Lord Mayor Clover Moore has declared Lady Gaga an ‘Honorary Citizen of Sydney’.
Last night the mega star made a flash appearance on Oxford Street, treating fans to three songs from her latest album at Nevermind and ARQ nightclubs.
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A HINT on Facebook was all it took for thousands of Lady Gaga fans to flock to Darlinghurst in the hope of catching a glimpse of the world’s most eccentric star.
Gaga hit nightclubs Arq and Nevermind for two surprise shows, sending the Twitterverse into a spin.
The venues opened their doors to hundreds of patrons and turned away many more, some who had queued in the cold since 4pm on a big Monday night for the Oxford St clubbing district.
With long green hair and a purple vinyl mini-skirt, Gaga arrived at the back entrance of Nevermind about midnight to play her hits Born This Way, Judas and The Edge of Glory.
Kirk Mathews of Bondi Junction travelled back to Sydney from a holiday at Palm Beach after hearing about the surprise gigs through Twitter.
He managed to be front and centre for the Nevermind show.
``The venue was absolutely crazy no other star would have gone in there,’’ Mr Mathews said.
``There were no exits for her, they had to create a barrier for her to get up to the stage and through the crowd.
``She’s just so tiny and fierce and everyone was just going mental.’‘
Gaga was then ferried to Arq Nightclub, at Taylor Square on Flinders St, for another three-song set. Club owner Shadd Danesi said the pop star’s management approached him to host the gig.
His venue packed in 500 fans for the show, but Mr Danesi said about 800 were turned away.
``We do get some large crowds outside the venue but certainly not on a Monday night, normally we wouldn’t even be open,’’ he said.
Earlier, Gaga alerted her Facebook followers to the surprise show.
COURTNEY’S CONNECTION
* Courtney Act, Central Magazine’s own covergirl who helped organise the shows after meeting Gaga at the star’s birthday bash in Canberra last year, performed acoustic and up-tempo versions of Poker Face to warm up the crowds. ``She was amazing. I’m a Lady Gaga fan anyway but this night just took it to a whole new level,’’ Courtney said.
Lady Gaga spoke proudly to he fans of being made an honorary citizen by Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
“On my citizenship certificate she said it was because of my gay rights activism. So I just wanted to thank you all for being so f**ing gay,” the entertainer said.
Lady Gaga is scheduled to perform at Town Hall tomorrow.
The Lord Mayor said the honourary citizenship recognised Lady Gaga’s unwavering support for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender communities around the world.
“Sydney is one of the leading GLBT capitals of the world and yet even here, in Sydney, if you are part of a same sex relationship then you don’t have the same rights as other heterosexual couples,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Around the world things are slowly changing - same-sex marriage is allowed in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and some states in the United States of America. I believe there is hope for change in Australia.
“A struggle like this has many parents but one woman has helped turn the tide in the United States - from playing small bars in New York to huge arenas around the world, Lady Gaga is one of the world’s biggest stars.
“And I would like to pay tribute to her for using her star power to focus the world’s attention on the prejudice still directed at gay men and women.
“Lady Gaga has been a powerful force for the gay and lesbian community in Sydney and we have a rare honour for people whose achievements embrace the ideals and spirit of our city - the title of ‘Honorary citizen of Sydney’ and today I am extending that honour to Lady Gaga.”
The Lord Mayor said other ‘Honorary citizens of Sydney’ include Tennis greats Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Margaret Court, Roy Emerson, Ken Rosewall and the renowned Italian Conductor Riccardo Muti.
“The title of ‘Honorary citizen of Sydney’ is bestowed on visitors to the City of Sydney who do not usually reside within the Sydney area to pay tribute to their outstanding merits and achievements which are recognised on a global scale,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Lady Gaga is one of the biggest stars in the world and a hero to many Sydneysiders. This honour recognises her impressive achievements as well as her work with the GLBT community.
“There are many young gay and lesbian people in Sydney - more than anywhere else in Australia and unfortunately many are made to feel like second rate citizens because there is still so much inequality.
“When I first entered Parliament 23 years ago homophobic discrimination and prejudice were the norm. My 1993 homosexual vilification legislation became law and protected gay men and lesbians against threats or words that incite hatred or violence.
“And while my amendments to allow same sex couples to adopt finally got through last year after a decade of Government inaction, the fact remains that even though gay and lesbian families are now legally recognised in NSW - gay and lesbian parents still can’t legally get married.
“The law needs to change. Every Australian who wants to make a life commitment to the person they love should be able to do so. And have that commitment equally recognised and supported by the law.
“It is a simple unassailable case. It is what we expect in a fair, decent and compassionate society.”
