10th August and 9th of September both beat last nights aftershow for me, but only because the crowds were so much better on the previous shows. Lastnight I felt that I was surrounded by zombies for most of the night with alot of people not even bothering to clap.

The crowds on the 10th and 9th were unstoppable!

TheEnglishGent said:

Yeah, I was. As amazing as the 28th was, I'm so jealous of those that went last night.

Could be a case of "grass is greener" though. Plus the highlight of the 28th show for me - the rocking Anotherlover.... - was done last night anyway!

I guess I should just be thankful for what I did get, hey?!

Starchild771 said:

I know what you mean but I suppose it takes all sorts doesn't it.

i've been luckifortunatey enough to have witnessed 6 aftershows (i went to 7...got lucky 6 times, who wants to touch me? )

and all i can say is...there are no degrees of perfection

Last night, as someone has already said he really ripped it up and covered so much stuff it was amazing (esp. after the great main show as well).
The opener with Amy Winehouse took most people's breath away, absolutely gorgeous and he just kept belting one song out after another. So much energy, you could see he was giving it his all.
Being the last night it added to it but i also went on 13th sep.and as it was my very first ever aftershow that will also go down as something special,another awesome night but both very different. Been waiting such a long time to see one aftershow and i manage to see two!. Feel very very lucky to have seen a true legend and so close up, we have really been spoiled.
Truly cannot think of anyone who can touch the guy.

Starchild771 said:

I agree with that. Fantastic crowd on the 9th. Too many pi**ed aggressive weirdo guys last night. Where do they all come from?

Including the bearded tw&t with the elbows "dancing" in front of me (if you were at the back of the dancefloor stage right, you know who I mean). The kind of guy who will always clear a big space on the dancefloor in a club. He belted me three times by dancing like a moron, headbutted me twice by suddenly leaning over backwards, then got incredibly abusive when I had to hold my hands up and push him away to stop him hitting me yet again.

I'm not an aggressive person, but I so nearly decked him when he put his arm 'round my neck.

Later on he moved slightly to the right... and nearly broke someone's nose with his "dance moves".

Yet for all their over-enthusiasm, it's always these people that won't cheer for an encore. I don't get it.

Moontrane said:

agreed - went to 9th and 16th - and 9th was THE show of my life - Prince, the crowd, the dancing, the atmosphere - all coalesced into the best show I think could have been produced in Indigo2. Though I probably would have swapped it for last night!!!

popelife said:

I was stage right too but I don't have a beard so, phewww (!!!), that wasn't me! I don't remember seeing him. How close to the far right slope was he?

westv said:

He was stage right, i.e. left hand side as the audience looks at the stage. About 6ft in front of the pillar and the step down to the dancefloor.

I'd have backed up and got out of his way, but I was standing right up against the step with nowhere to go. He had 4ft of space in front of him but was doing that "If I step back I can see better" thing... with the result that he kept backing onto me, then elbowing me in the chest.

The only respite we got was when he ended up with a couple of pints of beer in his hands... although he spilled half a pint when someone walked behind him and he backed into them!

Total lack of "spatial awareness".

popelife said:

Oh sorry. I was thinking of the right of the stage as you look at it from the floor. My mistake. He sounds like a complete twat.

Last night was far from the best aftershows I have seen mainly due to all these fucking drunks acting like pricks all over the place.

Prince was amazing but the venue is just very average. If you're on the balcony, the view is terrible and downstairs the stage looks too low (I'm tall but many small people could hardly see).

Nothing to do with Prince. I love the 02 Arena but I really do not like the Indigo.

The main shows on thursday and friday have been the highlight.

Another vote for the 28th here

Last night's was awesome, with it being the wind-up show and with the guests, running time etc. but the pure simplicity of the three part plus vocals was sublime

blacksweat said:

TheEnglishGent said:

Absolutely spot on. The 28th was superb and the setlist seemed to come out of nowhere. He hardly acknowledged the audience - and just played on that guitar with such intensity and attitude.

Lastnight was special - this was the legend of Prince i had read about. The guy possessed - you couldn't get him off stage - he kept hitting us again and again with the funk. Literally pummerling the audience into submssion. I honestly thought he may never leave the stage!

sarkozyiszeman said:

Now, I don't get that at all. The Indigo is for me the best venue in the whole of London - if not the UK.It is intimate, yet big (I think it take in exces of 2000 people). You can dance, but you can also easily get beer from the bar. You can choose to hang out at the back, and you have plenty of space - for those who get claustrofobic in big crowds... Or yuo can get really close to the band - for thegrouppies!! And most importantly, the sound quality is just fantastic anywhere!! (Although admittedly, I haven't been up stairs). The O2 arena for me is way too big for a real good gig. I have been to 3 main shows, and for 2 of them the sound quality was terrible - way too much bass, no snare drum, hardly any horns.... I had £150 3rd row seats on opening night, but the sound sucked and the stage was way too high! Then I had upper tier but in the back - poor sound too. The only time I had good sound quality was upper tier, but straight ahead from the arrow....

With hindsight, and if it ever happens again, I will go for 1 main show, and spend all the rest of my money on aftershows!

I hope I will get another chance like we had the last few weeks!!!

Moontrane said:

I had an absolute perfect sound for all my shows in the arena. I was luck enough to be where the sound was really good for every show.

Now if your Indigo is the best venue for an aftershow then I feel sorry for you guys.
I really hate this venue. The stage should be higher as well as all the bar and soundboard area. I could clearly see for every aftershow but I have seen so many girls fighting for to sse a bit of Prince whereas in many other venus where I have seen afteshows the vast majority of people had a chance to see properly.
And btw the sound is way better upstairs. It is crystal clear when you seat in the balcony.

I don't even mention the staff and the fucking drunk zombies dancing all over the place and who hurt people last night without giving a flying fuck.

It was my 5th AS and 3rd with P...I think you got it there in the shell of a nut!

sarkozyiszeman said:

Can't comment on other aftershows as the two i saw at Indigo were the only ones I've seen and I loved them as i did manage to get on the floor quite close but yeah my little sis and girlfriend had to move back to the railing to see anything the first night. Overall though,think most people could get a reasonable view and they didn't cram too many people in which i thought they might.I thought the sound was great on the floor, overall for a smallish venue catering for 21 aftershows it wasn't bad... Experience of sound in the arena over 4 shows though was not too good, seemed to be good for some songs and terrible on others.

westv said:

You guys must have been stood near me. That guy bumped into me a couple times and then he turned 'round a stared at me My BF jokingly said he would deck him but he didn't think he needed to as someone else (possibly you Popelife?) looked like they were going to hit him first

Anyhow, it was still a fantastic night.

sarkozyiszeman said:

Were you in the same arena as the rest of us?! I thought the sound was universally poor to terrible at the O2 arena. Indigo sound was awesome though... when he played songs from the arena set there they sounded entirely different.

Most Prince aftershows have been in venues with appalling sight lines... which is why there's traditionally such a scrum to get down the front.

I walked out of one midshow in a club in Argyll St, London, because I could see absolutely nothing... and I'm 6ft tall. Nor could I hear anything, the sound was so bad - there just was no point staying. Or Bagleys, where people paid £40 or so, then couldn't even get in the room where he was playing.

The only decent aftershow I've been to before (in terms of view) was at the Forum in Kentish Town... nice venue, and it was Controversy people only, so was half-full, if that. Great show, no ass-holes in the crowd, everyone going for it. He was happy enough there to stage-dive into the crowd!

Staff have been great at the Indigo in my opinion. They don't take any crap off anyone breaking the rules. They cleared up every beer spill they could get to on the dance floor. They've been friendly and respectful to me when I've chatted to them. I felt safer for having their security around. They were pouring glasses of water for everyone before they left last night.

Of course, I agree about the drunk assholes, but that's not really the venue's fault.

Phew, what a main show, and WHAT AN AFTERSHOW!! Standing there last night, u knew u were witnessing a gig that will go down in Prince folklore. I was quite certain that the August 28th aftershow couldn’t be surpassed – but, I think I’m gonna have to think again now. The full repertoire of Prince was there tonight in an intoxicating brew of soul, rock and funk and a lesson to all in live performance. Absolutely amazing. There’s nothing I like more in life than watching Prince drill his band armed with guitar. I thought Amy Winehouse and Beverly Knight were also exceptional – especially Amy, who I must admit, has got cracking stage presence. To see her with Prince serenading her with his guitar – well, u just had to be there. I must admit I felt gutted for all the people who were standing outside, as I strolled in at 1am, desperate searching wide eyes followed me - hoping for a ticket (did any of u get in?). Me, I was so lucky. Got a call at 8.10 from a girl called Margo saying she had a spare – if u’re reading Margo, thank u so much (oh and what’s your .org name?). I’m tired now. No sleep for me as I’m a postman. Just a shower, a smile and then out to a beautiful dawn.

Thank u Prince for a roller-coaster ride this summer. It’s been truly memorable.

Aug 14th takes it for me - Beverley Knight + guitar solos at 3.30 in the morning.
Aug 31 - shambles - a no show and when you've got a friend with you that has travelled miles it was a disaster.
Sept 13 - more more more give me more please

Moontrane said:

9th September was THE night of my life. I'm still reeling after last night though, aware of how lucky I was to be there. I was disappointed by the crowd, I was convinced it would the beat the others I'd been to but loads of people around us were so drunk they couldn't even stand!

I think it's unfair to compare the Final Aftershow to any of the others. It was a very different beast imho, incorporating "best of aftershow" elements (much like the Final Main Show has a "best of main show" feel to much of it), with some main show staples that he hadn't squeezed into the main show that night, in a package reminiscent of the "Live In Vegas" DVD show (small gig with special guests).

More hits and less jamming than a lot of the other aftershows, but wow, the man (and the band!) really took it up to eleven. Outstanding.

TheEnglishGent said:

A definite standout, no doubt about that. Though I think the performance on the 28th to be in a category of its own.. the stripped down band and arrangements, the vibe of him setting out to do a true rock set for the fans, an incredible setlist.. I don't think it's fair to compare it to any of the other aftershows. A truly amazing late-night gig, but something vert different, unlike the aftershow "party" vibe of other afetshows.

Certianly "party" was a key element in the final night's farewell....and how!

TheEnglishGent said:

I wholeheartedly concur.

traceyjane76 said:

I feel so lucky with my 6 out of 7.

It was great meeting to you the other night/morning. I did stroll by your stage suite pre-show on Friday to see if I could spot you waving at the plebs, but no luck.

I had an amazing time down in the "great view of the horn section" F3 seats, so I can only imagine how incredible last night must have been from up close!

traceyjane76 said:

It totally did rock, and then some!

I found myself exclaiming "how does he do it?!" rather a lot.

Starchild771 said:

I think there were a few of us considering it!

I couldn't really enjoy the show (and don't get me wrong, boy, did I ever enjoy it) until he shuffled over to the right. Sorry you ended up with the pleasure of his company Starchild!

popelife said:

I completely agree with this. The security staff are aproachable while remaining professional, take no shit and get on with business. They are also reasonable and fair. I don't think I've ever encountered better bouncers at any venue.

ThePartyman said:

Hi! was looking out for your postings.....

We didn't get to our suite until right when the lights went off... it was roomy down there which meant we could really boogie..... Felt very priveleged (again!!) During the aftershow I was on Kings row... which I have to say is actually realy great when downstairs is so full...loads of celebs weren't even able to get on there... they just turned up and then went when they realised it was full everywhere. We get the first row of Kings row and it works.. but not sure I would want to pay for Kings row and then find tht you can't have that first row!!

With Amy Winehouse.... I really did just think how awesome it was that she was totally unnerved at the fact he wanted to be in the background, she didn't show the confidence she has when it is her show... It was a great start to an aftershow that must be recognised for stamina and number of tunes shared if nothing else!

My tip to avoid the depression is to keep watching 3121 and sky news clips....
so plsed Prince gave us that!

I'd love to have seen Amy Winehouse stick around for a couple more songs. Love Is A Losing Game was magical. The band so often do a better job than many singer's regular backing outfits, it really gave her room to shine. Maybe she wasn't expecting that kind of a response from a Prince crowd, but there was a lot of love for her in the room.

(Similarly, Lenny Kravitz' version of American Woman on the Rave DVD is better than when he does it with his own band IMO).

One thing I did think was that the standard of P's guitar playing last night was consistently gob-smacking. Every solo was dynamite, one after another, after another... Any one of them would rate as the highlight of a normal show.

Only thing I missed last night was the Sly Stone covers (I Wanna Take You Higher and Sing A Simple Song) which for me were highlights of the two previous sunday shows. Although we DID get that massive version of Larry Graham's "It's Alright". Altogether now, hands in the air... "YEAAHHHHH!")

And we got "Love Rollercoaster" which was great. Given the choice, I'd rather see songs I hadn't seen at the previous shows than just a repeat of the same. Worked for me.

I still have a big soft spot for the 9th though... both choice of tunes (I'm a jazzer so loved the opening numbers) and particularly the crowd reaction.

I can't choose. Last night was very special if only because no-one wanted it to end (and at one point I wasn't sure it was going to), but all three aftershows I saw were phenomenal. Prince, if you come back some time, let's do it like this again.

I couldn't be there on the 21st.

But the aftershow on Saturday, September 1st (the 14th night) was incredibly indescribable! The show and the audience!! Plus the last encore Red Headed Stepchild...!!!

And special was the aftershow on last Sunday (09/16/07)!!!!! That's why I think the aftershows are hard to compare. They seem to have a character of their own, always differently "flavored"...

incredibleD said:

Couldn’t be at the last aftershow either (probably a good thing as I would have contaminated everyone with my nasty cold). I’ve been to 6 aftershows (1st and 18th August, 1st, 12th, 13th & 20th Sept) and thought that each of them had their own very distinct vibe, and that came from both the stage and the crowd I think.

My favourite one would have to be the 18th as I loved the 70’s funky vibe that night, and yes Prince was very relaxed, interacting with the audience a lot. I loved the way the show had started, with the curtains already opened and Prince walking around on the side of the stage (with his new hat), then the Superstition keyboard intro... Unforgettable!

The 13th was brilliant too, with the trippy ATWIAD for starters, the wonderful loving vibe during “Come together”… Then the invite on stage.

Hopefully, I’ll get to see the last one in a future DVD.