I was listening to some of my favorite live recordings recently, and realized that sometimes the audience's reactions and comments are the best part. Or worst, as the case may be. Some that popped into my head are (forgive me if I got a year wrong):

1. "I Want You Back" - Paris, 2009. How about that French girl's reaction when the spoken word part begins? "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" except it goes on about three times that long. Everyone else is cheering, and she sounds like she's just had the greatest sexual experience of her life. Maybe she did! She turns up in other songs from that performance too, but her shining moment is at the end of "I Want You Back". I think she's STILL moaning!

2. "I Like It There" - Nokia Theater, 2009. The ONLY time I've ever heard Prince take a request from the audience. The guy screams "I Like It There!" and Prince says, "What do you want to hear? and the guy screams "I Like It There!" again. Prince launches into it, and the way the guy screams "Oh my God!!!!!" just gives me goosebumps. And major props to the guy for ending the song with the "I like it there!" lyric line.

3. "Let's Go" - 21 Nights Book Launch, 2008. When the guy realizes what song is being played, his reaction is just awesome. If you've heard the song, you know the guy I'm talking about. I'm not sure I've ever heard someone so blown away by an unexpected song, and he continues gushing the entire time. Wow, if I could make someone feel that way just once in my life, that would be enough.

4. The Whistle Blowing Idiot, Wembley Stadium 1985. Oh. My. God. It's been 25 years and I STILL want to shove that whistle down the throat of whoever was blowing it. Just in case you ever thought it would be a good idea to add your own whistle to the sound of a live band, let me tell you it is a BAD IDEA. And I mean the metal whistle, not blowing through your fingers, although that is just as unwelcome.

5. "I'm from Minneapolis, I don't play that" - the '80's. - This one's kind of oblique, because I don't remember which performance it's from, and I don't think you can hear what the audience member shouted to get Prince's response, but it's still cool. At least, I assume it was a reaction to something someone said from the audience. Prince said it again during a song last year, so maybe it was a staged line, or maybe Prince listens to the same shows we do.

OK, any other classic audience moments you can think of?

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[Edited 11/26/10 10:29am]

RodeoSchro said:

4. The Whistle Blowing Idiot, Wembley Stadium 1985. Oh. My. God. It's been 25 years and I STILL want to shove that whistle down the throat of whoever was blowing it. Just in case you ever thought it would be a good idea to add your own whistle to the sound of a live band, let me tell you it is a BAD IDEA. And I mean the metal whistle, not blowing through your fingers, although that is just as unwelcome.

You must mean 1995 on this one ... but good choices all round.

In a similar vein, I once saw Luther Vandross performing and some guy had taken his whistle along. About a third of the way into the concert, even Luther had had enough.

He basically asked the whistler to STFU

RodeoSchro said:

I

5. "I'm from Minneapolis, I don't play that" - the '80's. - This one's kind of oblique, because I don't remember which performance it's from, and I don't think you can hear what the audience member shouted to get Prince's response, but it's still cool. At least, I assume it was a reaction to something someone said from the audience. Prince said it again during a song last year, so maybe it was a staged line, or maybe Prince listens to the same shows we do.

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[Edited 11/26/10 10:29am]

Wasnt that from his offical ONA Live release? End of Everlasting Now I think?

1988 annastasia wembley arena london..

dude killed jacko that summer. saw both of the & prince was king.

langebleu said:

RodeoSchro said:

4. The Whistle Blowing Idiot, Wembley Stadium 1985. Oh. My. God. It's been 25 years and I STILL want to shove that whistle down the throat of whoever was blowing it. Just in case you ever thought it would be a good idea to add your own whistle to the sound of a live band, let me tell you it is a BAD IDEA. And I mean the metal whistle, not blowing through your fingers, although that is just as unwelcome.

You must mean 1995 on this one ... but good choices all round.

In a similar vein, I once saw Luther Vandross performing and some guy had taken his whistle along. About a third of the way into the concert, even Luther had had enough.

He basically asked the whistler to STFU

Checking Princevault.com, it looks like Wembley Arena in August '86, not '85 like I'd posted. Is Wembley Arena the same as Wembley Stadium, or are they different? Not sure which of the three shows it was, though.

LOL at Luther. Way to go!

xlr8r said:

RodeoSchro said:

I

5. "I'm from Minneapolis, I don't play that" - the '80's. - This one's kind of oblique, because I don't remember which performance it's from, and I don't think you can hear what the audience member shouted to get Prince's response, but it's still cool. At least, I assume it was a reaction to something someone said from the audience. Prince said it again during a song last year, so maybe it was a staged line, or maybe Prince listens to the same shows we do.

