aiden said:

Set list for show one (from twitter) LIATHACH SHADES OF UMBER I COULD NEVER TAKE THE PLACE OF UR MAN BEAUTIFUL STRANGE WHO IS HE SEX MACHINE TAKE ME WITH U RASPBERRY BERET COOL Piano medley: DO ME BABY "U WILL BE" THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL DIAMONDS AND PEARLS THE BEAUTIFUL ONES SOMETHING IN THE WATER THE WHOLE OF THE MOON

Sounds like a reasonable set list, but from reports so far the 2ns show seems more my thing. Fantastic for all those that went.

Interesting that he sung The Whole Of The Moon, singing a song somebody else wrote with Prince as the inspiration. I wonder if he changed the lyrics to reflect the viewpoint?

Veej said:

Veej said:

Thanks for the great review Unique - much appreciated. Gives me a real feel for the show and the atmos, sounds like it was very special...thanks also to orger bashraka for great pics!

p.s. how long did you wait for...?

till the start of the show

powersoul99 said:

unique said:

i was front row at the first show. it was like the upstairs function suite of a typical british pub, no stage as such as in raised stage, unless it was 3 inches raised at that part, and just a row of small pub tables in front of the stage as a barrier. it was like prince playing in your living room, and i was front row. at ronnie scots, the dream show, an amazing setlist, stratus, laibach, shades of umber, sex machine (sly stone), the whole of the moon (waterboys), who is he to you, cool (not mashup), how come u don't call me anymore, and loads more. prince didn't touch the guitar, it was all keyboards bar sex machine on bass. i think this may have been the best show i ever went to, it was a dream show

the second show was about 75 mins and was mostly the sampler set and funk n roll, the love we make, lets go reloaded, supersition and i think purple rain again, and fix your life up earlier. i know who got the best deal

i was speaking to noel gallagher from oasis and he told me he was a prince fan and it was the best gig ever

no, i'm not making this up. and at the end there was a mental paparazzi scrum and the police were called

i'm fucking exhausted, i was exhausted this morning due to koko but so glad i made it and can't believe i got front row at one of the smallest and most desirable prince shows of all time

You was 94 in the Q and yet you managed to get to the front row in such a small venue?

yeah. unless i dreamed it

unique said:

powersoul99 said:

You was 94 in the Q and yet you managed to get to the front row in such a small venue?

yeah. unless i dreamed it

You did, you seem to be getting caught out a lot, you really should remember what you write. Suppose your still defending you went to both shows on Friday.

At least you give us laugh with your tall stories.

Ppenguin said:

I joined the queue just before 2pm and people were talking about a mad scramble earlier to get numbers and a stamp, but once people from the back rushed the door, that all got shelved. The group of people near me were all great, so thanks for making the time go so quickly and I'm glad we pretty much all made the 2nd show! Felt really bad for Emma who left the queue around 12 because of the scum pushing in and crushing everyone. Unfortunately a lot of them got in.

This was the worst crowd control I've seen, and I was at the EB for the second show and despite the rush and swell once the doors opened, people weren't as completely drunk, high, rude and violent. I almost left myself, at around 11pm because of the horrible vibe.

They really do need barriers and more obvious and happy to intervene security. The guys walking the queue for the best part were just asking people move back, thus allowing liggers to jump in. It was chaos.

On to the positives, Prince seemed really happy as did the rest of the band. I was so close to the front in that amazing venue, everything bad that had just transpired prior just melted away.

I love seeing him up close, having fun and on the keys! For me the high point was when he started tweaking the amp on Ida's bass and messing with the pedal, he's a genuis and so effortless in it

What I heard, but definitely not in the order played - I am still mashed up!

Forever in my life - LOVED THIS!!!

The love we make

Funk and Roll(?)

Stratus

Sign o the Times

Alphabet Street

Housequake

When Doves Cry

Raspberry Beret

Superstition

Amazing instrumental - I didn't recognise, 2nd song played, just stunning

777-9311 - Prince on bass, I died!

Feel like there was more, but my brain is frazzled, sorry!

Prince in that white hat, and his facial contortions, his direction of the band, Hanna, Donna, Ida, that Sax guy (sorry, dunno his name), and once again the awesome crew, Andy, Emma, Jess, Beth and so many more who made queuing for 12 hours fly by.

Such a beautiful performance delivered with no ego, just raw talent and love. Thank you Prince!!

TheEnglishGent said:

unique said:

i was front row at the first show.

So you went from 94 in queue to front row, that's some first class pushing!

i didn't push past anyone. through most of the day people were lining up fairly orderly, and had numbers and stamps on hands so they could leave the line to get food/drink and go to the bathroom, which is necessary whilst waiting for such a long time. however further down the line when people heard capacity was about 200, i understand people around the 180 plus number were getting antsy about getting in if someone jumped the line, and later towards doors opening there was a lot of pushing to the point that us in the front section of the line were squashed up. plus as many people were leaving the line and taking a while to return because they went to have a drink or food instead of a quick pop back and forth, as time went on the line moved forwards a bit at a time taking up the space left by the people who just left the line, so as so many people did that, but doors opening i was in a pool of maybe 70 people. some people left the line, there was a family who went home with their daughter as the pushing was bad and other people stepped out of that section. then when doors did open, the security let one person in at a time, and some of us stood still instead of moving forwards to avoid a rush at the doors, and stop more pushing. some people were shouting and perhaps a bit drunk and rowdy. through one thing or another i think security let in the more orderly people first. when i got in there seemed quite a few people inside but as the place was tiny and a good view all round, most people were at the bar and seated areas, perhaps as they were lining up for so long and legs and feet were tired. i was thinking of doing the same myself, but i saw a small gap at the front of the stage and went for it, to find that was where security were going to stand. however the woman next to him decided to stand at the bar so she could get drinks, and i took her place at the front of the line without pushing or cheating or doing anything other than lining for hours in the cold and rain, exhausted and sore legs and feet and pushed and squashed, hardly eating or drinking anything, no alcohol, being polite and friendly, and purposely trying to let people in the venue before me whom i knew were in front of me in line. but because of the pushing from all around i was ultimately pushed to the front and got in. it was just fate or luck or whatever. the thing is, sometimes that happens in reverse and i go from being top spot to number 2 spot. i did my best on sunday to help keep the line orderly and it was the most chilled well behaved line i've ever seen at a gig, everyone happy and people thanking me for helping to do so. i tried to do so again today, but without barries, a tiny venue, and demand far higher than capacity, and a long wait with people drinking alcohol and getting tetchy, especially when vips and club members got in and doors didn't open on time, it wasn't a simple process

however from what i understand, about 200 people got in to the first show, so i didn't take the place of anyone who didn't get in to that show, and as i said before, many people were more than happy to sit down or stand away from the front as it was so small the view would be great from anywhere, and as a result, even if you weren't front row, depending on what side of the stage prince and you were on, you could have been closer to him at least at times. i really don't think anyone at that show was dissapointed. people were gobsmacked and didn't know what to say when they came out. i was shocked. i came outside and there was a line of paparazzi and security and fans and craziness outside and needed to be shown by security how to get out. i don't think anyone will know what it was really like without being there

as for those who think i didn't attend the shows, well there are others there who saw me go in, others who saw me inside, others who saw me come out, and there are even officially posted photos where i can be seen. it was a source of amusement by some people at the shows laughing at those who said i wasn't there at shows when they were there and saw me or stood next to me. i don't care if anyone believes me or not. i was there. i lived it. i lived the dream

unkleg said:

I joined the queue just before 2pm and people were talking about a mad scramble earlier to get numbers and a stamp, but once people from the back rushed the door, that all got shelved. The group of people near me were all great, so thanks for making the time go so quickly and I'm glad we pretty much all made the 2nd show! Felt really bad for Emma who left the queue around 12 because of the scum pushing in and crushing everyone. Unfortunately a lot of them got in.

This was the worst crowd control I've seen, and I was at the EB for the second show and despite the rush and swell once the doors opened, people weren't as completely drunk, high, rude and violent. I almost left myself, at around 11pm because of the horrible vibe.

They really do need barriers and more obvious and happy to intervene security. The guys walking the queue for the best part were just asking people move back, thus allowing liggers to jump in. It was chaos.

On to the positives, Prince seemed really happy as did the rest of the band. I was so close to the front in that amazing venue, everything bad that had just transpired prior just melted away.

I love seeing him up close, having fun and on the keys! For me the high point was when he started tweaking the amp on Ida's bass and messing with the pedal, he's a genuis and so effortless in it

What I heard, but definitely not in the order played - I am still mashed up!

Forever in my life - LOVED THIS!!!

The love we make

Funk and Roll(?)

Stratus

Sign o the Times

Alphabet Street

Housequake

When Doves Cry

Raspberry Beret

Superstition

Amazing instrumental - I didn't recognise, 2nd song played, just stunning

777-9311 - Prince on bass, I died!

Feel like there was more, but my brain is frazzled, sorry!

