do you feel that Prince's live shows seem to be nothing more than rehashes of what has worked on past tours before?

errant said:

That's the ironic thing about the latest round of bootleg litigation. It seems even for the people who visit the org, interest in bootlegs is at an all time low because the setlist is always the same, he's conditioned us to tune out during half of the show because it's bland cover songs, or he's parading around the latest incarnation of lame-asses he's calling the NPG with an overbearing and unimaginative horn section. Even when he brings out something obscure (Dark), or even previously unplayed (Old Friends 4 Sale, Moonbeam Levels), you already know in the back of your mind that it probably isn't really worth the time and effort to seek out, download and sit through.

great observation! so we bored with him

kidmelody2012 said:

do you feel that Prince's live shows seem to be nothing more than rehashes of what has worked on past tours before?

To hardcore fans that have seen the man 150 times?

Sure...

To everyday and novice fans? Nope...

Most shows contain a few good moments or surprises but the main problem IMHO is that every tour has been a sort of non-stop "best of" tour with a very slow evolution in setlists since 1997. The only 2 exceptions being the ONA tour and the recent 3EG tour, as well as some one-off shows such as Montreux 2009, LA 2009 and some aftershows or some of the London shows during the 21 nights 2007 marathon. I've been a fan since 1989 so yeah, I can't really be excited anymore about hearing live renditions of the hits or most 80's songs for that matter, nor am I really interested in hearing Sly & The Family Stones covers either. And I'm not only talking bootlegs but even attending live shows: I'm not so inclined to travel and spend a great deal of money for an expensive show ticket, train tickets and hotel room if it's to hear 1999 and Purple Rain again and again. Prince has a vast catalogue of great songs from the late 90's and 2000's that haven't been played live, I wish he'd use more of that.

I wish Prince would instead do a best of tour every 5 years and focus on newer material and obscure songs the rest of the time. Now I understand hardcore fans don't fill 10,000+ people venues and that Prince has the feeling that the casual listener wants to listen to Let's Go Crazy. And I'll admit that when I saw him live for the second time in France in 1993, I enjoyed hearing the hits played all along because I hadn't been lucky enough to attend his earlier tours. I'm not so sure that new or rare material wouldn't be enjoyable for casual listeners and new fans, though, because I feel if the music is real good even the casual listener can enjoy unknown material. Miles Davis, George Clinton and David Bowie have proven that: in the 90's Bowie played a lot of new material and stadiums were still filled. Miles Davis discarted all his classic repertoire in the 80's and still was very popular with audiences. And as for Clinton, he's a "fake" nostalgia act because even though the classic songs will be played at every show, they're either mixed with newer, often unreleased, material, or turned into infectious, mostly improvised grooves that last for 10 or 20 minutes each and provide a new experience at every show.

I'm also not so excited in the "old skool" soul/funk vibe of current shows: I prefer when Prince plays jazz or goes in more agressive directions such as the 94-96 NPG with all these samples experiments or the garage sound of 3EG, and if he's to play funk I'd rather have a tight band with a "dirty" sound than Shelby, Elisa and Liv singing old soul classics.

So yeah, overall I've tried but I've been very little excited by most of the shows I've listened to or attended for the past 15 years. I don't blame Prince, he does what he does and he doesn't have to please me, but while I'm still totally hooked when it comes to new studio material (that I most of the time enjoy just as much as the "classic" albums), I'm quite bored with most live performances.

Shelby and the backing singers are almost universally hated between prince fans, like at least 75% are sick of them. Why does prince think we want to see them sing half a concert?

RumAndRaisin said:

Shelby and the backing singers are almost universally hated between prince fans, like at least 75% are sick of them. Why does prince think we want to see them sing half a concert?

I think most people (non-fans) like this. I've never been into soul too much but most people will wet their pants, dance and smile hysterically at the first note of an Aretha Franklin, Blues Brothers or The Commitments track.

I think Prince himself does want to see and hear them.

I think it may allow him to take breaks from singing or being on stage during shows and he feels having girls singing is more attractive to the casual listener than instrumental jams by the band.

He's an old man, my dear. Michael Jackson did the same thing for numerous years. As long as he isnt lip synching and is playing guitar, its alright.

LayzieKiddZ said:

He's an old man, my dear. Michael Jackson did the same thing for numerous years. As long as he isnt lip synching and is playing guitar, its alright.

Where did u find ur avatar pic???

If you choose to see him so many times, yes but for those who see him once or twice no.

yes.Princes live shows are too predictable now days.Its strange that man who

made so many great music choose to play I Never Loved A Man,Misty... and at the same time he avoids

monster jams such as Erotic City,Private Joy and so many others

.its like an insult to his fans.

errant said:

It seems even for the people who visit the org, interest in bootlegs is at an all time low because the setlist is always the same, he's conditioned us to tune out during half of the show because it's bland cover songs, or he's parading around the latest incarnation of lame-asses he's calling the NPG with an overbearing and unimaginative horn section.

