GustavoRibas said:

Question for those who attended the concert. I m aware that Andy Mc Kee performed at the aftershow, but how is he playing on the regular concerts? Does he perform only during an acoustic set? If so, Prince plays with him or only sings?

So far Andy has been most prominent in ballads like Purple Rain and Sometimes it Snows in April. During the first concert Andy appeared on stage before anyone else and played a short acoustic version of Purple Rain before the opening bars of Gold we played and Prince appeared. Prince and Andy also stood together and "jammed" for a while (Prince on a clean sounding electric guitar) on the intro to Sometimes it Snows in April. Andy didn't feature so much in the second show because it was generally a bit more of an up-tempo affair.

I was at or close to ground level for both concerts so I couldn't easily see into the band "pit" (in the circle part of the symbol stage) to see how often Andy is part of the band for the funkier stuff.

80spfantwp said:

This is a Amazing Aftershow when see the videos!!!

nursev said:

purplethunder3121 said:

Yeah, too much Shelby and not enough Prince...

Way too much

Well, the Aftershow seemed Awesome from what Prince did!

sfinky1 said:

wow I did not mean to piss all of you off. I have decided that this site is not for me and I have officially requested to close my account. Just too much personal attacking here. Like I said I did not like the show but its all good as 2 shows out of 25 means 23 greast shows. So what!!?? I did not like a show. I spoke honestly and I dont feel I should be personally attacked but thats cool. I understand that most Prince fans are really miserable so this site can have my account. This is my last post so CYA!!

SDNafka said:

GustavoRibas said:

Question for those who attended the concert. I m aware that Andy Mc Kee performed at the aftershow, but how is he playing on the regular concerts? Does he perform only during an acoustic set? If so, Prince plays with him or only sings?

So far Andy has been most prominent in ballads like Purple Rain and Sometimes it Snows in April. During the first concert Andy appeared on stage before anyone else and played a short acoustic version of Purple Rain before the opening bars of Gold we played and Prince appeared. Prince and Andy also stood together and "jammed" for a while (Prince on a clean sounding electric guitar) on the intro to Sometimes it Snows in April. Andy didn't feature so much in the second show because it was generally a bit more of an up-tempo affair.

I was at or close to ground level for both concerts so I couldn't easily see into the band "pit" (in the circle part of the symbol stage) to see how often Andy is part of the band for the funkier stuff.

- Thanks for the info. What a shame. Andy´s playing is kind of ´funky´ for an acoustic. I was hoping to hear him performing something more interesting with Prince than the intro of PR and SISIA.

dandeeland said:

wow I did not mean to piss all of you off. I have decided that this site is not for me and I have officially requested to close my account. Just too much personal attacking here. Like I said I did not like the show but its all good as 2 shows out of 25 means 23 greast shows. So what!!?? I did not like a show. I spoke honestly and I dont feel I should be personally attacked but thats cool. I understand that most Prince fans are really miserable so this site can have my account. This is my last post so CYA!!

You should have used the report button.

dandeeland said:

wow I did not mean to piss all of you off. I have decided that this site is not for me and I have officially requested to close my account. Just too much personal attacking here. Like I said I did not like the show but its all good as 2 shows out of 25 means 23 greast shows. So what!!?? I did not like a show. I spoke honestly and I dont feel I should be personally attacked but thats cool. I understand that most Prince fans are really miserable so this site can have my account. This is my last post so CYA!!

Firstly you didn't piss everyone off. A handful of people replied, leaving the majority not particularly bothered by your comments. I've made negative comments about some of Prince's albums in the past and recieved criticism...people here have different opinions and if they don't like yours they'll tell you...so what...welcome to planet Earth!...we hope you'll have a lovely time here, not having everyone agree with you.

Secondly, we, the people of the united states of Australia (and Queensland), only get to see Prince once a decade or so, if we're lucky. We know he'll play alot of "old favourites" 'cos that's what alot of casual Prince fans, who will go to a concert every ten years or so, will want to hear. And that's fine. The more hardcore fans might hope for some rare gems but are generally just grateful to have the guy here. So when you're kinda high on getting your once-in-a-decade chance to see your favourite musician play, having someone, who's been in the fortunate position of being able to see 25 concerts, post the equivalent of "yawn.....booooring" is kind of annoying. If you rain on people's parade's they might very well piss on yours...and that's OK...no one's saying you're a child molsetor or a member of the Nazi party.

