Just got back home... it looks like I picked a great weekend to go to London though... what a crazy few days! Two brilliant shows, two brilliant aftershows. Prince was in great form on Saturday night, it was one of those aftershows I would not want to have missed out on. I've also come away from those aftershows with a lot more respect for Prince's band... I used to snooze a lot through Maceo's extended solos and stuff but I really enjoyed hearing the band do their thing in the aftershows, with and without Prince. For his part, Prince seemed really proud as can be of his band, and who can blame him?!

Also had a pleasure of chatting with lots of cool Prince fans over the past few days, as well as catching up with a few of the usual faces! Thanks to everyone who made the weekend extra-awesome.

The only bad thing about the weekend was the selfish twats, the non-fans or semi-fans who seemed intent on ruining things for everyone. Here's my list of hate, feel free to add your own:

• People walking out in the middle of a guitar solo to get alcohol or go for a wee
  
• People trying so hard to be cool, standing there with their arms folded for the whole gig refusing to enjoy themselves just a little
  
• People starting fights in the queue for the aftershow (seriously!) being abusive, aggressive, racist comments etc
  
• People skipping the queue for the aftershows. Why so inconsiderate?
  
• People getting so drunk they can't even stand up, falling about the place, spilling drink on people
  
• How many times do you need to be told "no photography"?
  

Also, is it me or does it seem as if Prince's audience suddenly got really old? I know we're all getting on a bit but wow, the audiences for the ONA shows in London a few years back seemed a lot younger on average. By my reckoning, it was the older non-fans, the Saturday night concert-going crowd who were the worst of the lot... running out to get drink or use the bathroom every five seconds, talking during the songs, totally unable to hold their liquor, dancing like fucking idiots and falling about the place to everyone's amusement, and getting rude and aggressive in the aftershow queues etc.

I enjoyed myself a lot because Prince was as fantastic as ever, but next time around I kinda hope he does smaller venues again, more fan-oriented tours that slip under the radar of the average gobshite punter who just has to get legless to have a good night out.

ian said:

Yep smaller gigs would be great, what made that aftershow last night so damn special

aymiderham said:

I agree on the smaller theatre shows. I've seen Prince many times but unfortuatenly I decided to take my daughter (first concert) to a huge outdoor (30,000) venue (Summerfest anyone?) where the people around me were falling out, sloppy drunk. P did a touching and personal acoustic piano rendition of "I Love U But Don't Trust You Anymore" and all the people around me ruined the mood by yelling, "MF sing Purple Rain!"

Just from reading the observations of the London concerts, I can tell he is getting a little bored with the average arena concert goer - shorter concerts, perfunctery setlists and jamming aftershows.

There is a definite advantage to paying a little more for the intimacy of a smaller venue. But when he does this there will be the usual whining org suspects who complain about the higher ticket prices and neglected populism.

this was definately the best weekend so far, 2 great main shows, a npg only aftershow, and a full on proper prince aftershow, no mucking about. i posted in more detail on HQ about the shows, but i felt like i was back at paisley park during one of them special 95 era aftershows. a soundboard recording of that show could be the new small club 2

it was a shame that most of the regulars from the first couple of weeks skipped this weeks shows, so a lot of you missed a great weekend, but i think things are only starting to get started

and it was great to hang out with you before and after the shows, and thanks for the rides back to the hotel, much appreciated. as i said before, we spend 12 hours at the o2, see prince for 4 hours if we are lucky, so we have to make our own entertainment for the remaining 8 hours, and the time spent meeting and hanging out with fans is another highlight to me

ian said:

I read these kinds of remarks here often, but I don't get it: what makes you think that people who are not freaking out are not enjoying themselves? Where does this strange idea come from? I'm not much of a dancer / screamer myself, but I can totally enjoy a concert, but the "freaking out" happens more in my head than in my body... And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one...

Glad you enjoyed the gigs, though!

ian said:[quote]
Also, is it me or does it seem as if Prince's audience suddenly got really old? I know we're all getting on a bit but wow, the audiences for the ONA shows in London a few years back seemed a lot younger on average.

Just wondering how old is 'really old'?
Am I past it at 46?

grabby said:

I think you're still ok. My mum has been baby sitting for all the gigs we've been to, so on the 13th I'll be taking her. She is 61, loves Prince and will have a great time. Unfortunately she is disabled so wont be dancing around and might even have to sit for much of the concert. No doubt I'll come on here to find someone moaning about the old person sat in front of them that hardly moved but for the occasional clapping.

