bloomers lying down next to a male actor. "Numerous witnesses have contradicted Ms. LaBella's meritless claims. "She herself texted her supervisor after she wrapped stating, 'Thank you for these wonderful weeks.' "We look forward to the swift end of this specious lawsuit.' REHEARSED It followed his previous statement on the lawsuit when it was lodged. He said last month, "The scene in question was explained to Ms. LaBella. "After she performed the rehearsal in character with another actor, she gave her stunt coordinator supervisor a thumbs up and indicated her willingness to then shoot the scene, if needed (which she was not)." He added, "That night, Ms. LaBella had dinner with her supervisor, the stunt coordinator, and with the assistant stunt coordinator, and she was in good spirits and made no complaints to them. "She continued to work on the movie for a few more weeks until her wrap date, and she took the stunt coordinator to a thank-you dinner." DAMAGES The lawsuit seeks damages in an amount to be determined at trial. It also seeks a judge's order for the defendants to undergo sexual harassment training, to be required to use an intimacy coordinator on future productions and to issue LaBella a public apology. Costner has spent 30 years trying to make the ambitious, four-part Western epic Horizon: An American Saga. The first part was released in June 2024.
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Eden Blackman dead at 57: Celebs Go Dating star's devastated family announce his death after 'long illness' as Fearne Cotton, Paul C. Brunson and Zoe Ball lead heartfelt tributes
Celebs Go Dating star Eden Blackman has died at the age of 57 on Saturday, following a 'long illness'. The love guru's heartbroken family confirmed his tragic passing on Tuesday with a statement on his official Instagram account, where they described him as 'fun, unpredictable, vivid and full of life.' While fans, celebrities and some of his fellow Celebs Go Dating co-stars soon flooded the comments sections with heartfelt tributes to the late TV star. Sharing a trio of photos of Eden beaming at the camera, laughing in a recording booth and and standing at the beach looking out over the sea, his family penned: 'We are heartbroken to share that our beloved Eden passed away on 21 June 2025, after carrying a long illness with quiet grace. 'Eden blazed through life with charm, mischief and a fire that was entirely his own, magnetic, stylish, sharp, impossibly handsome and always up for the adventure. 'Music was his first love and constant companion, a pulse that shaped who he was, and he carved his path through that world with instinct, passion and deep care for the people he worked with. 'Later he brought that same energy and wild spark to television, helping others shine. He championed people with sincerity, humour and encouragement, always wanting others to feel seen at their best. 'To know Eden was to be caught in his orbit - fun, unpredictable, vivid and full of life. He stood proud, laughed loudly and lived as only he could. We'll carry his spirit with us always.' They concluded: 'We ask for privacy as we find our way through this loss, and thank you for your love and kindness'.
The Guardian
28 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Bobby Sherman, 60s teen idol and singer of hit Little Women, dies aged 81
Bobby Sherman, whose winsome smile and fashionable shaggy mop top helped make him into a teen idol in the 1960s and 70s with bubblegum pop hits such as Little Woman and Julie, Do Ya Love Me, has died. He was 81. His wife, Brigitte Poublon, announced the death Tuesday and family friend John Stamos posted her message on Instagram: 'Bobby left this world holding my hand — just as he held up our life with love, courage, and unwavering grace.' Sherman revealed he had stage 4 cancer earlier this year. Sherman was a squeaky-clean regular on the covers of Tiger Beat and Sixteen magazines, often with hair over his eyes and a choker on his neck. His face was printed on lunchboxes, cereal boxes and posters that hung on the bedroom walls of his adoring fans. He landed at No 8 in TV Guide's list of TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols. He was part of a lineage of teen heartthrobs who emerged as mass-market, youth-oriented magazines and TV took off, connecting fresh-scrubbed Ricky Nelson in the 1950s to David Cassidy in the 60s, all the way to Justin Bieber in the 2000s. Sherman had four Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart – Little Woman, Julie, Do Ya Love Me, Easy Come, Easy Go, and La La La (If I Had You). He had six albums on the Billboard 200 chart, including Here Comes Bobby, which spent 48 weeks on the album chart, peaking at No 10. His career got its jump start when he was cast in the ABC rock'n'roll show Shindig! in the mid-60s. Later, he starred in two television series — Here Come the Brides (1968-70) and Getting Together (1971). After the limelight moved on, Sherman became a certified medical emergency technician and instructor for the Los Angeles police department, teaching police recruits first aid and CPR. He donated his salary. 'A lot of times, people say, 'Well, if you could go back and change things, what would you do?'' he told the Tulsa World in 1997. 