Gerard said:

Nice to see positive reports on the 3rd night. As I have posted before this is the best way forward for Prince and does show an element of freshness in approach that we haven't seen for years.

The two NPG nights just veer back towards Vegas shows and are bloated funk. Get rid.

MobeenAzhar: Great review and such a cool experience you had! That third show is the Prince concert I've been waiting years to see. As you said, he could have stopped after the 3rd Eye part and had a happy audience, but then he just blew it out of the water with the keyboards segment. And on a personal note to you, you and your friends helped create a great atmosphere in that section of the crowd. I ran into some needlessly, weirdly aggressive people in the shows and it was such fun to have a group at the front who was just there to party and feel the music.

I do feel for those who couldn't stay for the third night, maybe would have made more sense to start the series on Thursday. Who knows why they did the schedule that way. I'm just feeling so lucky I was able to witness it and the whole progression of shows. Magnificent!

[Edited 7/17/13 8:09am]

Here's a review of the third show from the New York Post:

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/music/prince_extends_purple_reign_at_montreux_7rf04DkPlKEeg10FIPu33M

-------------

It was hard not to crush on Prince’s third, and final, performance on Monday at the 2013 Montreux Jazz Festival.

The petite virtuoso hit the stage like Jimi Hendrix incarnate — guitar in hand, smile relaxed, afro au natural. His opening number — a slow, skanking rendition of “Let’s Go Crazy” — set the tone for the first hour of the show: a heavy jam that at times evoked Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and yes, occasionally, the Grateful Dead.

His hard-rocking trio of women — a blond on drums, a brunette on guitar, a redhead on bass — appeared enthralled by the Sexy One’s presence, but had the chops to play it fast and loose.

“Do you like rock ’n’ roll?” he asked the standing-room crowd packed inside the Stravinski Auditorium. “Me too. But I like my rock ’n’ roll funky!”

Bluesy too, from the wailing guitars of “Screwdriver” (“I'm your driver, you’re my screw!”) off his upcoming album, “Plectrum Electrum,” to the funked-up riffs of “She’s Always in My Hair.”

“I love you, Switzerland!” he cried to the crowd. Then, as if to prove it, he put down his guitar and sat down at the piano for the soulful ballad “The Love We Make.”

The crowd loved him right back. And why not? While Prince’s mysterious aura is viewed as downright perplexing in the States (sample question: ”Is he still called Prince? I thought he changed his name!”), here his eccentricity is rightfully interpreted as genius.

That’s not to say the proceedings lacked levity. Prince was clearly having fun chilling out with his fellow musicians — after his opening-night gig, he hit the stage for a festival after-party at 4 a.m. And he gave good face throughout too, all wry side glances and humor.

The melancholy of “Sometimes it Snows in April” yielded to the party funk of “The Max” before wrapping up with a call-and-response chant for “Compassion” (crowd: “Compassion!” Prince: “It’s what we need!”)

The first of two encores found Prince good-naturedly laughing his way through Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music.”

But the real surprises came with his second extended return to the stage: Essentially a dance party led by Prince that brought fans, and a slew of guest musicians (including brass horns), onto the stage for a 40-minute run.

Somebody make some noise!

A jaunty hat perched on his ’fro, Prince fueled the electro beats via keyboard and sampler for ’80s classics such as “When Doves Cry,” “Sign o’ the Times” and “A Love Bizarre,” which he wrote with Sheila E.

It was an awesome display of musical fluency, and the two-hour show proved the petite Prince is still larger than life. Just like the crowd screamed: “We love you PREEENCE!”

Stranger said:

Sounds fantastic! Glad he changed the format and wish I was there rather than the day before... I hope the DVD deal is still in play and that it comes out by christmas...

Stranger

DVD Deal? which dvd-deal do u refer too?

Scotsman1999 said:

I loved the performance, but I wish I'd been front and centre. I was stopped from doing this as two people in front of me surged forward and I followed, but a lady whom they'd passed by put her arm out and prevented me from getting past her. What's up with that?

