Madonna plays rare gig

Fans got free tickets to the New York gig

Hundreds of Madonna fans saw the pop superstar give a rare live performance on Sunday at a club in New York.

Madonna sang just a handful of songs from her album Music at the Club Roseland, Manhattan, before a standing-room only crowd.

Celebrities such as designer Donatella Versace were among the audience, who had been given their tickets free by local radio stations.

"I'm so happy to be onstage again!" shouted Madonna, dressed in a black tank top and pants decorated with gold sequins.

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She told the audience how the last time she performed at Roseland, more than a decade ago, she was supporting now defunct teen group New Edition.

The adoring crowd shrieked and cheered each time Madonna moved her hips or shimmied across the stage with her two backup singers and four bare-chested male dancers.

She was given the biggest ovation for her recent number one hit Music, but the packed dance floor also cheered wildly as she sang other songs on the album, including the slower-paced What it Feels Like To Be A Girl.

The show came less than three months after the star gave birth to her second child, Rocco.

Madonna has not toured the United States since 1993.

She is expected to go on tour early next year, although no specific dates or cities have been set.