Prince in that white hat, and his facial contortions, his direction of the band, Hanna, Donna, Ida, that Sax guy (sorry, dunno his name), and once again the awesome crew, Andy, Emma, Jess, Beth and so many more who made queuing for 12 hours fly by.

Such a beautiful performance delivered with no ego, just raw talent and love. Thank you Prince!!

Thanks for the bittersweet write-up. Sounds like a great show despite the shenanigans outside.

I'm not sure how this pushing in lark will fly up north when he gets to Manchester.

Marrk said:

Thanks for the bittersweet write-up. Sounds like a great show despite the shenanigans outside.

I'm not sure how this pushing in lark will fly up north when he gets to Manchester.

Hahaha, you are so right!

Manchester you are seriously in for a treat, so happy for you

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2561873/Kate-Moss-wears-towering-platform-heels-leads-star-studded-guest-list-intimate-Prince-gig.html

Hey Unique,

first off, congrats on getting in, sounds like it was an amazing show, and judging by some other fan reviews that are scattered across social media, it was another one of those historical ones.

How many fans do you think that were queuing actually got it in?, Did you get into the 2 show? What was "The Whole Of The Moon" like. I almost passed out when I saw that on the setlist this morning. I wrote a comparison post about that, and "All My Dreams" on the org about a month ago.

Look at Prince's skin in the daily mail pics.What the fudge is he using.Flawless skin for his age.Makes him look 20 years younger.

I'd be annoyed , being in line for hours then seeing a celeb swanning up and just walks in.I love Stephen Fry but never knew he had an interest in Prince. But with regards to the Musicians, I get it is their profession.They aren't going to que for hours so what can you do?

Love how Prince hardly played on guitar.Now this like a great theatre performance is left for the ages, treasured in the minds of those who went and for those who didn't, a continual inquisitive feeling of wtf was it really like in there.

http://www.nme.com/news/p...8EDPc2j.01

unique said:

TheEnglishGent said:

So you went from 94 in queue to front row, that's some first class pushing!

i didn't push past anyone. through most of the day people were lining up fairly orderly, and had numbers and stamps on hands so they could leave the line to get food/drink and go to the bathroom, which is necessary whilst waiting for such a long time. however further down the line when people heard capacity was about 200, i understand people around the 180 plus number were getting antsy about getting in if someone jumped the line, and later towards doors opening there was a lot of pushing to the point that us in the front section of the line were squashed up. plus as many people were leaving the line and taking a while to return because they went to have a drink or food instead of a quick pop back and forth, as time went on the line moved forwards a bit at a time taking up the space left by the people who just left the line, so as so many people did that, but doors opening i was in a pool of maybe 70 people. some people left the line, there was a family who went home with their daughter as the pushing was bad and other people stepped out of that section. then when doors did open, the security let one person in at a time, and some of us stood still instead of moving forwards to avoid a rush at the doors, and stop more pushing. some people were shouting and perhaps a bit drunk and rowdy. through one thing or another i think security let in the more orderly people first. when i got in there seemed quite a few people inside but as the place was tiny and a good view all round, most people were at the bar and seated areas, perhaps as they were lining up for so long and legs and feet were tired. i was thinking of doing the same myself, but i saw a small gap at the front of the stage and went for it, to find that was where security were going to stand. however the woman next to him decided to stand at the bar so she could get drinks, and i took her place at the front of the line without pushing or cheating or doing anything other than lining for hours in the cold and rain, exhausted and sore legs and feet and pushed and squashed, hardly eating or drinking anything, no alcohol, being polite and friendly, and purposely trying to let people in the venue before me whom i knew were in front of me in line. but because of the pushing from all around i was ultimately pushed to the front and got in. it was just fate or luck or whatever. the thing is, sometimes that happens in reverse and i go from being top spot to number 2 spot. i did my best on sunday to help keep the line orderly and it was the most chilled well behaved line i've ever seen at a gig, everyone happy and people thanking me for helping to do so. i tried to do so again today, but without barries, a tiny venue, and demand far higher than capacity, and a long wait with people drinking alcohol and getting tetchy, especially when vips and club members got in and doors didn't open on time, it wasn't a simple process

however from what i understand, about 200 people got in to the first show, so i didn't take the place of anyone who didn't get in to that show, and as i said before, many people were more than happy to sit down or stand away from the front as it was so small the view would be great from anywhere, and as a result, even if you weren't front row, depending on what side of the stage prince and you were on, you could have been closer to him at least at times. i really don't think anyone at that show was dissapointed. people were gobsmacked and didn't know what to say when they came out. i was shocked. i came outside and there was a line of paparazzi and security and fans and craziness outside and needed to be shown by security how to get out. i don't think anyone will know what it was really like without being there

as for those who think i didn't attend the shows, well there are others there who saw me go in, others who saw me inside, others who saw me come out, and there are even officially posted photos where i can be seen. it was a source of amusement by some people at the shows laughing at those who said i wasn't there at shows when they were there and saw me or stood next to me. i don't care if anyone believes me or not. i was there. i lived it. i lived the dream

Sounds cool.