Well, maybe that's because she had been in a queue for hours and didn't want to have someone who showed up much later to get in front of her? Can't believe you have the nerves to complain about this. If you feel you should have the right of 'free movement in the crowd' then she definately has the right of free movements of her arms.

MobeenAzhar said:

He also played the song "the breakdown" or "down" or something which was on the Dakota PA tracks. I loved that song. A great start of the show, I thought I would hate 3rdeyegirl but hearing them live made it way better. The show could be perfect if he replaced the sampler set with 4 more real songs. The atmosphere at Montreux was 1000 times better than 2009 because of the great weather. We went for a swim in the lake after the show, at 23h or something, and we didn't even need a towel. Lot's of beautiful girls in there too. Won some money at the casino. In short, everything was good Really great holiday.

Oh BTW I never heard the audience being this loud in my life before as in this show, it really hurt my ears and why is this font smaller I can't change it for some reason

MISTERHANDS said:

He also played the song "the breakdown" or "down" or something which was on the Dakota PA tracks. I loved that song. A great start of the show, I thought I would hate 3rdeyegirl but hearing them live made it way better. The show could be perfect if he replaced the sampler set with 4 more real songs. The atmosphere at Montreux was 1000 times better than 2009 because of the great weather. We went for a swim in the lake after the show, at 23h or something, and we didn't even need a towel. Lot's of beautiful girls in there too. Won some money at the casino. In short, everything was good Really great holiday.

Oh BTW I never heard the audience being this loud in my life before as in this show, it really hurt my ears and why is this font smaller I can't change it for some reason

This smaller font has been happening to me, too, a lot... Glad you had a great concert experience...live is always better than bootleg...

Personally, I think the 3EG show went over better, because it's something we haven't seen Prince do in awhile. The focus is more on Prince, which I would assume most of us go and see his shows for. I don't go see him to hear countless horn players solo, 3 backup singers try to out sing him, or take over completely for that matter. I go because I hope to see the Prince that once was...inspired, not afraid to do new songs, and most of all having fun. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the NPG rehearsal I saw at Paisley Park recently, but it was anything new. He did that set at the first Welcome 2 Chicago show, minus Dark. He doesn't need to do anything with "his large band", hell there's enough people on stage to do everything for him.

Some pictures from the line on the 15th:

http://www.rts.ch/dossier...-jazz.html

olb99 said:

Some pictures from the line on the 15th:

http://www.rts.ch/dossier...-jazz.html

Hey thanks, I'm in one of those ! (although you've got to look very closely because I'm smashed between all these people)

Waiting in line was not much fun this time, I've still got the bruises to prove it and I almost suffocated waiting in front. Fortunately we we're all in the same predicament and when the DJ of the club next door saw us standing, he started to play Prince songs and we were all singing along to forget our sorrows.

The international aspect of the audience was fun though, I've spoken to many different nationalities and during the concert I was even next to a girl from the US !

mattyboyc said:

At around 19.00 everyone behind us started standing up and pushing forward, a frenzy was building up. The stampede had begun, but the gates didn't open for another hour! In fact they opened a bit late if I remember rightly. My group kept to the side fencing but found ourselves rammed against it and unable to move because they had created a bottle neck with the metal fencing, in this time loads of the queue behind us pushed through to go in front of us. My girlfriend was pushed into a metal hoop sticking out of a section of fence, It stuck right into her stomach. I have never seen such an unorganised, dangerous and chaotic entry into a concert before. To all the people that pushed past me. Well done! Whatever happened to first come first serve hey? The funk in this queue was rare........ I ain't talking about the musical kinda funk either...... I'm sorry, and I ain't saying anything or pointing any fingers here, but I had 2 showers that day and went through half a bottle of paco rabiny.....or whatever that stuff is.... pictures on my Facebook page. [Edited 7/20/13 3:35am] [Edited 7/20/13 4:47am]

Seriously? Despite Damaris telling the crowd that the show starts at 20:00 sharp, they opened the doors at 20:00 on monday, unlike the other 2 days, where they opened at 19:00? No wonder people were getting antsy at 19:00. The queing thing was the most annoying during that weekend. What is it with Montreux? When he played in Zurich you could get there 1 hour before opening and easily make it to the front. In Montreux every freak was starting to que 8 hours before the doors opened. That said, when you got there at 16:30 to 17:30 you still could get a good spot at the front, as once there was movement it basically was everyone for themselves.

