^ There was no aftershow.

This thread is to discuss the main concert, which did take place, thanks.

Anyone have the complete setlist?

^ Setlist (still described as 'tentative' at point of posting):

http://www.princevault.co...June,_2014

Yes,great show !

Although I regretted sometimes not beeing closer to the stage, the benefit of being upstairs was to see the lighteffects -just amazing.

My musical highlights were:

She's always in my Hair

Crimson and Clover

SignOtheTimes- Donna adding some riffs to it just made so much more out of this sample

Bambi

Empty Room - as one of my purple friends wrote to me today: the day after a prince-concert always brings some feeling of emptyness......

I would have like to hear the riffs Donna added to Sign of Times!

What can I say? Two days later and I am still on the purple cloud - happy and sad at the same time. The show was amazing, Prince gave it all. Very emotional for me, being close to him on his birthday. And close I was - in first row, right at the block on the right side of the stage. Whenever he was there he was within touching distance! Overwhelming.

Music highlights: Crimson and Clover (first time heard live) - I loved the "over and over" interaction with the crowd, Foever in my life - Prince on bass is always a highlight for me, Little Red Corvette - his funny gestures and actions (pretending someone was on stage with him, presumingly the girl he sang "to" ), and the sing-along with the crowd again, beautiful renditions of Nothing Compares 2 U, The Beautiful Ones, and Empty Room.

Outstanding: live favorites of mine in the recent shows - Always in my Hair, FunkNRoll, Bambi.
Purple Rain beautiful and passionate, and especially when he brought it back saying "can we do this one more time? Do you want me to do it harder? Do you want me to do it faster? Do you want me to do it longer?"

And finally he totally blew me through the roof with the last song, something I had been wishing to hear live since I've seen it on the setlist of this recent tour: What's My Name! Awesome!!!

Prince has been in bestform this year and I have never enjoyed him live more than with 3rdEyeGirl - because it is 100% pure Prince, the entire show. It can't get any better!!

it was a great performance, P was in a good relaxed mood, dancin' even better than i saw him before.

many many many standout songs.

She's Always In My Hair - i never saw/heard better performance of this song.

somewhere in the middle of the show, there was an instrumental, that had guitar riff from The Ocean by Led Zeppelin - i'm not really rock specialist, but i could remember that riff from first Beastie Boys album, but P & 3rd Eye Girls played it slower and reaaalllllly good, i'm wondering i didn't see it mentioned nowhere in the playlists.

my friend was in the front of stage and he said sometimes when P sang too loud it had some distortion, but where i was, in the back - sound was perfect all the time - i really care about sound, and there was nothing wrong with it in my place.

something like a new version of Funk n roll, which they played from a cd after the show, was sounding so new and different - it made me feel i'd like to leave the concert with a new album in my hands - i hope new Prince album will be here soon, i can't wait...

impossible said:

it was a great performance, P was in a good relaxed mood, dancin' even better than i saw him before.

many many many standout songs.

She's Always In My Hair - i never saw/heard better performance of this song.

somewhere in the middle of the show, there was an instrumental, that had guitar riff from The Ocean by Led Zeppelin - i'm not really rock specialist, but i could remember that riff from first Beastie Boys album, but P & 3rd Eye Girls played it slower and reaaalllllly good, i'm wondering i didn't see it mentioned nowhere in the playlists.

my friend was in the front of stage and he said sometimes when P sang too loud it had some distortion, but where i was, in the back - sound was perfect all the time - i really care about sound, and there was nothing wrong with it in my place.

something like a new version of Funk n roll, which they played from a cd after the show, was sounding so new and different - it made me feel i'd like to leave the concert with a new album in my hands - i hope new Prince album will be here soon, i can't wait...

I was in the front (3rd row in the middle) and the sound was aweful. Had problems with my ears after the show (constant noises like from a highway) and went to the hospital as it was weekend. The first doctor who checked me asked me what show it was and when I said Prince he told me I am the 7th person already today who went there because of hearing problems after that Prince show. And he started to sing "Kiss" in falsetto. That nearly made me laugh out loud despite my worries about my ears. I have been to hundred of shows in my life including many Prince shows and never had any problems with my ears before after a show. And I know quite a few others who also had noises in their ears for longer than a day after the show.

It's really great to hear that the sound was better at the back, but as Serious mentioned, up front it could have been better. Such a pity. Prince's vocals sounded quite distorted, especially early on. I may be mistaken, but about a quarter into the concert, he seemed to do a quick sound check on his microphone with the soundboard people. After that his vocals were a bit clearer. The guitars were still distorted though.

I too still have some purple tinnitus ringing in my ears.

But despite the hearing destroying sound quality, I still enjoyed the gig. Prince seemed to be in a really good mood. Definitely worth the 4 hour drive each way -- I got home after three in the morning!

I'm sorry to notice that the aftershow didn't happen for the guys who went there after the concert.

vili said:

It's really great to hear that the sound was better at the back, but as Serious mentioned, up front it could have been better. Such a pity. Prince's vocals sounded quite distorted, especially early on. I may be mistaken, but about a quarter into the concert, he seemed to do a quick sound check on his microphone with the soundboard people. After that his vocals were a bit clearer. The guitars were still distorted though.

I too still have some purple tinnitus ringing in my ears.

But despite the hearing destroying sound quality, I still enjoyed the gig. Prince seemed to be in a really good mood. Definitely worth the 4 hour drive each way -- I got home after three in the morning!

I'm sorry to notice that the aftershow didn't happen for the guys who went there after the concert.

Thanks Vili! Yeah the guitars sounded distorted all through the show . I don't remember any sound problems from his other Stadthallen shows, it's a shame.

Be careful with that tinnitus, the more often you get it in life the more likely it is it won't go away again. I hope it will stop for you now soon!

Too bad we didn't say Hi even though we were pretty close to each other in the audience. I remember you from back when we met in Budapest in was it 2002 I think at the Sananda show after having talked on that yahoo group.

Serious said:

Thanks Vili! Yeah the guitars sounded distorted all through the show . I don't remember any sound problems from his other Stadthallen shows, it's a shame.

Be careful with that tinnitus, the more often you get it in life the more likely it is it won't go away again. I hope it will stop for you now soon!

Too bad we didn't say Hi even though we were pretty close to each other in the audience. I remember you from back when we met in Budapest in was it 2002 I think at the Sananda show after having talked on that yahoo group.

I would be lying if I said that I'm not somewhat concerned about my ears still ringing, but I'll give it some time. I've had it before after concerts, although never for this long, not even after a fairly loud Neil Young & Crazy Horse gig. It's getting better though.

And yeah, it's a shame we didn't bump into each other. I was actually kind of keeping an eye out knowing that you would be there, but either our paths didn't cross (it didn't help that I spent half an hour before the show running around trying and failing to buy a cup of water) or my notoriously bad face memory misfired again. In any case, it indeed was Sananda in Budapest where we met, a decade or so ago. A great concert, that one.

I agree it was loud, very, very loud. But having read before that this tour is that loud I was prepared so if you saw a guy in front of stage with ear plugs it was me I had the feeling I looked like a fool, but at least I could hear the next day

And yes there were some sound issues, Prince did a brief soundcheck during Controversy I also think there was some problem with the guitars at one point later in the show - but Prince just said 'leave it there'.

But enough about such minor problems, the show was absolutely fantastic. Lots of fun, a lovely girl near me threw him roses. He was happy, we were happy. For me the highlight was Empty Room. Finally had the chanceto hear it live. Prince is in fantastic shape, vocally top form. That scream at the end of The Beautiful Ones, WOW!

Dreamer20ten said:

What can I say? Two days later and I am still on the purple cloud - happy and sad at the same time. The show was amazing, Prince gave it all. Very emotional for me, being close to him on his birthday. And close I was - in first row, right at the block on the right side of the stage. Whenever he was there he was within touching distance! Overwhelming.

