he plays milion covers,ok i like his covers of whole lotta love,come together,but wouldnt it be great if he revamp songs like
why you wanna treat me so bad
private joy
bambi(i know he plays it from time to time but he can play it more freqently)
im yours
computer blue
i like it there
i hate you
other classic material...
setlist wise best year for prince fans was 2002 he played everything from emty room to poer fantastic

I agree the set list looks tierd. We view them each week on the web and see the same old songs - cream - u got the look etc.. but we have to remember, we are not there every week so why should it bother us? To those in attendance it could and most probably is a great show, but because we simply read a list of the same songs each week i can see how it appears tiresome.

Then there are the bootlegs. People are tired of getting new recordings only to hear the same uninspired setlist - "so many hits, so little time" (yeah we hear ya already!) lalalalalalalalala KISS. But really who's problem is that? and bootleg fans have no right to complain.

When i heard that prince was gonna take up residency in Vegas i thought that he was gonna go crazy with the setlists - y'know play whatever he liked. Perhaps one night an instrumental jazz set or play news in its entirety. Maybe play a a show full of album cuts that seldom get an airing. Or, what about doing like he did on the gold experience tour and play songs nobody had ever heard before. The fact is, we don't know the deal thats going on with the Rio. Perhaps he has to play the hits? From fan reports the audience is not FAM-tastic lol but instead full of Vegas party goers. Its gotta be a tough and diverse audience to please. I wonder where all the covers come from? how does he choose them and why? they dont seem to bother me as much as they do some. i just like hearing him play something fresh - his ongs or anothers.

But i do hear u. Surely Prince has to be bored of these songs, right?
[Edited 4/29/07 12:46pm]

3121 said:

Simply because Vegas is a small club, people assumed wrongly that Prince was going to treat every night like an aftershow. The fact is there are paying customers to satisfy, and Prince has chosen to do this with a more-or-less set show, no different to if he was doing a tour, but perhaps with a little more freedom here and there.

As for Prince being bored of the songs, clearly not, no one is forcing him to do anything, certainly not the Rio.

metalorange said:

U don't think the Rio have any hand in saying what they want from him? I'm not so sure. Although, we can never know. I agree with what u are saying regarding the size of the venue - it is just a show. However, from the outset the talk was bringing back the impromtu, freer performance etc.. I just dont see that. Perhaps at the aftershow maybe. I think that lots of people are bored of the hits already as mentioned before but then again, we are fans, who follow the setlists week in week out. to the casual fan (which i think comprises the majority of the 3121 audience) it should be a great show. I genuinely cant see how he cant be bored with the songs. Particulary after his musicology 'retirement' of the old tracks to make way for the new music. Maybe Chris rock got it right - "you can get bored of a song but u will never tire of peoples reaction to a song".

I disagree.

I quite like the setlists he's playing.

He's got something for everyone - new tracks, old favorites, cover versions, extended jams, new arrangements etc. There's only so much you can put into a 2hr show. You can't satisfy everyone! At least it hasn't turned into a "hits medley" thing. It's amazing how many songs from 3121 have been performed: "3121", "Lolita", "Black Sweat", "Satisfied", "Fury", "The Dance", "Get On The Boat" and even the new track "Somewhere Here On Earth" are all in rotation. I don't think he's incorporated so much new material since The Gold Experience shows.

From what I've read, the only real definate in the setlists is the Lolita - Black Sweat - Kiss - Shhh - Musicology portion, and even that is open to improv/jamming depending on his mood. The rest of the setlist changes quite frequently, if not at lightling speed.
[Edited 4/30/07 6:42am]

3121 said:

Absolutely not. The Rio have had to bend over backwards to accomodate him, especially with this month-extension when another show was already lined up to fill the space, not the other way around. Essentially he rented the space from them, they didn't hire him, and therefore have no say over his creative input.

the set list sucks.

metalorange said:

He hired the club from the Rio? I'm not saying u are wrong, i persoanlly don't know, i just wonder how u do?

I always assumed that the Rio Payed Prince to set up residency their and his accomadation etc..

Could u tell me how u know this?

3121 said:

yeah...thats kinda strange if you ask me...for celine to get millions for her gig it just sounds odd that prince had to pay for his.

sosgemini said:

i gotta admit, it was a little boring when i saw him and I missed half the show(and didn't really care).

