{{{RIP IT UP MAGAZINE: PRINCE LIVE
RIP IT UP, ADELAIDE SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Author: Ian Bell
Date: 30/10/2003
Publication: RIP IT UP MAGAZINE
Section: Live Reviews

PRINCE: ROD LAVER ARENA MELBOURNE

The screams and cheering from this capacity crowd as the lights go down is deafening. The band have taken their places and are tinkling away when out of the shadows appears Prince and the volume goes up about three notches on the loud-o-meter. He looks fantastic. A white zoot suit type of affair, red ruffled shirt, hair back in that classic Prince do from the late 80's. He smiles as he approaches the mike, (crowd up another volume point), he takes the mike and says "Dearly Beloved.." and the entire building screams at volume 11 at the realisation we're about to be invited to go crazy. He hasn't yet sung a note.

It's easy to be cynical about an artist like Prince. From the earliest days when he was leaping around in his underpants, to the pomp image in Purple Rain which propelled him to mega-stardom in the 80's, even changing his name to a symbol in the '90's, he has been an easy target for jibs and ridicule. But he always stuck to his guns and consistently produced astounding pop music and at an amazing rate. This world tour is the last time he will perform his 'hits' and even this can be looked at as a 'retirement fund' exercise. Merchandise was expensive and tickets ran from $90 to $1,000. For $400 you got great seats for the show, but also got to go to the hour long soundcheck in the afternoon, recieve a 3 cd box set, and pre-show nibbles. The people who paid a cool grand, got all of the above plus to meet the man himself and seats on the stage. NOT on the side of the stage behind a wall of amps and sweaty roadies, I am talking right up on the stage, next to the piano player, beside the drummer, next to the horn section, amazing! These special tickets served to give some hard core fans the thrill of a lifetime and by my estimation raised about $120,000 extra revenue. }}}

The jolt of energy through this audience when the band starts Let's Go Crazy is incredible, and the fact that he then slams through I Would Die For U, When Doves Cry and Baby I'm A Star all from Purple Rain, sends wave upon wave of euphoria that is at the very least dizzying. He's being playful, dancing and spinning around, "Did you miss me? I missed you!". While he's playing he wanders over to one bunch of the 'on-stage' fans and says a little something to them, they nod enthusiastically and keep dancing. New-ish song Sssh is great and is warmly recieved and followed by a treat for the old school fanatics DMSR. When he starts I Feel For You, which he wrote for Chaka Khan, people around me are weeping with joy and when the next song is Controversy I'm welling up myself. Unlike concerts by other 80's icons like Madonna and Michael Jackson, every single note at this Prince gig is live. His voice is fantastic and he remains one of the most under-rated guitar players in the world today. A trio of slower numbers do nothing to calm anyones heartbeat though considering they are The Beautiful Ones, Nothing Compares 2 U and Insatiable, everyone is singing, lighters are held aloft and I am covered in goosebumps. The New Power Generation (including legenary sax player Maceo Parker) is as tight as a drill team and Sign O The Times has everybody dancing again. The best dancing spot in the arena is on the stage as he repeatedly invites the 'on-stage' people to join him centre stage to shake their collective bootie, lucky bastards. There are some funky jams including The Work from the recent Rainbow Children album, but it's when U Got The Look kicks in there are 14,000 people going utterly mental. Segueing into Hot Pants, Life Of The Party and the Sam & Dave classic Soul Man this funky MF is raising the tempo and the pulse rate higher and ever higher.

The guitar intro to Kiss, is met by a scream that makes all other reactions tonight seem like a whisper and awesome as it is, he gets a huge laugh when he updates the line 'you don't have to watch Queer Eye For A Straight Guy' to have an attitude'. I am sure this has got to be the end of the set I am singing and dancing my ass off. But no, it's straight into Take Me With U and I really think I am going to explode with happiness, it's so wonderful. The set proper ends with The Everlasting Now (also from Rainbow Children) and this funky ass jam builds and builds, with all the band, dancers, audience getting more and more worked up. It all builds to a dead stop, Prince rips off his guitar, spins around and declares "Don't hate me coz I'm fabulous", and struts off the stage. I'm losing my voice, my hands are hurting from clapping and by now I am starting to shake involuntarily. Days later I start thinking about other songs he could have done, in fact TV show Rage played four and a half hours of them on Saturday, but it is impossible to even think about complaint. He returns for a one song encore, and that might not sound much, but anybody who witnessed the absolutely EPIC version of Purple Rain would tell you, there's nowhere left to go once your already in heaven.

Without doubt the best thing I have ever seen in my whole life. Fantastic.

Ian 'wish I'd known about those $1000 tickets sooner' Bell.

I take it this reviewer is a fan...

this may be the best fucking concert review i've ever read.

he is not a fan: otherwise he would have knows i feel for you wasnt written for chaka khan...and shhh..is that a newish song..yeah sure...and george bush is still president..aha..yeah sure..

That brought tears to my eyes...
Feckin' awesome re-view!

...can i get a "hell yeah"?
...or a kleenex?
...please?

Now thats a review. I can't wait until he tours here in the states again. I havent seen him live in about 5 years.Sounds like the crowd really had a great time.

jn2 said:

I like that quote too.

jesus f christ what a review !

Does anyone have any idea when the Europe dates will be announced ?

I really want these $1000 tickets but I am assuming you have to be in the club to get hold of them.

Is it worth me joining now for the last two months of 2003 just in case ?

Yeah this was a great review. The writer captures the energy and movement so well *I* wanted to get up and dance.

Shows sounded amazing, and thanks for the review, but I can't ever shake the idea that this fool is getting greedy. Tix STARTING at 90 bucks...no Pearl Jam or Fugazi here...sheesh.

Finally, props to the baddest man in the land! I HEARD that!

WOW!!! Imagine not seeing Prince Live for like 10 years here in the U.S. That is what that must have been like for Australia. LUCKY FUCKERS

Nice review Ian. I saw u at the gig u reviewd and I knew u were about 2 c something special. On my way now 2 pick up a copy of Rip It UP. Cool street mag from Adelaide.

somtimes seeing prince live is the shit... and nothing can capture it, you just have to be there.

when he's in a good mood, he hits like a mountain!

This review is fab. I really hope the tour comes to the UK. Loved the quote about being an under-rated guitar player!! Hell yeah

LOVESEXIBEAST said:

4 The $ In Ur Pocket

Is there any question why the concert in Hawaii is cancelled. The "MAN" is probably wore out. From attending past concerts, Prince gives and gives and then some to his audience. But.. contrary to popular belief, he is only human. Get some needed rest Prince, and turn off the sounds, at least for a minute. Peace to you and Mani.

When i saw Michael Jackson in 1996 here in Melbourne Australia, most of that concert was Mimed. Prince however was live all the way through, and it was a brilliant show too. Heres hoping he returns to our shores sometime soon.

This was one of the best "professional" reviews I've ever seen.

I almost cried.

O may god what a revieve, that sounded the absolute dogs bollocks, and the boy is right about Madonna and M.J, Prince is the greatest when it comes 2 getting on the stage and singing and playing it LIVE aint no other mother fucker doing it like P. Leave madonna 2 her GAP adverts and M.J can go play in trees in his back garden.

Call ur next a kin we bout 2 get funky, 2 ,3, come on!!!

Good review! I wonder what the author would have made of the 2nd show which was even better?!

One minor correction and a point re the $1000 tickets:

- You didn't have to pay $400 for tickets to get into the soundchecks. I paid $170 for tickets from NPGMC and this included soundcheck.

- I read (I think it was on the NPGMC forums) that the $1000 ticket proceeds were going to charity, and, according to reports, Prince was supposedly doubling the amount raised.

Must B a mind blowing experience 2 B right there on stage with the action going on with U in the mix...I would do that~

I was 10 rows from the front on the first show... I was first row Centre for the 2nd show...

I only cried in Q of U lol ( I was an absolute mess!)

I have never jumped so much in my life...

Bennets lane pre show

First soundcheck
First concert
Prince of Wales after party

Second soundcheck
Backstage nibblies
Second concert (the best ive ever seen)
Metro after party (songs wernt that great but the vibe from Prince, the band and the crowd was electrifying)

Im still in withdrawal mode... hoping that we dont have to wait another 11 years for the man to return. I dont think I could wait that long...

By the way... Larry Graham didnt make it to melbourne... would have been great to see the dynamic between him and prince on stage live.

I cant believ e I made it though it...

◊

Ian Bell wrote:


I think this was "Let's Work" from the Controversy album.

Ian used to write for Australian "7" Prince fanzine I think, so definitely a fan!! Onya Ian, you rock!

MamaLisa, I saw you crying! (the Q of U must be very special to you, you had it written on your shirt). I thought I was going to cry too when I saw you crying.