One Nite Alone With Prince
Ohio Theater, Columbus
March 5, 2002

SOUNDCHECK (5:40 p.m. -- 6:20 p.m.):

Peach (instrumental)
She Loves Me 4 Me (instrumental)
Peach
The Ride
When You Were Mine
Dolphin

{{{"When You Were Mine" was the highlight of the soundcheck! Prince brought up several NPGMC members that were watching and allowed them to actually play the song (one on his old Hohner guitar, one on drums, one on tambourine, and two people singing!).}}} Needless to say, this was pretty hilarious. Prince sat and watched from the audience and seem to get a real kick out of the performance, which actually wasn't too bad. Afterwards he showed the guitar a few more chords.

Prince then chatted, very casually (no bodyguards or anything!), with the NPGMC fans in attendance for about 35 minutes after the soundcheck concluded. Very Q&A-like on a variety of topics, including September 11th (asking the fans if they were scared of what would happen next), the ticket situation for the shows (Ticketmaster = "master of tickets"), independent record promotion, the fact that he doesn't listen to other artists CD's much "because it's too painful to listen. I find myself asking "Why did they do that? and tearing things apart." Prince did mention that he attends a lot of concerts, though.

Billy Sparks said that as a result of the NPGMC members not always getting the best seats in the house that they would be blocking a section of seats for future shows, probably beginning in about two weeks.

CONCERT (8:20 p.m. to 11 p.m.):
The Rainbow Children
Muse 2 The Pharaoh
Xenophobia
The Ride
Instrumental Jam (including "Ohio" chant)
A Case of You
Mellow
1+1+1 = 3/Rollercoaster of Love
The Other Side of the Pillow
Strange Relationship
Pass The Peas
Sing A Simple Song
La, La, La Means I Love You
Didn't You Know
When You Were Mine
Avalanche
Family Name
Take Me With U
Raspberry Beret
Santana Medley
-----
ENCORE:
Adore
Under The Cherry Moon (instrumental)
Free
Starfish & Coffee
Sometimes It Snows In April
I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore
How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore?
Anna Stesia


The official afterparty was held at the Brickyard.

Wowww....

(P.S. he never listens to other peoples music?)

I LOVE that he let people get up & play a song! I know it was hilarious!!! Were people watching them play, or watching HIM watch them play? OY!

Again, SO glad he's taking care of the whole ticket mess. I GOTTA have good seats when he comes to the Bay!

It also strikes me that people often accuse him of being so standoff-ish with his fans, which is pure bullshit. I can't think of another artist on his level that allows folks into soundchecks, talks with them, invites fans onstage ALL the time, opens his studio on a regular basis, has a week-long "festival" at his studio, does aftershows constantly, and starts a bloody club to liberate himself AND be more in touch with his fanbase.

Some of you are really bugged if you can't see the see it, but that's okay - stay bitter and STAY HOME!

Dolphin during the soundcheck..now that's a surprise!! I wonder if it will show up during a main gig one time...Thanks for the early report...you know I like that huh?!

"...Oh Billy/ Where'd you get those glasses/ they are the funkiest glasses/ that I've ever seen..."

(Remember that song, anybody? that's Billy Sparks' glasses, - Billy is the guy who also played the club owner in 'Purple Rain'. A real homie I guess.)

Very cool stunt by Prince, letting the fans play his instruments! I would like to have seen his face though, as his fans molested one of his all time greatest songs, considering the fact that he can't even stand listening to other artists's cd's.... heh heh.

very cool 8)

CalhounSq said:

yeah, i'd like 2 c madonna do that!

sits patiently and waits 4 davideye and moonbeam 2 come and defend madonna j/k

I can't wait for him to come to my city! Last time eye saw P was at the Montreal Jazz Festival last summer. That was an amazing show!

Here are two other souncheck questions of interest (to me at least )

Any live CDs in the works?
None planned. I believe he said something about extra push/promotion? needed for live CDs. Not sure what that means.

Is he going to reschedule the Cincinnati show?
He said "Yeah", but he made a point of saying that he needed to get to Europe first since he hadn't been there for a while. I'm not holding my breath for a Cincy show unless he does more US dates after he comes back.