[Edited 7/20/13 5:07am]

mattyboyc said:

By which time a very tall man, stood in front of me, but to the left, switched his place with his girlfriend or something. This then made a few French or Swiss guys behind him very angry. They were thumping his back, shouting, running up and pushing him. I had to put my arm across to hold them back a bit and told them to calm down. At which point a member of staff broke through and calmed the situation. In all my times of Prince gigging I've never seen anything like that. I completely missed 'guitar'..... I like 'Guitar' the crowed in my immediate vicinity seemed well informed, in very good voice, and always on cue when Prince made the call for us.

I was just right behind the "very tall man" (slightly to the right). I'm also quite tall. When they switched, I was behind his girlfriend. My wife was in front of me (so, next to the tall man's girlfriend). I think the incident took place during "The Love We Make". The couple behind the tall man and his girlfriend was very angry indeed. I was really shocked by what happened. Frightened, even. So much violence during such a lovely song... I haven't seen anything like that either. Not that this is really important, but the angry couple had an Italian accent, I would say, so they were not French or Swiss French.

[Edited 7/22/13 12:06pm]

Did Prince play most of the solos? Sounds like Donna played quite a few?

PatrickS77 said:

mattyboyc said:

At around 19.00 everyone behind us started standing up and pushing forward, a frenzy was building up. The stampede had begun, but the gates didn't open for another hour! In fact they opened a bit late if I remember rightly. My group kept to the side fencing but found ourselves rammed against it and unable to move because they had created a bottle neck with the metal fencing, in this time loads of the queue behind us pushed through to go in front of us. My girlfriend was pushed into a metal hoop sticking out of a section of fence, It stuck right into her stomach. I have never seen such an unorganised, dangerous and chaotic entry into a concert before. To all the people that pushed past me. Well done! Whatever happened to first come first serve hey? The funk in this queue was rare........ I ain't talking about the musical kinda funk either...... I'm sorry, and I ain't saying anything or pointing any fingers here, but I had 2 showers that day and went through half a bottle of paco rabiny.....or whatever that stuff is.... pictures on my Facebook page. [Edited 7/20/13 3:35am] [Edited 7/20/13 4:47am]

Seriously? Despite Damaris telling the crowd that the show starts at 20:00 sharp, they opened the doors at 20:00 on monday, unlike the other 2 days, where they opened at 19:00? No wonder people were getting antsy at 19:00. The queing thing was the most annoying during that weekend. What is it with Montreux? When he played in Zurich you could get there 1 hour before opening and easily make it to the front. In Montreux every freak was starting to que 8 hours before the doors opened. That said, when you got there at 16:30 to 17:30 you still could get a good spot at the front, as once there was movement it basically was everyone for themselves.

[Edited 7/20/13 5:07am]

THIS is why I like a seat with my ticket. I've been in the front row(ONA GlamSlam West((right next to Tupac!!)), stood for hours(Glam slam West, HOB, etc.), and enjoyed seats with my ticket(Lovesexy, ACT 1, Emancipation, Musicology). The seats win hands down everytime. Thanks to these brave Orgers, for I can live vicariously thru your GA struggles and pretend not to be the old tired fart that I am!

olb99 said:

mattyboyc said:

By which time a very tall man, stood in front of me, but to the left, switched his place with his girlfriend or something. This then made a few French or Swiss guys behind him very angry. They were thumping his back, shouting, running up and pushing him. I had to put my arm across to hold them back a bit and told them to calm down. At which point a member of staff broke through and calmed the situation. In all my times of Prince gigging I've never seen anything like that. I completely missed 'guitar'..... I like 'Guitar' the crowed in my immediate vicinity seemed well informed, in very good voice, and always on cue when Prince made the call for us.

