Matt Goss’s premiere becomes online phenomenon

Denise Truscello/WireImage

Matt Goss, Natasha Bedingfield and Mel B perform at the Gossy Room in Caesars Palace on March 12, 2010.

By Robin Leach (contact)

Monday, March 15, 2010 | 4:57 p.m.

Matt Goss Debuts at Caesars Palace

Launch slideshow »

Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

Robin Antin, Leona Lewis, Mel B, Matt Goss and Natasha Bedingfield arrive at Caesars Palace on March 12, 2010.

TVT

Matt Goss and Laura Croft at the Gossy Room in Caesars Palace on March 12, 2010.

Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Mel B arrives at Matt Goss' debut performance at Caesars Palace on March 12, 2010.

British singer-songwriter Matt Goss has a worldwide following, and fans from Europe, Australia and Canada who couldn’t get to his opening night in Caesars Palace over the weekend set off a viral tidal wave to be there online.

Beautiful Scary Spice Mel B, multiplatinum-recording artist Leona Lewis and singer Natasha Bedingfield, however, made it through the throngs for Matt’s premiere produced by Pussycat Dolls creator Robin Antin in the new Gossy Room at Cleopatra’s Barge in Caesars Palace. Stunning Playboy playmate Laura Croft also was there the first night, and on the second night, The Hills reality TV stars and real-life couple Audrina Patridge and singer Ryan Cabrera turned up, where fans trying to get in offered $100 tips to staff to find them a seat.

Natasha and Mel B wound up onstage to sing and dance along with Matt to the delight of the first-night VIPs. Leona tried to join them, too, but got trapped behind the four beauties who make up Matt’s dance group Dirty Virgins. Dressed in their provocative pinup outfits of carnal corsets, scandalous stockings and suspenders, they work the showroom cavorting with customers and saucily stretching out over seats, walls and banquettes as Matt’s nine-piece band belts and blasts the brass.

Matt’s new production blends original music from his album Gossy with classic covers influenced by The Rat Pack. He opened to the jam-packed room with “Superstition” and performed Frank Sinatra favorites, including “Luck Be a Lady” and “I’ve Got the World on a String.” The crowd erupted and sang along to the popular “Hotel California” and “Lovely Las Vegas,” an original score written as a love song to his new home on the Strip.

I was amazed when I posted my first tweets because I had an almost instant response from Matt’s fans in Australia, Canada, London and elsewhere in Europe despite the time zone differences. They avalanched me with requests to keep tweeting during the show, and when I posted videos of Matt’s performance and my interview with him afterward, it was pure overload on my Twitter account.

Within 20 minutes, the Australians said they were counting 10,000 followers Down Under through the entire concert, with even more fans joining from London and Canada. It’s incredible to watch his fan base following every note, and in the first hour of our early morning teaser posting with the simultaneous coverage on Matt’s Web sites, another 6,000 logged on!

Everybody wanted to know exactly why sexy Mel B showed up with a quarter of the right side of her head shaved nearly bald. She told me: “I wanted something radical and different for a hairstyle. I couldn’t do a Mohawk, could I? This was the next best thing. I’m very happy with it. It gives me a new different look. I’ve had lots of positive comments about it. It can grow back whenever I want -- or I can keep it or maybe even match it on the other side?”

Enjoy our photo gallery with contributing photographers Erik Kabik, Scott Harrison and Brian Jones from the Las Vegas News Bureau on the red carpet and Denise Truscello from inside the showroom. Matt will be appearing in his own Gossy Lounge every Friday and Saturday at Caesars Palace.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.