Jas

Hmmmmm, he must have been in a good mood. When he's not in such a perfect mood he can be a jerk. I still love him tho.

here's a good question:

about how many NPGMC members have been at the soundchecks so far? I'm just trying to get a feel for how many of us there really are.

(see you in louisville!)

Europe- Bring it on LONDON!!

Did anyone ask for confirmation of a Celebration 2002?

WOW! He actually let fans play for him? This is exactly what I have wanted to do for years! If any of you are out there...please write about here so we can hear your version of this story firsthand.

One of these days I hope to do the same thing. I think I would play Bambi, Let's Go Crazy, Endorphine Machine, or Purple Rain for him.

I'm thrilled for those people whoever they are!

Thank god, it sounds like he's still dedicated on coming to Europe!

AHHHH....I just hope one of these concerts gets to be released (bootlegged or not) since Prince wont come to Brasil...

Now, wait a minute! Did he actually say he wanted to go to Europe? Oh my god! Finally!
Bring that booty over here baby!

Damn... Xcellent Newz... He was certainly in a good mood cause eye'm really surprised of this (no bodyguard)... The Set-list is already movin' : he played 'The Ride' (1 of my favorite)... These days R really positive

randomduck said:

LOL!

YES!!! Bring the show 2 Europe!!!
yahooooo

As for the Celebration.....I think the dates listed on the NPGMC is the best confirmation that we are going to get. Lord I hope so, I've already got reservations and plane tickets!

he did a beautiful version of dolphin-he turned it into a ballad!!! after the when you were mine jam..someone shouted out a song..i think it was fast..prince made a remark about his father telling him that after someone plays loud, follow w/ a ballad....too funny..

Wow - the chance to jam, possibly with of for Prince!! Either way, I don't care, I'd definitely get up and beat some skins or play whatever he threw at me. I just hope, if the tour comes to Europe (I have no doubt whatsoever that it will) that we'll be given the same priveleges.

PRIORITY: EUROPE

He's coming, he's coming... God, I'm impatient.

GustavoRibas said:

Gustavo !!

I know isn't that easy , but I hope that Prince will return to Brasil once more !!
peace
Rique

"It also strikes me that people often accuse him of being so standoff-ish with his fans, which is pure bullshit. I can't think of another artist on his level that allows folks into soundchecks, talks with them, invites fans onstage ALL the time, opens his studio on a regular basis, has a week-long "festival" at his studio, does aftershows constantly, and starts a bloody club to liberate himself AND be more in touch with his fanbase. "



I have a contrary opinion. Please read:

I'm sending the following letter to Prince and his publicists:

"I have been a longtime fan of Prince and His music- even through the "symbol" days when many, expecting his output to stay within the same "genre", abandoned him. On March 6th, 2002 my wife and I attended his performance at the Ohio theater in Columbus, Ohio. Prince performed a funky, jazzy, sexy, and passionate set. Going beyond what other artists typically dish out, his performance was not just a run of the mill "string of hits", but an intelligent mix of styles and visuals- and it exceeded my already high expectations in all but sound quality. Truly, as he promised, "a show for musicians and people who love music." Despite owning virtually every recorded piece of material he has released, it was my first chance to see him live. After the show, my wife and I considered our $200, 2 days salary for me, money well spent.

I had always found Prince's unusual philosphical mix of the God of the Bible and the gift of sexuality to a healthy one. So, when, mear the end of the performance, Prince passionately cited the Bible as his inspiraton and source of comfort in trying times, I took this at face value- and sang with him, unabashedly, "God is love/Love is God".

He also inveighed against "money grubbing preachers." A sentiment I can agree with.

I am sorry to say, however, that this experience, and all of Prince's music, now rings hollow in my memory, due to what happened after the show.

After the show, an announcment in the theater proclaimed that "The Official After-Party Will be at The Brickyard"- a mid-sized local music venue.

At 11:30, at The Brickyard, I heard many fans, only slightly taken aback by the higher than normal 20 dollar cover fee (this is Columbus...), ask the publicist collecting the money ask if, in fact, Prince would be making an appearance. To no fewer than three people I heard this publicist, who I later learned was named "Randy" (little did I realize that this was not merely a name, but an adjective) promise that not only would Prince be making an appearance, as the sign outside The Brickyard promised, but would also play a set. My wife and I forked over our money (that's $240 for the night), quickly called an assortment of friends who we knew would love to take advantage of such an opportunity.

