When there is love, there’s always a chance that disappointment can come along. Last night at the Rotterdam Ahoy was one of those very disappointing experiences.
What I saw you do last night was a routine-based show without any true dedication or inspiration. Besides that you even had a tendency to be hypocritical. I will explain that. You said that Holland had a special place in your heart. And that it inspired you to do something special for us. You made it feel that we were really special. You then played ‘especially for us’ Purple Rain. What is hypocritical about it is the fact that you did the same routine two days before in Frankfurt. That are tricks of a showman. Not actions of a sincere artist who’s willing to do the real work.
Besides that you treated us rude. You let us wait for almost one and a half hour for the souncheck to begin. You didn’t say ‘sorry I’m late’. Instead of that you were annoyed with the many members that were there: ‘how many of you just joined the NPGMC, only to get a ticket for the show…’
And then something else, more important. I saw the ONA show in Washington DC earlier this year. As I wrote before, it was my best Prince-experience ever. Besides true dedication it was above all a musical experience of the highest order. With "if you came to get your purple rain on, you came to the wrong house" you made a real statement. It was about music and sprituality and what we wanted to learn about that. The setlist mirrored that. The core was The Rainbow Children. With that came surprising choices from your ‘back catalogue’ which put the whole thing in perspective. Yesterday was a mixture of TRC and greatest hits. The result was neither fish nor flesh. All the appeals you made referring ‘togetherness’ and ‘becoming one’ made no impression.
One last thing and maybe that is a key thing. Don’t play in such big venue’s for so many people. Maybe that’s why you transformed the intimate truly spiritual show into a more crowdpleasing event. It’s a shame, I think. All the subtlety was gone. The sound was bad (rather good for Ahoy I must say though) and far too loud. The jazzy feeling of songs like Xenophobia, The Rainbow Children and Strollin’ were completely lost. You have such a tight band. One of your best ever. What a waste that we could only experience such a small percentage of it. Please, whenever you come back, come and play in smaller venues.
That you have a bad day - my impression - is ok. But at least be honest about it and see how it works out…

Art, Amsterdam, Holland.

P.S. I’ve got to be honest. You really hit me with one thing: Sign of the Times. A truly adventurous new work-out with a strong psychedelic touch. Thank you very much for that.

the first 4 songs blew me away...but the greatest hits part was quite a schocher to me...
a shame indeed...!

art said:

co-sign.. hearing every word you say. i feel the exact same way. i knew it wasn't going to be intimate with over 10.000 people, but having the houselights on most of the time and all the sing-a-longs didn't help much either. the last hour or so felt just like another jam of the year! man, how i looked forward to this show..

I had a big fear when larger venues for this show were announced. My fears proved true: the show is becoming a "crowdpleaser" thing.
I decided to fly all the way to london because i knew they were smaler venues and those 3 gigs were very adventurous.
I'm sure that by the time he arrives in Milan he will play barelly 2 tracks from Rainbow. And what about the ONA album?
I think it would be clever of him to use the opportunity of playing in front of larger crowds to let them get to know newer material. It's useless to play the hits, no one will rush in a shop and buy Rainbow then, and no one will join the club.
Plese Prince, play the crowds stuff like "One night alone", "A case of you", "Family name", "Avalanche", make them go home with the heart brocken for not being part of the NPGMC.
With the present tracklist, people will just go and buy the "Best of" compilation from WB...

whine, whine, whine...

think the same will happen at Paris - the venue there holds 7000 apparantly. Hope 'm wrong. But must say 4 some1 like me who only saw him play in The Gold Experience tour - him playing the old hits is cool 2.

I support this thread in any way. I thought this was a mediocre show due too sound and hits. If u calll the show ONA play something of it.

If you make a statement about little red corvette then don't play purple rain...teach and learn yourself and take a risk.

spaceboy said:

exactly...

alexxa15 said:

I was at a London gig. From reading the set lists posted since then, those gigs were not really any different. I don't know how you can say they were more adventurous - the only difference was a couple more songs from TRC but they were performed 'as standard' anyway.

It sounds like everybody else had a good time in Rotterdam!

In fact, I just read another setlist and he did Rainbow Children, The Work pt.1, 1+1+1=3, and The Everlasting Now... I guess you're not happy unless he does the whole album??
[This message was edited Wed Oct 16 6:07:28 PDT 2002 by Saxjedi]

art said:[quote]
That you have a bad day - my impression - is ok. But at least be honest about it and see how it works out…

What would you say if he would say at the concert: to be honest I have a bad day and I will cut off a few hits tonight.
I am happy that he has aa ccertain degree of professionalism so I don't have to worry whether he will play 90 or 150 minutes.
I mean, we all loved the Parade, Sign o the times and Lovesexy concerts and they all were in these big places like today.

I am with you 100%...last night was a disappointment for me. With my hopes up so high after reading all the reviews these last two weeks, I was longing for last night. It all started with the long wait in the hallway downstairs in the Ahoy, only to find out that by the time we were led into the venue, they still had to figure out the construction of the arena for that night. So we ended up having almost fights, cuts and bruises to get into the very very small pen in front of the stage. Only a handful made it into the pitch, the rest had to stand behind fences (which were built up in front of us right there and then!), not that far from the stage but still...what a disappointment. Then there was the soundcheck...we didnt really have one...a short jamsession all cooked up days before I guess, only nice thing about it was Muse 2 being played in a different arrangement.

The songs of the evening didn't work out that well, some songs were nice of course, but no real surprises there and I have to admit he has a great and very tight band. Best part of the night was the first 20 minutes or so, which really surprised me, cause I am not a fan of TRC.