I was just right behind the "very tall man" (slightly to the right). I'm also quite tall. When they switched, I was behind his girlfriend. My wife was in front of me (so, next to the tall man's girlfriend). I think the incident took place during "The Love We Make". The couple behind the tall man and his girlfriend was very angry indeed. I was really shocked by what happened. Frightened, even. So much violence during such a lovely song... I haven't seen anything like that either. Not that this is really important, but the angry couple had an Italian accent, I would say, so they were not French or Swiss French.

Sounds like I'm not the only one who encountered some massive negativity from some fans. For me, the fans at the first show were ok (with the exception of the crazy pushing when we were getting into the venue, that was super violent and disorganized) and the fans at the third show were chill (at least the ones near me). At both of these shows, I queued up relatively late so I was towards the front but quite off to the right of the stage. The Sunday show was a different story. The fans reminded me of a lynch mob. I had a friend come and meet me while I was in the queue and some fan who saw herself as a security officer went to town on me and was super bullying, yelling, and causing a scene. My friend was not trying to jump the queue, but even if I had been saving a place for her, she should have been able to join me in the line. Anywho, it was craycray. So I went in the show and was towards the front and some guys who saw the scene with my friend decided to physically assault me. It was horrible, they were pushing me, elbowing me in the head, and yelling at me to "stop pushing", though I was just trying my best to stand still and not let others push me. Sometime during Raspberry Beret I decided that it was too violent and I needed to get out of there. As I left I learned that one of my friends had been assaulted by another fan (he picked her up and threw her to the ground) and I asked him what happened and he went crazy and picked me up and threw me too. It was crazy horrible. Then I left the show, and as I left people were like going crazy trying to grab my spot and move up in the crowd. I ended up spending the evening with police and security, so they could monitor the dude who attached me and my friend. As he left the show the security pulled him out to bring him to the police station, and one of the crazy fans who had been elbowing me at the front said that she was a witness and she went to the station too, even though the assault happened several rows behind her after I left her and her peeps. It was really supe evil. It brings back bad vibes to write about it. I almost didn't go back Monday, but I did, and I felt that his encore totally healed everything. Just came back from the Amsterdam shows and the vibe there was so great and chill, no pushing, no badness at all, just cool cool peeps dancing and enjoying life and digging awesome music. The way it should be!

Also, I feel that Prince is super energetically sensitive, and I think a lot of us are, which is why we "get his music", and get the purple high. It bums me out when a few bad ones stain the experience. We get back what we put out there. Hopefully people who brought bad vibes into Montreux will find their healing soon!

luv2tha99s said:

THIS is why I like a seat with my ticket. I've been in the front row(ONA GlamSlam West((right next to Tupac!!)), stood for hours(Glam slam West, HOB, etc.), and enjoyed seats with my ticket(Lovesexy, ACT 1, Emancipation, Musicology). The seats win hands down everytime. Thanks to these brave Orgers, for I can live vicariously thru your GA struggles and pretend not to be the old tired fart that I am!

Yeah! I agree with what you're saying. When you got a front row seat there is nothing better than to have a seated venue. You get there 10 minutes before the show and sit in the front row. But that said, seated venues are only good for those with deep pockets, connections, luck and/or willingness to buy more than one tickets, as usually you do not get the good seats and when you get stuck somewhere in 10th row or even further back and have a giant in front of you and are no giant yourself, you're screwed. At least with standing everyone has a chance to help themselves to the spot they want too... even if it is uncomfortable and sometimes hell, to get there.

madness said:

