Certainly not me! I saw him for the first time in concert in November of 1988.

my bet is Finess or maybe TheAudience...

Purple Rain was my first.

Zelaira said:

me too.

I know someone that worked for Warner Bros back in the 70's. The company flew him out to Minniapolis for the show at the Capri.

I first saw him at Flipper's in Los Angeles for the Dirty Mind tour and saw every tour after that!!!

tricky2 said:

BTW, I wish you could have been there when he described the show at the Capri in 1978. CLASSIC!

my first, March 3, 1983, hard to beleive his first concert at the Capri he was to shy to face the audience

sitruk7 said:

same here -- november 1988

1982

Still waiting!

I live in New Zealand neva seen one.
BUT I believe it was at the Capri Theatre on January 5th 1979, the band was still fresh and their were power outages. Prince apparently mumbled in2 tha mike between songs, and was literally crawling over equipment to make these sounds. Prince had a huge afro and legwarmers, and the other funny bit was Dez and Andre has wireless fittings for their guitars and were running out into the stage and audience at every opportunity, as Dez said to many books "it must have looked very different to whoever saw it" But there is a picture in Dancemusicsexromance by Per Nilsen showing Prince doing what looks like the chacha on stage at that show.
Depending on who u believe Warners execs only showed up on the second show on Jan 7 and decided he had promise but not enough 2 tour. Dance... also says a third show was played on the 6th between the first one and the Warners one. About 200 people attended them.
Princes next concert was November 28th at the Roxy Theatre (excluding a live stage session at WB studios in Jul 79, and recording for Pepe Willie and the Rebels sessions.

tane1976 said:

NZ!!!!

Snap said:

Where? Mine was in Seattle on the 15th.

Probably Blackguitarist. I think he went to the "Fire It Up" concert with Rick James and Prince. It was in my area but, dammitt, no one would take me. Does anyone know if there was a tour before that one?

vainandy said:

I think only a few shows in local clubs and bars if anything. The Rick James opening act may have been the first time Prince played out of state.I'm not too sure. Don't worry, Langebleu or whatever his name should be here any minute to correct me and even add in what Prince and the band ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner before each show

August 13th 1986, Nearly TWENTY FUCKING YEARS AGO!!!!! Holeeeeey Sheeeeet!

4nowneway said:

January 5th, 1979!!!

Prince chose a local venue, the Capri Theater, to try out his first live peformance. Tickets were $4. The performance that cold winter night (20 below) in MN, was far from polished. Prince wore demin jeans with leg warmers on top. He stood at the microphone with his eyes closed. Executives from Warner stood on the sidelines and deemed thier new signing was not quite ready for a full tour. The Warner guys said, "Sounds good, but you need to reherse more."

My first Prince concert was on the Rick James Tour. It was either 1979 or 1980. I was in the 5th grade at the time.

PurpleCharm said:

WINNER!!!

Yeah a winner that was 25 years ago,we salute u brotha.

PurpleCharm said:

PurpleCharm said:

no disrespect to your parents but what the were you doing at a rick james concert at that age?

vainandy said:

Nah, my cousin went to that show. I was supposed to go, but I got hella sick a few days before and my mom wouldn't let me go. My first show was on the Controversy tour, Feb.82.

sosgemini said:

It was da 70's baby. I ent to that concert too!! I was about the same age. Moms wanted to see Rick James in da worst way so she just piled up da kids and off we went. Those were the days when all that wud happen at a show was some weed smokin and drinkin at best. No gun violence, kidnapping or perverts to worry 'bout. Everyone would take care of "dem babies"

My first view of Prince was at a place called the Family Dog.. Tickets were $7.00.

It was back when he was wearing those tiny panties, and thigh high boots..
[Edited 11/28/05 11:05am]

tricky2 said:

So were you there?

Oh wait, you said the Dirty Mind tour was your first. Nevermind.
[Edited 11/28/05 12:55pm]

I was in the seventh grade and my grandmother was going to take me until she called the coliseum box office to get tickets. When the person on the phone heard an elderly lady's voice, they said "Ma'am, do you realize what you are buying tickets for?" She said "Some concert my grandson is dying to see". I don't know what they told her after that but she came back and told me there was no way she was taking me to that concert. The box office fucked me up.

I was pissed. She told me that the person at the box office recommended a more tame concert that was coming the next month....The Commodores. The Commodores, during that time, had slowed things down with songs like "Easy" and "Three Times A Lady". I said "Forget it"...even though I was thinking in my mind..."Hell naw!". There was nothing that was going to top the Rick James/Prince concert for me anyway because that was my two favorites on the same show. It's probably a blessing in disguise though. If she had taken me and witnessed the show herself, she probably would have never bought me another record.

vainandy said:

Classic!

I THINK IS WAS IN 1980 OR 81. IT WAS VANITY SIX, THE TIME AND PRINCE

@ THE LONG BEACH ARENA. LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA.