calciumpaul said:

Weird how there doesn't seem to be any excitement building for this one...

Well to be honest, I think most of the people there who have org accounts have been to more than 1 date, so the all the queing and pre-show is a bit same old, same old. If there's any surprises in the setlist I imagine we'll get a flood of comments.

dandan said:

calciumpaul said:

Weird how there doesn't seem to be any excitement building for this one...

Well to be honest, I think most of the people there who have org accounts have been to more than 1 date, so the all the queing and pre-show is a bit same old, same old. If there's any surprises in the setlist I imagine we'll get a flood of comments.

true

calciumpaul said:

Weird how there doesn't seem to be any excitement building for this one...

....Leeds

What was the piano set? That seems where he's most free to play something obscure as it needs no rehearsing with the band.

stickassfunk said:

Just been to the Leeds gig, great night but no where near as good as Manchester gig Prince wasn't t in as happy a mood and the music never flowed as it did in Manchester, last week I came away thinking WOW what have I just witnessed but Leeds was a bit flat and the crowd were also flat. Prince funked it up last week but came away tonight wondering if he was a bit tired as the energy, fun and crowd interaction was not the same. Although I did still love it was a level down from last Friday. [Edited 5/23/14 15:22pm]

It wasn't flat where i was stood, 8ft from Prince when he was soloing on the left edge of the stage. He looked happy to me. I was going mental as usual. my feet hurt, my hands hurt, my voice has gone. Bloody brilliant.

.

I did see the guitar guy not make that catch!

[Edited 5/23/14 16:17pm]

stickassfunk said:

Great show! Loved every moment of it! Prince was on fire (I though so anyway). Maybe I'm letting the fact I was close cloud my judgement (closer than I was at Koko, oddly given the size of the place) but I thought it was a great show. 'Sometimes It Snows in April', 'Nothing Campares 2 U', 'Dreamer', 'She's Always in My Hair', 'Endoprhinmachine', 'The Beautiful Ones'... all such good performances. Prince's vocals were really, really excellent. I feel he's singing more on Part II of the tour.

I also met some people who were all really lovely, which always elevates the experience. They loved it too.

As cloudguitar said, it was a great outfit tonight, Prince really rocks the headband! My only complaint is the setlist wasn't very adventurous. Really great show, waiting for Hit and Run Part III.

Great show again, and got to say hi to him when he left AMAZING!!!

haleno1 said:

Leeds was great but is it me or did he finish slights early.

He did finish early, but I think he started earlier than he has been doing.

Just home now. Absolutely LOVED tonight. Been to 40+ gigs & this will definitely be in my top 10.

Went to the opening night in Birmingham & then back there Monday, however got really bad food poisoning from a pub I ate at earlier in the day. Ended up very ill, with stomach cramps, headaches & sickness from about 8pm. I tried my hardest, but had to leave after about 30 mins into Prince, as couldn't handle the bass, lights & fact I felt I was going to pass out!!

Was SO gutted, when I came home & saw the set list. Determined for that not to be how this tour ended for me, I bought a ticket Tuesday for tonight & got centre block 105 row S. Imagine my joy when I found out the first row of the block was Q, so 3 rows back, directly facing centre of stage.

Set list was strange really & some of the arrangements were different to how his played before with 3EG. He segwayed into Purple Rain off playing a guitar solo from another song, might have been from the very short Screwdriver...Plectrum Electrum ended just before the solos began & into SISIA.

Highlights from the ballads tonight were Love we Make, Sometimes it Snows in April with him on guitar, Beautiful Ones on piano, Loved NC2U & the first verse, agree with others that his voice has been really strong these shows.

As for the rest, Endorphin Machine, She's Always in my Hair, Dreamer, Alphabet St with full band & him on the bass, loved it!! Had a feeling an aftershow was coming, as they stripped the gear down very quickly after the 10.30 finish.

With tonight & the 1st Birmingham show of Electric Intercourse, What's My Name etc, it's been a great tour for me & can forgive him for the February farce & Koko/Ballroom shortshows, let's hope he comes back with the NPG for the O2 in the Summer!!!

Totally forgot about 'The Love We Make', that was incredible! And yeah, they did have a little Screwdriver segue that bled into Purple Rain, which was a odd, but I liked it

Marrk said:

Have to say - glad i missed this one.

i came away with a bit of mixed feeling to be honest. He was on for dead on two hours only, but saying that , he was on stage 95% of that time. the show felt abit rused to me. He aborted screwdriver, dreamer, plectrum electrum and only short versions of shes always in my hair and lrc compared to how he has been perfoming them lately.But at times he was also inspired. Nothing compares to u was brilliant, and as already been said, his voice is as strong as ever. I enjoyed his singing more than his guitar playing tonight. Maybe he was having trouble with it which caused him to cut some of the songs short? Kiss was fantastic too with great funky moves from prince. For me the show lost a bit with the sampler/ keyboard set which went on too long with p behind the keyboard too long. He needs to get some of those songs performed properly with his full band in my opinion of couse! Overall i did enjoy the show, and i think the neutrals will have enjoyed it alot. So job done i guess! But i have a stong feeling that leeds wont be seeing prince there for a long time again.

I enjoyed last night but after seeing the two Manchester shows last weekend I'd rate this below those. Prince seemed in a bad mood at the start (couldn't see his face as I was at the back of block 215) but he appeared to be having lots of problems with his guitar, and it did seem to be low in the mix. He regularly gestured to the guitar guy, went over to speak to him, and at one point he went to Ida's pedals and started messing with those. It reached a peak when he took his guitar off and threw it at the guitar guy, who didn't catch it too successfully. He also introduced the sound guys at one stage and it sounded like he called them "Mr Feedback" or something like that, so maybe they were getting feedback on stage.

