Special Effex...

We all remember the Guitar water gun, how can u forget that.
Balloonz and fireworx seem to be in a stage manager'z bag of trix.
Stages are becomming more elaborate. The Superbowl, was a nice shadow effect.

What has Prince used on stage 2 enhance the performance?

What do you think would be a new or unique idea, that could be taken into consideration?

If people were, alerted, to close their eye's, and mouth's, by a screen warning, I do believe that it would be nice to drop guitar picks.

his microphone has enhanced performance in the past, u know, when he used 2 get quite energetic with it...
i hear he had a bath 2 cool down during the pr concerts.

4 the up&coming dublin concert, i'd love 2 c him get zip wired in from the top of the stadium (from far end so people at the back can get a glimpse) playing guitar on way down

The stages have all been nice, from what I have seen, I wonder if Prince has ever dropped feathers?

How about mist-ers. This would be great during Purple Rain, Black Sweat, Soft and Wet, Somebody's Somebody and other "rainy and wet" songs.

Functional 'cause it will cool the crowd down.

Yes, outside, I suppose...And I also like the idea of doing a glow-in-the-dark show...like Sheila's, "Koo-Koo" video.

At the beginning of the Syracuse (and I'm sure all of the PR shows) Fresh flowers fall across the front of the stage at the start of Lets go crazy!

I think the bed/swing/basketballnet combo at the Lovesexy shows was great as well as the bed and Rollerskate sequence between Diamond and Pearl and D&P show!


He also had money drop into the crowd at Lovesexy, and more recently there were little gold and purple hearts sprayed everywhere on the last O2 show on the 21st sept - a pile of which is in my kitchen.

I've always loved the bevelled Mike stand that always corrects itself to stand up after he pushes and slaps it around - that has to be a personal fave!

The Lovesexy tour had some of the best (certainly the most) special effects -

Arriving on stage in the car and leaving on it at the end, the confetti during I Wanna Be Your Lover (I think), the microphone (and microphone stand) during Head, the shorts and suspenders (ok not a special effect, but still), the chair and the bed during Supercali, displaying his basketball skills, Cat's veil during Kiss, the 3 level rotating stage, the floor lighting for Alphabet St. There's probably loads more that I can't remember right now.

lottielooloo1968 said:

That'd be good, but I can't see Prince wanting to be dangled above the crowd. And then there's the insurance costs.

Tame said:

I think to a certain extent effects can detract from what should be the main focus - the music. U2's Zoo TV tour is a good example of this - a hugely entertaining show, but the Vertigo tour when it was basically four guys on a stage playing their music was a far more satisfying experience.

I think the Lovesexy show suffered a bit for all the effects and antics in the first half - the second half was musically far better since Prince was concentrating more on the musical performance and not leaping about all the time.

Peter Gabriel still manages to be fairly innovative, although I can't see Prince singing upside down, or while bouncing around the stage inside a big inflatable ball.

Guitar solo on a unicycle, perhaps?

mentalist said:[quote]At the beginning of the Syracuse (and I'm sure all of the PR shows) Fresh flowers fall across the front of the stage at the start of Lets go crazy!


They also threw flowers into the audience.

During Musicology, purple streamers dropped from the ceiling.
I still have one.

AsylumUtopia said:

I totally understand what you are saying, but Lovesexy was supposed to be more theatre than Music concert. The first half was more medleys for storytelling and the build up to the rebirth of Camille and ultimately Lovesexy! Lovesexy Live is so often mis-understood, but when you realise what it is about, then the choice of tracks, and the reasoning for it to be in two parts actually adds to the whole experience.

mentalist said:

Absolutely, I understand the concept (such as it was), it was hugely entertaining and the second half wouldn't have been as powerful if it were not for the theatrics of the first half. I'm sort of sorry I chose it as an example because it was such a brilliant show that I feel bad saying anything negative about it.

My point is just that effects can detract from the music, although in the case of Lovesexy it all works out because the whole experience was wonderful.

I guess a better example would be the recent Roger Waters DSOTM tour where it was the audience who detracted from the music by screaming and whooping just because they turned on a sodding laser, rather than shutting the fuck up and listening to the music.

AsylumUtopia said:

Ha, ha, haa!


You have raised a very good point though!

If you compare Lovesexy to Parade and SOTT live, which were nearly entirely full tracks and predominatantly all the tracks that appear on the album, then Lovesexy was a complete barrage and mash up of songs. The tracklist is immense in comparison.

Lovesexy was my first Live show, and when I saw Nude a couple of years later - which was entirely full tracks - greatest hits - no medleys - and a static stage with hardly any effects whatsoever, it was like watching a totally different person.



Lovesexy has a special place in my heart

he's found of lifts and risers just popping up all over the arena ..i think what a cool entrances he has ever done has been arriving 2 the stage via a boat (jones beach ny) or if he were 2 appear in a elevator drop done from the rafters 2 the stage

mentalist said:

me 2!
very clever physics & stuff.
i love that thing & the way he 'slaps' it about!
it's received real love & punishment over the years & remains his best prop!
how about the sweet caresses & the spit & polish at the aladdin?...

lottielooloo1968 said:

How about on Nude (during Electric Man of course) when he bends over forwards and reaches his arm through his legs and then shuffles back up onto the mic? A favourite of my sisters!


I've never known so many women wish to be an in-animate object as much as they wish to be Princes mic stand!!!
[Edited 5/19/08 9:07am]

I saw the "Purple Rain" show, but I don't remember the flowers...I'm sure that was beautiful...

My girlfriend caught a Tambourine, at that show.

Tame said:

its on the VHS plain as day but also he used lifts for the beginning of LGC at the beginning as well.

1sexymf said:[quote]

mentalist said:

I fI remember right Wendy threw out flowers in the Prince and the Revolution Live video(VHS tape or DVD)

Tame said:

That would be a sight to see.

wildgoldenhoney said:

no good for the asthmatics and the guitar pics might bruise people up a bit like the glo stix everyone lobbed around at the o2


I wasnt so sure about the bed at Lovesexy but then i was so far back Prince was teeeny and I couldnt really see all that much, after that i vowed to only ever buy decent tix and be near the stage for any band. I do remember the bed tilting etc

syble said:

I guess he should stick with the streamers then.

wildgoldenhoney said:

Im not sure how hed do any of this at croke as its open air? does he use a gun of some kind to shoot the streamers out into the crowd? like a tennis ball gun thing?

syble said:

For open air, I guess that wouldn't work.


How about:

yes i like bubbles! that would be lovely in the sunlight!! and in the dark with a purple spot moving around

Or at night:

Or something similar to Black Light Theater:
http://www.tafantastika.c.../index.php

syble said:

About the glow sticks... make the tickets glow in the dark instead.
"Okay, everybody pull out your tickets and wave them in the air"

syble said:

Glow in the dark bubbles:
http://www.theglowcompany...CHINE.html