{{{[Interesting that he's got a corporate sponsor for the Canadian leg! How long has it been since he's had a sponsor? -Ben]
http://www.pollstar.com/n...ewsID=1834
A Canadian Prince
Updated 13:33 PDT Wed, May 22 2002

The crowned Prince of purple power will embark on a Canadian theatre tour beginning May 28. Ten shows are planned through mid-June.

Tickets for the Clear Channel-sponsored tour go on sale May 24 at $99 and $150 a pop. It's not clear yet if Prince will be offering advanced tickets to his New Power Generation Music Club members as he usually does.}}}

However, NPG card carriers can't complain about much. Prince recently mailed out copies of his new album, One Night Alone, to members of the club, who were the sole recipients of the disc. The album included songs from his recent One Night Alone tour and featured Prince playing piano sans band. There are three more members-only albums planned to be released by the end of the year.

After his Canadian shows, Prince will retreat to the Paisley Park Studios for Xenophobia - a seven-night-long open house featuring Prince and special guests Musiq, Sheila E., Rachelle Ferrell, Maceo Parker, Norah Jones and others. Xenophobia is another members-only deal.

"However, NPG card carriers can't complain about much"



Wow, there's a non-orger 4 ya.

Clear channel? Don't they own like every radio station in the country?

Not yet at least, and as much as i like to say 'Huh?'--I'm happy Prince will be using sponsors' $ to promote the new tour--and it will likely be a world tour if he does have a sponsor. As long as he has his say as to where he goes, what songs he plays, he can only benefit from this.

...I've noticed how certain radio stations in Mpls(like KDWB) have barely mentioned his name for a couple years now, but will likely be talking about him again...funny how that($ cha-ching $) works.

Looking forward to this tour hitting a couple more Midwest states(hint hint).

the npgmc website had a pretty negative quote about Clear channel a few months ago, so this sounds strange.

what was it?... something like :It has all been CLEARED up... radiostations in the US are all owned by monopolist Clear Channel" or something like that...
there is still an article about radio posted on their site: "WHAT'S WRONG WITH RADIO
With corporate ownership and a new form of payola strangling playlists, listeners are tuning out.
By Greg Kot, Rolling Stone Magazine"

I think the U.S. tour was sponsored by Bill Graham Presents/Clear Channel Entertainment. At least that's what it said in a newspaper blurb about the Oakland concert.

I also thought it was weird him teaming up with Clear Channel since he dogs them during the WNPG segment of the concert.

Whatever Prince!

The Clear Channel sponsorship is odd on both parties' part since he DOES dog them out in his WNPG segment in the show... but it's no different than other artists who in the past articulated very anti-corporate, anti-capitalist, or anti-commercialist statements in their music but still have to "deal with the devil" to get their work out. That's the irony in much of agitprop.

I just noticed that the ticket prices for Alberta have been put up on the NPGMC site as $84.00 (USD)

Vancouver's pre-sale tickets were $101.00 (USD)

This is a step in the right direction!

this surprises me.

i was under the impression Prince was upset with commercial, corporate-run radio...and now they are sponsoring a leg of his tour?

well, whatever the deal is, the bottom line is i'm just glad Prince is out there touring and doing so well.

ABC said:

I ugessu gotta adapt to the city...its likely toronto will be the most expensive of this leg

Alberta...still shocked he's gonna debut there AND 2 shows in saskatchewan...odd

but considering the cost (or lack thereof) putting on a shows up here, im glad he isnt doing the $150 US thing...

Bob

FunkyMan said:

Huh? Come again ... say what?!

wow, Prince really is selling out a bit if he is having Clear Channel sponsor the tour. He has criticized them before on the One Nite Alone tour and elsewhere. You know he would make a lot of money from the tour if it had no sponsor, so I guess he just wants more money and is getting in bed with Clear Channel to get it. It doesn't bother me much as a fan of the music, but it does make his anti- corporate radio message sound like a joke at this point.

Even though its highly hypocritical, it just means that his interests are once again switching, like they always do!
I'll be curious to see what musical and perhaps RELIGIOUS changes come along with this!

Oh Canada - are you not lucky?




Peace out!
[This message was edited Mon May 27 20:27:46 PDT 2002 by touche]