Sounds like I'm not the only one who encountered some massive negativity from some fans. For me, the fans at the first show were ok (with the exception of the crazy pushing when we were getting into the venue, that was super violent and disorganized) and the fans at the third show were chill (at least the ones near me). At both of these shows, I queued up relatively late so I was towards the front but quite off to the right of the stage. The Sunday show was a different story. The fans reminded me of a lynch mob. I had a friend come and meet me while I was in the queue and some fan who saw herself as a security officer went to town on me and was super bullying, yelling, and causing a scene. My friend was not trying to jump the queue, but even if I had been saving a place for her, she should have been able to join me in the line. Anywho, it was craycray. So I went in the show and was towards the front and some guys who saw the scene with my friend decided to physically assault me. It was horrible, they were pushing me, elbowing me in the head, and yelling at me to "stop pushing", though I was just trying my best to stand still and not let others push me. Sometime during Raspberry Beret I decided that it was too violent and I needed to get out of there. As I left I learned that one of my friends had been assaulted by another fan (he picked her up and threw her to the ground) and I asked him what happened and he went crazy and picked me up and threw me too. It was crazy horrible. Then I left the show, and as I left people were like going crazy trying to grab my spot and move up in the crowd. I ended up spending the evening with police and security, so they could monitor the dude who attached me and my friend. As he left the show the security pulled him out to bring him to the police station, and one of the crazy fans who had been elbowing me at the front said that she was a witness and she went to the station too, even though the assault happened several rows behind her after I left her and her peeps. It was really supe evil. It brings back bad vibes to write about it. I almost didn't go back Monday, but I did, and I felt that his encore totally healed everything. Just came back from the Amsterdam shows and the vibe there was so great and chill, no pushing, no badness at all, just cool cool peeps dancing and enjoying life and digging awesome music. The way it should be!

Also, I feel that Prince is super energetically sensitive, and I think a lot of us are, which is why we "get his music", and get the purple high. It bums me out when a few bad ones stain the experience. We get back what we put out there. Hopefully people who brought bad vibes into Montreux will find their healing soon!

Wow. That sucks! Yeah, the people were a bit strange in Montreux. I also had run ins with people at 2 of the 3 shows I went too. Total jack asses.... and I also saw one black lady on saturday, who felt she was a security guard and felt the need to tell some people, that got in line somwhere behind her, despite not being anywhere near close enough to the front of the line to really matter, to leave and causing a scene. They were stupid enough to do so. I would have told her, where she can put her authority.

[Edited 8/14/13 9:26am]

Wow. That sucks! Yeah, the people were a bit strange in Montreux. I also had run ins with people at 2 of the 3 shows I went too. Total jack asses.... and I also saw one black lady on saturday, who felt she was a security guard and felt the need to tell some people, that got in line somwhere behind her, despite not being anywhere near close enough to the front of the line to really matter, to leave and causing a scene. They were stupid enough to do so. I would have told her, where she can put her authority.

[Edited 8/14/13 9:26am]

madness said:

Wow. That sucks! Yeah, the people were a bit strange in Montreux. I also had run ins with people at 2 of the 3 shows I went too. Total jack asses....

[Edited 8/14/13 9:26am]

Wow, I thought I was the only one. Had unpleasant encounters with hyper-weird, aggressively rude fans all three nights. Almost ruined my concert experience the first night. Met some lovely people, too, but the nasties were OUT in full force. I don't really get it as we never queued earlier than 6:30pm, stood in line without pushing and managed to be near or at the stage each night.

^^Yeah, the überqueuers are totally ridiculous. I got there at around 17:00 both days and ended up in the second row on the side and in the first row a little more to the middle. People that get there that early just start a frenzy, as they force others to do the same. With so many people, as soon as there is movement, there is total chaos and everyone for themselves and the long queuing won't help you at all... especially since you had to go 2 or 3 storeys up and no one is walking slowly there.

I kinda seems like Montreux attracted all of the crazies from all over Europe. It was a total different vibe than all the other concerts I've been too.

MobeenAzhar said:

littlefrank said: