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3rd Oakland Review (incl. Soundcheck and Aftershow) All I can say to sum up last nite is WOW!! Never in my wildest dreams did I
ever expect what happened last nite to happen. Prince did treat his premium fans real well last nite and I think it was intentional I guess I'd be as bitter as Bart if I didn't get to witness what I did yesterday, but hopefully its a sign of things to come for the next tour or branch of the Hit and Run show. 6pm: He put on three 3 concerts last nite! The first was only for the few 200-300 ppl that were premium members of the NPGMC. We got in through the back way(back of the stage) where i guess Prince enters from, saw his limos and were patted down and allowed to enter in small groups at around 6pm. Once we got in, Prince was already rehearsing some songs. I really didn't know what to expect to see, maybe Prince directing the band, maybe walking around stage. I actually thought he would ignore the crowd just so he could work. But he was prepared for us and as soon as we walked in, he was already interacting with the crowd, which was a first. He asked a fan walking in, "May I see your ticket please" and walked over and took the ticket and mumbled something like "pretty good seats". He also joked a little about us picking up a margarita on the way in, that there were plenty of them backstage and "don't mind what he's wearing, they're some rags I put on". He was in a very playful mood, very good mood. We were all just in awe and watched Prince interact with a few fans, somethign I guess no one expected. We we allowed to go up and sit on the left side of the stage and of course there were the greedy fans that didn't want to skoot over for us who wanted to sit just so they can see Prince just a little closer(thank you ladies!!). Anyways, pretty much as everyone took their seats, Rosie Gaines walked in and of course ppl were screaming and hollering. Much love for Rosie She came in and shook many hands and walked up to the stage. Once everyone was seated, Prince felt a little awkward looking at us to the left all the time and asked the Usher if they just cuold take their seats(the Usher said no, but eventually said yes). So we all sat RIGHT in front. I was about ten rows in front of where I should of, but no one minded, i guess we all sat where we weren't suppose to. DVS came out with some shaving cuts and asked if ANYONE HAD A BANDAID, of course everyone ignored him and no one laughed. Prince was interrupted at times by techs, or other ppl but still continued to play. he did pretty much full versions of the songs, stopping only when the jamming would commence. Here so far is the set list: [pre:0deadbeef0] When U Were Mine Santana Medley Oye Como Va Natural WOman (Rosie Gaines on vocals) Car Wash with Rosie Gaines Another Aretha cover( I forget the name!) Ain't No Way with Rosie Gaines Instrumental jam by Kip Blackshire Daisy Chain Joy in Repitition Purple Rain----a VERY alternate version, very rock/bluesy redition. I didn't even know it was Purple Rain till my friend said it was. [/pre:0deadbeef0] After the set, he did something no one ever expected, went down and sat on the lower deck, in FRONT of the stage and just started talking to fans(he looked over and mentioned to Rhonda and Mike that they could stop playing, it seemed like we were getting backround music during this next portion) He asked us if we liked the NPG Music Club. Of course we all said YEAH!!!! Anyone could pretty much say anything and Prince would/could hear, thats how close we were to him. At times ppl would sing a line from a new Prince song like SEX ME BABY, SEX ME NOT or THIS IS HOW WE DO IT ON THE NORTHSIDE, of course Prince would make that OH NO face and just laugh it off. He then did a very unique Q/A session with us. Of course, we all asked questions. Ppl were raising hands and after awhile, Prince just asked us to YELL OUT THE QUESTION, WE AREN'T IN SCHOOL. I guess because he didn't want to feel like he was picking one of us to speak and not the rest, dunno. Ok, sorry, I may not remember all the questions, but here are the few I remember(in NO particular order): Q: Will you release any albums? Prince: No, not for AWHILE, I wanna just release songs this way(The NPGMC). Record companies and us don't work well. They want to restrict me or change my art somehow and I really don't like that. Q: How come we don't get CDs? Prince: Well, it is very costly to press CDs(something else), beside can't you do that(make your own CDs? Q: Can you get rid of the QT, I can't get it to work? Prince: Sorry, I don't get into the techincal part of it, if you email the club they will get back to you as soon as they can. They are very busy,but they do get try to get to everyone as quickly as they can. I know the player had its few bugs, we're sorry. The Player did not work well in the beginning, but we aren't blaming Tekadence. This is a very new thing and we all your support and emails, we'll try to make it better. And it will get better every month, because we are listening to what yall have to say. (this was completely paraphrased, sorry if I did make say something he did, but this is the gist of what he said) Q: Why don't we hear you on radio? Prince: Because your radio is controlled.....we hear nothing but the same songs over and over again. Q: What music do YOU like to listen to? Prince: I'm actually digging the groups we have right now, the Fonky Baldheads and Millenia who is working on an album right now. They(Millenia) are writing and producing it, I'm just.....watching them. (Prince Bodyguard interrupts and and whispers something into Prince's ear) Prince: Keanu Reeves wants free tickets, should we give it to him?? Everyone: NOOOOO!!!!! Question(from Rudedog): Will you release anymore of your Vault tracks?? Prince: WHAT, MY WHAT? Rudedog: MUSIC FROM YOUR VAULTS!!!!! Prince: Yes(nodding head with complete certainty) Question: Can we get a live concert on tape?? Prince: This one?? Everyone: YEAHHHHH!!!!! Prince: It's gonna cost ya!