Lighten up...relax...someone pass the bong down this end of the couch please!

[Edited 5/14/12 20:20pm]

stillwaiting said:

catpark said:

^ I agree, Prince plays the hits because thats what the majority of audience wants. when there is like 20,000 + at a concert, the hardcore fans that have seen him multiple times only make up a very small percent of the goers, he has to cater for the masses, this is not hard to figure out and its been like this for years this nothing new. Still not sure why hardcore fans are still bitching about it, you knew what to expect in all honesty, you knew he was gonna play the hits. Prince can't be what you personally want him to be. If you don't like what hes playing then don't go. Simple tings. 10s and 1,000 of others who are delighted with his concerts.

I am a huge fan of several other artists. On the fan sites for the other artists, nobody is complaining about singing over a tape for a sampler set, and nobody is complaining about background singers shouting Put Your Hands Up too much. Why? Because nobody else pulls this lame shit!!!! Because those other artsits perform their hits in full length versions, and their singers sing all the lead vocals.

I do see some minor bickering on other artists sites about setlists, etc...but Prince takes major shortcuts and doesn't do as much as he can. I will admit that in 2011, it was the first tour where every show I went to was under 2 hours.

Like I always say, there are 3 types of Prince fans:

1. Prince is so wonderful...everything he does is wonderful. I really hope Shelby sings lead on ten songs tonight, and want Larry Graham and Tony M to be there!

2. Prince is horrible. The show was the worst piece of garbage I have ever seen.

3. Prince did great on some songs, and totally went through the motions on some others. He is truly amazing at times, and sometimes I shook my head as I heard so many cover songs.

I am a type 3, and proud of it. I could hardly understand thinking everything was great or everything was horrible. Shhh and Anotherloverholenyohead are almost always amazing. Shelby is almost always annoying. She's full of talent, but Prince misuses her by far.

My post was about May 11th show and him playing the hits, your talking about other things like other shows you've went to and didnt like, and if you don't like Shelby thats up to you. Nobody is going to like everything that Prince does, to generalize fans like that is silly, you dont know what people have been up to, what they know, how they see things and what they really think etc just by words online.

As I've said my post(and this thread) is about the may 11th show, and people moaning about the hits. like all his other shows, it was clearly stated in the advertising that it was a hits tour.

dandeeland said:

wow I did not mean to piss all of you off. I have decided that this site is not for me and I have officially requested to close my account. Just too much personal attacking here. Like I said I did not like the show but its all good as 2 shows out of 25 means 23 greast shows. So what!!?? I did not like a show. I spoke honestly and I dont feel I should be personally attacked but thats cool. I understand that most Prince fans are really miserable so this site can have my account. This is my last post so CYA!!

Awww dont close your account! you didnt piss anyone off, its just opinons. I'm sorry, I didnt mean to make you feel like that. you have every right to be here and say your opinion like everyone even if people dont agree with you and you dont agree with them. You went to the concert and thats how you felt cool. Dont close your account! I feel bad now!

catpark said:

My post was about May 11th show and him playing the hits, your talking about other things like other shows you've went to and didnt like, and if you don't like Shelby thats up to you. Nobody is going to like everything that Prince does, to generalize fans like that is silly, you dont know what people have been up to, what they know, how they see things and what they really think etc just by words online.

As I've said my post(and this thread) is about the may 11th show, and people moaning about the hits. like all his other shows, it was clearly stated in the advertising that it was a hits tour.

My post is mainly about Prince's current tour and the current band. There have not been any significant changes from the shows I saw in 2011, which makes my criticism relevant. If you truly enjoy Shelby yelling "Put Your Hands Up" 100 times a night, that's fine. I would have no problem with the hits if they were all full length versions with Prince actually singing all the lyrics. Instead, he has Shelby singing too much, and shouting crowd hype up crap too much, and way too many cover songs. For the few shows he does over 2 hours, he didn't care enough to do any for the 6 I went to. If I had gone to only 1 or 2, maybe I just went to the wrong ones. When you go to 6, and all 6 leave something to be desired, it is more than ok to bitch a bit.