'And I don't think I'd change a thing – except to maybe be a little bit more aware of it, because I probably could've relished the fun of it a little more. It was a lot of work. It was a lot of blood, sweat and tears. But it was the best of times.' Sherman, with sky blue eyes and dimples, grew up in the San Fernando Valley, singing Ricky Nelson songs and performing with a high-school rock band. 'I was brought up in a fairly strict family,' he told the Sunday News newspaper in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1998. 'Law and order were important. Respect your fellow neighbor, remember other people's feelings. I was the kind of boy who didn't do things just to be mischievous.' He was studying child psychology at a community college in 1964 when his girlfriend took him to a Hollywood party, which would change his life. He stepped onstage and sang with the band. Afterward, guests Jane Fonda, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo asked him who his agent was. They took his number and, a few days later, an agent called him and set him up with Shindig! Sherman hit true teen idol status in 1968, when he appeared in Here Come the Brides, a comedy-adventure set in boom town Seattle in the 1870s. He sang the show's theme song, Seattle, and starred as young logger Jeremy Bolt, often at loggerheads with his brother, played by David Soul. It lasted two seasons. Following the series, Sherman starred in Getting Together, a spinoff of The Partridge Family, about a songwriter struggling to make it in the music business. He became the first performer to star in three TV series before the age of 30. That television exposure soon translated into a fruitful recording career: His first single, Little Woman, earned a gold record in 1969. 'While the rest of the world seemed jumbled up and threatening, Sherman's smiling visage beamed from the bedroom walls of hundreds of thousands of teenage girls, a reassuring totem against the riots, drugs, war protests and free love that raged outside,' the Tulsa World said in 1997. His movies included Wild In Streets, He is My Brother and Get Crazy. Sherman pulled back from his celebrity career after several years of a frantic schedule, telling the Washington Post: 'I'd film five days a week, get on a plane on a Friday night and go someplace for matinee and evening shows Saturday and Sunday, then get on a plane and go back to the studio to start filming again. It was so hectic for three years that I didn't know what home was.' Sherman's pivot to becoming an emergency medical technician in 1988 was born out of a longtime fascination with medicine. Sherman said that affinity blossomed when he raised his sons with his first wife, Patti Carnel. They would get scrapes and bloody noses and he became the family's first-aid provider. So he started learning basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation from the Red Cross. 'If I see an accident, I feel compelled to stop and give aid even if I'm in my own car,' he told the St Petersburg Times. 'I carry equipment with me. And there's not a better feeling than the one you get from helping somebody out. I would recommend it to everybody.' In addition to his work with the Los Angeles police department, he was a reserve deputy with the San Bernardino county sheriff's department, working security at the courthouse. Sherman estimated that, as a paramedic, he helped five women deliver babies in the backseats of cars or other impromptu locations. In one case, he helped deliver a baby on the sidewalk and, after the birth, the new mother asked Sherman's partner what his name was. 'When he told her Bobby, she named the baby Roberta. I was glad he didn't tell her my name was Sherman,' he told the St Petersburg Times in 1997. He was named LAPD's Reserve Officer of the Year for 1999 and received the FBI's Exceptional Service Award and the 'Twice a Citizen' Award by the Los Angeles County Reserve Foundation. In a speech on the floor of the US House of Representatives in 2004, the then representative Howard McKeon said: 'Bobby is a stellar example of the statement 'to protect and serve.' We can only say a simple and heartfelt thank you to Bobby Sherman and to all the men and women who courageously protect and serve the citizens of America.' Later, Sherman would join the 1990s-era Teen Idols Tour with former 1960s heartthrobs Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones of the Monkees and Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits. The Chicago Sun-Times in 1998 described one of Sherman's performances: 'Dressed to kill in black leather pants and white shirt, he was showered with roses and teddy bears as he started things off with 'Easy Come, Easy Go.' As he signed scores of autographs at the foot of the stage, it was quickly draped by female fans of every conceivable age group.' Sherman also co-founded the Brigitte and Bobby Sherman Children's Foundation in Ghana, which provides education, health and welfare programs to children in need. He is survived by two sons, Christopher and Tyler, and his wife. 'Even in his final days, he stayed strong for me. That's who Bobby was – brave, gentle, and full of light,' Poublon wrote.
