Only just got up after a looong sleep. It was AMAZING again. Mainly because I was right at the front of the stage this time. Also, for the first 20 minutes when it was just Shelby singing with Prince just wearing his shades and only playing guitar, I thought to myself that he might not be in the mood and would take a back seat. How wrong was I?

I also forgot my Symbol chain to wear yesterday so stuck on my cheesy Kylie Minogue tour "K" necklace, and they played KYLIE!! I don't even like that song that much but I screamed so loud when I heard the first LA LA LAs. Shelby even put the mic right to my face during Rock Steady and the Funky London chants.

So is everyone pleased at half the PE album being played? And OMG @ When You Were Mine

Oh, and who's the other guy on the keyboards? Not Renato. I'm so bad with names. I wuv him.
[Edited 9/7/07 6:48am]

OH, ALSO. The guy Shelby pulled up on stage was awesome. He was sat right behind us for the main show. He arrived late with his friends and I was disappointed at the start to see empty seats behind us. But they were so fun and enthusiastic when they turned up, they contributed to the fun of the night. Was so pleased to see him get chosen at the aftershow.

Highlights from the show:

Watching Prince orchestrate the band up close - that was nice.
Seeing him just vibe across the stage, and do ridiculous yet cool little shimms and dances
Talking during PE - "this is a song about the problems in the world"
The solo during Love is a Lsing Game - clean
Thinking he would play PE in its entirety, and then getting CR
The way Prince and Mike tip-toed off stage after the bass solo
3121 - love this song live

Highlights of the main show:

The Morning Papers - This in the main show and Chelsea Rogers at the aftershow? Is he reading the Org??
The Beautiful Ones - best one I've seen yet
The One - AGAIN!? YES. More please. Not too sure about mixing it in with 'Fallin' by Alicia Keys.

I thought the crowd was a bit slumber for Let's Go Crazy as an opener. Still, at least it only got better. We left the arena after Controversy to get into the aftershow queue. I don't think we missed anything we hadn't seen before, thank God.

Ellie said:

That's my mate Morris Hayes. I say my mate because at the start of the main show I was seated at the end of the row right by where the band came in. So I stuck out a wildly waving hand and got high fived by Morris, which he then turned into a shake and kinda took my hand with him as he walked past. At the aftershow, there was a track where Morris wasn't doing much and I gave hime a wave. Got a thumbs up, so thumbed him back .

Yep, me and Mr. Hayes, friends for life... Or something.

Morris is one of the most friendly members of the band. There's been quite a few reports of him mingling in the Indigo and he's quite happy to talk to people and pose for the odd photo. I seem to remember that he even diappeared and came back with a plate of muffins for one girl who had said it was her birthday.

Also got waved at from Renato on the way in as I yelled his name. He was a bit out of reach but it was nice to be acknowledged. For the main show, we discovered 4 empty seats in the two rows by the horn side of the symbol and just wandered in like we belonged there. Luckily nobody turned up for those seats and we got away with it and I must say a big thanks to my concert buddy for leading me astray. While there I got pointed out by Shelby during the freaks on this side chant.

Had a smashing main show.

Also got pointed to

Awesome! You must have been right near us then. We were next to the horn, 111 Row F.

Morris Hayes, must remember that. So glad to hear how nice he is - you just get that kind of vibe from him from his playful expressions during the show.

I got the plectrum he used to nail the solo at the end of anotherloverholeinyohead!

I was front row centre stage last night for the aftershow and it ROCKED!!! i nearly colasped afterwards i was so exhausted and over excited!

I bumped into 5 other people with Prince symbol tattoos too, i think thats a small club starting!

This aftershow was INCREDIBLE.
Happiest night sofa.
LadyMissKat,EtherealFunk, was wicked enjoying it in the company of U 2, LOVE U GUYS!!!!
Chopin!? What a night!!!??? Raaaaas.
Veej, Raji...
Hang ya heads in shame.
Damn!!

I think the guy on stage was Bobby, from the Bay area. I remember him from the Celly in 2001 and he had literally boundless energy for the whole sleepless week. Amazed that he flew across from USA for this, but then if you're a hardcore fan, I gues you can.

Glad someone got the plectrum who is a fan - what does it say on it? Anything cool?

Ellie said:

I never understand why people feel the need to do this. You missed over 20 minutes of prince playing live to be 3 feet nearer him at the aftershow. Oh well, each to his own i suppose.

Malloy said:

i don't understand either. And there where many leavin early yesterday. more than can all fit in the indigo, so are they just afraid of missing the tube? it wasn't that late.....

Another awesome aftershow (my 4th), so lucky to get great performances from the man. But the 28th still reigns supreme. Took my brother and friend to their first aftershow and NOW they understand . Like many others out there, I can look back at this summer and think "WOW" - so many great aftershows that I'm totally content, but know I'm gonna be racing up the A2 Sunday on the offchance of another aftershow appearance.

Highlights?

"When u were mine", "Anotherlover", THAT bass solo & the mighty funk of "3121".

Oh and the girl who keeps waving her silver 'symbol' in the air - leave it at home next time eh? I was so tempted to grab it off her and give it a good chuck. KnowhatImean?

OMG OMG OMG! Last night was just fab, a thoroughly enjoyable day/night. I got into the Indigo and no sooner had I found my place (at the back off course as I'm 6"1!) Prince came on, and that was it for me for the rest of the night. I danced the night away and got lost in the brilliant music that Prince and his band played and not once did I even consider going to the bar as I was enjoying myself so much. Planet Earth and Chelsea Rogers really made it for me and the excellant jamming that Prnce done on his guitar was out of this world. So if any of you noticed a tall girl dancing like a looney at the back that was me

I would just like to add a very big thank you to all the other lovely orgers that I met yesterday (for the first time, you know who you are! ) as they made my day/evening a thoroughly memorable one and Thank You Prince for playing a night that I was there, I can die a happy women now

I would love to go again but too scared that Prince may not play the aftershow so I'm going to leave it now and be very happy with the memories I have from 06.09.07

LiveToLove said:

I'm becoming painfully aware that this shangri-la I've been living in for the past 5 weeks, this nirvana of Prince will come to an end in 14 days.

I hope he has a Celebration out in Minneapolis next year for his 50th - because if he does, I'll be there with bells on. I've acheived much of what I want as a Prince fan - the aftershow of the 28th being the highlight. What little is left (barring Prince playing songs to me on my own piano for 10 hours) would be a trip to MN, First Avenue and the whole Celebration week.

Fingers crossed!


Chris.

PS. My view on last night's aftershow.

The midweek ones are by far better due to the calibre of the audience. As for performance last night, he gave too much focus to the band. I love Shelby for the way in which she gets the crowd united and she does have a great voice and personality. But I want Prince to perform and - hell I'm a selfish bastard - I want him to perform the songs he rarely performs. Where are the Electric Intercourses, Grand Progressions, Moonbeam Levels, Love Thy Will Be Done, etc.

On the weeknights, he must know it's the die-hards making up the audience. So why not treat us to the old classic boots? I appreciated the Planet Earth tracks, but they ran out of steam.

Before we lose him on the 21st, can I just have one rendition of a classic boot?
[Edited 9/7/07 12:57pm]

I went to the aftershow last night.

All day I've had the feeling that I witnessed Prince having a jam in his living room. He was so relaxed and happy and just wondered around the stage like I would imagine he would do at home. Wow.

Hi everyone from last night. I have to go give my bf some attention now but I'll be orgnoting everyone tomorrow. Glad everyone got home safely.

iceblue07 said:

likewise to all the people i met yesterday, you all seemed genuinely lovely! Would like to write some more about yestreday, but after about 48 hours without sleep it's time for bed!

cosmicslop said:[quote]The way Prince and Mike tip-toed off stage after the bass solo/quote]

That was just brilliant! Totally cracked me up!

TheEnglishGent said:

Sweet! Morris Hayes is great! I was lucky enough to get to chat to him for a while before the Hippodrome Aftershow in ('98 ?), and have a signed main show ticket from that nights concert somehwere! Nice guy.

blacksweat said:

Thanx blacksweat 4 the set list again

Another amazing nite. probably the best aftershow so far. 14th and 28th were the best ones but this topped it
these aftershows r just getting better and better

I had a long and complicated day at work today and it was impossible to find a spare minute to myself. I just couldn't wait to finish, get home and read your reviews from last night.
Thanks again for sharing all this with those of us who couldn't be there. It sounds like you all had a great time. Hopefully something good is lined up for the 12th or 13th. I'll be at both aftershows (+ main gig on 13th). And who knows, I might bump into some of you

Malloy said:

Well the aftershow on the 1st Sept, we were about 5 people back from the front of the stage, and that sucked right there. Great view when we could get it, but the pushing, shoving and sweating was almost unbearable. So many damn liars wading their way through to the front and gradually pushing you compleetly out of a decent space/view. At the very front there's no-where to be pushed to.

We went to the 18th Aug aftershow too and it was great at the back behind that bar on the raised level, but I just for once wanted to be in the same breathing space as Prince & the band.

It was my 6th main show and the last 3 the encores have been almost exactly the same. I felt a comfortable aftershow at the front was worth missing yet another sampler set and Nothing Compares 2 U for... even though I nearly cried when he did the latter on 31st Aug.

it's sad that, even tho i like none of the songs from planet earth with the xception of somewhere here on earth and guitar, it's a shame that he waits until an aftershow 2 showcase his new material .

L4OATheOriginal said:

He only played 5 tracks at the aftershow and he's done 3 of them in main shows on more than one night. Having said that, I have been surprised that he hasn't played more of the new stuff in the main shows. Not that I mind too much now, the one I really wanted to hear live was The One U Wanna C and I've had that now.

purplepassion72 said:

well we had a party in our box corporate or not - everyone danced - you just need someone to start it off.

...and then there was that line in When U Were Mine...
"I know ur going with another sucker... I can't do the next line cos i just remembered what it rhymes with!" And he called us cheap cos we all wanted 2 go2 Minneapolis with him!

harveya said:

Thats right! I remember that. What was that all about?!! So many amazing memories and all the little extras like Mr Hayes robotic dance, prince tip-toeing off stage, that cat with the purple shirt, watching them all chill in the wings between encores. I missed the aftershow on 28th but damn it must have been good if topped the 6th!!

Ellie said:

You probably know already, but Kylie was at the show on the 31st. My girlfriend one one of the corporate boxes for the evening (through o2 mobile) and kylie was in the box next to it

I couldn't go unfortunately....grrr!
[Edited 9/8/07 5:07am]

Ellie said:

He was great, bless him

Ellie said:

I've watched PR a few times since, he blew me away with his vocals on that on Thurs A M A Z I N G!

PorterUK said:

JWs don't celebrate birthdays...

Ellie said:

I understand why you did it ma dear glad you had a blast