Prince knows how many fans are in each city. He plays aftershows where he has to and he doesn't worry about those cities with low amounts of NPG members. Can't say I blame him, but he shouldn't say there will be a soundcheck and afterparty if he's gonna cancel both. He didn't even make it to Boston and last time I checked it was a major city. I joined the club thinking he would at least come here. So maybe he will later, but i doubt it.

purplek said:

I really don't think he played aftershows on each of these five occassions... and afterparties are simply a big waste of time.

Again... I don't see what all the whining is about then...

BanishedBrian said:

5 live shows in 5 years is quite a lot. If you add in the aftershows, even if the April 2001 was an afterparty and not a show, you still end up with 5 shows and 4 aftershows within 5 years.

DMSR said:

Maybe the reason for the low amounts of NPG members is because people are hip to the fact that he gives afterPARTIES and not SHOWS when he blows through their town.

RavedIn2 said:

I still don't see why it's wrong that he goes to cities like NY, DC, Chicago, ATL, LA more often. I still have yet to hear when the next monthly meeting of Lovesexy Cleveland or NewPowerSaginaw will be held? Face the facts... if you live in one of these cities he won't be coming to town as often because he relies on "casual" fans to sell tickets in these cities. There is no way Prince sells out (especially when he does larger arena tours) if he comes to Cleveland, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Saginaw, etc. every year.

BanishedBrian said:

You are completely missing the point. Nobody expects him to go to the smaller markets every year. What is expected is that he spread the perks around. There is NO reason to give Atlanta so many aftershows.

Furthermore, with the way that this club is set up, he is LOSING money playing aftershows in big markets. Hundreds of members in the large cities are getting in free.

The club to me so far has been cool, I have been able to see some shows and the downloads last year were great, still thats my reasons for being satisfied. I just think they could do a little better. Some cds of some live concerts available to member thru newfunk would be grand. Exclusive live albums would give many members living far from shows a very good reason to join. Maybe even a new track! once a month, you know somethings to look forward to monthly, I don't know about you all! but I found great satisfaction in getting new music every month and would usually be running my mouth after some cool new music was out. NPGMC bring back the downloads! Then again, I'm not the artist and he does what he wishes with the music! well actually the leggers do:(

RavedIn2 said:

So first, you were saying that he is not giving everyone in the club equal access to perks. Now you are saying that he should play aftershows in places where there are less club members so that he will make more money?

If the original point of this thread was that he should try to give members as much value as possible, it seems weird that you are now saying he should not schedule shows in a manner that will allow the most NPGMC members access?

If you live in a "low population" NPGMC city, that is not his problem to worry about.
[This message was edited Fri Apr 12 14:59:57 PDT 2002 by BanishedBrian]

Hard to believe all the complaints here.
[This message was edited Tue Apr 29 23:06:45 PDT 2003 by daysofwild]

BanishedBrian said:

It is his problem to worry about if people in cities that NEVER get perks decline to pay him $100. Let's see how long this club lasts if the only people in it are in the 4-5 cities were he gives them ALL of the perks.

The entire point of this thread is to SPREAD THE PERKS AROUND AND STOP GIVING EVERYTHING TO JUST A HANDFUL OF THE SAME CITIES EACH AND EVERY YEAR. PERIOD.

It makes NO sense to give ONE city 5 shows and 4 aftershows in a 5 year period.

daysofwild said:

That is because it is pre-determined which cities will automatically get the aftershows before the tour even start. He schedules extra time around the cities where he is planning to have aftershows.

Notice the amount of time that was built in to the schedule to allow for an aftershow and time for him to rest after NYC. He did the same thing for Los Angeles.

RavedIn2 said:

Well... I think the real solution here is for him to simply make sure that people in the club get $100 worth of music.

If he promised that we each get 6 albums per year... then I think fans would join regardless of how many times he comes to their city.

As far as this endless jealous complaining about Atlanta... exactly which city are you particularly concerned about being excluded? I honestly cannot think of one place in the U.S. that has not gotten its fair share of Prince performances over the last few years. The only place that has a legitimate gripe is Europe... which is why I'm sure he'll go there next.

Atlanta is being cited because it provides one of the most glaring examples of the way that a few cities are chosen to receive it all, while others are neglected. Atlanta is probably penciled in on the tour list every year without anybody at Paisley even thinking about playing a different city in that general geographic area.

Paisley Park should be encouraged to get a map and stop operating on automatic pilot. PASS THE PERKS AROUND.

