Let’s Go Crazy for The Real Royal Tour

Nui Te Koha

Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun, 6 May, Play Magazine (by email)

Interviews with the inimitable star are harder to get than tickets to his concerts, but NUI TE KOHA tracks him down in cyber space.

Prince rarely grants an interview, but, suddenly, out of the blue, he was open to a conversation by email. Prince and his band New Power Generation arrive in Australia this week for shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Forty questions covering the Prince gamut, from his sexed-up early work to Purple Rain and his disdain for the internet to the song he wishes he’d written, were proffered.

Prince answered 12 – most tour-related. He replied in abbreviated Prince-speak – a form of communication he used before text culture – with authority and, in some cases, a wicked smirk.

1. How do you compose a set list for a show? Good question, the set list selection is initially chosen by the length of time that has passed since we’ve last played a particular market. Then many other factors take hold: the size and average age of an audience; bigger, younger crowds like the party songs played immediately, so we generally comply. Hosting parties offstage in a private setting 4 larger crowds has trained us well in dancefloor management, if u will.
2. How many songs do you have on call (rehearsed and ready if you want to slot them into the show)? Roughly 200-300 songs with variations 4 each of them. 4 example: based upon crowd response any song can b lengthened or shortened with a simple cue: Raspberry Beret's second verse and bridge can b added if the audience sings louder than r lead singer. Also depending upon the diversity of the crowd we can quickly seque in 2 Cool, The Time's theme song. An urban audience knows all the words to that song whereas folks from Helsinki... well, u get the picture.
3. How do you view your catalogue of B-sides, which to some fans are as important as your hits? The concerts r tending 2 skew younger these days so once folks know they r on familiar ground, we can play some rarities. U don't put kids in the deep water until u make sure they can swim.
4. How do you approach those classic super-high notes these days? By hitting higher ones.
5. What are the three most important things on your tour rider, and why? Riders r the least important thing on tour.
6. As a band leader, what do you expect from the musicians you work with? 1. Foot washing 2. Locks of hair 3. Per diem.
7. You have said in interviews that you impose a basketball team type discipline on your band. What does that mean? That they play 2 win. Otherwise they'll b back-up dancing 4 Robin Thicke.
8. Live, what does the NPG give to your pre-NPG catalogue, especially the Revolution material? Every band is different. Most Revolution concerts stuck 2 setlists. In contrast, all past and present lineups of the NPG r based upon a collective conscience. In other words, they play like eye would if in their position.
9. Britney Spears has done two world tours lip-syncing her show. Your thoughts? Different strokes 4 different folks.
10. What do you think of 360 deals? They r great... 4 me 2 poop on. :/
11. What do you think about the album in this iTunes culture (and the ability to buy single songs)? It's cool cuz we usually buy books by the chapter. When we rented Avatar, we watched 5 scenes every weekend til it was finished.
12. How has iTunes ruined or saved music? Personally not a fan of digital music. Happy 2 say we grew up with the record player. Altho this current generation experiences the world differently - neither better nor worse, just different. It's not up 2 the past 2 dictate. That said, the decision 2 turn analog music in2 numerical data was not made by a musician. It was made by a music consumer. We all got dragged unwittingly 2 this well and r now paying the cost. When hipping a young artist 2 Joni Mitchell's canon of work, we don't direct them 2 iTunes. We sit them down and play the music chronologically. Finally, we would like 2 say how excited we all r 2 come back 2 Australia 2 show everybody what they've been missing all this time. Get ready 2 dance!

10- What do you think of 360 deals? They r great... 4 me 2 poop on. :/

What do you think of 360 deals? They r great... 4 me 2 poop on. :/

purpleshadow said:

interesting but would have been nice to hear about a new cd.

Thanks for typing that out.

Not much learned, but i hope he snaps out of audience DJ and becomes an artist willing to teach us again, as much as i love his shows today. Because he's better than ever live, he just needs the artist's drive back ala Lovesexy, Gold and Rainbow eras.

Lastly, bummed about no new album still

Oh and i really hope someone of Prince's intelligence didn't actually watch and like the balls nonsense that was Avatar!

[Edited 5/6/12 4:37am]

Why was this interview so hyped? Eh. Some cool bits, I guess.

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog humor!!! Conan will love this...

