For better or worse, audience reactions are a part of a concert experience whether you see it in person or hear it on a recording. As we all know, the typical Prince audience is totally in it . For this discussion, please post some unusual, unexpected, and/or memorable audience reactions to Prince. It can be the entire audience or a particular person. It can be positive, negative, or neutral.

For me, my 2 live Prince concert experiences were great and the crowd totally into it. However, it has been the boots that have had the bigger surprises. Here are a few:

(1) The first Atlanta Piano & Mic show: The first song after the into of Confluence, he sang the first verse of Little Red Corvette and paused, and bedlam followed. Yes, he did this throughout his career including on this tour. However, I never heard a more appreciative crowd than this so early in a concert. While they didn't know what would happen shortly after the show, it was clear that they were mindful from the concert being cancelled and rescheduled due to his"illness" that it was a poignant moment for him to be there that night. The way they showered him with love brought tears to my eyes when I first heard it after he passed.

(2) I was also pleasantly surprised by the Gold Tour Finale in Japan where Prince got the crowd to loudly sing with him Pussy Control and Sexy Motherfucker. This puts a smile on my face every time I hear it, as it smashes my stereotype of what a "polite" Japanese audience would be like.

(3) Unfortunately, there are times when an audience member's reaction can mess up a concert experience. One example is of the Club Nokia after-hours concert in LA (2009). Most of the concert was laid back jazz, and when Prince launched into a pretty version of I Love U, but I Don't Trust U Anymore, an apparently drunken woman's voice raised over the hushed audience and started yelling "1984", "Old School", "1985", "Purple Rain", "Purple Rain", etc. It was so appalling, especially in that context. Prince seemed unfazed, at least in his performance and his amusing banter after the song. But still!!!!

Curious to hear your experiences!

crazyfanatprinceconcert.mpg

I can only speak of shows I was at. First off, my first concert ever, 1986 Parade show in Rotterdam, the day they played Manic Monday. And not so much an audience reaction, as more a reaction of Prince to the audience. Apparently there was some pushing and shoving and Prince stopped the show and told them to knock it off or he would walk. I've never heard him do that after that ever.

As to audience reaction.. a year later, the Sign Of The Times tour played 4 nights in Utrecht. I am not sure anymore if it started the first or second night, but this was 1987, when people would hold up a lighter during ballads (instead of phones).

Anyway, Forever In My Life started and out came the lighters. However, somebody somewhere started to flash them to the beat, as opposed to just leaving it on. It caught on and the entire stadium had these flashes of light on the beat. Prince walked off stage for a second, presumably to call the band to come out, as they all came back. (he kept playing his acoustic guitar)

The effect doesn't come across as well in the Sign Of The Times film, possibly because of the grain in the film stock.

This has been the only time I've seen the audience do something that obviously amazed Prince. It was fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhuWLVFWeeY&feature=youtu.be

I did a thread like this a few years ago. Some of the ones I remember:

1. The stuff from Paris, back in the 2009 time frame. Forget which show exactly, but there's a girl in the audience who, instead of clapping, just goes "Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh". She goes on for about 30 seconds after "Glamourous Life"! I think she had several orgasms.

2. Two girls in the audience in LA, back in 2011. I think it was the 4-14-2011 show. After Prince just KILLS it on "Purple Rain" you can hear the two girls lose it. One girl says to the other, "OK. I can die now. I'm ready".

3. When Prince plays The Cars' "Let's Go" in New York at the Hotel Gansevoort on 10-11-2008 the reaction of the audience is great! No one expected it, and you can hear three or four people just absolutely losing it the entire song.

4. There is an Orger who is famous on one of the LA Nokia shows. Prince opens with "Chaos and Disorder" so our friendly Orger shouts "I Like It There!" Prince says, "What do you want to hear?" and the Orger again shouts "I Like It There!" Prince rips right into it and the Orger's reaction is what pure joy sounds like. It's so cool! Never have I heard anyone so happy! And never have I heard Prince take a song request either, except this one time. It's special!

5. On the flip side, there's the Tamar show in Chicago, 2-28-2006. After Prince absolutely DESTROYS the solo on "Red Headed Step Child" you can hear one young lady say, "Not bad, Prince. Not bad". NOT BAD?!? Understatement of the Millenium

6. And the fan that takes the cake is the unknown moron in Wembley Stadium who was sure that blowing a whistle during every song of the "Parade" tour performance (the one with Sting and Ron Wood playing on "Miss Me") was necessary. Worst. Concert. Attendee. EVER.

In Oakland a year ago a fan loudly sounds like she is having an orgasm, and Prince jokes about her needing a towel.

purplethunder3121 said: