Well what would you do?. The first leg of the tour was a funky affair but if I am correct it was the first sign that the golden egg may have hatched and flown off. P could always rely on his live rep to earn mega bucks BUT the 20Ten tour didn't really go that way. So as fellow fans I already know what your answer will be i.e. play the new stuff, forget the hits, play Cosmic world! etc. But if you were P what would you do?. The masses will always want the hits - if you were a casual fan of Bowie or Stevie you'd want to hear Life on Mars or Superstition won't you? - stuff you know, stuff you can get into right?.

Personally I think the 21 nights tour hit the right notes i.e. lots of hits but he also changed the setlist constantly, so the sad ones amongst us who go to every gig also get a fresh show each night.

I really don't envy the position that he is in. He may well get paid up front on this tour so what he plays on the night may be irrelevant to him BUT if tix ain't selling how many promoters will both him him next time?.

I don't see why he can't do both. Although I'm not really a fan of Lotus or 20ten, so I'd rather hear older stuff myself. But there's no reason he can't sing a mix of new and old songs in concert.

Play it all, why not

Play uncommon stuff that isn't a regular off the 1980's albums too, and B sides, protege stuff

It would be interesting to hear him play a set of songs composed after he came into the Truth.

(All his music is Beautiful, however, anyhow, wherever, always)

Hits sprinkled with a few obscure songs you wouldn't normally hear would peak my interest.

PurpleLove7 said:

Hits sprinkled with a few obscure songs you wouldn't normally hear would peak my interest.

That sounds good

I would love him to do an all rock concert

or a cohesive show with a specific topic like songs just about partying ie Party Up Uptown DMSR Partyman It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night

In his last tour, Springsteen ended it up by playing different albums in their entirety. He didn't play every album, but he played the best ones.

A few nights, he played "Born to Run" front-to-back. Other nights, it was "Darkness on the Edge of Town". Or "Born in the USA".

Awesome.

Depends entirely on the size of the venue.

If it's a smaller venue, the crowd will probably be a bit more hardcore fan types.

If it's a large venue...average joe's will wanna hear "the hits".

That said, why not have your cake and eat it too? Prince is such a dynamic performer that he can play anyone's songs and get the crowd crackling with energy....

You do understand that parts of the setlist are usually contracted, which means he HAS to play the hits.

[Edited 9/29/10 10:10am]

I'm digging what he's been doing lately with the surprise of older and/or unreleased tracks getting mixed into his setlists. It's cool too hear about fans reactions when they realize he's playing something they've never heard live before.

Serena said:

You do understand that parts of the setlist are usually contracted, which means he HAS to play the hits.

[Edited 9/29/10 10:10am]

I've never heard that before. That's interesting.

Do you have any proof of that?

HonestMan13 said:

I'm digging what he's been doing lately with the surprise of older and/or unreleased tracks getting mixed into his setlists. It's cool too hear about fans reactions when they realize he's playing something they've never heard live before.

Contracts? time to put the Slave sign back up!

remko said:

HonestMan13 said:

I'm digging what he's been doing lately with the surprise of older and/or unreleased tracks getting mixed into his setlists. It's cool too hear about fans reactions when they realize he's playing something they've never heard live before.

Contracts? time to put the Slave sign back up!

Huh?

Serena said:

You do understand that parts of the setlist are usually contracted, which means he HAS to play the hits.

[Edited 9/29/10 10:10am]

Contracts? time to put the Slave sign back up!

HonestMan13 said:

remko said:

Contracts? time to put the Slave sign back up!

Huh?

Sorry, response to wrong post.

of course what we get from prince is a great party whatever he plays, no concert would be complete without PR & kiss

but i'd prefer a mixture of music where the new music outweighs the old, PE, lotus, 2010 .. bring it on! i wish he would fuck it & be a bit more impulsive, take the gamble & get dangerous!

i saw couple of shows during the summer which really were fantastic & i think at werchter he played a bit of 'hot summer' & it sounded amazing, amost drum & bass (ok, i was on the beer & very near the front) but tho it was a short snippet, was exciting to hear.

i say he should consider the longterm/hardcore fans cuz i must admit i'm not as excited about these new dates that have been announced, for me it involves a whole lot of effort if i'm gonna go & if he doesn't change stuff up a bit this time i ain't gonna be so quick to tag along on the next tour unless it's on my doorstep.

hmmm, prince on my doorstep. how lovely

DoffieParker said:

of course what we get from prince is a great party whatever he plays, no concert would be complete without PR & kiss

but i'd prefer a mixture of music where the new music outweighs the old, PE, lotus, 2010 .. bring it on! i wish he would fuck it & be a bit more impulsive, take the gamble & get dangerous!

Bring back ONA!

skywalker said:

Depends entirely on the size of the venue.

If it's a smaller venue, the crowd will probably be a bit more hardcore fan types.

If it's a large venue...average joe's will wanna hear "the hits".

That said, why not have your cake and eat it too? Prince is such a dynamic performer that he can play anyone's songs and get the crowd crackling with energy....

I hear ya Skywalker. I missed the One Nite Alone shows P did and he came to South Florida. My wife and I couldn't make that show, $ was tight and she was pregnant. I hear it was one of his best live shows and I have a few of the unreleased shows from ONA. If he were to do a Club 3121 type show or a smaller venue it would do better for him. We (the Hardcore) would not want the hits. I've attended those shows, they're great and all but, I 'prefer' the smaller venue shows where you may hear something that'll make you drop the dishes ...

RodeoSchro said:

In his last tour, Springsteen ended it up by playing different albums in their entirety. He didn't play every album, but he played the best ones.