Hope he will do a better job Friday in Antwerp or at least on November 2 when he returns to Rotterdam.

I guess the Dutch fans who came to London were different to the ones who satyed at home. From reading these reports of a show that had a lot going for it, it sounds like Holland is home of the naysayers!

Whistler said:

gee, you really did add something here...!

Saxjedi said:

and you must be a follower...no matter what i'd suppose...

if y'all consider what this little man can do.. i can't help feeling he sold his heart last night...

Nag, nag, nag, A soundcheck is NOT garantueed. B glad you got one. Prince was too late? So what else is new. Ever heard a musician who starts on time? If you visit 5 shows in one tour and you go and complain that they are not equally in quality there is something wrong with you. If you drink champagne everyday and eat caviar everyday it becomes normal.

art said:

So? This was a perfectly legitimate question. Most of you DID get a membership only for the concert tickets, and Prince KNOWS this. He's not STUPID people. He wasn't born YESTERDAY. I myself can't even COUNT the number of posts I've seen on the Org from people who said they were joining the club for concert tickets once the European dates were announced. So Prince figured you out, and now you're OFFENDED??? Whatever...

Saxjedi said:

In London he did stuff as: Avalanche, One nite alone, U gonna c me, All the critics, Don't play me, Telemarketer blues, Family name, Muse, A case of u, Empty room...do I have to go on?
I'm not against the hits, but I'd like him to be more coherent...

LadyCabDriver said:

Counting that NPGMC doesn't give the promised cds, I understand that people subscrive just for the concert VIP treatment.
So why should Prince get offended???

alexxa15 said:

No why should YOU get offended when all you've done is sign up for the concert tickets, and you expect Prince to act like a puppet for YOU?

Dear ladycabdriver (and others)!

I've been a member from the beginning.I have no complaints about the club. Although they aren't always professional I think the club is great. It gives priviliges I could never have dreamed of. The way I was treated in Washington DC I will never forget. And I do know: not everything is guaranteed. To cut it short: that's not my point.
My point is that earlier this year I've witnessed an artist which is completely free in his artistic choices. An artist which is in one his most creative phases.An artist that made a sincere impression. And adressed me and others in a very sincere way; both musically and in a more spiritual way.I think it's a shame that he is throwing that away for the moment. That he choses to go more on routine. That he is less daring and plays more on the safe side.
Besides I think he wasn't in a rather good mood. And that's ok. But I think it would be a great thing if he said (quote):"to be honest I have a bad day and I will cut off a few hits tonight."

Well, anyway that's how I experience it all.

Art.

BLABLABLA BLABLABLA
It was GREAT yesterday, spoiled people...
Be greatfull of what U have seen.
Thank U P. It was funcky!
coco

Nice to see that the Prince.org standard of dismissing other opinons is still alive and well !!

Look, its simple, people are allowed their opinion ! Some enjoyed the concert, some didn't.

Give people at least some respect and let them vent their opinons, even if you don't agree.

Saxjedi said:

The complaint is not that he did these songs, it's the songs he didn't do. Those songs were great.
But look at what he did at the London shows and not here: Whole Lotta Love, Empty Room, great songs that could've been done in a venue this size, but he didn't. I don't mind that he varies the setlist from show to show, that keeps it interesting for both him and the people going to various shows. But if you look at what he played yesterday it was a standard setlist with no specials.
Also the piano medley wasn't that long.
And if quite a few people say it was a good show, but not as good as the previous ones, there must be some truth in it, don't you think? I'm sure lots of people were pleased, fine. I just wasn't that pleased.

And if quite a few people say it was a good show, but not as good as the previous ones, there must be some truth in it, don't you think?


maybe not so many as you think...this topic get's three stars while all the others have 5...hmmm. Well anyway everybody is entitled to his/her opinion...maybe that's why our government is falling down today (in the Netherlands)

I agree with most of the things that you say, but there is one thing where I totally disagree.
You say he should come to smaller venues. Okay, but how many concerts does he have to play before everyone that wants to go can go? If he plays venues with 2000 places, it will always be the same people that go: The hardcore fans / members. Other people will not get the chance to go.
It's not right to tell people that they have to become a member to get in ( and thats coming from a member ). Not all of us have the money to do that.
Think about that;

I agree there is a dilemma. If you want to serve 10.000 people he has to do three or four gigs. It's probably not possible. Wether it is a question of time, money or logistics. Maybe he has to choose. To be honest I don't know what he wants: serving as much people as possible (i.e. go back to halls or stadiums) or bring an artistic outstanding show. He did the last in the States, but I think that was financially more possible. I still think it's decision he has to make.

I don't agree with 'only the hardcore fans' will attend those concerts. In Holland there were 1200 member tickets sold. Which is much. But it still will leave more than half of the tickets for non-members.

Art.
[This message was edited Wed Oct 16 12:45:23 PDT 2002 by art]

Ik schrijf dit in het nederlands, want ik hoop dat de rest van de wereld niet hoeft te lezen wat voor EIKEL je bent. Ik denk dat de invloed van Prince op je leven wel hele bizarre vormen aanneemt. Gisteren was gewoon een VETTE show en geen gezeik verder. ALs je veertig keer naar dezelfde geweldige film gaat is er op een gegeven moment ook geen reet meer aan. Ga eens wat anders doen!!

Word, cyberpit. I am not gonna translate but what he just said kicked ass.

cyberpit said:

Nee... JIJ VOND het een vette show, betekent niet dat het zo is...

Neversin.

haha cyberpit! jij bent echt een loser...