There were some positives:

When Prince sings with passion, and doesn't involve Shelby too much, there can be some great bright spots:

Anotherloverholenyohead, Scandalous, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Guitar, DMSR, Pop Life...

these are examples of Prince kicking ass, and I'm happy I got to see them.

Still, there was enough of Shelby's crap to weaken concerts that ranged from 1hr 40 min to 1 hr 55 min. What is really sad, is she is talented, but having her shout all the time is a horrible waste of talent.

Most artists put the same passion and effort into every single show. With Prince, I paid $125 to $324 for each show, and all 6 were a little lacking. Not bad shows, but obvious warts each night.

When he goes to Los Angeles and plays a 3 hour show for $20, it's like he feels he is too good to give a super show in a smaller city.

These conversations about the set list are always interesting. (And kind of pointless cos Prince can and will do what he thinks he should do).

For me, I would rather that he didn't play Nothing compares to you and no medleys or sampler set.

I understand he plays these to let people know he wrote them, and show just how many catchy tunes he has produced.

But I would prefer 3 full songs over 15 minutes, instead of 15 lines from different choruses.

I don't think he'll change now and I don't expect him to. I'm just indicating my preference.

I'd be especially happy if he would ditch Nothing compares to you. I first saw this with the video clip by Sinead O'Connor and will always prefer her version. I just want to cry in her version.

I don't like the harmony or the drums hitting every beat in Prince's version.

I understand he wrote it. Most songs that Prince wrote I prefer to hear Prince perform. But this is not one of them. I felt the same way in the Sydney concert 10 years ago.

Kind of like how I only want to hear Jimi Hendrix's version of Along the watchtower. I'm not interested in the original Bob Dylan version. (And I'm happy to admit there are many Bob Dylan songs that are brilliant, but usually when someone else performed them.)

Funny thing is that I think at the end of Take me with U on Sat 12 May Prince asked the crowd to sing "nah nah nah nah nah nah" from ACDC's Thunderstruck. I don't think anyone noticed that he was referencing an Aussie tune in an attempt to engage Aussie audiences. Nice of him to try, but many Aussies who listen to ACDC are tone deaf and wouldn't have been there anyway. (I don't want to encourage Prince to sing anyone else's songs, especially not Australian music. If I wanted to hear Aussie music I would turn on the radio.)

There are plenty of other oldies that would be fun - Rock hard in a funky place, Vicki waiting - but I doubt I'll hear these live.

There are some newer songs that I think people would enjoy eg Lavaux, Lolita, Love. He has plenty of funky/groovy stuff. But people like to hear what they know. Jimi Hendrix was frustrated cos he wanted to play the new tunes and people just wanted the hits.

But you got to please the masses, especially if you do a stadium tour.

astone said:

These conversations about the set list are always interesting. (And kind of pointless cos Prince can and will do what he thinks he should do).

For me, I would rather that he didn't play Nothing compares to you and no medleys or sampler set.

I understand he plays these to let people know he wrote them, and show just how many catchy tunes he has produced.

But I would prefer 3 full songs over 15 minutes, instead of 15 lines from different choruses.

I don't think he'll change now and I don't expect him to. I'm just indicating my preference.

I'd be especially happy if he would ditch Nothing compares to you. I first saw this with the video clip by Sinead O'Connor and will always prefer her version. I just want to cry in her version.

I don't like the harmony or the drums hitting every beat in Prince's version.

I understand he wrote it. Most songs that Prince wrote I prefer to hear Prince perform. But this is not one of them. I felt the same way in the Sydney concert 10 years ago.

Kind of like how I only want to hear Jimi Hendrix's version of Along the watchtower. I'm not interested in the original Bob Dylan version. (And I'm happy to admit there are many Bob Dylan songs that are brilliant, but usually when someone else performed them.)

Funny thing is that I think at the end of Take me with U on Sat 12 May Prince asked the crowd to sing "nah nah nah nah nah nah" from ACDC's Thunderstruck. I don't think anyone noticed that he was referencing an Aussie tune in an attempt to engage Aussie audiences. Nice of him to try, but many Aussies who listen to ACDC are tone deaf and wouldn't have been there anyway. (I don't want to encourage Prince to sing anyone else's songs, especially not Australian music. If I wanted to hear Aussie music I would turn on the radio.)