A few nights, he played "Born to Run" front-to-back. Other nights, it was "Darkness on the Edge of Town". Or "Born in the USA".

Awesome.

several people have played entire albums live the last couple of years. well they've probably

been doing it somewhere since forever but lately i've noticed that more very famous people,

like springsteen, thom york or nine inch nails have performed entire albums.

it'd be very interesting to see prince tackle some of his albums front to back. especially with

some new arrangements or updated bits and pieces.

but something like that is probably too boring for him, to stick to playing an entire album on

a night and not throw in whatever songs he feels like at the minute.

so i'd be happy enough with a show that had, like, 10 big hits, no matter which ones and 10

regular album tracks off his well known albums. stuff like computer blue etc. and then just

pepper that with some new tracks. i guess to make that work cohesively he'd have to play

about 30 songs in one show. but it would work very well and it would please just about all

of the people there.

1999

Guitar

I could never take the place of your man

Beginning Endlessly

Controversy

The most beautiful girl in the world

Future Soul Song

The Truth

Sign O The Times

Laydown

Alphabet St

Peach

Partyman

New Power Generation

Purple Rain

Love thy will be done

When Does Cry

Chelsea Rodgers

Kiss

Everybody Loves Me

I would love to hear the obscure songs. I've heard the hits many times live. If he played songs that he seldom plays, I would be in heaven.

I'd prefer him start and close sets with newer song (Chaos and Disorder thru 20Ten), play hits in the middle. ie Jam Of The Year tour. But Prince knows his business much better than I. I also liked ACT I where he played a lot of .

He's going to play the hits, he's going to pick a couple old songs he's never/rarely played to please the die hards, Shelby's going to do some covers, and if you're REALLY lucky Larry G will be the returning member and you'll get to hear Everyday People and I Want To Take You Higher. HAVE FUN!!!

ONA sound checks were like a fans wet dream come true! It really doesn't get much better and I was so glad to attend 3 of them.

I think it's time for another tour in the vein of the ONA tour.

No huge hits every night, something the masses were waiting for, but playing rather small venues with mainly new material and some older gems thrown in there. He should do it for me, the hard core fan base, the masses (it would, again, somehow set him apart as "the one who dares to play whatever the fuck he wants") and, last but not least, himself and his new music. Playing it live, thinking about the arrangement and really sticking in there to make newer songs sound perfect on-stage may help him glue with it and find a new way to understand his music and shed a different light on it, which will, in the end, inspire him to write more good stuff.

he should stop playing the hits, if only because he has said that he would stop over and over again

Dave1992 said:

I think it's time for another tour in the vein of the ONA tour.

No huge hits every night, something the masses were waiting for, but playing rather small venues with mainly new material and some older gems thrown in there. He should do it for me, the hard core fan base, the masses (it would, again, somehow set him apart as "the one who dares to play whatever the fuck he wants") and, last but not least, himself and his new music. Playing it live, thinking about the arrangement and really sticking in there to make newer songs sound perfect on-stage may help him glue with it and find a new way to understand his music and shed a different light on it, which will, in the end, inspire him to write more good stuff.

I agree. I think having Purple Rain in your pocket can be a crutch, and that if he relied on new material, he might make it stronger.

He's been needing to do more album cuts since the Hit N' Run shows. Especially in the states. The afterparties still have the occasional "whoa!" nugget. But the regular shows have become far too predictable.

In regards to the Lotus and 20ten stuff, yeah, I'd like to hear a few songs mixed into the set each night. Why not? A lot of times I end up liking songs much more after I've seen them live.

I'd also like to add that there would be enough material from the past 6 years that would be sound potent and would be "easy" to play live, without too much attention to details, backing vocals, special sound effects, too-difficult-to-sing-perfectly-live-vocals etc.

A simple, short list, for instance:

Musicology

A Million Days

Life "O" The Party

Call My Name

Cinnamon Girl

On The Couch

Reflection

3121

Lolita

Satisfied

Fury

The Word (acoustic version)

Love (acoustic version)

Get On The Boat

Guitar

Somewhere Here On Earth

The One U Wanna C

Planet Earth

Crimson And Clover

4Ever

Colonized Mind

Feel Good, Feel Better, Feel Wonderful

Love Like Jazz

Wall Of Berlin

Dreamer

Ol' Skool Company

No More Candy 4 U

Elixer

Beginning Endlessly

Future Soul Song

Sticky Like Glue

Lavaux

Laydown

If that ain't enough to choose from for 3 different, brilliant shows, I really don't know what is.

Hell, I'm gonna make a fantasy set-list now:

Guitar

Planet Earth

Crimson And Clover

Lolita

Lavaux

Musicology

Somewhere Here On Earth

Call My Name

Elixer

Love Like Jazz

Love (acoustic version)

The Word (acoustic version)

Reflection (acoustic version)

Wall Of Berlin

Colonized Mind

A Million Days

Dreamer

Ol' Skool Company

Laydown (15 min. jam)

Wow. I'd so love to see that show. He wouldn't even need horns for that!

RodeoSchro said:

Serena said:

You do understand that parts of the setlist are usually contracted, which means he HAS to play the hits.

[Edited 9/29/10 10:10am]

I've never heard that before. That's interesting.

Do you have any proof of that?

Not on me and now that I think about it, it may have been for the festivals that he played. But, he HAS to play some of the hits for those who are seeing him for the first time. Most every artist has to deal with that same thing, but at least he usually changes up the arrangements so it's not the same thing each time. Also, he likes audience participation, so I think that's another reason he plays familiar songs.