Tonight was all about the paaaarty! Although it started quite psychedelic/spiritual with Prince playing some very introverted quiet riffs and strangely wonderful sounds. It made me think of G-D and a journey in outer space. But then things soon funked up. I think he started with Around the World. There was loads of other wonderful, old stuff, someone please post a set list. Come Together was a highlight for me. Very extended with the crowd doing "Come Together. Yean" for a long time and Prince talking about the state of the world and coming together.

But even better was when Shelby sang Love is a confusing game (I much prefer O2's new title to the original one!). Prince was off stage but then came back on, just raised both hands and screamed, then went off again. Then came on again, shaking his head, occasionally screaming - ok, I'm not describing this very well but basically, it looked like it was too much for him. He was feeling it too much and his heart couldn't contain the emotion. You know, being at that stage were your heart bursts - no words, no dance, no nothing can express what you're feeling. I've been feeling that way quite a lot recently during the shows and he looked like he was expressing just that.

Then at the end a very extended, very funky Musicology where people were asked on stage to dance! Hadn't seen that during the aftershows as yet! Was thinking earlier that this hasn't happened for a while during main shows so maybe this is transferring now - in which case, near the two little staircases that lead up on stage is the place to be! Shelby asked people up on the right and the man himself asked people on the left!
[Edited 9/13/07 21:26pm]

That was the best night of my life. Renato started with some cool stuff before prince took the stage for around the world in a day. I will post a full report tomorrow, but trust of when i say that tonight was super cool.

LiveToLove said:

ah bless him, sounds great After that great mainshow I knew you guys would get a great a'show I'm still buzzing from the main show

That was AMAZING. SO glad I went at the last minute. I have absolutely no voice left (not kidding, I can barely even whisper), but it was worth it.

I'm not going to bed tonight, just hopping into work in a couple of hours, and I only just got back

Around the world in a day
Beautiful strange (just awesome)
Gotta whole lot of love
Party up
Rock steady?
7
Come together
Question of u/one/falling
Misty blue?
Baby i love you?
Musicology/
Prince and the band/funky london

No doubt i missed one or two. Oh my god. How can i sleep?

Oh, and that was the most I've seen done with a towel on stage during Misty Blue

I hope to be having pancakes in the morning

Everything felt perfect to me tonight, the guitar playing, the singing, the band, the fun factor, the crowd... Yes, there's something happeneing with the crowd, i think the aftershows are becoming much more sought after. More and more people are cottoning on to the fact that this is where it's at. The result is that more people want to get right to the front of the stage. It was a bit crowded for the first half but because space is so tight people can't come out to go to the bar. Maybe once before Prince comes on but that's it. If they come out of the crowd there is just no way back in. Hence, with only one (more) pint people are not that drunk! I was entirely surrounded by fans, not a single drunk!
Also, some peeps can't take the heat so after some time they have to get out the kitchen... So after about an hour I actually had quite a bit of space to dance. Thank you to the tall guy who shuffled me to stand in front of him when someone else was leaving, from then on i had a great view and was only 3 or 4 rows away from the stage, bang in the middle. The heat you get off Prince's energy there is really quite phenomenal. Dynamite indeed!

Oh yeah, loads of space to dance at the end. So many people were leaving the front in the last hour. Still, big tall heads with no rhythm and big bad hair blocking my entire view of anyone at a microphone for quite a while. Grrr.

ah you got 7! Next show I'm going to now is last main show on 21st, fingers crossed for then as I've missed it so far on the shows I've been to (4th,18th Aug, 6th &13th Sep)

OMG!! Was Sunday beaten tonight?! Unlike Sunday I was on the "dance floor" part (near the right speaker). Sunday's atmosphere was good. Tonight it was electric . Nearer the stage is definitely the place to be!
If you saw a 6ft bloke with white short sleeved shirt and brown trousers going a little bit mental (ok, mental is probably an exaggeration!_) then that was me. I was sweating quite a lot though so I must have been doing something right! Sorry if I was blocking anybody's view!