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[Edited 11/26/10 10:29am]

Wasnt that from his offical ONA Live release? End of Everlasting Now I think?

Yeah, that's it! Thanks.

I can't remember the first time he said it, though. I think it was maybe a Lovesexy aftershow, perhaps? I'm pretty sure it was from an aftershow, I just can't remember the year or tour.

RodeoSchro said:

5. "I'm from Minneapolis, I don't play that" - the '80's. -

Lovesexy live, Dortmund 1988, end of head, right before a love bizarre.

wow i made number 2 on the list. thanks for that it was such a sureal moment for me i was all the way in the back and i just figured i would give it a shot. sorry i was kinda loud on the boot i had no idea were the tapper was i was pretty far back but i must have been rite next to the tapper and not even known it:-D

1. "I Want You Back" - Paris, 2009. How about that French girl's reaction when the spoken word part begins? "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" except it goes on about three times that long. Everyone else is cheering, and she sounds like she's just had the greatest sexual experience of her life. Maybe she did! She turns up in other songs from that performance too, but her shining moment is at the end of "I Want You Back". I think she's STILL moaning!

The crowd's reaction when the beat of 'Forever in my Life' starts , the people got wild then

(I think the entire show/bootleg was awesome, one of my faves)

The interaction with the audience was just great, like playing 'Girl' and 'Shhh'

just love it

darklotus69 said:

wow i made number 2 on the list. thanks for that it was such a sureal moment for me i was all the way in the back and i just figured i would give it a shot. sorry i was kinda loud on the boot i had no idea were the tapper was i was pretty far back but i must have been rite next to the tapper and not even known it:-D

That was YOU? Awesome! Your response is so incredible, and you NAILED the ending!

i'm just a freak baby...

RodeoSchro said:

darklotus69 said:

wow i made number 2 on the list. thanks for that it was such a sureal moment for me i was all the way in the back and i just figured i would give it a shot. sorry i was kinda loud on the boot i had no idea were the tapper was i was pretty far back but i must have been rite next to the tapper and not even known it:-D

That was YOU? Awesome! Your response is so incredible, and you NAILED the ending!

Yes, that was darklotus69. I was standing right next to him. I also heard Prince take his request for the same song at an aftershow in Vegas one time.

The bit on the one night alone live CD where Prince asks "is it better to be a leader or a follower" and when the girl comes up on stage he asks "can I get you anything?" and a guy in the audience says "ha ha, can I get you anything" - that bit really annoys me!

the woman who comes onstage at the opening night in la from the 2004 tour..she looks like larry the cable guy.who dresses like that for a prince show

RodeoSchro said:

2. "I Like It There" - Nokia Theater, 2009. The ONLY time I've ever heard Prince take a request from the audience.

Emporium, 1995: A guy screams "You sexy motherfucker" and a few seconds later the band plays "Sexy MF".

ForbiddenFruit said:

RodeoSchro said:

5. "I'm from Minneapolis, I don't play that" - the '80's. -

Lovesexy live, Dortmund 1988, end of head, right before a love bizarre.

yep (now if he did it again I can not say)

These are so great! I always thought it would be cool if Prince would take a request or 2 from the audience. I know it would be cool if it were just him and his guitar/piano taking request!

I remember watching a concert from the Musicology Tour and they had called a bunch of girls up on stage and this one girl was just standing there looking like a complete moron because she refused to dance! I remember thinking to myself, why the hell are you up on stage then?

And then when he did this performance of Kiss and went to the audience for them to sing the words and these 2 girls screamed the wrong damn lyrics! The look on Prince's face was too funny. Who the hell don't know the words to Kiss?

rmartin70 said:

RodeoSchro said:

That was YOU? Awesome! Your response is so incredible, and you NAILED the ending!

Yes, that was darklotus69. I was standing right next to him. I also heard Prince take his request for the same song at an aftershow in Vegas one time.

Well, I said it before and I'll say it again - darklotus69 wins the Coolest Audience Member Award Of The Year!

I'm still impressed at how well he nailed the ending! I love it when that song comes on my iPod workout playlist. Darklotus, you've got me through more than a few sets of curls and presses!

RodeoSchro said:

rmartin70 said:

Yes, that was darklotus69. I was standing right next to him. I also heard Prince take his request for the same song at an aftershow in Vegas one time.

Well, I said it before and I'll say it again - darklotus69 wins the Coolest Audience Member Award Of The Year!

I'm still impressed at how well he nailed the ending! I love it when that song comes on my iPod workout playlist. Darklotus, you've got me through more than a few sets of curls and presses!

If you listen close he says "Thank you Prince" before he says"Oh my God."