I have seen Prince in concert more than 15 times and last nights show was the biscuit. It was 20 times better than the London shows last Friday and Saturday.

Soundcheck commenced at approx 5.30 and the band were rehearsing pop life as we took to our seats. Once we all gathered in, Prince said hi and reflected that it was 7 years since his last trip to Dublin. Many people said it was too long and he got the message. Someone asked why he never played Belfast and he asked how life was there right now. Then he picked up guitar and launched into empty rooms which was awesome. He also played The Ride, Days Of Wild and 2-3 more songs but I cannot for my life remember.
It lasted 40 minutes and Prince was relaxed and cool in grey wool sweater and hat.


The point was rocking before Prince took the stage at approx 8.15 with approx 5000 in attendance which was the largest in Europe so far. Setlist comprised of

Rainbow Children
Xenophobia (muse.. was dropped)
Money Don’t Matter
The Work
Extraordinary
Mellow
When U were mine

When U Were Mine
1+1+1=3
Sign O The Times
Take Me With U
Raspberry Beret
Pass The Peas
Everlasting Now

Adore
Condition Of The Heart
I Wanna Be Ur Lover
Diamonds and Pearls
Beautiful Ones
Nothing Compares 2 U
The Ladder
Starfish and coffee
How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore
All The Critics Love You In Dublin
Pop Life
Anna Stasia


This is approx 80% accurate but we will get it right over coming days. Highlights of the show were Money don’t matter (excellent version), The work rocked, and anna stasia was amazing.


Other Information On The Show:

* Bono stood left of stage next to Prince’s wife (Mani?) and watched the show. Prince did the Ozzy Osbourne dance routine and then said, I have another new dance and started to imitate bono from the ‘pop’ album days – it was real funny.

* Per London, he spoke about quality on radio and how there were no real musicians in the world anymore – he said Rhonda and Candy were the best base and sax players in the world.

* He really played to the crowd, asking what they had been up to for the last 7 years. His wit went down a treat…

* When ‘everlasting’ finished and the crew brought piano out front, the crowd chanted like crazy. When he came back out he asked ‘who’s been making all that noise – I really feel you Dublin, you are up for the funk’

* During ‘The Ladder’ he asked us all search for salvation, ask the hard questions etc. He mentioned that we did not know god’s name and proceeded with first 3 lines of fathers’s prayer (our father, who in heaven etc..)

* Anna Stasia was amazing……nuff said

Aftershow took place in ‘Spirit’ Prince came on stage and did guitar jam. After that he said I brought the bible from my hotel room, and mentioned that it referred to god as lord on the hotel bible. He also produced his own personal bible and said God’s name was Jehovah and wondered why the hotel one was different. He said ‘I am the detective, and I sense this is the reason our world is confused today’. In summary, I learnt God’s real name was Jehovah.

The set continued with Joy and Repetition, followed by Love Bizarre, Dolphin, Calhoun square, and peach (may have missed 1 or two). It was a great show, but personally the pod in ’95 was better – his guitar was too high and the speakers were in our faces and we nearly got blown away. Attendance at aftershow was approx 1000 and it was 50 euro entry for non-memebers.


About those people who left…there were 5000 in the house and 4950 stayed right to the end. Yes some people left but that happens at every concert. Several people left the red hot chilli peppers gig last summer and I left a U2 gig some years back as I just didn’t dig what was going on. S**t happens… One radio station commented on the show today. That same radio station kept repeating over the last month this was a greatest hits tour so if the people who left are pissed off, contact ‘today fm’, Ian Dempsey in particular.
He played Prince 3 times daily over the last month (on a 2 hour show?) and mentioned how great it would be and was looking forward… then he mentions today he was not at the gig. I think he was on the promoter’s payroll to ensure this gig sold out, something fishy was definitely going on.

Anyway, the feedback on radio was 70% good, 30% bad. One good comment came from a man who said it was the best concert ever and he had been going to shows for 35 years. Other comments including amazing, brilliant etc and then the comments like disappointing etc. All thise means is more publicity and a sellout next time round due to intrigue.

Finally, Dublin you did us proud. People at the soundcheck, you were cool. People at the show, you were wild, really really wild. People at the show – off the hook.

Prince – you love Dublin don’t ya. Everytime you come to town, you make the papers, news, radio shows, and all the celebs flock to you . You are so at ease in Dublin and I was impressed by your knowledge of Ireland. You are a genius, a fab musician, and a great dancer …don’t leave it 7 more years…peace and love for one another.

R I V E R _ J O N E S

at the Title...sweeet!
Thanx 4 taking time out 4 the report.
PEACE

Ha..great title RJ!!

Cracking report too...thanks!

kewl.

I haven't a ticket for the Paris concert

Thanks for the report.

I'm sure not only the ceiling but,
you will never forget this xperience,
right?


Thank u for sharing-

his

I'd love Prince and Bono to collaborate on something.Can you imagine?
Maybe Mani was hatching something?

DAAAYUM...Bono was in the house?

LadyCabDriver said:

Not that it's is important but did he react in ANY way to Prince's BONO dance?

Eelco
[This message was edited Sat Oct 12 0:25:39 PDT 2002 by eelco]

Hey, did not see Bono's reaction when Prince did the Bono dance..sorry

riverjones said:

He lol - but he reacted even more wildly when P played Take Me With U and Raspberry Beret.

T.P.

Great report. Thanx!

One other point of clarification:
I mentioned in my report that Prince's wife was at the concert & aftershow. I made the assumption they were married, and got a few mails to my inbox about this. Like all of us, I read reports in the media / org that Prince married last year, but needless to say this was never confirmed.
Sorry for any confusion or hurt feeliongs. I have no time for gossip and was not trying to reopen that can of worms…..Peace!