There are plenty of other oldies that would be fun - Rock hard in a funky place, Vicki waiting - but I doubt I'll hear these live.

There are some newer songs that I think people would enjoy eg Lavaux, Lolita, Love. He has plenty of funky/groovy stuff. But people like to hear what they know. Jimi Hendrix was frustrated cos he wanted to play the new tunes and people just wanted the hits.

But you got to please the masses, especially if you do a stadium tour.

Good comments.

I don't agree on the sampler set. I figure its the only way I'll get to hear him sing "Hot Thing" live (live vocals...not live band). And alot of those tunes sound better in their original stripped-down form, rather than played by the full band. But that's just my preference...1 minute of "Hot Thing" si better than none.

I agree with you about "Nothing Compares 2 U". The Sinead version is so much better. It sounds too cheesy when he turns it into a duet with Rosie Gaines or Shelby. I wish he'd drop it too, or, at the most, include a few bars of a minimalist Sinead-like version in the sampler set.

I noticed the AC/DC thing too. From what I've gathered over the years, Prince is quite an AC/DC fan. I remember Michael B saying he was particularly fond of "Thunderstruck". Its interesting to note that the "Symbol" album was recorded just a couple of years after the single "Thunderstruck" came out, and that the chanting at the beginning of "My Name is Prince" is quite similar to the chanting at the start of "Thunderstruck"...coincidence?...I think not (Members of the Org have probably made that observation before).

MoonRysen said:

lust said:

Dmsr Pop life. Musicology Shhh Take me with u Raspberry beret Cream Cool(don't stop till you get enough) Lets work U got the look. The one (the question of u intro) Days of wild prince on bass(if a woman ever said I did, she's a big old liar and I'm a set up kid) (wild and loose interpolation) Piano medley Adore Diamonds and pearls The beautiful ones How come u don't call me anymore Nothing compares 2 U Controversy Purple rain (120 minutes) (8 minute break) Kiss (Sampler set) When doves cry Nasty girls Sign o the times Alphabet st Darling Nikki Pheremone Hot thing Dance 4 me Shocadelika Forever in my life Tmbgitw I would die 4 U Let's go crazy Delirious 2hr 30 mins Inc break.

Australia gets Days of Wild

Anybody get a video of this?

[Edited 5/16/12 15:15pm]

SDNafka said:

astone said:

These conversations about the set list are always interesting. (And kind of pointless cos Prince can and will do what he thinks he should do).

For me, I would rather that he didn't play Nothing compares to you and no medleys or sampler set.

I understand he plays these to let people know he wrote them, and show just how many catchy tunes he has produced.

But I would prefer 3 full songs over 15 minutes, instead of 15 lines from different choruses.

I don't think he'll change now and I don't expect him to. I'm just indicating my preference.

I'd be especially happy if he would ditch Nothing compares to you. I first saw this with the video clip by Sinead O'Connor and will always prefer her version. I just want to cry in her version.

I don't like the harmony or the drums hitting every beat in Prince's version.

I understand he wrote it. Most songs that Prince wrote I prefer to hear Prince perform. But this is not one of them. I felt the same way in the Sydney concert 10 years ago.

Kind of like how I only want to hear Jimi Hendrix's version of Along the watchtower. I'm not interested in the original Bob Dylan version. (And I'm happy to admit there are many Bob Dylan songs that are brilliant, but usually when someone else performed them.)

Funny thing is that I think at the end of Take me with U on Sat 12 May Prince asked the crowd to sing "nah nah nah nah nah nah" from ACDC's Thunderstruck. I don't think anyone noticed that he was referencing an Aussie tune in an attempt to engage Aussie audiences. Nice of him to try, but many Aussies who listen to ACDC are tone deaf and wouldn't have been there anyway. (I don't want to encourage Prince to sing anyone else's songs, especially not Australian music. If I wanted to hear Aussie music I would turn on the radio.)

There are plenty of other oldies that would be fun - Rock hard in a funky place, Vicki waiting - but I doubt I'll hear these live.

