Prince – live at Carling Apollo, Manchester – Wednesday 8th October

On a stage decorated with towering purple velvet and NPG style graffiti, Prince addresses the audience for the first time. “I’m not interested in what you already know, I’m interested in what you can learn” states the reverend of funk, letting the audience know exactly what they should expect as he launches his versatile and incredibly talented band into another jam from his latest album, ‘The Rainbow Children’. Tonight is not another washed up artist trawling through their back catalogue, keeping the crowd happy – this is an education in music and true display of genius.

Looking relaxed and happy to be playing in more intimate sized venues, Prince spends the evening inviting fans from the front rows (mostly members of his NPG music club) onto the stage to dance for him. Mixing in classics like ‘When You Were Mine’, ‘Money Don’t Matter 2 Night’ and more obscure numbers like ‘Extraordinary’, Prince tries his hardest to make sure everyone is up and dancing as he constantly demands for the house lights to be switched on.

With the sheer funkiness of James Brown and the godlike guitar playing of Hendrix, Prince takes old classics and grinds them though the funkmill, unearthing the kind of grooves than nobody could stand still to. ‘Housequake’, ‘Pop Life’ and a breathtaking version of ‘Take Me With U’ are all bursting with a newfound energy. An implausibly funky version of ‘Alphabet Street’ has another 20 fans on stage dancing around him as Prince takes to his keyboard to jam another jazz-tinged workout giving his horn-section (Candy Dulfer, Maceo Parker and Greg Boyer) time to show their skills.

With his powerhouse drummer triggering ass-slapping sounds complimenting the funkylicious beats, Prince drips with magnetic sexuality gliding round the stage in his unique style. ‘Take Me With U’ and The Beautiful Ones’ are performed with an amazing air of irresistibility as he teases the crowd asking, “Somebody go get me another suit, I’m sweating this one out”.

Mixing in a few more serious issues amongst the fun, ‘Sign O’ The Times’ sobers the audience, performed in complete darkness except for a chilling blue glow. Dedicating ‘Strange Relationship’ to the media, Prince projects a list of all the newspapers that have caused him offence onto the stage.

‘Raspberry Beret’ gives a chance for Prince to drag up an embarrassed girl to join him on stage (that’s what happens when you go so far as wearing a raspberry coloured beret at one of his gigs), before Prince takes his foot of the accelerator for the song that gets the biggest reaction of the night. ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ still sounds as amazing as the first time you heard it, with the entire Carling Apollo singing the chorus’ as Prince helps the crowd with the lyrics. Touching briefly on his love of religion, the audience react as if at a Gospel church session, although tonight the euphoria has clearly been brought on by the divine intervention of one man, his band and two and a half hours of unbelievably good music.