http://www.independent.co...ory=339378 First Night: Prince, Hammersmith Apollo, London
MC, Romeo, guitar hero. And most of all, a great showman
Review by Gavin Martin
04 October 2002

Many music business commentators maintain that Prince lost the plot around the time he painted the word Slave on his face and began plotting his escape from the industry. Last night's performance suggested something quite the opposite.

The venue may be smaller than the places he played during his 1980s heyday but the atmosphere was every bit as celebratory. Dressed in an immaculately tailored suit, silk tie, and 'kerchief he looked great, a modern-day Valentino with an impish smirk. He exuded ebullience. As indeed he should, fronting a ridiculously fluid and versatile band he has patently found the musical freedom he so dearly coveted.

For those expecting him to relive the glory days he had a message: "If you come here to get your 'Purple Rain' on you're in the wrong building. I'm not interested in what you know, I'm interested in what you can learn.''

In its early stages the show was a cross between a smokey after-hours jazz session and a modern-day rave. One of the greatest multi-talented showmen of his generation Prince played a variety of roles. One minute he's master of ceremonies, the next a forlorn Romeo singing a knee-drop soul ballad, the next he's a fully-fledged guitar hero. He organised an on-stage dance contest between three New Power Generation members, while the band laid down a hot bed of scorching funk. He followed this with his take on a slow burning delta blues. "How slow do you want me to go, I've got days,'' he twinkled suggestively.

Some of his new songs may not be of the calibre of his most famous hits. But it hardly mattered. The warmth and infectiousness of the performance carried all before it. The ferociously on-form Mayfield Parker, a key member of James Brown's classic era band provided a potent link to one of Prince's many musical routes. But the band was just as capable of revelling in Duke Ellington-style swing or psychedelic heavy metal on a careering version of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love". In the latter stages, he even dipped into his illustrious back catalogue. "Strange Relationship" was dedicated to the media, "Take Me With You" swaggered effortlessly and "Raspberry Beret" was an exercise in pure joy. But a new song which featured Prince adopting the voice of Thomas Jefferson was weird but powerful stuff. It has never been wise to write the Prince off, all the evidence is that's as true now as it ever was

Well, I've never written Prince off.
Let the mainstream media be obsessed with hits and American Idol.
Prince is the best live performer on the planet and he has nothing to prove. His success without a major label means he is finally free.

"Mayfield" who's Mayfield?

Yeehaaah! I was at this one too. Prince gave a more structured, polished performance than the Sat 5th show- which blew the roof of the theatre. It was also 50% different, comprising a piano session rather than an acoustic one. It was the first time I'd seen him in ten years. I remembered thinking to myself 'You knew he was brilliant, but here's proof once and for all that he's a musical genius.'

Berry said:

I guess they meant Maceo!!! LOL
It makes you wonder about the press overall doesn't it???
there was a great review in last Sunday's Observer calling Prince "formally known as Genius" as in it is his (now) formal title.. he's been getting that moniker a lot over in the UK...(Genius) oh and the Saturday night show- BLEW ME AWAY>>. what a band especially with Maceo (Mayfield) and Candy... what one dreams of...

Congratulations to Prince!!!
Free at Last!!!
Free to do what he wants to do...and genius enough to
know what needs to be done...
Yes...free at last...but not to us...LOL...$$$

Naw you can't write off Prince. The man who sets the trend of music...

Blue

Mayfield Parker? How can you sit in an arena surrounded by Prince fans who would gladly give you his correct name, and then publish that? Bad journalist, baaad journalist!

Thanks.

Great to see a nice write-up for P!
Though I wish he would stop repeating that "Purple Rain" line over & over again.