This is exactly why i do not collect most newer boots any more

databank said:

LayzieKiddZ said:

He's an old man, my dear. Michael Jackson did the same thing for numerous years. As long as he isnt lip synching and is playing guitar, its alright.

Where did u find ur avatar pic???

Its from a 1971 action show, Kamen Rider Ichigo, or Masked Rider 1.

LayzieKiddZ said:

databank said:

Where did u find ur avatar pic???

Its from a 1971 action show, Kamen Rider Ichigo, or Masked Rider 1.

Awesome!

I also kinda felt like Prince was "phoning it in" when I saw him at the third Welcome to Chicago show but it was still very enjoyable. For me the hits are not the problem as I put myself into the mind set of if I were to go to a Billy Joel or Elton John or whatever well known muscian's concert and I would want to hear the songs of theirs that I know and that would be their hits.

So I am fine with what he needs to do at arena shows for the 15,000 folks there. My issue is that he has a ton of very good, lesser known, but material that he could use that would thrill us and maybe some of the casuals would know too. But instead he is playing Cool or Sly songs or Sheila E songs even when she is not there. At the Chicago show not only did he do Cool but did Jungle Love and I think the Bird, WTH? Save that for Morris and the gang at the BBQ festivals. Why not pull out Lady Cab Driver or Playin in the Sunshine, or whatever from HIS catalogue. I know, he did do Mountains as well as Extra Loveable and that was great don't get me wrong but I just think he has a great catalogue that he could do fairly well known stuff without resoting to so many covers. And yes, the backup sigers have run their course with me as well.

Plus for me, Prince "phoning it in" still beats the hell out of just about everyone else out there today trying to perform!!

Prince have a lot of hits that he choose not to perform.

Songs like > Soft And Wet

Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad

Uptown

I Wanna Be Your Lover

Dirty Mind

Lets Pretend Were Married

Private Joy

Erotic City

Gett Off

The Most Beautiful Girl

are all greatest hits yet he never plays those songs.

i cant believe artist such as Prince lets Shelby sing soul

standards instead

of Prince playing Lady Cab Driver

and Private Joy or Computer Blue.

Even more strange is that artists such as Eric Clapton and Bruce

Springsteen who were never revolutionary

at the first place have more balls than Prince .

I attended Eric Clapton

concert in 2010 playing arena concert

only his less known

material from the Blind Faith Era.And everyone loved it.

Yes fans wanted to hear Tears in Heaven and Change

the World but they only got true honest gig and he and his band

did amazing job.he was 65 .

Bruce Springsteen who is a good artist but not even

close to Prince at the age of 64 plays a 4 hours concerts

with different set list every night.and he nails it.

They do it on the strenght of their performances.

This says only one thing to me ,Prince lost his confidence as a performer.

He thinks playing predictable hit songs and soul covers is what do the work. 3rd Eye is a step in the right direction without sampler

[Edited 1/30/14 19:45pm]

kidmelody2012 said:

do you feel that Prince's live shows seem to be nothing more than rehashes of what has worked on past tours before?

Yup.

When he gets beyond hem try-outs with this 3rd eye girl thing then maybe I can go see the aftershows.

the Prince LOL west coast 2013 tour was awesome!

murph said:

kidmelody2012 said:

do you feel that Prince's live shows seem to be nothing more than rehashes of what has worked on past tours before?

To hardcore fans that have seen the man 150 times?

Sure...

To everyday and novice fans? Nope...

Thank you for pointing that out. At the Mohegan Sun shows I talked with fans at my hotel and some of them couldn't believe I knew people who went to every show of the 21 Nights at the 02!

so what can we do to help prince?

kidmelody2012 said:

so what can we do to help prince?

Stop being a fan.

Too many people on this site complain endlessly about everything Prince has done since 1995 but then still follow his every move. They buy the music(or steal it), go to the shows(or bootleg them) and think that just because they have contempt that they aren't being supportive of him. I've heard it said on this site all Prince cares about is money(and or popularity). If that's true then hitting him in his pocket or his ego is the only way to effect change from him. No fans equals no sold out shows. No fans equals no bootlegging issues(media attention or publicizized court cases). I doubt anyone will follow this though because I've never met a real live "ex-fan" of Prince even Bart can't pull himself away from Prince(and he complains about anything and everything). Even these negative threads feed Prince's ego(there's no such thing as bad press). The Dance has been highly negative for almost 20 years and he's still doing a thread a week devoted to Prince. When even the fans who claim to be over you can't bear to be apart from you then that's the ultimate ego boost. Prince could/can do whatever he wants and nobody is going anywhere so obviously he's doing something right.

kidmelody2012 said:

so what can we do to help prince?

Have him reed this thread?

Have him read my posts?

He does not appear sensitive to people talking sense to him, except perhaps Larry.

larry talks sense?

udo said:

kidmelody2012 said:

so what can we do to help prince?

Have him reed this thread?

Have him read my posts?

He does not appear sensitive to people talking sense to him, except perhaps Larry.