Music highlights: Crimson and Clover (first time heard live) - I loved the "over and over" interaction with the crowd, Foever in my life - Prince on bass is always a highlight for me, Little Red Corvette - his funny gestures and actions (pretending someone was on stage with him, presumingly the girl he sang "to" ), and the sing-along with the crowd again, beautiful renditions of Nothing Compares 2 U, The Beautiful Ones, and Empty Room.

Outstanding: live favorites of mine in the recent shows - Always in my Hair, FunkNRoll, Bambi.
Purple Rain beautiful and passionate, and especially when he brought it back saying "can we do this one more time? Do you want me to do it harder? Do you want me to do it faster? Do you want me to do it longer?"

And finally he totally blew me through the roof with the last song, something I had been wishing to hear live since I've seen it on the setlist of this recent tour: What's My Name! Awesome!!!

Prince has been in bestform this year and I have never enjoyed him live more than with 3rdEyeGirl - because it is 100% pure Prince, the entire show. It can't get any better!!

Unbelievable!!!! I was in Vienna Saturday too & front row by the podium, never been that close before either & will never forget it!!

Managed 6 shows the last few weeks, first 5 seated, with good seats & then finished it with this.

Show was incredible & very loud how I like it!! Bambi screamed away & the sirens from What's My Name finished my eardrums off!!! Like you, never seen Crimson & Clover live & had always wanted too, Sometimes it Snows in April was awesome too & would have been happy if he'd finished it with that. Little Red Corvette holding the roses & the red light, will always stick in my mind too!

Been in a weird mood all day, just keeping on running it back in my mind!!!

Yggor said:

so if you saw a guy in front of stage with ear plugs it was me

If you were somewhere around the middle, with yellow ear plugs, I was practically just behind you. The general area also had a guy in white t-shirt dancing his ass off through most of the show, and a shorter dude who was smoking something and wearing a cap with a picture of Africa on it.

If it wasn't you, I can report that there was also someone else with ear plugs.

Whoever it was, I did laugh a little about the ear plugs before the concert started. However, after the first song I wished that I had brought a pair as well!

Then apparently there were two people with ear plugs! :p I was more to the right, 3rd (sic) row from this small platform (or whatever you call it).I almost caught his towel but there was good karma because the towel was caught by the girl who brought him roses

Yggor said:

Then apparently there were two people with ear plugs! :p I was more to the right, 3rd (sic) row from this small platform (or whatever you call it).I almost caught his towel but there was good karma because the towel was caught by the girl who brought him roses

I go to his concerts with earplugs for everyone around me. I could not stay without them.

mikeyfreedom said:

Dreamer20ten said:

What can I say? Two days later and I am still on the purple cloud - happy and sad at the same time. The show was amazing, Prince gave it all. Very emotional for me, being close to him on his birthday. And close I was - in first row, right at the block on the right side of the stage. Whenever he was there he was within touching distance! Overwhelming.

Music highlights: Crimson and Clover (first time heard live) - I loved the "over and over" interaction with the crowd, Foever in my life - Prince on bass is always a highlight for me, Little Red Corvette - his funny gestures and actions (pretending someone was on stage with him, presumingly the girl he sang "to" ), and the sing-along with the crowd again, beautiful renditions of Nothing Compares 2 U, The Beautiful Ones, and Empty Room.

Outstanding: live favorites of mine in the recent shows - Always in my Hair, FunkNRoll, Bambi.
Purple Rain beautiful and passionate, and especially when he brought it back saying "can we do this one more time? Do you want me to do it harder? Do you want me to do it faster? Do you want me to do it longer?"

And finally he totally blew me through the roof with the last song, something I had been wishing to hear live since I've seen it on the setlist of this recent tour: What's My Name! Awesome!!!

Prince has been in bestform this year and I have never enjoyed him live more than with 3rdEyeGirl - because it is 100% pure Prince, the entire show. It can't get any better!!