There are some newer songs that I think people would enjoy eg Lavaux, Lolita, Love. He has plenty of funky/groovy stuff. But people like to hear what they know. Jimi Hendrix was frustrated cos he wanted to play the new tunes and people just wanted the hits.

But you got to please the masses, especially if you do a stadium tour.

Good comments.

I don't agree on the sampler set. I figure its the only way I'll get to hear him sing "Hot Thing" live (live vocals...not live band). And alot of those tunes sound better in their original stripped-down form, rather than played by the full band. But that's just my preference...1 minute of "Hot Thing" si better than none.

I agree with you about "Nothing Compares 2 U". The Sinead version is so much better. It sounds too cheesy when he turns it into a duet with Rosie Gaines or Shelby. I wish he'd drop it too, or, at the most, include a few bars of a minimalist Sinead-like version in the sampler set.

I noticed the AC/DC thing too. From what I've gathered over the years, Prince is quite an AC/DC fan. I remember Michael B saying he was particularly fond of "Thunderstruck". Its interesting to note that the "Symbol" album was recorded just a couple of years after the single "Thunderstruck" came out, and that the chanting at the beginning of "My Name is Prince" is quite similar to the chanting at the start of "Thunderstruck"...coincidence?...I think not (Members of the Org have probably made that observation before).

i think it's a matter of what u heard first, whether it's the family's version, sinead's or prince's that some like better. i'm more of a fan of the family and can't stand sinead's version cause she turns some notes flat instead of natural.

but yes it's time 2 retire nothing compares 2 u and leave it 2 fdeluxe now

SDNafka said:

I don't agree on the sampler set. I figure its the only way I'll get to hear him sing "Hot Thing" live (live vocals...not live band). And alot of those tunes sound better in their original stripped-down form, rather than played by the full band. But that's just my preference...1 minute of "Hot Thing" si better than none.

I agree with you about "Nothing Compares 2 U". The Sinead version is so much better. It sounds too cheesy when he turns it into a duet with Rosie Gaines or Shelby. I wish he'd drop it too, or, at the most, include a few bars of a minimalist Sinead-like version in the sampler set.

I noticed the AC/DC thing too. From what I've gathered over the years, Prince is quite an AC/DC fan. I remember Michael B saying he was particularly fond of "Thunderstruck". Its interesting to note that the "Symbol" album was recorded just a couple of years after the single "Thunderstruck" came out, and that the chanting at the beginning of "My Name is Prince" is quite similar to the chanting at the start of "Thunderstruck"...coincidence?...I think not (Members of the Org have probably made that observation before).

Prince an AC/DC fan? I wouldn't have guessed it. Then again there is the guitar playing and the scream-singing. So what would Prince wear to an AC/DC concert?

The other thing about Nothing Compares 2 U is that I don't think Prince was playing it in his live set before the Sinead O'Connor version made the song super famous. And when I speak to ordinary people who went to the concert they all wonder why Prince would sing a Sinead O'Connor song, and you tell them Prince wrote it, and they are very surprised.

I understand Prince wants to reclaim it, but it's been 10 yrs and most people still think Prince is covering a Sinead O'Connor song, so it would be best just to let it go.

There are plenty of other songs fans would love Prince to perform live. Maybe try something from a more recent album - get it out there. The big shame about the recent albums is that there are many songs that we’ll never hear performed live.

The other thing about Nothing Compares 2 U is that I don't think Prince was playing it in his live set before the Sinead O'Connor version made the song super famous. And when I speak to ordinary people who went to the concert they all wonder why Prince would sing a Sinead O'Connor song, and you tell them Prince wrote it, and they are very surprised.

I understand Prince wants to reclaim it, but it's been 10 yrs and most people still think Prince is covering a Sinead O'Connor song, so it would be best just to let it go.

There are plenty of other songs fans would love Prince to perform live. Maybe try something from a more recent album - get it out there. The big shame about the recent albums is that there are many songs that we’ll never hear performed live.

I think its part of his"Too many hits" thing... he likes to remind people he is responsible for hits other than his own, Love Thy Will Be Done, Manic Monday, Nothing Compares 2 U.

