Prince mania hits Melbourne
Erin Michael
May 31, 2012 12:00AM

UPDATE: POLICE helped escort music legend Prince to Melbourne's The Hi-Fi bar this morning as he attended his farewell after-party.

Mad fans waited in line for four hours to catch a glimpse of the pop icon. Despite the wait in the cold, many did not make it inside the The Hi-Fi bar and only saw the man-of-moment from the street as he made his way into the venue.

“Did not get into the Prince after party, despite the 4 hour wait in the line. Did, however, catch a watch him run from the car to the hifi,” one fan tweeted. But some were not impressed with Prince’s short visit to the nightspot where he did not perform.

“Back home after a long wait in the cold for nothing really except Prince skimping through to the hifi,” another punter tweeted.

Prince in Melbourne
Prince arrived at 3am with Victoria Police officers escorting the singer into the venue. Hundreds of people had queued up outside the Swanston St venue and snaked down Collins St for the chance to be at the hottest party in town.

Ticket-holders eagerly dished out the $25 entry fee to the inner-city venue and most were optimistic their beloved purple-clad pop icon would make a special appearance.

Prince in Melbourne
Sydney’s Ally Lee, 29 has spent the last few weeks chasing the Purple One around the country, catching both his Brisbane shows and three in Sydney as well as last night’s second Melbourne gig.

“I’m truly blessed that he’s around in my era. We’re all so lucky to be on the planet at the same time as someone like him,” she said while lining up along Collins St.

“The first time I heard Purple Rain, I was hooked. “I’ve been in the Purple Circle three times. At one gig he actually looked at me and when he saw me he did this crazy hand gesture. I couldn’t believe it.”But she said the multiple trips had paid off. “I met my now husband at one show; it ended up being like our first date,” she said.

Fan Luna Aquatica, 25, said she missed out on tickets to Prince’s Melbourne concerts, but she was braving the cold because she believed the singer would still rock up and please the people. “I’m a huge fan…I love (songs) Erotic City, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Cream. “I want to see him because he’s simply the best. He’s stylish, he’s fabulous and he’s still got it.”

The notoriously private singer treated an intimate crowd to a secret gig at Bennett's Lane on Tuesday morning with the party not slowing down until after 4.30am.

PHOTOS: Concert shot of Prince. Luna Aquatica and Stevie queue up to see Prince in action in Melbourne's CBD. Line for Prince at HiFi. Police keep fans at bay as Prince arrives at The Hi-Fi bar.

(Article only accessible to subscribers)

PRINCE PERFORMS IN MELBOURNE. PICTURE: WHITEVERVE SUPPLIED

THE LINE FOR PRINCE ON SWANSTON ST. PICTURE: TWITPIC.COM/9R1XL2

POLICE KEEP FANS AT BAY AS PRINCE ARRIVES AT THE HI-FI BAR. CREDIT: PIC.TWITTER.COM/LNLPDY0C

[Edited 5/30/12 16:08pm]

I love how 6 months ago you tell someone you're a Prince fan and their answer is "Prince???... Has he even done anything in 20 years?". Now everyone's a massive fan and talking about aftershows. Oh well, I suppose it'll just be until the next "cool" thing comes along.

Bring back the NPG Music Club, so next time we dont have to worry about a gazillion people lining up to get into aftershows. We can just flash our wristband and walk in, like we did in 2003!!!

AltonH1972 said:

I love how 6 months ago you tell someone you're a Prince fan and their answer is "Prince???... Has he even done anything in 20 years?". Now everyone's a massive fan and talking about aftershows. Oh well, I suppose it'll just be until the next "cool" thing comes along.

Bring back the NPG Music Club, so next time we dont have to worry about a gazillion people lining up to get into aftershows. We can just flash our wristband and walk in, like we did in 2003!!!

Wow that sounds wayyyy cooler

AltonH1972 said:

I love how 6 months ago you tell someone you're a Prince fan and their answer is "Prince???... Has he even done anything in 20 years?". Now everyone's a massive fan and talking about aftershows. Oh well, I suppose it'll just be until the next "cool" thing comes along.

Bring back the NPG Music Club, so next time we dont have to worry about a gazillion people lining up to get into aftershows. We can just flash our wristband and walk in, like we did in 2003!!!

Loved how I stood in line for hours with people who did not go to ANY of the main concerts, DID not have any favourite Prince songs and DID not know who any of the band were !!!!!!!!! and I still did not get in to HiFi !!!!!

