Hello all


The soundcheck:
Due some troubles with the seating of the NPGMC the checking in lasted a wee bit longer than supposed, lots of member s were allocated seats way back and they didn't take that! It took Prince himself 2 arrange 4 the NPGMC 2 be seated in front! ( so the show started with some chaos) Due 2 the delay Prince and band only played a very funky Days of Wild and disappeared from the stage,
The setlist varied greatly from the american one, from the top of my head:
Rainbow Children
Muse 2 the Pharaoh
The Work
Extraoridnary
Mellow
1+1+1=3
Bambi
Whole lotta love
Rollercoaster of love
Strolling (With added lyrics)
Mellow
Family Name (no name changing)
talk about the papers (and how they confused some1 4 Prince a few weeks earlier)
Strange relationship
Pass the peas
Take me with u
raspberry beret
Everlasting now
Piano Medley ( included : Diamonds & Pearls, Condition of the heart, adore,I wanna be your lover ...)
The beautiful Ones (complete version)
how come u don't call me anymore
Nothing compares 2 u
EMPTY ROOM (full blown version!!! Tore the place up)
all the critics love u in ny
(and probably some i 4got... sorry )
The concert was pretty electric and he seemed in a real good mood.

the after party

was supposed 2 be at a place in the Berkely street so when we arrived there were lots of people queing up, we stood there 4 some hour and a half when Trevor told us the place was not the place 2 be cuz another party was going on and didn't seem 2 end soon. The new place was 2 be The Click! a small discotheque somewhere in Piccadily region. Ofcourse we went there and we got in. We were hanging in the lounge and in walks Prince. He was neatly dressed and seemed relaxed. he was just a meter or 2 away from me when he noticed me and walked up2 me!!! He asked me "where r your girls? " I was with 5 other guys and we were just hanging on a couch, I replied that se wa home in Holland and was like " I f i c 6 guys 2gether on a couch and no gilr s i get a bit worried" that was pretty funny, Then he proceeded 2 talk 2 me about Bootlegging! He heard that Holland is a major bootleg country and wanted 2 know if i own, sell and or record them. I told him i own some but didn't record them. he was like owning the bootlegs contributes 2 the bootleggers and keeps them in business, he asked me this: If i take your shirt and your pants and give them 2 some1 else how'd u feel? I replied i wouldn't like that! He was like that how it feels 2 him, it's like a record contract u don't own the masters and the bootleggers make profits, he basically asked me 2 stop buying them, i told him he has a golden oppurtunity 2 sell concerts thru his npgmc website and make a lot of money from it, but he got back 2 the bootleg question. I had 2 agree with him cuz in a fact the bootleggers are stealing his music and as long as people keep buying the boots they'll stay in business...He also added something 2 the likes of they will be dealt with... needless 2 say the security 2 the concert was pretty tight!!
after our little talk he shook my hand and started talking 2 my other friends
Just wanted 2 share this with y#all
Oh yeah... Goldie u were the big absent one at the Org meeting party at the weatherspoons!!! Maybe next time when u arrange maybe u'd care 2 show up??? C u guys saturday 4 the next concert and aftershow

Peace

one more thing!!
I asked him if he reads the org, i told him about the bootlegging issues that were on it a few days ago, he said:
" they ask the wrong questions"
and check out my post at the bottom!!

Peace
[This message was edited Fri Oct 4 13:52:45 PDT 2002 by starbuck]

Gooey is Natasha What did he wear? Was SHE there? Was he sexy? Did he ask for me?
Gooey is himself Kewl mate. Nice story.

Cool!

Wow! You actually had a re3al conversation with the man. Makes me a bit jealous, but I´m sure you deserve it. Great!!! Thanx for sharing that with us.

Nice one, Starbuck. Wish I'd been given accurate info on where to go afterwards - ho-hum!

Your set-list is pretty much there (I presume by "Rollercoaster of Love" you actually mean Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" - incredible version!). He also played Bambi fairly early on and this seemed to be the turning point of the gig - coz it was all just too freaky after that! The refreshing thing was, even throughout the piano medley, virtually all songs were played in their entiritey and many were extended and went off in new directions. He has obviously put a lot of thought and work in to this performance - even the new arpeggiated runs between chorus and verse in Raspberry Beret were a thing of wonder!

I'm happy for you (and everyone who has been to the recent shows) that you had such a wonderful concert experience, and thank you so much for the review! I'm loving all these great reports.

And congratulations on your getting to talk with him!!

Thanks again!


PS - HE'S RIGHT ABOUT THE BOOTLEG ISSUE! STOP BUYING BOOTLEGS Y'ALL!

That is one amazing evening you had tonight Starbuck. How'd you feel? Did you get the feeling that Prince was put off by your answers? Or was he cool and collected? That's incredible that he chose to speak with you about this. You'll probably have recurring dreams about it for years to come.

Rollercoaster of Love (Red Hot Chilli Peppers track) is correct. He shouted "If you ain't dancing to this, go home!"
He also did Whole Lotta Love.
During the piano medley he also did One Nite Alone and U'r Gonna C Me, which got a really great reaction.