Whitnail said:

egansmind said:

So much for these Hit & Run shows being for hardcore fans only

Looks like every tom dick and harry is trying to get in on the act

Only answer - Ticketed Events

Problem with doing ticketed events for small gigs like this, is the likes of Viagogo and co will be at their legalised touting. I experienced this recently trying to get tickets for The Cure in the Royal Albert Hall. Some one of those companies were touting tickets within an hour of sale for about 8 times the face value. Interesting and disgusting thing about that though, is that those particular gigs are for the Teenage cancer trust. I have sent e-mails about this to the venue, and The Cure's representatives.

I don't know if it's been mentioned but I've been to gigs in places like O2 academy in Dublin & Leeds for gigs. 'Admission' is sold in advance but the only way you can get in is to present the card you used to pay and your ID. I was apprehensive about how it would work but it was seemless, brilliant and not a tout in sight. Okay I guess some people will sell their +1 but if you make it one ticket per person then problem solved.

Dublin used a list.

Leeds used scanners to scan your receipt which then brought up all your details which they checked.

i absolutely love prince concerts as one of my top favorite things to do but standing in line with drunk, violent people is too much even for me. i've tried in the past but i'm not a big person and i simply can't compete with the crowds. and the experience of dealing with pushy drunks would have ruined the evening for me, i'm afraid. but it sounds like you mad FUN FUN FUN you lucky person

unique said:

TheEnglishGent said:

So you went from 94 in queue to front row, that's some first class pushing!

i didn't push past anyone. through most of the day people were lining up fairly orderly, and had numbers and stamps on hands so they could leave the line to get food/drink and go to the bathroom, which is necessary whilst waiting for such a long time. however further down the line when people heard capacity was about 200, i understand people around the 180 plus number were getting antsy about getting in if someone jumped the line, and later towards doors opening there was a lot of pushing to the point that us in the front section of the line were squashed up. plus as many people were leaving the line and taking a while to return because they went to have a drink or food instead of a quick pop back and forth, as time went on the line moved forwards a bit at a time taking up the space left by the people who just left the line, so as so many people did that, but doors opening i was in a pool of maybe 70 people. some people left the line, there was a family who went home with their daughter as the pushing was bad and other people stepped out of that section. then when doors did open, the security let one person in at a time, and some of us stood still instead of moving forwards to avoid a rush at the doors, and stop more pushing. some people were shouting and perhaps a bit drunk and rowdy. through one thing or another i think security let in the more orderly people first. when i got in there seemed quite a few people inside but as the place was tiny and a good view all round, most people were at the bar and seated areas, perhaps as they were lining up for so long and legs and feet were tired. i was thinking of doing the same myself, but i saw a small gap at the front of the stage and went for it, to find that was where security were going to stand. however the woman next to him decided to stand at the bar so she could get drinks, and i took her place at the front of the line without pushing or cheating or doing anything other than lining for hours in the cold and rain, exhausted and sore legs and feet and pushed and squashed, hardly eating or drinking anything, no alcohol, being polite and friendly, and purposely trying to let people in the venue before me whom i knew were in front of me in line. but because of the pushing from all around i was ultimately pushed to the front and got in. it was just fate or luck or whatever. the thing is, sometimes that happens in reverse and i go from being top spot to number 2 spot. i did my best on sunday to help keep the line orderly and it was the most chilled well behaved line i've ever seen at a gig, everyone happy and people thanking me for helping to do so. i tried to do so again today, but without barries, a tiny venue, and demand far higher than capacity, and a long wait with people drinking alcohol and getting tetchy, especially when vips and club members got in and doors didn't open on time, it wasn't a simple process

however from what i understand, about 200 people got in to the first show, so i didn't take the place of anyone who didn't get in to that show, and as i said before, many people were more than happy to sit down or stand away from the front as it was so small the view would be great from anywhere, and as a result, even if you weren't front row, depending on what side of the stage prince and you were on, you could have been closer to him at least at times. i really don't think anyone at that show was dissapointed. people were gobsmacked and didn't know what to say when they came out. i was shocked. i came outside and there was a line of paparazzi and security and fans and craziness outside and needed to be shown by security how to get out. i don't think anyone will know what it was really like without being there

as for those who think i didn't attend the shows, well there are others there who saw me go in, others who saw me inside, others who saw me come out, and there are even officially posted photos where i can be seen. it was a source of amusement by some people at the shows laughing at those who said i wasn't there at shows when they were there and saw me or stood next to me. i don't care if anyone believes me or not. i was there. i lived it. i lived the dream