Then we, perhaps 200 of us, waited, while a DJ spun an assortment of records that I already own, and promised, every half hour, that "Prince [was] on his way."

As the night wore on, and the DJ gradually raised the bass to "Get the fuck out of here" volume, Prince did not arrive. Rumors circulated that he had poked, in fact, poked his head out of a backstage doorway for a second or two, but no one knew if this was true or not.

By 2:30 a.m., on a work night no less, I decided that I did not wish to wait any longer. On my way out, I casually asked one of the folks at the door if we could have our money back. Upon hearing this, Randy sitting nearby pretended to get a phone call and made a rapid exit. The guy at the door (who sported an NPG/Symbol chain and thus looked to be a part of the entourage) claimed that Randy was reponsible for the door receipts (I still do not know if this is true).

Joined by half dozen other unhappy customers, I tracked down the slippery Randy, and explained the situation: "We were promised an appearance by Prince, that did not happen, we gave our money to you for that, therefore we would like it back." "I don't have it, he said, they [Prince's company] already took it. Bring it up with the bar."

Randy answered others' complaints by making evasive, incomprehensible, jargon laden responses. At one point he leaned over to me and asked "Are you gay?" This question did not bother me, and I said so. Though I am straight, at concerts or public venues, I often affect a somewhat gay demeanor. It did bother me, however, that Randy proceeded to imply that I could get what I wanted if I provided him with sexual favors. "Since you're the only guy here... you're the one who can help me help them," he said.

Noticing that this tactic had fallen flat, he feigned a brainstorm: "How'd you like to crash Prince's hotel room. I'm the Publicist, I can do this." He again pretended to make a phone call.

This appeared to be a very specious offer for either a) Randy was violating his charge to protect his employer from unwanted intrusion or b) he was lying to us in order to get us out of the bar and out of his sight. I did not find the idea of pissing off a favored artist by crashing his hotel room, appealing or likely- particularly given the circumstances.

Randy proceeded to make an attempt to flee from our growing and angry group by wandering around in a way reminicent of a pickpocket I once had the misfortune of encountering in the New York Bus Terminal. Feigning phone calls, private conversations with other guests of the bar, and basically concocting every behavioral excuse he could come up with to turn his back, he continued to avoid giving us any sort of response.

Fed up, and feeling violated, I wrote on a napkin: "It is too loud here for me to talk to you... Please tell me, what is the plan?" (perhaps too ambigious?) I handed it to him. He thought stupidly for a minute, and slowly scratched something out. It was a hotel name, a room number, 961, and a phone number with the tag line "Prince's Room!". Needless to say, the room number was Bogus (I was fimilliar with the hotel, and knew that it only had 6 floors.)

Prince is not blameless in this situation. If he, indeed, found the Columbus crowd lame, unworthy of his presence, I could accept that if his people were willing to provide a refund when he does not show up, as promised by a representative. To do otherwise is theft. [I refer you to The Bible for invocations against theft.] Or, if he never inteded to perform in the first place, the publicist should have not promoted the After-Party as one in which Prince would show up and perform. To do otherwise is to lie. [Again, re: The Bible] Or, perhaps, Prince's people are renegade independent operators. In which case, Prince should fire them, for they are giving him a bad name.

I can also accecpt the fact that an musician is a human being, and occasionly gets stage fright, jitters over meeting a crowd, feels sick or tired, or simply lacks the spirit to perofrm. I would have forgiven all if Prince's people would have apolgized and given us a refund. I cannot now mull over Prince's musical, lyrical ruminations on God, love and peace, without finding the words hollow and hyocritical. In a sense, Prince, through his people, his become, in my mind, precisely one of those "money grubbing preachers".

That's all it took to make you a "former fan"??...an obviously fucked-up "representative" or "publicist" or whatever that Randy guy was fuckin' with people??...Maybe I'm different than most, but I certainly don't expect everybody associated with a star like Prince to be of the utmost quality and character...I could run into "Randys" on Madonna's tour, on Bruce Springsteen's tour, on Sting's tour...on Santana's tour, on anyone's tour...