Also because he has stated he likes female vocalists and 20 years ago it was him and Rosie, now its Shelby, but he does love the female lead vocals.

Its about instantly recognizable songs for the masses...

But I agree, "we get it Prince... now let it go... enough already"

took my 12 year old son.. he totally loved it..appreciated what real music is..

beatriceau said:

I went on Saturday and loved it, loved it loved it! I was a fan when I was young and then lost my way, drowning in motherhood and listening to the wiggles and whatever my multiple kids enjoyed! On Saturday I left the arena feeling like I was a teenager again! Happier than I've been in over a decade!!

You guys that have heard purple rain so many times you are sick of it confuse me! Don't you know how exceedingly fortunate you are? Would you really deny us less fortunate from hearing the songs we are nostalgic about, just once? The man in front of me was praying, chanting 'dearly beloved, dearly beloved, dearly beloved...' for almost the whole concert and then he and his wife embraced when it came on and he went crazy! I want to thank prince for my best night EVER and also for playing for everyone! Please don't leave it so long next time!

Great story, it's true that too many people lack empathy for the less fortunate fans out there..

beatriceau said:

During the concert he said he'd like to play the opera house one day, do you think he meant it or just wanted a reaction? I hope it means hell come back sooner as my hubby wont let me go to two concerts on the same tour as its "too extravagant"! I'm devastated as I live a ten minute walk from Sydney arena! Also he encouraged everyone to go and see a certain singer and I didn't quite catch it! Does anyone know who he said?

Hey Beatrice....You are woman, let's hear you roar! Don't take that sh*t. Tell hubby you're going tomorrow night and if he doesn't like it, well he knows what he can do.....or just tell him you're going for a walk.....a long walk.

At that concert Prince suggested we go see Janelle Monae. She is fantastic....check her out on youtube.

One more thing. Don't be too hard on us orgers. Its only a small percentage who complain about hearing Purple Rain for the thousandth time...there are alot of members here. Most of us are more than happy to hear it if we get to see Prince live.

[Edited 5/20/12 21:08pm]

SDNafka said:

beatriceau said:

I'm a bit late posting this as I'm new and had to wait my 5 days! At 40 it's my first experience of any fan site and I'm quite shocked that this is a ' harshest critic site' and I was becoming increasingly nervous about posting incase I get my head bitten off! I went on Saturday and loved it, loved it loved it! I was a fan when I was young and then lost my way, drowning in motherhood and listening to the wiggles and whatever my multiple kids enjoyed! On Saturday I left the arena feeling like I was a teenager again! Happier than I've been in over a decade!! You guys that have heard purple rain so many times you are sick of it confuse me! Don't you know how exceedingly fortunate you are? Would you really deny us less fortunate from hearing the songs we are nostalgic about, just once? The man in front of me was praying, chanting 'dearly beloved, dearly beloved, dearly beloved...' for almost the whole concert and then he and his wife embraced when it came on and he went crazy! I want to thank prince for my best night EVER and also for playing for everyone! Please don't leave it so long next time!

I can completely relate! I was a fan in the 90s, then I lost track of everything around '96-97 (I went to law school in '97, got married, worked crazy hours, then started having kids). I have 3 now, and I KNOW about listening to the Wiggles, over and over and over again. I "remembered" Prince again when I happened to catch him on Lopez Tonight promoting his 21-nite-stand in L.A., but my 3rd baby was born April 18. His early 90s concerts that I caught had NO "hits." So I've NEVER experienced "Purple Rain" or "Let's Go Crazy" live. I'm kinda tired too of "drowning in motherhood," as you say, and I realized that I needed to rekindle my old self, my old hobbies and interests. In 2012 I've gone to two concerts so far, and I'm going to see Van Halen on June 2. I play piano and 2 orchestral instruments, but I've always wanted to play guitar, so I bought one and will start lessons this summer. And I decided it's OK to play some music that I really want to hear in the car sometimes - not just the Wiggles and nursery songs!

LCD99 said:

On a side note, when he wore that sleeveless top for KISS, did anyone notice his arms? He has either been hitting the gym hard or has really packed some pounds..

Oh Yeah!!!! I noticed I think it's both, You gotta have some fat if you want muscle!!! Pics of him working out would be cool!!!