Furthermore, Atlanta has done NOTHING to deserve the excessive perks they have been receving. They are NOT an especially high NPGMC member city. The proof is that NPG announced that they were setting aside the first 15 rows for Atlanta, then they had to amend that downward to the first 6 rows.

There may be a spectrum of worry here...

While some on this thread are worried about performances at planned aftershows, I find myself more concerned with simply having an actual show scheduled in my city! Imagine the angst of being a member living in Brazil!

Since it's obviously not possible for all members to have a show in their home city, all of us have to plan carefully for a trip to the nearest confirmed location.

That's why I'll be seeing you in L.A. on April 19th!

BanishedBrian said:

Didn't Prince do a promo tour in late 1999 for the Rave album Europe?

With all this bitching ole boy prolly is fixing to deep six the whole club. He's got crazy folks at the soundchecks trying to give him CDrs, amateurs trying to audition, peeps arguing with him about religion, fools with tape recorders in their pockets, idiots snapping pix, folks whining about where he plays aftershows and so on.

He could figure it ain't worth all the grief and pull the plug on the whole shit.

NikkiDarling said:

Yes, he went there briefly in late '99, but that's his only trip there since the Gold tour. Prince has done six separate U.S. tours since then.

RavedIn2 said:

Once again, which specific city has a gripe? I can't think of a single place in the U.S. (except Alaska) where fans haven't had a good opportunity to see him over the last few years.

I have seen Prince shows 6 times in 3 different Midwestern states in the last 4 years. There was no aftershow for any of the shows.

Now, why is that? You would think that with 6 shows in 3 different states there would be at least ONE aftershow in there somewhere. But there isn't.

The argument was given that Atlanta somehow "deserved" to receive the extra attention they have been receiving the last few years without providing ANY proof or reason why they deserve the perks.

I will give you an example of a city that actually has done the work and deserves some extra attention. I am talking about the city where 20,000 people bought tickets to see Prince in 2001. That is going above and beyond its duty of showing interest and loyalty and DESERVES to get an aftershow far more than a city that can barely fill the first 6 member rows in a small theater.

GoldNigga said:

GN I know what your saying in a way, tho I think the club has had far more success and in the P world the bitches are not bitching as much these days.
Sure he could pull plug on the NPGMC. Not collect $100 from everyone. Sure he could quit recording music, quit doing shows..etc..etc. All cause there are bitches in this world!?
I know what your saying GoldNigga tho just think about it a minute and then do what go back to WB? Not do a thing?Prince realizes he will get some shit IMO (hell the guy made a sorta joking comment about new bootleg live shows being out), there are some stupid asses out there. Tho many people are pretty cool to Prince and I seen the dc soundcheck, the good outweighed the bad in DC. Prince said the ticket system/NPGMC can be done better etc.
Somehow tho I doubt P will be writing Slave on his face again and leaving everyone in the dust over some bitches, nah he won't wage war on NPGMC members! The Prince in dc was a much more grown up individual IMO.
I hear you Nigga, people can be asses. I love humanity and dislike humans at times! If it is bootleggin, taking pictures, asking dumb ass questions..etc. At $100 club membership and $125 admit fee, I somehow think Prince knows the plus and minus and realizes what these experiences are to most. I think where Prince must be careful are the crazy few, the ones who took Lennon. You see, IMO stars like Prince are quiet in the public eyes due to stalkers and crazy people. Talking to some fans in dc, some were actually like 'well I want to the celebration, and I seen him way back, and have talked to this musician and that musician..and I talked to Prince at the celebration. well I'm like not even a fan, I'm a friend!' Yeah I heard that from someone who claimed to not own many of his albums and at the same time was a NPGMC member? and had 's here and there? they claimed to be a good friend waiting out there in line in the rain with all the other members. hmm its like, ok well I met Prince once..so now we are personal friends! Yeah, right.. there is a difference to going to a show and chatting at a soundcheck vs. having tea at someones place. Tho I heard some chat among a few members that made me cringe, It all becomes not worth it when it goes that far. I just wonder how far some of these people will go. To me IMO, all that other stuff, bootlegs, pics, annoying member well Prince may not like it but he gets it IMO.
From the looks of it in DC, membership was way up. I would thinkif he does the Europe tour the money will roll in major time.
The way I see it I pay for the music, not the "FRIENDSHIP" MEMBERSHIP FEE OF $100! I think some people at the check where there to get noticed and thats super lame, those suckers were the ones that worry me, not the everyday fans who do silly shit.
Well, GN I kinda want off on a tangent, just wanted to add my 2 cents worth.. if its worth that.. ahh I have nothing better to do then type this crap on the net!