It would take a lot more than that to suddenly make Prince a bad guy in my eyes, or any of the other performers I mentioned...it would be like me saying that I have always loved Burger King and have always felt they conducted themselves as a corporation in wonderful ways...but then I went to this Burger King in Pismo Beach and the assisstant manager there was rude so now I'm no longer a fan of Burger King and see them as a corporation in a different light...lol..

On the other side, though, I do think you make a point when club members--or anyone actually, but specifically club members are for the most part told that Prince will indeed be "showing up" at an afterparty in some club...he should know and realize that he's the ONLY reason a fair amount of people show up, to have the chance to at least see him...so claims of "Prince is on his way" should either be kept to only those cases in which he KNOWS he's gonna do more than poke his head out, or not given at all...and just define "after parties" as gatherings at clubs after his concerts, with no mention at all if Prince will be there or not...

Oh, hell, who am I kidding...lol..even if they did THAT, someone would complain because Prince didn't show up at THEIR afterparty but he showed up at the one BEFORE...or that they heard from the barkeeper that the manager was told by Prince's secretarie's brother that Prince would be there, and when he doesn't show they'll get pissed at Prince...I don't think there's any solution to this, really...

It's not that he didn't show up that bothered me, it's that his organization obviously didn't care enough make provisions for the apparently many times that he fails to show up at the afterparty. Particularly the fact that the money was wisked offsite so that refunds could not be provided. We waited for 3 1/2 hours, with the DJ promising us perhaps 5 times that "Prince was "on his way." I felt jerked around. THEN, this whole thing with his publicist "Randy" providing me with a "solution" to the problem.

However, after paying $100 a ticket for show, then getting screwed out of $20 more and some much needed sleep, I felt violated. Prince's "love" philosphy looked pretty hypocritical.

Prince speaks of Peace and Love (even the whole Abe Lincoln thing didn't bother me) and invieghs against hypocracy. His musical spirit is (apparently) inflated sharing the joy of his apparent convictions. Finding out that Prince's organization doesn't care enough to make provisions for his fans well-being is kinda' like learning that Abe Lincoln thought that Blacks and Whites could never live together- deflating.


I guess my feeling is "I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore"

wellbeyond said:

This is nothing new. Prince has always had these types of employees. Frankly, I doubt Prince has the time or energy to police as many people as are involved in a touring entourage. He, like most business people, has to rely on the skill and judgment of his inner circle (e.g., Billy Sparks).

Just like the Ticketmaster situation, I'm sure Prince would be upset if he knew how this person was treated. But I don't think you should hold it against him personally.

It's took me about 3 years to forgive Prince for the Crystal Ball fiasco and the incompetence of NEWFUNK. In the end, I finally realized that Prince probably does not have the time or willpower to monitor his organization that closely. That's too bad, because it would make him a much better business man. However, I don't think it makes him a bad person... just a bit lazy.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
However, after paying $100 a ticket for show, then getting screwed out of $20 more and some much needed sleep, I felt violated. Prince's "love" philosphy looked pretty hypocritical.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


I totally feel you on the money situation. BUT...

For the $100, you got a fantastic show, which you freely admit to.

For the $40, you got screwed by a bar owner.

It is unfortunate that you did not know that Prince does not covort with his fans on the dance floor and the like. The afterparty is a way for Prince to get some extra income for his entourage, and you are extremely lucky if he plays at all. It is a time for Prince and his crew to kick back after the show and get some food. Them being there, however, usually brings a crowd; therefore, the band/crew get a cut of the door proceeds (if not all...usually the bar owner just makes his cash on the drink sales).

Prince hardly ever makes little more than one or two apperances at the DJ booth to play some already purchased or downloaded music. Once in a while, he'll have a tape of the concert. Even rarer is when he plays. Even rarer still is when he actually gets on the floor to dance.

Now you know. And I agree...being pissed becuase the bar owner out right lied to you is something to be furious about. But being pissed at Prince himself for that is something totally uncalled for, IMO. I had the same thing happen to me at an afterparty in Detroit when Prince just hung out in the balcony seats of a church in the dark. No performance, just "he's here." Yes my expectations were a bit deflated, but it wasn't the end of the world. *shrug*

OH WELL