Was good I did not I got most of the band to sign my Tour book on their way out

Oh and Rashida looked soooooo beautiful standing close - WOW

[Edited 5/30/12 20:02pm]

gollygirl said:

AltonH1972 said:

I love how 6 months ago you tell someone you're a Prince fan and their answer is "Prince???... Has he even done anything in 20 years?". Now everyone's a massive fan and talking about aftershows. Oh well, I suppose it'll just be until the next "cool" thing comes along.

Bring back the NPG Music Club, so next time we dont have to worry about a gazillion people lining up to get into aftershows. We can just flash our wristband and walk in, like we did in 2003!!!

Wow that sounds wayyyy cooler

It was!... wayyyyyyy cooler!!!. $500 ticket got you into the soundcheck, pre-show party, 1st 10 rows (or whatever it was) of the main show and entry into the aftershow. And you got to meet a great bunch of people, 'cos everyone who had music club tickets were there together at all these events!

does you have any photos of my daughter on stage or video or know where to get it?? thank you so much, she was also at the after party

AltonH1972 said:

gollygirl said:

Wow that sounds wayyyy cooler

It was!... wayyyyyyy cooler!!!. $500 ticket got you into the soundcheck, pre-show party, 1st 10 rows (or whatever it was) of the main show and entry into the aftershow. And you got to meet a great bunch of people, 'cos everyone who had music club tickets were there together at all these events!

This WAS the best ticket in the house!

This time around I wanted to see all 3 shows in Melbourne so I chose not to buy any Purcle seats as I wouldnt be able to afford it.

So I saw all shows from affar, which was great for viewing purposes, but nothing beats being close to the front on the main stage.

And yes seeing spaced out Uni students taking up precious space in the line for the afterparty WAS irritating.

Oh well.

http://www.triplem.com.au/melbourne/shows/hot-breakfast-eddie-mcguire/blog/thousands-queue-for-the-prince-official-after-party-at-the-hifi-bar-in-melbourne/20120531-gf1w.html

and also this

Prince Chaos Hits The Streets Of Melbourne

by Tim Cashmere on May 31, 2012

DJ Rashida had announced the official after party taking place at the Hi-Fi bar at around 8pm with a tweet saying “Shows about 2 start.I hope u r here b/c Prince & the NPG r leaving it all on this stage 2nite..We will b celebrating after @HI-FI join us” which set the wheels in motion. By 9pm the line had already reached a hefty length and by the time doors had opened at midnight, the line stretched down Collins Street past the Novotel.

Those who did make it in were treated to a performance from a local instrumental funk band who managed to not mention their name once throughout their entire set. Their sound managed to impress the crowd enough to save them from what many had assumed was an inevitable lynching from an audience desperate to be a part of one of Prince’s now-legendary after-show parties.

After they had played, fans shook their booties to records spun by DJ Rashida and the little purple one himself.

Later in the night when people had begun to give up hope of a live show, the star of the night ran down the stairs escorted by security only to be harassed by now very drunk fans who sent him running back up the stairs to the safety of the VIP area. It wasn’t long after this when security was shouting at those of us standing near the stairs that Prince had left the building.

While all of this was happening inside, a hefty police presence had taken control outside to keep the thousands of disgruntled fans who were trying to beat down the doors at bay.

It wasn’t a good night to be in the city, unfortunately.

It would have been amazing to see Prince play on that stage last night, but did that drunken, obnoxious, slightly aggressive and filled to the brim with an overt sense of entitlement crowd deserve it? Hell no.

Prince, Welcome 2 Australia. We hope it won’t take you nine years to come back.

flyorra said:

http://www.triplem.com.au/melbourne/shows/hot-breakfast-eddie-mcguire/blog/thousands-queue-for-the-prince-official-after-party-at-the-hifi-bar-in-melbourne/20120531-gf1w.html

and also this

Prince Chaos Hits The Streets Of Melbourne

by Tim Cashmere on May 31, 2012

Prince’s Hi-Fi Bar after party turned Melbourne’s Swanston Street into chaos with punters lining up for hours to get into a show that might, or might not, have been happening.

DJ Rashida had announced the official after party taking place at the Hi-Fi bar at around 8pm with a tweet saying “Shows about 2 start.I hope u r here b/c Prince & the NPG r leaving it all on this stage 2nite..We will b celebrating after @HI-FI join us” which set the wheels in motion. By 9pm the line had already reached a hefty length and by the time doors had opened at midnight, the line stretched down Collins Street past the Novotel.

Those who did make it in were treated to a performance from a local instrumental funk band who managed to not mention their name once throughout their entire set. Their sound managed to impress the crowd enough to save them from what many had assumed was an inevitable lynching from an audience desperate to be a part of one of Prince’s now-legendary after-show parties.