I can't believe all the moaning that goes on around here. Not everyone gets enjoyment from something in the same way. Can't we all just live and let live and stop judgine others by our own preferred displays of enjoyment?

unique said:

Totally agree mate, and it was awesome hanging out with you guys. I think I picked a good weekend for it! Will have to get back down for some September shows too. BTW I hope someone was recording Saturday's aftershow!

ian said:

I second that point.

Although there was a good mix of ages, I would have said the average age of people at the concert on Friday night was early 30's. Of course the crowd is getting old - arent we all! When Im at a Prince concert, Im a teenager again, trapped in a 36 year old womans body! Now if I could only have the figure I had back then.. ahhhh!!!

Most of the people in the upper tiers were going mental, loads of dancing and clapping!!! I agree though, the audience does seem a LOT older that previous tours. At 25, I felt like a baby!

Amazing aftershow, even more amazing hat!!!

TheEnglishGent said:

and i most definately second the second
utter class

[Edited 8/20/07 5:42am]

(shake my head ) @ the racist comments..who were they directed too?

purplewisdom said:

huh? what happened?

Claire73 said:

i know,. im asking the thread starter that ? too!
People (some) who were queing for the Indigo were throwing racist comments..i would never expect this at a Prince gig..

Goes to show how many are real fans and then you have the ones who are just going out for the night..suckers!!!

purplewisdom said:

Awful!!!

IRISHFAN said:

Did he play the aftershow friday night?

DeSteen said:

Heh, you misunderstand me. I'm not much of a dancer / screamer either. I'm just referring to a few people I saw in really good seats on Saturday night, who spent the whole gig with their arms folded and a sour puss on their faces, refusing to even clap at the end of a song. There was quite a few people like that, more interested in "being seen" or something, I don't know. They spent more time going back and forth to get alcohol than they did listening to Prince perform.

ian said:

I agree with al this. We went friday, it was my first time at a Prince concert and I expected a far more serious concert crowd. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw people walk out in the middle of a song to get a drink.
But Prince was great, although the show felt a little bit short.

purplewisdom said:

Well I'll give two examples that spring to mind...

First of all, when queueing for the aftershow this no-neck middle-aged geezer who was pissed out of his head was amusing himself by starting arguments with anyone within earshot. He thought he was being hilarious, naturally. Basically, a few of us were just minding our own business and having a nice chat in the queue, talking about music and Prince and stuff, and this guy obviously took a disliking to the way I look or something, and start making increasingly personal and threatening comments. The sort of thing you don't say to strangers unless you're looking for trouble. Now I realised the guy was drunk so I laughed it off - after all I was looking forward to seeing Prince and getting into a fight with some drunken old fart wasn't part of the plan - while his wife was urging him to shut the hell up... but then he started having a go at some of the people I'd been chatting to in the queue, mostly black and asian Prince fans, Londoners. I must say, they handled the situation with more grace and patience than I think I could have managed in their position. I gather they're used to putting up with that kind of bullshit, but I was pretty shocked so I told the guy to get some fucking manners. He made some half-hearted attempt to sound like a hard man but it all fizzled out.

Later in the Indigo2 I saw another drunken old idiot who didn't even seem to be aware of Prince on the stage stagger about and spill beer on someone as he was dancing haphazardly, and then called her something like "fucking paki" or words to that effect. Nice eh!

I'm making sweeping generalisations here, but it really seemed to me that all the fans - the people who were just so happy and excited to be going to a Prince aftershow - were all really considerate of each other and friendly. It was just the others, the Saturday night crowd who were being jackasses. They had no idea how lucky they were to be attending a Prince aftershow, and it made me think of all the Orgers who'd love to be in their shoes, who would have behaved a lot better too.

purplewisdom said:

HA HA u have 2 laugh at the racists or should i say the i mean they are paying money to see a group of extremely talented black people.. what a bunch of

it was hilarious in our block
people in front of us - seriously during the main show and encores got up and left just as he came on! then came back as he left! 2 or three times
at one bit they were leaving as he was singing lets go crazy - they were off to get more drink and the whole row behind them was pointing at them singing " go go go -"!
when purple rain cam e on the woman burst into tears and they started hugging each other and their other similarly disinterested friends - they were really emotional

bizarre but hilarious

BT11 said:

fraid not, but it was a great show, the band played. We enjoyed it. roll on Sept 21st!!

IRISHFAN said:

roll on 24th, 25th, 28th and maybe more.....my brother has got addicted.....hehehehehhehe