On septmeber 19th 10.000 tickets for the ONA concert in Rotterdam, Holland, were sold out in 20 minutes, an all time record.
See this link (in dutch for more info): http://www.planetpro.nl/n...60,00.html

I think the date in this post is supposed to be Saturday 21 september, since that is when the presale started. In the article it is also mentionned that the presale on saturday (zaterdag) was meant.

Oh and wanna hear of another all time record?

PRINCESS scored our tickets on the NPGMC presale on thursday 18 september within two minutes after the presale started

C now, THAT's my girl...princess... quicker than the eye

Love you girl... we r gonna have a BLAST!!!

thursday 19, friday 20 and saturday 21

Yes I bought them all

I'm glad the concerts are selling out, and I hope everyone has a great time. But if Prince plays mostly the ONA set that he played in the U.S., I just wonder how many "casual" fans are going to show up and feel cheated that he didn't play mostly the standard classic hits?

Even when I went to the concert in the U.S., there was a lot of moaning and groaning that Prince didn't play Purple Rain (he hadn't added it the setlist yet when I saw him). And I think that overseas, there will be an even greater expectation for Prince to play the classics. Should be interesting to read the reviews.

Ain't no 20 minute 10,000 seat sellouts over here in North America these days - hec I have been going for 18 years and it was on & off. Full credit to the Euro fans! See you soon.

yeah, thought the same about the classics.. but i am (viewed on a selfish tripp and as a fan) looking very much 4ward 2 this ona shows, cos i am mostly tired with the old warner classics/hits.. but do know that this "way" only is okay 4 the fans and the followers of his lately work - the rest guesses and waits 4 the old hits...lile pr, kiss, etc.

4 ex. zurich, hallenstation with also more than 11'000 capicity... most of the visitors (guess won't sell out) wants 2 hear the hits.. but HE WILL all kick and blow them away with the new tunes/stuff! the lively jazzy, fonky stuff! keep on prince, keep on! the members from the first row will help u out with singing all the refrains while the rest (normalos?) will b confused and?

sounds selfish and arrogant, right? but it's justh the truth, and we all know it - this is p.org - and we know the man is the king! and he's so much talented that he will gain even new fans with this tour! i am pretty shure with that! b open, thats my suggestion 2 the yesterday freaks!!

Big ups to the Euro krew. Saw him twice here in Washington DC during ONA and you WILL get your arsches smacked. Lucky bastards...

abucah said:

I dunno but for some reason I think Euro fans are more willing to let artists experiment musically and go into different directions... Euros hosted the Parade and SOTT tours, both of which just didn't take off in America for various reasons including perceived lack of interest as measured in the record sales for those records in the States. Plus, there's a history of American artists in exile being warmly received in Europe from jazz artists, writers, poets, and the like.

Not to get the Euros swellheaded, but my impression of their openness to music not of the pop variety seems to be rooted in a long history of welcoming folks long after they had been rejected in America.

Well...no mention is made of this being a record, and as far as I know it isn't. What about Springsteen...he sold out the Ahoy a couple of weeks ago in about ten minutes.

Heavy!

first i think europeans come for the music more than for hits, at least compared to americans. it has been said a many times. secondly, if tickets sell out in 20 minutes, i don't believe 'casual' fans are among the ticketowners. with so little promotion and such short notice only die hards would know about. and they don't mind what p plays.

U got it Billy !

Í just wanna hear the new stuff live! I remember the Gold concerts in Holland in '95, he didn't play ONE oldie, but still the crowd went nuts!
'But I'm curious what the European setlist will be like, maybe he'll play more new stuff from the Xenophobia album? U never know

eye'm very glad he's selling out almost everywere.eye'm already freaking out because he's coming 2 my hometown antwerpcity in belguim.personly eye love the song list from ona new stuff and good not hits classics.but eye got some friends coming with me and my girlfriend .and they don't follow him so like we do.and they would love 2 hear some songs they can sing along with or they know.maybe he makes it a little more comercial.because its been awhile (new power soul/jam off theyear tour).touring in europe.last time he did 2 gigs .the first in brussels (it was outstanding)he was in a real good mood.playing just afew hits .did a beautifull piano medly.the second (suprise )show.was mostly prince classics .but it was fun and party like hell or must eye say heaven.on the other hand let the people who don't follow him hear how amazing music he created the last years .one thing is 4 sure eye'm going 2 get my som valium before eye go 2 the concert .because my heart can't take his funky stuff.freak out is what eye'm gonna do

actualy the sell out time was according 2 MOJO concerts
13 minutes and 11.500 tickets were sold.
[This message was edited Tue Sep 24 23:40:19 PDT 2002 by pimmie]

There'll be a second concert in Holland on november 2. The show will be in Ahoy Rotterdam. Presale to the general public starts coming saturday. No word on the NPG Music Club yet.
[This message was edited Wed Sep 25 3:40:29 PDT 2002 by Gerard]

Gerard said:

http://www.ahoy.nl/conten...asp?Id=714
It's in dutch though... but it confirms the message above.
Thanx Gerard.
Peace

NuPwrSoul said:

Very very true. Miles Davis was one of the guys considered as a Music God in Europe and not really welcome the same way in the USA.

extra concert Prince, Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands on Nov. 2 2002.

Presale starts at september 26th 2002 8:00 AM CEST according to the NPGmusicclub.

VINCENT said:

You all make some very good points and I tend to agree that overall, Europeans are probably much more willing to let an artist explore rather than try to keep him in a predictable box the way Americans tend to do. And make no mistake about it, Prince and The Band on the One Night Alone tour are awesome. But because Prince is so actively envolved in actually playing his parts on his intrument there's virtually no time or opporutnity for Prince to do any of the "classic" Prince skits or dancing or anything of that nature. For me personally, I think the show is great. But the contrast between the ONA tour and other Prince tours is very noticeable and all things considered, I just wonder if a European audience will have a similar reaction that many casual American fans seemed to have. But after reading some of your comments, I do tend to believe that Europeans will be more open minded. Still can't wait to read the reviews.

08.20: The server is temporarily busy, please try back in a few minutes... damn.

VINCENT said:

Lots of people over here are saying this and it's not true for The Netherlands.

The Dutch radio was privatized in the nineties and like all nationwide 'free' markets in Holland, it became heavily ruled by cartel structures. Cd-prices are ridiculusly high and a few record companies control the Dutch media.

Very little is being invested in new music. Only a few bands are being contracted and no risks are being taken. They say it's because of piracy and declining marges, but the reason are cartels. The Dutch free market is worse than communism.

Media guys all tell me that exactly three people are deciding what's being played on 3 FM, the only Dutch radiostation that comes up with new music. One is Rob Stenders and the others I don't know. Insiders refer to them as the Music Police.

So the reason why Prince is respected in Holland is not that the Dutch like experiments, but because they are nostalgics. Prince is still being seen as a great artist for what he did in the eighties and not for what he's doing now. Generally, the Dutch don't even know what he's doing now, because they don't hear it.

But I admit that that he could have lost Dutch respect if he kept holding on to commercial succes, like Michael Jackson who has been unsuccesfully pushed by the recordcompanies. Still it's solely Prince's own strength that he has moved away from the regular music industry, so he wasn't sucked out by a company and trashed by the public. The result is that most Dutch people still know that Prince is one of the world's best musicians and that he's a live phenomenon.

So don't be misleaded by the great ticket sales. Only a little bunch of yuppies know his contemporary music. Prince is 'salonfähig' (this word is a very salonfähig germanism for taste you may show). His salonfähig-ness and Dutch nostalgia are the reasons why a Prince concert still reaches the second largest newspaper (the largest in terms of quality/amount printed).

And eventually, that's great. Prince is not just a genius; he is also a relief in a very depressing music industry.

we got tickets to the 2 November show!!! YEAH!!!

C y'all there!!

billyjackbitch said:

Hey...c u there Billy, I just bought my ticket for that show at an internetcafe in Chicago...this is going 2 b a great show!!

LillianLaughs: good facts and viewpoint. I totally agree.

I also got my November 2nd Music Club tickets. Woohoo!!

Question: How many fams are in that Club member area?

Honest question - anyone from Leiden / Rotterdam / Amsterdam / Utrecht / Delft / Den Haag etc...driving to Antwerp? I am in need of a ride (can pay expenses); I just need to be back in Holland that same night. Am travelling from Canada and will be based in Leiden. Thanks.

I'm certainly not a casual fan but I will be a little disappointed if he doesn't drop a handful of old stuff into the mix. I'm not talking about the usual Kiss, Let's Go Crazy etc. I've heard them many times. I'm hoping for stuff like Head, Sexy Dancer, If I was your Girlfriend and all the funky filth he hasn't played since he went hyperreligious. By the way, there's a new dance remix of 'All the Critics Love U in New York' being played in the clubs at the moment. I wonder if he'll pull that one out of the bag? Or perhaps, 'How come U don't call me anymore?'.

Nikkie said:

Most of us never got to hear a concert with Gold songs being played in the states; he should have did a concert here with more newer stuff; it was like he skipped The Symbol album, Gold, Crystal Ball, Rave, and New Power Soul songs in any of his concerts in the US! Except for his broadcast Rave until the Year 2000.