After they had played, fans shook their booties to records spun by DJ Rashida and the little purple one himself.

Later in the night when people had begun to give up hope of a live show, the star of the night ran down the stairs escorted by security only to be harassed by now very drunk fans who sent him running back up the stairs to the safety of the VIP area. It wasn’t long after this when security was shouting at those of us standing near the stairs that Prince had left the building.

While all of this was happening inside, a hefty police presence had taken control outside to keep the thousands of disgruntled fans who were trying to beat down the doors at bay.

It wasn’t a good night to be in the city, unfortunately.

It would have been amazing to see Prince play on that stage last night, but did that drunken, obnoxious, slightly aggressive and filled to the brim with an overt sense of entitlement crowd deserve it? Hell no.

Prince, Welcome 2 Australia. We hope it won’t take you nine years to come back.

I wouldn't play a note under those circumstances either.

I think we can safely say Prince performing at HiFi Melb on 30/31 May was unlikely.

Consider the tweets sent out by DJ Rashida...

RASHIDA ‏@DJRASHIDA

30 May At start of show tweeted...

Shows about 2 start.I hope u r here b/c Prince & the NPG r leaving it all on this stage 2nite..We will b celebrating after @Hi-FI join us

And shortly after re-tweeted someone else's tweet

Inner City Kitchen ‏@crystal_ICK

@DJRASHIDA Sad to hear that NPG will not be playing again tonight but I am looking forward to whatever the night brings at Hi Fi!!

And Rashida later tweeted...

Just a Party NPG style !!! RT @nikki3kids @crystal_ICK @djrashida NPG aren't playin at hi-fi? Just partying?

Compare this to the other tweets for Afterjams (and keep an eye out for "after jam" -which I now take to mean the band will play)

11 May - RASHIDA retweeted this from drfunkenberry ‏@drfunkenberry - the Official @Prince_NPG afterjam with @djrashida May 12th At Ivy

11 May - RASHIDA retweeted this from Prince ‏@Prince_NPG - The Official afterjam May 12th at Ivy hosted by @djrashida

18 May - 2nite!Prince NPG & me on the 1s & 2s..OFFICIAL AFTER JAM At The Hi-Fi Brisbane Tickets $100 $ Doors Only!! 11:30 pm come funk wit us! <3

26 May - Prince concert is goin off right now!! Yall ready 4 an AFTER JAM?? Well u got ur Wish Eaton Hotel Grand Ballroom 100$ at the door ..

26 May - Prince & the NPG official after jam with me on the 1's & 2's Eaton Hotel Grand Ballroom 100$ at the door .. <3 c u there ..

29 May - This just in .. Prince on stage @ bennetts lane jazz club <Melbourne 2nite! 200$ @ door *secret show* just starting .. <3 (this was announced at 1.30am Tues morning. I personally think the Bennets lane jazz club happened because there was a bit of a break between Saturday's Brisbane concert on 26 May and Wednesday's Melbourne concert on 30 May and Prince just suddenly felt like it.)

Also drfunkenberry ‏@drfunkenberry re-tweeted this from the venue HiFi for the after party for May 30...

The Hi-Fi (Aus) ‏@The_HiFi

MELBOURNE TONIGHT: @Prince_NPG Official Thank You Australia Party At The Hi-Fi. Doors at midnight $25:

The 30 May event after the main gig was described as Official Thank You Australia Party.

Also notice the price difference - $100-$200 for the afterjams or shows where the band and Prince would perform.

(Yes, you have to be Sherlock Holmes to spot the differences, but they are there. I point them out in case we need to know next time - if there is a next time in a Twitter-infested world. ).

Please note Melbourne that I think you had Prince on stage on 15 May performing more songs because there was no afterjam. At the Ivy afterjam the stand out performances were ICNTTPOYM and Dreamer, and I believe he played both on 14 May and ICNTTPOYM on 15 May. (I'm sure the setting was better than the Ivy. At the Ivy we only got guitar on Dreamer - no vocals).

And in case you want more, on 15 May at the Melbourne concert the following was tweeted by (Prince is being quoted I think)

Prince Live ‏@welcome2aus

"Where's the Afterparty? Wherever it is Take Me With U" Big tease!!!

And much later during the concert

Prince Live ‏@welcome2aus

"Damara bring some dancers on stage the Afterparty has begun" lol

So I think perhaps Prince considered the many extra encores on 15 May to be a kind of afterjam...

Check

http://www.princevault.co.../Main_Page

for setlists and it indicates the length of show on 14 May was 130 mins, 15 May was 160 mins.

