Madonna scraps two concert dates

Madonna was due to play Cologne on June 5 and 6

BERLIN, Germany -- Madonna has cancelled the opening dates of her first European tour in eight years due to technical problems.

The tour had been due to start in Cologne on June 5, with a second concert in the city the following day.

But Marek Lieberberg, the popstar's German concert manager, said both have had to be cancelled.

He gave no explanation of the nature of the technical problems which have hit the shows, both of which sold out within minutes of the tickets being released last week.

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The European-leg of Madonna's world tour will now start in Barcelona on June 9.

However, Germany will not miss out completely, as she is scheduled to hold four concerts in Berlin between June 19 and 23.

The Drowned World Tour, Madonna's first roadshow since 1993's Girlie Show, will also make European stops in Milan, Paris and London before moving to the United States in late July.

Promoters from SFX Entertainment have promised the most extravagant stage spectacle of the singer's 17-year career.

Last year tickets changes hands for hundreds of dollars when Madonna played a one-off show at the Brixton Academy in south London, performing a handful of songs from her new album Music.

The performance attracted a record Web cast audience of nine million, Reuters news agency reported.

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