As the show went on it improved, and by the end he appeared to be genuinely moved. He regularly beat his chest, and at the very end he thanked the audience and said he'd be back "real soon", then added that wherever we were travelling to, go safely (never heard him say anything like that - he usually just walks off, or at least he has after the dozen or so gigs of his I've seen.)

Highlights for me were "Controversy" (as always), "Sometimes It Snows In April", "Hot Thing" (rediscovered my love for that - I actually enjoy the sampler set as it allows us to hear lots of songs with their "proper" sound), "Nothing Compares 2 U" (amazing vocal performance), "The Love We Make" (never a favourite but he does it well live), "When Doves Cry", "C.O.O.L", "A Love Bizarre", "Alphabet Street" (almost a full version, starting with Prince on the sampler, then the lights went out and some seriously funky bass started up, and when the lights came back Prince was on the bass with Ida on the sampler) and "Endorphinmachine" which sounds just great with 3EG.

Low points: Melissa Jack (what is the point? When she sings she's inaudible unless she's screaming, and she just flounces about the stage); "Plectrum Electrum" (not a fan - thankfully it was mercifully short); the sound problems at the start, the weird moment at 9.45 when Prince let the balloons go (traditional end of show signal on this tour) and the house lights came on & stayed on for maybe 5 minutes and nobody knew what to do; the arena stewards who seemed a little heavy handed with people taking photos of the arena well before the show started and pounced on those responsible, shouting "you need to delete that picture" rather than giving a friendly "you can't take pictures during the show" as they did at the MEN Arena; the drunk guy next to me who kept bellowing random bits of songs and waving his arms around, occasionally hitting me in the face.

The audience seemed to be enjoying it in the seats - when I looked around everyone seemed to be on their feet and having a good time. Curiously it seemed rather flat down on the floor, only the front few rows going for it.

All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable gig, but not as good as Manchester on Saturday 17th (best I've ever seen him) or Friday 16th.

[Edited 5/24/14 2:57am]

[Edited 5/24/14 2:58am]

[Edited 5/24/14 3:00am]

[Edited 5/24/14 2:57am]

[Edited 5/24/14 2:58am]

oh yea, and some times it snows in april was great at the end too!

First time I have seen Prince since the O2 and a much better gig. (not comparing it to one of the aftershows at the O2).

Highlights:

Musicology: Very funky

ShesAlways in My Hair: Truncated but different to versions I have heard especially P's guitar part

Sometimes it Only Snows in April: Fantastic ending to the night.

I think the major problem with the show was the sound that seemed to fluctuate at times between muddy and shrill with feedback inbetween. Not really acceptable in a custom built auditorium.

There was also quite a bit of feedback at times from the guitars and weird popping from the PA.

Maybe that was why the show felt a bit rushed. I do recall Prince complaining at one point about something.

Anyway this didn't seem to detract from everyones enjoyment of the show where I was we were all going mental most of the time in the top tier. So there was a lot of love around.

A final thought I just wish sometimes Prince would stop truncating his songs and just play a different set list each night or just miss a few songs out.I like to here songs in full.

But heres the rub I really missed Something in the Water!

Having been to Manchester (17th) and Leeds, I felt that I had two very different experiences. I was seated at Manchester & spent the whole time wishing I standing - the place was rockin' that night. My main grumble at Manchester was that the speakers were in the way of the big screens where we were so we really didn't get to see any of P's facial expressions (not that much of the show was put on the big screens anyway). I think its easy to forget that even the worst seats weren't cheap and I honestly felt that had I been standing that night it would've been very different. The sound was amazing though and my ears rang for hours afterwards.

Leeds, I was standing and got a fantastic position maybe 3 rows back from the front. Its the closest I've ever been at a P show (and I've been to my fair share) and in that respect it was absolutely fantastic. There did seem to be a problem with feedback early on (I bet Jason on sound was shocked when P named & shamed him) and then some problems with the keyboard and I did feel that maybe P wasn't quite so 'into' it as he had been in Manchester. That said though, another amazing gig that would blow most performers out of the water. The crowd by me were fabulous and apart from a few drunk girls trying to barge their way to the front everyone was loving each and every moment. Highlights for me were Alphabet st and Sometimes it snows in April (although I was surprised he ended with it and not a more funky number). Gutted I've still not seen Forever in my life live though!

also last night iwas surrounded with people who have never seen prince in concert before, which for me felt strange , like they were just there to say they had seen prince the legend live and thats it! Anyhow i think the hit and run tour has been very succesful overall , especially the media coverage and reviews. Just for gods sake , hire some top guys and girls to do the sound. It seems to drive prince crazy, so hire the best, he can afford it!

thisisreece said:

antonb said:

also last night iwas surrounded with people who have never seen prince in concert before, which for me felt strange , like they were just there to say they had seen prince the legend live and thats it!

I always go to P gigs alone and consequently get talking to the people around me. I've spoken to two different lots of people on this tour who have said that after Michael Jackson's death (one mentioned Whitney Houston too) it made them more determined to see him live 'now' rather than just at some point in the future. They really didn't know any songs bar the obvious but like you say it was something they wanted to be able to say they'd done. I have to confess it felt a little strange to me as usually people have seen him at least once or are super excited to be going for the first time. Its strange to be told that they are seeing him to put a tick on their checklist whilst they still can!

PS. I should add I did go and see James Brown 'whilst I still could' but he was seriously getting on by then. P is still only 55!