Unbelievable!!!! I was in Vienna Saturday too & front row by the podium, never been that close before either & will never forget it!!

Managed 6 shows the last few weeks, first 5 seated, with good seats & then finished it with this.

Show was incredible & very loud how I like it!! Bambi screamed away & the sirens from What's My Name finished my eardrums off!!! Like you, never seen Crimson & Clover live & had always wanted too, Sometimes it Snows in April was awesome too & would have been happy if he'd finished it with that. Little Red Corvette holding the roses & the red light, will always stick in my mind too!

Been in a weird mood all day, just keeping on running it back in my mind!!!

6 shows, Approximate how much did all that costs (tickets, hotel, flights) because some of those shows were in different cities? Prince fan for real. No wonder you got "freedom" in your name; it takes some freedom to do all that!

[Edited 6/9/14 18:47pm]

So this was my FIRST Prince concert EVER, after wishing to go since I was 14 yo. I was unbelievably lucky, found some very nice people, a nice spot in the front (!!!!!) and a WONDERFUL concert! I always dreamed to see him playing the bass live, well, he was playing it right in fornt of me, I could have touched him. Incredible. Now I'm completely lost, I thought it would be my one and only chance to see him (because I have some budget issues...) but I just can't think not to go again (and again, and again...). It was simply too good. Highlights for me were Empty Room and What's my name, but basically the whole show was really good and I loved every moment of it. Some girl gave him roses and he took one of them and handed it to a little kid who was standing right in fron of me (I tried to lift him up to help him reach the rose but I'm small myself...). I found that very sweet of him. I was amazed to see how young he looks, he danced and jumped all the time... And his face, well, I used to think it must take hours to photoshop his face! I stand corrected

Astasheiks said:

mikeyfreedom said:

Unbelievable!!!! I was in Vienna Saturday too & front row by the podium, never been that close before either & will never forget it!!

Managed 6 shows the last few weeks, first 5 seated, with good seats & then finished it with this.

Show was incredible & very loud how I like it!! Bambi screamed away & the sirens from What's My Name finished my eardrums off!!! Like you, never seen Crimson & Clover live & had always wanted too, Sometimes it Snows in April was awesome too & would have been happy if he'd finished it with that. Little Red Corvette holding the roses & the red light, will always stick in my mind too!

Been in a weird mood all day, just keeping on running it back in my mind!!!

6 shows, Approximate how much did all that costs (tickets, hotel, flights) because some of those shows were in different cities? Prince fan for real. No wonder you got "freedom" in your name; it takes some freedom to do all that!

[Edited 6/9/14 18:47pm]

Thanks for that...trying not to think about the costs too much, but have just worked it out & oops, a little more than I thought!

The 5 UK shows (2 x Birmingham, Leeds, 2 x Roundhouse) was about £650-700 & Vienna was probably about £450 with flights, hotel, golden circle...

I also did Montreux 3 nights last July (which was f@#king incredible, 3 nights down the front & stayed in hotel next to the venue)...which was £1400 altogether!!!

However, I don't do beach holidays, or spend a fortune on weekend breaks etc...so, this for me is what I enjoy & the memories are far greater than just remembering a nice sunset!!

Sorry if I upset any UK fans on here, but I can highly recommend heading abroad & seeing Prince. Unlike the Brits, other countries don't get completely pissed up before gigs, push & fight at the front. Saturday in Vienna & Montruex are without doubt some of the best things I've ever done...next year if there is a celebration, then Minneapolis it is!!!!

mikeyfreedom - I can so relate! Also I have been spending (most of) my vacation time and money on Prince in the last few years! 2011 - 5 shows in Europe with travel expenses, 2013 - all three Montreux shows, this year I went to London in February and stayed for 10 days, seeing 5 shows. And now my reward - a concert here in Austria (to which I also had to travel to and needed a hotel) ... Prince came to my country for a change.

For me this is the best way to spend my money because seeing Prince up close and personal gives me so much more than any other vacation could do. And mind you - I do love to travel. But he is my priority, so when he tours I know where my money will go. Have never regretted it and never will.

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the Vienna concert so much and it's wonderful you came over from the UK for his birthday show. It was so special, wasn't it?

Dreamer20ten said:

mikeyfreedom - I can so relate! Also I have been spending (most of) my vacation time and money on Prince in the last few years! 2011 - 5 shows in Europe with travel expenses, 2013 - all three Montreux shows, this year I went to London in February and stayed for 10 days, seeing 5 shows. And now my reward - a concert here in Austria (to which I also had to travel to and needed a hotel) ... Prince came to my country for a change.

For me this is the best way to spend my money because seeing Prince up close and personal gives me so much more than any other vacation could do. And mind you - I do love to travel. But he is my priority, so when he tours I know where my money will go. Have never regretted it and never will.

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the Vienna concert so much and it's wonderful you came over from the UK for his birthday show. It was so special, wasn't it?

Just AWESOME!! Never been so close & the music was so loud!! Loved it. Set list fantastic, venue & crowd brilliant.

Also loved searching out a hot dog stall with a fellow fan on the Sunday for a smoked cheese & pork dog, lovely!!

Holy shit!! 5 of the Feb gigs, you were spoilt. I don't want to know if they were better than Montreux (?!?), as those 3 shows for me were again just insane, what a beautiful location of the world!!

Feb to me was a disaster & just couldn't get the time off work to keep up or drop stuff. SO where's next?!?!

Anybody remember the first track played over the PA ?

SHUT THIS DOWN

Was this a premiere or played at any other show ? Def a "killer"-track.....

famosA said:

Anybody remember the first track played over the PA ?

SHUT THIS DOWN

Was this a premiere or played at any other show ? Def a "killer"-track.....

I think it was first mentioned in the Botanique thread ... http://prince.org/msg/12/...?&pg=2

And I agree - fantastic song, loved it right away!!!

coffeebreak said:

Hello! I am Prince fan since 1999 and this was my first Prince concert.
Basically is was great, but I have to admit, that there will be something negative in my critics.

The main point I'm not into is that hard-rock sound he plays on this tour, referred to his new songs and the new versions of his old songs. I like funk and synthie-sounds more than rock guitars. But thats matter of taste.
He started with lots of songs I like very much, but he played them such in a fast and short way (kind of medley, one song next to each other without stops). It seemed to me, that he is fed up of playing his earlier big hits and can't wait to start playing the new stuff coming at the second half of the concert. Additionally the earlier hits were mostly played in rock-versions, which suffer a lot of groove, especially the version of Lets go crazy.
The song choice of the ballad session was quite good, but unfortunately many of them were also played in short-medley stlye. Especially my favourite ballad The Beautiful Ones was way too short! The whole emotions of this song may all come at the end.
And after song nr. 20 there were almost a few songs I was attracted to, like Housequake or Purple Rain.

In this concert, there was just ONE Song from the 90's!!! (Diamonds and Pearls) non other
My favourites would have been My Name is Prince, 7, Come, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantasic or some other songs from my favourite albums like Come, or Emancipation.

Another negative point was: There was a choice of three songs to the audience, if they wanna hear Diamonds and Pearls, I Wanna Be Your Lover or Cream. But after the audience chose I Wanna Be Your Lover he started to speak a few words and then played the song Kiss! Haven't I got it right, that he made a question to the audience what should be played next?

But let's also mention positive points: The songs Controversy and Sign O the Times sounded great live. Also the other songs from Sign O the Times album are great songs to be played live. There was much fun hearing Housequake or Hot Thing live for the first time. Little Red Corvette had the most emotions in the concert, I also liked his introductions about love when playing this song.

To come to a conclusion: I would like
- More funk/eletronic stuff, saxophone, trompetes
- More original grooves
- Less Hard Rock
- Less Cover versions