Have to say, I wish he hadn't done Whole Lotta Love. It was a prety poor cover.
I don't think Everlasting Now went down as well as he hoped. Everyone was dancing, but they weren't really into it.

Guys, guys! You missed The Ride! That to me was the highlight and All The Critics Love U in London. Great drumming.

Rollercoaster of Love is actually "Love Rollercoaster" and the original was by the Ohio Players way back in 1975. Just thought I would clear that up!

All I can say about last nights show is "Wow!".

The man is passionate about playing music again...I could tell that because he didn't play Purple Rain...Now that is something to thank Jeohvah for! LOL.

The highlight for me must have been the way he did a slow blues version of Gotta Broken Heart Again and segued that into Pass The Peas and then into Bambi! How the FUNK do you do that? There is only one man that can and last night he reminded me why I dig him so much!

WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!WOW!

BlurredEye said:

Then the RHCP came and did the beavis and butthead thang.
Their version is kewl too!

i think i know the answer to this but is it only the NPGMC guys that are invited to the aftershow ?

gooeythehamster said:

I always wondered if that was a cover ! Now I know, thanks.

The Ride and Strange Relationship were fantastic !

I think he did So Blue as well !

gooeythehamster said:

There's not much difference in the RHCP version.

Starbuck:

I'm glad someone told him that he could sell the same thing on the NPGMC.

Thanks, he really needs to understand that.

I'm glad you kept you head and had a decent conversation. You are just too lucky.

Congrats

Negative:

The RHCP version is rather different from the Ohio Players version. I actually prefer the RHCP version a lot more. This version is harder, louder, has some added lyric, and some of the lead line is changed a little.

I actually like the way Prince played it in LA. He changed it up a lot and had fun with it.

Glad to see you had fun starbuck!

gooeythehamster said:

nice report, starbuck.

Wow...speechless. Floored that he just approached you non-chalantly and started talking. Liked how you were just straight up with him about your boots and such. Kind of clears things up a little. Very cool Starbuck.

That just about never happens! Prince walking up and chatting?? Well, at least not in the States, not unless it was soundcheck related. Wow Starbuck, you are a lucky one. Nice he actually had a conversation, in a preachy sort of way, but still! Not bad!

He probably feels more comfortable over there. There are so many FREAKS here that would be just as happy trying to grope him or pull his hair. It's a shame.

CONGRATS AND PEACE!!!

Nice post - Loved 2 read it.

Its gonna take U a lifetime 2 forget it - U lucky ting.

He was quite chatty at the soundcheck. he talked to a few fans on the front row, and not just listening and smiling, but really talking. Then asked over the mike if the people on the balcony were NPG Music Club. They gave him the thumbs up and waved, then he told them they were in someone else's seats and to come downstairs after this was finished !
He seemed in a really good mood. He asked someone at the front the time, and couldn't believe that it was 7.15 already. Then turned around to see a couple of band members waiting, and asked them "Aren't you getting changed ? You're not wearing THAT tonight are you?". He looked like he was going to say he didn't have time to do a performance, so everybody started shouting for him to do just one. People were shouting things like "Electric Intercourse" (which made Prince laugh) and "Sister". But the band struck up a beat and they launched into Days Of Wild.

Thanks for the review!

starbuck said:

I commend you for bringing up the solution to Prince of releasing the bootlegs on his own, but I believe you should have PUSHED that issue once Prince dodged it. (Glad you had a good time, though.

And I was sitting right next to him at the aftershow!...

wow...cool. Great report thanx

good on starbuck for saying that he could release the shows on his own if he wanted. its too true.

Starbuck, but what I want to know, did Prince want to have sex with you?

Freaky, I'm a guy, Prince didn't want 2 have sex with me and i wouldn't want 2 with him i'm as straight as it can be
About the boots:
when he heard i was from holland the first thing he said was ;
" What's up with the bootlegging in Holland?"
Kinda took me by surprise.. but i tried 2 tell him 2 release the concerts himself, he just got back 2 his own question about why do i buy them? and he made good points if u actually think about it, it's his art and it's his choice 2 do with it whatever he chooses, yet i told him i, we were fans and wanted more...
in the end we shook hands and he was seen on the disco floor and behind the dj stand...
Can hardly wait 4 2mw nite and 4 sunday when i get home and be with my g/f again ... I miss her ... I showed Prince a pic of her and he was like take her with u next time and i said she was coming with me 2 the 2nd r'dam concert
sorry 4 the songs i 4got 2 list...

The album survivor thread will be revived on sunday nite (my time) c u there (or maybe sooner as i type the review of the saturday concert and aftergig)

Peace

Oh My, I am SO envious! I listen to the Man for nearly 20 years but I never saw an aftershow and I never talked to him

Well, I'm sure my day will come

CrystalVault said:

Highly unlikely if you're in the States. Stateside fans usually don't get a friendly chat with Prince. U.S. fans just get pushed and jacked around by his bodyguards at afterparties.


Prince