Yeah Realm I hear ya. Some peeps are confused and think that they are P's friends or his "fams." We are not his friends or his family. All we are to him are his fans, his bread and butter. The sooner peeps realize this the better off they'll be. If you realize that you are not his friend, then you won't go in with high expectations.

If you go to these shows expecting all kinds of things and thinking he's going to talk to you and be your friend you're going to be disappointed.

The way I see it, peeps were being quiet and accepting of whatever they got in each city until the reports came in about New York's 8 hours of music.

IT WASN'T 8 HOURS!!!!!

I know I'm being picky but Prince played for 6 hours in NYC not 8.

1 hr 15 min soundcheck
2 hr 45 min show
2 hr afterparty

That's 6, SIX, VI hours!

Prince does not have to do anything but play the concert that you pay to see. How fickled have fans become when they complain about not gettting a free aftershow or soundcheck. How many other artists will do either for the price of a ticket? Think of that, you spoiled brats.

BLACKMF said:

There aren't any free aftershows or soundchecks. People had to pay $100 for those soundchecks and aftershows. The issue is that some who paid are getting their perks and others who paid aren't getting anything.

i know this is a little late, in the discussion, but the correct atlanta concerts archive for the last 5-6 years is:
january 19, 1997 l4oa show-no aftershow
august 3, 1997 joty show-45 min aftershow at club esso
january 8,9,& 10, 1998 3joty shows-no aftershows
november 22, 2000 har show-75 min aftershow at club 1150
april 14 & 15, 2001 2har shows-no aftershows (although he came out and played an aftershow-like set before the the typical har set)
april 3 & $, 2002 2ona shows-75 min aftershow at club 1150
i hope this is helpful
jamesg

IrishEcho said:

I never heard Dolphin.

divo02 said:

Y'all expect waaay too much from Prince. He's already gone out of his way with the soundcheck.[/quote]

People expect it cuz they paid 4 it...no offense but D'uh!!!!

A soundcheck aint out of his way if its a perk that is promised 2 u whenever there is one. Plus, its not "waaaay out of his way" 2 let us sit there and watch, we're not bothering him, its not costing him anything...in fact, its *making* him $$ cuz we had 2 join the club 2 b there!



I dont want any guests!!!--I just wish he played more hours!! Although I am still ecstatic from the amount of time he did play!!!

And Im still mad that people got 2 c Prince play 4 2 hours more just becuz they r 4 years older than me.

Younger memberz dont get the benefits yall get.

You aren’t paying for perks. This $100 membership fee doesn't guarantee soundchecks, aftershows, or even that Prince will *ever* play in a city near you.

Hopefully as a wise consumer you took all of this into account before spending your money.

I can just see it now if Prince sends out 5 CDs this year instead of the 4 promised. No doubt people will be complaining the following year if they only get the promised 4. Once you’ve done something extra, some refuse to look at it as a bonus anymore, but rather as some right of membership that they are now being “shafted” out of when it was never a part of the agreement in the first place.

What I think is still one of the major problems with the NPGMC is that the seats -- although guaranteed -- are general admission. In cities like Kansas City -- where as was reported there were only 30 or 40 people in the member seats -- this is not a big deal at all. But in places such as Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, D.C., Minneapolis, and San Francisco, where the membership plus guest may reach 300 to 600 or more, you've got the makings of a real ugly scene.

Already at one concert the police had to intervene and at another (New York) it sounded like a cattle call. Hopefully the Club is working on a system that will assign seats to those who paid the most money.

Brendan

Batdance said:

Apples and oranges. Prince could sell 20,000 seats in any city with promotion. I assume you're talking about Milwaukee by the way? Trust me, if he schedules multiple shows in Milwaukee on one week's notice, there is no way he sells any more than NY, DC or ATL (unless a bunch of fans from the Twin Cities make the trip). It'll be another NPG Dance Company fiasco.

And by the way... no city deserves anything, including an aftershow. I've been to 9 shows in DC/Baltimore, and there has been one 20 minute aftershow. Get over this aftershow obsession... they usually suck! It probably won't be Small Club part II or anything.

And if you need a reason for Prince not to play in Milwaukee... go ask Bud Selig. Prince should boycott the state of Wisconsin permanently until Bud Selig resigns and stops trying to increse his family's revenues by contracting the Twins.

Batdance said:

First of all, Atlanta's had 3 aftershow during a six year period.

Second, Prince sold out 3 shows in DC and 2 in ATL despite the fact that he goes to these places every tour.

Now he's going to "underserved" cities and he can't sell out small theatres. Doesn't that basically demonstrate why he keeps coming back to the cities that continue to support him?