I think the energy and vibe of the crowd is so important to these aftershows.

Look at the Brisbane HiFi show, it was a Friday night, so no work int he morning, but the main concert was subdued...the aftershow was good, but the crowd wasn't on fire. He played for just over an hour and everyone went home happy. Happy but not ecstatic.

Fast forward to the Brisbane Eatons Hill show...Sat night, so no work the next day, the main crowd was very energetic. Prince came and played..starting at 2:20ish (after the bar had closed!) After the first jam, Shelby asked the crowd to put away their phones and cameras and the NPG would play all night. The phones went away (seriously, 99% of them did at least!)...and they played an epic aftershow until 4:55am...and the Sun was nearly up! The crowd were mostly sober, and sobered up even more as time went on, and everyone was right into the groove with the band. It was a hundred times better than even the excellent HiFi show the previous week. Everyone went home buzzing. And most people who were there are still buzzing!

Eatons Hill is also a bit of bugger to get to at that time of night/morning, so people going are more likely to be dedicated fans. There weren't many people there who hadn't been at the main concert or were wearing some sort of Prince clothing. I think the non-city centre location really helped create some magic.

If the crowd treat Prince and his band with respect, and appreciate any show they give them, then the band feeds from this and gives it right back. It sounds, unfortunately, as if there was an element in the crowd last night that didn't have any respect, and probably weren't there as fans, they were just there to witness the whole celebrity. The same sounds true of the Ivy show. The two shows which have been raved about, the Bennets Lane one and the Eatons Hill one are the ones which seemed to have been fileld with most real fans and it has shown in the performances given, and the enjoyment they created.

FunkmasterF said:

I think the energy and vibe of the crowd is so important to these aftershows.

Look at the Brisbane HiFi show, it was a Friday night, so no work int he morning, but the main concert was subdued...the aftershow was good, but the crowd wasn't on fire. He played for just over an hour and everyone went home happy. Happy but not ecstatic.

Fast forward to the Brisbane Eatons Hill show...Sat night, so no work the next day, the main crowd was very energetic. Prince came and played..starting at 2:20ish (after the bar had closed!) After the first jam, Shelby asked the crowd to put away their phones and cameras and the NPG would play all night. The phones went away (seriously, 99% of them did at least!)...and they played an epic aftershow until 4:55am...and the Sun was nearly up! The crowd were mostly sober, and sobered up even more as time went on, and everyone was right into the groove with the band. It was a hundred times better than even the excellent HiFi show the previous week. Everyone went home buzzing. And most people who were there are still buzzing!

Eatons Hill is also a bit of bugger to get to at that time of night/morning, so people going are more likely to be dedicated fans. There weren't many people there who hadn't been at the main concert or were wearing some sort of Prince clothing. I think the non-city centre location really helped create some magic.

If the crowd treat Prince and his band with respect, and appreciate any show they give them, then the band feeds from this and gives it right back. It sounds, unfortunately, as if there was an element in the crowd last night that didn't have any respect, and probably weren't there as fans, they were just there to witness the whole celebrity. The same sounds true of the Ivy show. The two shows which have been raved about, the Bennets Lane one and the Eatons Hill one are the ones which seemed to have been fileld with most real fans and it has shown in the performances given, and the enjoyment they created.

this post is spot on

DFUNK said:

After last nights Rod Laver show, there was a small crowd gathered on the balcony over looking the performers exit, all hoping to catch a glimpse of Prince leaving the venue. Certain members of this crowd were being loud, obnoxious and disrespectful to the staff and security manning the exit. It comes as no surprise that the HiFi bar had people of a similar ilk in attendance. I think some people get too wrapped up in the "celebrity" of the whole situation, and forget that Prince, his band and crew are all humans. They all deserve the same common simple respect that you should give any person. Sadly, some people seem to have this belief that celebrities are products.

FunkmasterF and you have got it right 100%

They are regular people who if you respect and treat well will give the same in return.

Eaton Hill was a bit far to get to but sharing a maxi taxi from the BEC helped cut cost as into the city.

The $100 cover charge also weeded out some of the "celebrity" chasers who I thought were in last nights line waiting to get in.

Everyone behaved, and we got a fantastic show.

Last night as the band came out I asked most of them if they had time and were able to sign my Tour Book.

Being polite and appreciative saw them all sign it.

Only Rasheda, Liv and Shelby did not, but they were directed quite quickly into the waiting car and asking them would of held them up.

When Damaris signed, a girl in the crowd asked who she was.

There were a lot of people there who did not know the band menbers.