3121 said:

From various posts from orgers over the months about the club... For instance there was a story releated that Prince was looking for a club to set such a thing up, as soon as he walked into the room at the Rio he liked the vibe so that was the choice.

metalorange said:

Just wanted to add that Prince actually played with the Time and Larry Graham at Club Rio last May on the Friday before the Empire Ballroom gigs which is probably why he ended up using that club plus the fact that they had a restaurant space available for the Jazz Cuisine which he wanted to open as well.
[Edited 4/30/07 14:49pm]

I went to the 3121 concert on a friday and saturday (back to back) and although he made sure to play the same songs from 3121 both nights, he not only played a few different songs each night, he also mixed up the order in which they were played. I thought that he did a great job of it. Plus, think about the people dancing, singing and playing for him. . . Do you expect the twins to memorize 40 different dance routines? Its just not logical. Not for the 6 months that they are doing the show.

My Vegas experience was great but I've been ready for a new setlist for awhile now.

so prince needs to limit himself because otherwise it would be too hard for twins?

thebanishedone said:

The only people who can comment are those who have been to the shows.

While looking at song titles arranged in a particular order does give one a general idea, it in no way gives the full experience of both seeing and hearing the songs performed together live on stage.

so now we have people who can and who can't comment,ok
but whAT about those people who heard in mp3 format 4 or 5 night in vegas?

Prince can sing the same setlist every damn time I see him for all I care.
All that matters is Im there, and in heaven.





On a serious note,
I saw him a few times at the Rio and the setlists where different each time. He is a great musician, its always an honor to see him play/sing.

thebanishedone said:

ha ha ha! great thread by the way.

thank u

My vibe is this... on bootleg I wanna hear a bunch of less-expected stuff... maybe I mean 'less bootlegged' stuff... but I know that were I to get to Vegas I would be looking for a nice loud Purple Rain etc. I think listening at home / on headphones and being at the venue invites different song wishes.

the setlist is solid and is a mix of a few Prince hits, covers, and new stuff and is for the Vegas crowd mostly

so if you are a fan you get a few gems

if you area Vegas 'purple rain' type that thinks Prince has been missing for the last 20 years, you get some hits

if you are just drunk and are in Vegas looking for a good time you get some great covers

and he mixes it up for sure but the main setlist is necessary so they have something to fall back on and then each week can work new tunes into the mix

if you have not seen Prince play keyboards on Higher Ground, you have missed a lot

I would LOVE to see him play keyboards on Higher Ground!

Please play it in SF, Prince! Please!

sosgemini said:

Might sound crazy but yes he did, or at least he chose to limit himself somewhat in the mainshow. The setlist changed about 25% each of the 8 times I went, many changes from Friday to the next night. That's a LOT of change from night to night for ANY band or dancers with staged performances. Celine has been in Vegas for 3 years now. How many changes do you think SHE's made in the setlist or choreography? Very little, if any, I'd guess. Therefore, if you have a choreographed show, you do have to place limits on what can be played, that's just common sense.

I went to 5 Musicology shows and although there were changes in the setlist from night to night it was less that 25%. This was not ONA where Prince performed most of the songs by himself on keys allowing for a lot more improvisation which he does anytime he plays alone.

metalorange said:

First of all, Prince didn't pay the Rio. And frankly, I don't think the Rio paid him either. I believe the deal was that he'd get whatever money was generated by the club/restaurant and pay for the overhead out of that revenue. I think the Rio probably got a cut of the ticket sales and alcohol, plus tons of free marketing/advertising not to mention residual revenue from people staying, eating, and gambling at the Rio that came to see Prince and would not have otherwise been at the Rio, like me, cuz I would NEVER have stayed there otherwise.

Also, Prince was originally going to go with the Wynn Casino but chose the Rio because they were so accommodating and flexible with him and had the restaurant/aftershow space available close by. That was really smart on Prince's part, because Steve Wynn would NOT have tolerated any of this last minute cancellation shit. He's all about business (read: contracts) baby.
[Edited 5/2/07 10:30am]

SCNDLS said:

You're probably right. What I meant was that it certainly wasn't a case of the Rio 'hiring' him and having much say over what sort of show he puts on, it was a deal where both benefitted, prestige for the Rio and a place to perform for Prince.

SCNDLS said:

so one night he played Pass the Peas and the next night replaced it with I Want To Take You Higher ehh?

sosgemini said:

oh lawd! no u didn't