My version first... If you ask me (and all of the other people in the audience) the show was GREAT! Prince was in a playful, happy mood and played for 3 hours. He brought up people (me and some others) to dance on stage at 2 different occations. He made jokes, for example he did a hilarious imitation of Ozzy Osbourne, and at one occation he brought up one of the guards and made him do a solo-dance number on stage! Lots of great vocal-, guitar- and pianoplaying efforts during the show from Prince. Once again, he showed us all what a great performer he is.

The setlist was (not in this order:) The Rainbow Children, The ladder, Pop Life, Purple Rain, Raspberry beret, Sign o´the times, 1+1+1=3, The work pt.1, The everlasting now, Nothing compares to you, Strange relationship, The beautiful ones, When you where mine, The ride, The other side of the pillow, Adore (short), Take me with you, Money don´t matter, Strollin´ (short), Days of wild, Starfish and coffee, Diamonds and pearls.

This is an english translation of the review from the Stockholm-concert, October 22nd in "Annexet". My english isn´t perfect but I hope you can understand it...

Enjoy/ TOBIAS ÅGREN a.k.a.CHRISTOPHER TRACY/CT

What a great finale, Prince

(Review in Swedish newspaper "Aftonbladet", 2002-10-23.)
4 points out of 5
Place: Annexet, Stockholm

Most parts of the beginning hour is repulsive. The new age-difficult fusionjazz that makes the latest album "The Rainbow children" an unbearable experience dominates.
Confusing images of roads, eyes and what looks like sperms impregnating eggs is shown on three big screens, the 8-piece band - where among others the saxofoneplayer Candy Dulfer is one - is doing drum-, keyboard- and trombonesolos that never ends and Prince himself is jerking off on his guitar in an extended blusnumber.
And is some strage way manages His Royal Badness to do a completely magical "Purple rain" and a merry "Pop life" in the middle of this mess.
But if it hadn´t been for the fact that the ticketprices had been 850 kronor (85 dollars) plus administration costs, I am convinced that some of the spectators would have escaped from the concert arena and stamped their feet on the ticket.

After that Minneapolis´ Greatest is flowering in an incomparable cavalcade. The funk is sometimes as spiritually lifting, rock hard and intense as on D´Angelos classic ceremony at Cirkus in Stockholm a couple of years ago - the contact with the audience is as direct, the groove as overwhelming.
Prince does brilliant versions of direct poptunes like "Strange relationship", "When you where mine", "Take me with you", "Raspberry beret", and lets the audience do the singing in the poisonous "Sign O´the times". He sits down by the piano, uses his most eardrum-shredding and gentle falsetto voice and does long or short versions of "Adore", "Diamonds and pearls", "The beautiful ones" and the wonderful "Nothing compares to you".

Then he and the rest of the New Power Generation plays around through a jazzy "Delerious". Then the short artist picks up a bass and imitates Larry Graham in this night´s long, Sly Stone-inspired finale. The show has almost passed three hours. A bunch of spectators is dancing on stage and the show doesn´t want to end. It´s fantastic.

ChrisCT thank you¡¡¡¡¡

Another fantastic show... it ain't over.

See you there... you know where...





Delo, the cow painter

Oh I forgot... one more song that he played: "Delerious".

/CT

Hi!

I'm still smiling since yesterday...chanting "it aint over"...Best show since Lovesexy in Sweden...
I have never seen Prince this playful, happy and relaxed in a long time...I just whish I had followed the others to the afterparty!

During SOTT, he sang "We'll call him Greg, and that's for sure!" Instead of "We'll call him Nate, if it's a boy!"...

Are they having a baby for real...or was he just making a joke?

PeaceNBwild//

Ooooh...CT on stage with Prince! Ya shoulda taken the mic

Lotsa love from your #2 fan

Eskomo

It was SOOO great Eskomo! I'm just bummed I didn't get 2 go on stage, but I guess that's what U get 4 dressing in a "celebration" t-shirt...

kaparn said:

I was afraid he would see my org. shirt and throw me off stage (just kidding)
The show was so great and he was really joking and smiling through the whole show.
For example at the soundcheck when he talked about that guy at Oslo that danced like Elvis!

But did you all se that he just got 2 (out of 5) in Expressen because "the funk didn’t come from the crutch" (is that the right word? ) ?

And that Aftonbladet reported from an aftershow that didn’t happen?

I just find out that there are rapports in DN and Svenska Dagbladet today (24/10)
At DN they say something like this, in the start:...he’s getting old and its lot like a prayer meeting...but at the end they write: the best all-round musician there is and all hope is not gone.
At SVD they are really happy and just love the show. Giving it a 4 out of 5.
[This message was edited Thu Oct 24 1:53:51 PDT 2002 by BlueAngel]

well ok then
[This message was edited Sat Oct 26 9:22:46 PDT 2002 by FunkyStrange]

I'm still hearing the "It ain't over" chant in my head..
'cause in my world, IT AIN'T OVER!!

Damn that concert was extremely funky!!

Apparentely this reviewer only wants to hear the pop shit and cannot appreciate excellent musician just playing.

why cant we just dance, why cant we just dance, why dont u leave motherfuckers alone !!!

I think the reviews of the show is always the same when it is about prince,

first they say it sucks, he´s old, too much religion, too much saxophone(!!? isn´t that funky or what?), the show didn´t really get started (expressen, what the heck do they mean?) etc etc.

but, they always finish with the words that he´s one of the biggest, greatest musician around..
strange, but true...

they still got a little piece of respect, but they doesn´t like him himself I guess.. that´s all.

/Wada.

The concert was fantastic. The focus was mainly on Purple Rain, Around the World in a Day, TRC and SOTT. But it seems that he doesn´t want to play his 90s music, WHY?, it is great. I hope he will be back. I loved the beaudiful ones, stsrfish an coffe and the ladder.

This is the house of PRINCE!

Ohh! i still havn't come down since tuesday!! I'm in heaven!
I think the consert was great. I danced so much that I could hardly walk the day after.
I also read the reviews in Aftonbladet, DN and Expressen. I think the ones who wrote them they don't know what they are talking about. Maybe they are "tonedeaf"!!!
Prince is the best musician in the world!! I loved every minute of the consert.
I would have liked him to play som newer songs also, I love the "Emanicipation"and "Rave to the joy fantastic" albums. I hope we will hear songs from thoe albums when he goes comes the next time. I can hardly wait.

"Most parts of the beginning hour is repulsive. The new age-difficult fusionjazz that makes the latest album "The Rainbow children" an unbearable experience dominates. "
- I dont understand why many people complain about the jazzy stuff. IMO, it´s the first time in Prince´s career that he concentrates more on the MUSIC than on gimmicks, dancing, chants, etc. The only thing I dont like much about this tour is that it´s too intimate and acoustic sometimes...I wish he played more edgy stuff like he did in 95, but I believe he is in a good direction.

What on earth could they mean by "the poisonous 'Sign O' The Times'???

.