Wow! Let's start from the beginning: at 7:20, I took my seats and realised that the venue is actually a lot smaller than you think, and that even from the cheap seats (I was in Section 34b, Row M) you get a really good view. Don't worry if you're stuck at the back for the Saturday gig.

7:45, the opening act Groove Terminator came on and did a really good half-hour set, throwing in Stevie Wonder and 10cc amongst others.
Of course, though, he couldn't touch Prince with a forty foot pole if he was on stilts.

We all hung around for 45 minutes while they played N.E.W.S on loop over the P.A. I will never listen to that album again, now I just think of waiting...

House lights darken, crowd goes crazy, and the keyboard guy (Hans Moleman meets Elton John?) plays some eery, spotlit instrumental work to get us going.

The setlist was the same as Melbourne and Hong Kong: we opened with a four-song section of Purple Rain classics that was surreal. Notice that I was doing the I Would Die 4 U hand gestures way before anyone else figured it out.

It's only when he did Nothing Compares 2 U (a beautiful singalong) that it sunk in - behold total legend. Prince totally still has it. There was no intermission, he kept the crowd going nonstop. And boy can he work a crowd!!!

Question of U was amazing live, an unexpected choice but it worked really well. I love his guitar playing on that. A few of the other songs that got me going were Controversy and Sign 'O' The Times. The whole thing was great beyond words. Prince has still got it, no question about it.

(Did anyone notice his obscure reference to "Pope"? "You don't understand! I ain't scared of you motherfuckers!")

We had to work hard for the encores - took a good five minutes of cheering to get him back on. Prince returned with solo piano and did:

Adore
I Wanna Be Your Lover
Sleep On The Couch
Diamonds and Pearls
Do Me, Baby
Alphabet St.

Sleep On The Couch is a new song, a bluesy thing that he had a lot of fun with, contorting his face:

"Ooooh baby
Don't make me sleep on the couch
Someone's on the telly
I wanna go down south."

He paused then and went "Where was your mind? The fishing's good down there." Good to see him with a sense of humour and playing with the crowd!

The final encore was of course Purple Rain. He said to the crowd: "I love this song - I will never ever get tired of playing it." He had us all swaying and it was magical. I'll never forget it. I lit up my mobile phone's blue screen and swayed with it Woodstock style.

What a blast. I'll never forget it.

Oh and by the way - I know that everybody says this about every venue after every concert, but the acoustics were AWFUL! We got an unbelievable amount of rib-cage reverb from my view on the side and to the right.

MrSquiggle said:

Surely you jest, sir!

imho u need a little rib-cage vibration.

Number23 said:

yeah surely you jest!
ok so he didn't say motherfucker, right? he couldn't have!

Milty said:

I was there. He said, "Sydney you don't underSTAND! I ain't scared of NObody!"



Prince was funny as hell last night. That comment was the tip of the comical iceberg.

.
[This message was edited Fri Oct 24 18:46:06 PDT 2003 by mrdespues]

MrSquiggle said:

It was Rad, not a "keyboard guy"...I was 5 rows from the front...so I could tell it was her, I guess you were too far away to tell.

My life is complete now that iv'e seen Prince. I went with my sister last night, and we were freakin out wondering where our seats exactly were. Not bad- first elevation, off to the side of the stage, section 3 i think. I cried as soon as he came out, and when he did 'The Beauiful Ones'. I mean, did anyone else see Andrew G from channel V? I was starstruck even by him, so seeing Prince i nearly fell off my chair...
Then i used up all my credit letting my firend listen while he was at home. Worth it though. The whole night was fantastic. Prince- you rule.

nirvanak said:

yeah i saw him and my sister met him and shook his hand (she loves him ) he said it was the BEST CONCERT EVER!

And it was!