That's it? I'd hardly call this an interview.

Vict0r said:

That's it? I'd hardly call this an interview.

Short'n'sweet.

These 2 responses are the most straightforward, honest and intelligent answers he's given to any questions for years:

1. What do you think about the album in this iTunes culture (and the ability to buy single songs)? It's cool cuz we usually buy books by the chapter. When we rented Avatar, we watched 5 scenes every weekend til it was finished.
2. How has iTunes ruined or saved music? Personally not a fan of digital music. Happy 2 say we grew up with the record player. Altho this current generation experiences the world differently - neither better nor worse, just different. It's not up 2 the past 2 dictate. That said, the decision 2 turn analog music in2 numerical data was not made by a musician. It was made by a music consumer. We all got dragged unwittingly 2 this well and r now paying the cost. When hipping a young artist 2 Joni Mitchell's canon of work, we don't direct them 2 iTunes. We sit them down and play the music chronologically. Finally, we would like 2 say how excited we all r 2 come back 2 Australia 2 show everybody what they've been missing all this time. Get ready 2 dance!

For me, this is far far better than any other interview for years.

Remember Burqagate? And that ghastly 20+ minutes of excruciatingly cringeworthy chemtrails fuckology on Tavis Smiley?

12 proper answers to 12 questions, and no meandering or disappearing up his own logic.

[Edited 5/5/12 17:59pm]

I honestly was expecting a more detailed interview...lol

But this was short and to the point. He seemed as if he was in a hilarious care free mode!

I love it!

#10

They are great to 'Poop' on?? Haha. I know he said sh*t on! Haha. JK..BUT I am expecting to see him in action!

Email is what he seems to use for interviews now. I wonder what is next..Whatever it is..

DANCE ELECTRIC!!! Haha

From article:

6. As a band leader, what do you expect from the musicians you work with? 1. Foot washing 2. Locks of hair 3. Per diem.

@ numbers 1 and 2.

7. You have said in interviews that you impose a basketball team type discipline on your band. What does that mean? That they play 2 win. Otherwise they'll b back-up dancing 4 Robin Thicke.

The last part of that response made me laugh.

8. Live, what does the NPG give to your pre-NPG catalogue, especially the Revolution material? Every band is different. Most Revolution concerts stuck 2 setlists. In contrast, all past and present lineups of the NPG r based upon a collective conscience. In other words, they play like eye would if in their position.

He made a good point with that response, because I remember going to the concerts when he played with The Revolution, and they pretty much stuck to the same setlists/performances during their shows/tours. With the NPG band, you do get a different setlist/performance, every night there's a show scheduled. To me, that's what makes the shows unpredictable, interesting, fun and worth going to more than one show.

10. What do you think of 360 deals? They r great... 4 me 2 poop on. :/

^ Number 10 is a hilarious response. Cool interview though.

[Edited 5/5/12 19:03pm]

Eyasha said:

1. What do you think about the album in this iTunes culture (and the ability to buy single songs)? It's cool cuz we usually buy books by the chapter. When we rented Avatar, we watched 5 scenes every weekend til it was finished.

djThunderfunk said:

Eyasha said:

1. What do you think about the album in this iTunes culture (and the ability to buy single songs)? It's cool cuz we usually buy books by the chapter. When we rented Avatar, we watched 5 scenes every weekend til it was finished.

I HAVE to think that is a tongue in cheek response.

...right?

Eyasha said:

Let’s Go Crazy for The Real Royal Tour

Nui Te Koha

Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun, 6 May, Play Magazine (by email)

(I have skipped the preamble which I don’t have time to type - should be available on the internet later)

1. How do you view your catalogue of B-sides, which to some fans are as important as your hits? The concerts r tending 2 skew younger these days so once folks know they r on familiar ground, we can play some rarities. U don't put kids in the deep water until u make sure they can swim.
2. How do you approach those classic super-high notes these days? By hitting higher ones.
3. As a band leader, what do you expect from the musicians you work with? 1. Foot washing 2. Locks of hair 3. Per diem.
4. You have said in interviews that you impose a basketball team type discipline on your band. What does that mean? That they play 2 win. Otherwise they'll b back-up dancing 4 Robin Thicke.
5. Britney Spears has done two world tours lip-syncing her show. Your thoughts? Different strokes 4 different folks.
6. What do you think of 360 deals? They r great... 4 me 2 poop on. :/
7. How has iTunes ruined or saved music? Personally not a fan of digital music. Happy 2 say we grew up with the record player. Altho this current generation experiences the world differently - neither better nor worse, just different. It's not up 2 the past 2 dictate. That said, the decision 2 turn analog music in2 numerical data was not made by a musician. It was made by a music consumer. We all got dragged unwittingly 2 this well and r now paying the cost. When hipping a young artist 2 Joni Mitchell's canon of work, we don't direct them 2 iTunes. We sit them down and play the music chronologically. Finally, we would like 2 say how excited we all r 2 come back 2 Australia 2 show everybody what they've been missing all this time. Get ready 2 dance!

[Edited 5/5/12 16:08pm]

These are my top responses. You can't tell me he doesn't have a sence of humor or has lost his edge.

Nui Te Koha? (That name means The Great gift in Maori)

Man at the rate we are going, all of us Maori's will be living there.

Oh cool interview 2

This is a scan of the article for anyone that wants to see the whole thing (click to open):

[img:$uid]http://img256.i.../img:$uid]

The accompanying photo is a larger, more muted version of the one used in the online article - http://www.dailytelegraph...6347679035

Cool enough

Two earlier threads referred to an article in the Australia's 'Daily Telegraph' which summarised this email interview

http://www.dailytelegraph...6345924253

http://prince.org/msg/7/380715

http://prince.org/msg/7/380718

is this is the paper? i will go buy it now if it is or is it just online??? uhm i don't know what 360 deal is? other than that. i love joni mitchell too, watched a docu about her on tv a few years ago and her music is very cool

Eyasha said:

1. What are the three most important things on your tour rider, and why? Riders r the least important thing on tour.
2. You have said in interviews that you impose a basketball team type discipline on your band. What does that mean? That they play 2 win. Otherwise they'll b back-up dancing 4 Robin Thicke.
3. What do you think of 360 deals? They r great... 4 me 2 poop on. :/
4. What do you think about the album in this iTunes culture (and the ability to buy single songs)? It's cool cuz we usually buy books by the chapter. When we rented Avatar, we watched 5 scenes every weekend til it was finished.

I like this version of Prince.

flyorra said:

is this is the paper? i will go buy it now if it is or is it just online???

There is a scan of the article above - it isn't yet online

flyorra said:

uhm i don't know what 360 deal is?

It is a term for a type of deal with an artist. If you google it, you will find lots of information. For example:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/360_deal

langebleu said:

flyorra said:

is this is the paper? i will go buy it now if it is or is it just online???

There is a scan of the article above - it isn't yet online

flyorra said:

uhm i don't know what 360 deal is?

It is a term for a type of deal with an artist. If you google it, you will find lots of information. For example:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/360_deal

it's sold out too late in the day now.

Nice one. I was hoping for a new rehearsal mp3 but this is just as good. Some funny, cool answers and signs of well thought out set-list choices by a driven, ambitious, confident but humble performer.

Prince is doing what someone else set out to do, only he's doing it in fair measure around the world at a well timed pace. Gotta hand it to him, he's 53 soon and he can still deliver the goods. Due to wise life choices I think.

Prince, if you come to Holland, please don't come in July. June or August instead please, coz a lot of us are on holiday then. I missed out on everything last year! Alternatively, another summer cd would go down really well and if not, then a Paris Unicef dvd would do just fine

Bonne voyage down-under NPG and have a fantastic time Oz!

I had to Google Robin Thicke

What do you think about the album in this iTunes culture (and the ability to buy single songs)? It's cool cuz we usually buy books by the chapter. When we rented Avatar, we watched 5 scenes every weekend til it was finished.

[img:$uid]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e70/SexyBeautifulOne/grandpa_simpson_yelling_at_cloud_001.jpg[/img:$uid]

Remember the good ol' days when we bought books with 19 chapters of literary crap just to get to the only good one at the end? Me neither. But I can recall having to buy entire albums of musical crap just to get to the one descent song that I actually wanted, before iTunes came along.

This is is clearly an email interview and Prince clearly doesn't do interviews. He doesn't provide a serious answer to hardly any of these questions.