(smiling) (girl with no bra walks around fans over to the right side of stage over to Prince, Prince walked over there to get something, she has the Crystal Ball circular lyric book that came with the store bought version and asks for an autograph, Prince instead shakes her hand....the bodyguard looked pissed because he didn't see her walking up to the stage) Question: Will you put more songs on Napster? Prince: Does everyone use Napster? Some ppl: YEAH!!!! Prince: (with a playfully shocked face) You mean you download ppl's music without paying for it? (smiling) Question: Where is Mayte or what happened to Mayte? Prince:.....(either didn't hear it or chose to ignore it) Question: Will you play more new songs on the tour? Prince: I've been noticing more of the younger generation coming to see my play, so I really wanted to play some of the older material for them so they know it rocks too. Question: Do you read the emails sent to you? Prince: I read the posts at NPGOnline..... Someone: You mean the tour reports? (From time to time, some ppl walked up and gave Prince various gifts) One person walked up and gave him a little book.... Everyone: WHAT IS IT??? Prince: (smiling) Its an artbook. Everyone: AWWWWW!!!! Question: Will there be a Prince Celebration this year? Prince: YES!(audience screams!) Prince: Grown ppl aren't suppose to say "awwwww".(smiling) (Another person gave Prince some kind of figurine or something angel-looking) Prince: Yeah, those! I like reading them, they really cheer me up. (Bodyguard whispers in Prince's ear) Prince: Sorry, we gotta go...(waving) Everyone: THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! BYE!!!!! Overall this really cool experience lasted for 15, maybe 20 minutes. There were a lot of other questions, but some ppl didn't speak up so not a lot of ppl heard. 10pm(after the two opening acts) There were two opening acts, Millenia and The Fonky Baldheads. The Fonky Baldheads, I felt REALLY sucked ass!! Millenia was ok, I may buy the album when it comes out. Prince did some really great guitar work throughout the nite and it was good hearing Mike Scott help out on some of the songs that needed a rhythm guitar. Prince was overall in good mood. He did give a little speech about Larry asking Prince if he ever did a show without cussing, Prince said to Larry "I only use them words for effect". Larry said, you didn't answer the question BABY BRUTHA. Prince said NO. He also mentioned Rosie Gaines, Sheila E, Lawrence Fishburne and Jada Picket Smith were in the audience. He joked about Lawrence asking Prince for free tickets and he said "I will only give you free tickets if you give me the plots to The Matrix 2 and 3.....so the plot goes.....(laughter from audience)" "Jada Picket said she would tell me(the plots) if I gave her free tickets.....so the plot goes.....(laugher again, {Prince is a RIOT, eh?})" Anyways, it was great show, I don'tt hink there was an encore, unless he consired Purple Rain the encore. He played for about 2 hours, great show, it seemed really long. [pre:0deadbeef0] DAT INtro Uptown COntroversy Mutiny The Work (part 1) (sung in normal voice, not falsetto) Cream Little Red Corvette I Wanna Be Your Lover Sexy Dancer Housequake Ballad of Dorothy Parker/4 Someday we will all be free (Kip Blackshire on vocals) U Make My Sun Shine (with Millenia) I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man Do Me Baby Scandalous Diamonds and Pearls The Beautiful Ones Nothing COmpares 2 u Let's Go Crazy Take Me With U Raspberry Beret Mr. Happy Outro Darling Nikki When Doves Cry/Computer Blue Instrumental I Would Die 4 U/Baby I'm a Star God Instrumental Purple Rain [/pre:0deadbeef0] 3am The aftershow was great, he took about an hour for him to come out, but at 3am the band did start playing Daisy Chain while Prince sang the lyrics back stage and yes DVS was there. Sheila E, walks out and ppl were just going NUTS to see her, she played with Prince the whole nite and it was magically. Very playful was Prince with everyone on stage, joking, smiling and having a good time. Larry Graham came out and jammed on it and it rocked! Joy In repetion rocked, great rendition of it. Paisley Park was AMAZING!!! It was great to hear this one again! I haven't heard it in sooooo long!!! Thing is, many ppl didn't know the chorus, much less the lyrics and Prince was expecting a Raspberrry Beret audience sing-a-long to happen, only a few ppl knew the lyrics and after Prince played an amazing guitar solo, the song ended and he YELLED into the mic, LEARN MY MUSIC!!!!! He was really pissed cause there were a lot of quiet moments where the audience was suppose to be singing a verse and Prince had to make it up with a cool guitar lick. It seemed like he did forget the lyrics and he just wanted us to sing to make up for his "forgetfulness". thats just what me and Cecy were thinking, I could be wrong of course. Oye Come Va was excellent!! Come On was very cool! Alpabet St jam ended a very long and great nite! I got to see him perform for like 5 hours(not including the opening bands) last nite. Hopefully the next shows will be like this and everyone gets to see what I saw last nite!! [pre:0deadbeef0] Aftershow setlist: Daisy Chain with DVD, Sheila E and Larry Graham Natural Woman with Rosie gaines and Millenia Car Wash with Rosie and Sheila E and Millenia Ain't No Way with Rosie and Millenia Joy in Repitition Paisley Park with Shiela E. Santana Medley with Shiela E and Najee Oye Como Va with Sheila E and Najee Come On with Sheila E. Alphabet St. with Larry Graham, Sheila E. [/pre:0deadbeef0] Rudedog [I really wish I would have gotten into the soundcheck--I had a ticket mixup and didn't get them from willcall until it was ending (fun!). Everyone said how great it was. The aftershow was incredible though, Paisley Park, my my... Thanks for the awesome report, Rude!-- Ben] {vjillian: Please remember that this is ONE fans version of what was said, and NOT intended to be an EXACT transcript of the soundcheck event. Contrary to what folks say on OTHER WEBSITES, we do care that the fans know what's up, and there are NO DOUBTS that we live amoung the "Unofficial" crowd. } | |
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