[Edited 2/18/14 3:43am]

PrivatePyle said:

Whitnail said:

Problem with doing ticketed events for small gigs like this, is the likes of Viagogo and co will be at their legalised touting. I experienced this recently trying to get tickets for The Cure in the Royal Albert Hall. Some one of those companies were touting tickets within an hour of sale for about 8 times the face value. Interesting and disgusting thing about that though, is that those particular gigs are for the Teenage cancer trust. I have sent e-mails about this to the venue, and The Cure's representatives.

I don't know if it's been mentioned but I've been to gigs in places like O2 academy in Dublin & Leeds for gigs. 'Admission' is sold in advance but the only way you can get in is to present the card you used to pay and your ID. I was apprehensive about how it would work but it was seemless, brilliant and not a tout in sight. Okay I guess some people will sell their +1 but if you make it one ticket per person then problem solved.

Dublin used a list.

Leeds used scanners to scan your receipt which then brought up all your details which they checked.

I have seen something similiar in operation yrs ago, but I am certain it was lufthansa used to have it when you booked flights online. Sound like a pretty good way to do it.

agoose said:

TheEnglishGent said:

Someone just tweeted that the first show started with them playing Stratus.

I'd love to hear 'when u were mine'

...seems such an obvious choice for this line up but I don't recall that they've ever played it. Shame! Fingers crossed - maybe in Manchester!

unique said:

PrivatePyle said:

I don't know if it's been mentioned but I've been to gigs in places like O2 academy in Dublin & Leeds for gigs. 'Admission' is sold in advance but the only way you can get in is to present the card you used to pay and your ID. I was apprehensive about how it would work but it was seemless, brilliant and not a tout in sight. Okay I guess some people will sell their +1 but if you make it one ticket per person then problem solved.

Dublin used a list.

Leeds used scanners to scan your receipt which then brought up all your details which they checked.

Yep, I've had the same thing. I saw Buckcherry at The Cockpit and they had a system like that. Tickets were only sold through LunaTickets (The Cockpit have some deal with them, I guess) - You get emailed a reciept/confirmation complete with a barcode which you print out and take with you. The guys on the door scan the barcode, confirm it as a legit ticket, check your ID, stamp your hand and let you in. Touts and resale sites like Seatwave can't do anything with them. Much better system for a show like this.

egansmind said:

Lets face it there has been some sort of chaos at every show so far

Blaming Ronnie Scotts who are only told at last minute what the demands are is not really fair

Lets face it the venue is really small and not geared up for thousands of people

Why are there thousands outside ? Because of no ticketing, thats why !

No problems at Shepherds Bush Empire.

aiden said:

as for those who think i didn't attend the shows, well there are others there who saw me go in, others who saw me inside, others who saw me come out, and there are even officially posted photos where i can be seen. it was a source of amusement by some people at the shows laughing at those who said i wasn't there at shows when they were there and saw me or stood next to me. i don't care if anyone believes me or not. i was there. i lived it. i lived the dream

One question to Unique !!

Do you actually have a life outside of Prince concerts? i.e. work, family, day to day things

egansmind said:

Its a shame to read about some of the problems in queues.

I must have missed whatever happened at EB on the Wednesday night, as I got there about 8pm. But by then everything seemed pretty civilised, and the people I got chatting to in the queue were all very friendly, so the three hours wait really wasn't that bad. I think / hope this is one of those things where the small amount of ad stuff gets remembered and written about a lot more than the majority of good stuff.

johngordon said:

Its a shame to read about some of the problems in queues.

I must have missed whatever happened at EB on the Wednesday night, as I got there about 8pm. But by then everything seemed pretty civilised, and the people I got chatting to in the queue were all very friendly, so the three hours wait really wasn't that bad. I think / hope this is one of those things where the small amount of ad stuff gets remembered and written about a lot more than the majority of good stuff.

You got there after the first show was nearly full up, so after the pushing, stampede and crush! By then you probably knew there was going to be a second show and everyone outside knew they'd be getting in, so there was no urgency and no worry, so it was more chilled out. I'd say the vast majority in for the first show had no idea there was going to be a second.