Oh yes, Renato started things off with an intrumental cover version of one of Prince's songs I think, i recongised it but cannot recall it right now, but anyway Renato made it sound almost like a classical piece of music. It was amazing, that man is a genius.

At some point Prince asked, who's making pancakes this morning? Ugh, YOU can't cook! What about over here? Yeah? Turn around! Yap, she's sitting on the groceries!" (Is that right? That's what I heard! I AM mildy delirious though right now!)
[Edited 9/13/07 20:10pm]

LiveToLove said:

That's spot on!!

I know it finished at 3 (didn't the time just fly!) but did it start at 1? I wasn't sure if we got 2 hours or not.

It was more like 1:05, so just under 2 hours. I think half an hour of it was taken up by Come Together

Ellie said:

I'm always surprised how people can bear to leave with that vibe, that music, that energy going on. Not ten horses could drag me away! I went to show and A'show yesterday so had about 3 hours sleep, been working all day and then straight back to the O2. But as soon as Prince plays i feel completely energised, wide awake and so so happy!

Ellie said:

Ok thanks.
Next stop for me Sunday aftershow. Can last Sunday and tonight be beaten?

LiveToLove said:

I went to the aftershow yesterday but not the main show. Like you I had 3 hours sleep and have been at work all day. I'm supposed to be up at 7 this morning but I'm still buzzing.
I wanted tonight's aftershow to go on and on!

westv said:

So did Prince, I think! (not to mention me and the entire rest of the crowd, i'm pretty sure!). He said, "CC, give me that funky Musicology tune, i want to jam all night!" Like in the main show, he was SO up for it tonight!

Amazing aftershow tonight and Prince was feeling the love.

I was hoping for another 28th August, but it was still one of the best aftershows so far, so very pleased!

LiveToLove said:

Exactly. I'm on a huge high right now and don't feel like there will be any problem going to work in a couple of hours. It might have been different if there was a no-show.

Oh, and thank you so much to the guy who stopped us in the a'show ticket queue. He wanted balcony seated tickets and had downstairs to swap, and balcony was the only one available at the box office. I'm so glad we were downstairs
[Edited 9/13/07 20:24pm]

stu241273 said:

It started with The Dance and after Whole Lotta Love came Prince doing a rocked up version of Paisley Park.
[Edited 9/13/07 20:26pm]

westv said:

Me too and I'm not even home yet! Sitting at a freeing bus stop (NOW somewhat surrounded by drunks! ) Missed my stop earlier as i got carried away posting and reading your posts so have to backtrack a bit now Delirious!

LiveToLove said:

Oh dear Get home safe.

Great aftershow tonight. After only 3 hours sleep yesterday, too tired to write much. Back to back aftershows are not advised with work at 9am the following days!!

At some point he came on playing the simple tamborine but i swear, I've never heard a tamborine played as funky as that. That man really IS music. Everything he touches transforms.
Later he also played the cow bell for a while.
Oh yes, The One saw a scalding hot rendition - amazing singing.

At one point Prince also momentarily sent Renato off stage as he was playing the keyboards himself! Shelby was singing at that point, I don't think i knew that song but it was really bluesy.

Ellie said:

Thanks, safely on bus now that takes me to my front door, no drunks on here. Where do you live to get home so quickly?!

Incredible aftershow. Around the World in a Day made me so happy - I've waited a long time to hear it live! And the instrumental of Paisley Park was very, very cool indeed. P was in a great mood, and during 7 came and shook loads of hands - sweet!

Can't wait for the next one...

LiveToLove said:

Was it just me that thought he'd play Endorphine Machine when he had the cowbell?

TheEnglishGent said:

We were just saying, we're all suffering from the back-to-back A'show syndrome! (Not yet, but I will be when at work tomorrow. I mean today. Anyway, who cares?!)
[Edited 9/13/07 21:37pm]