I was a Prince fan since 1999. I'd never gotten to see the tours in the beginning because I was young and from a low-income household. My dad would take me to Ames(before they were Zayre's) each spring when he got his tax refun money and got me the latest Prince albums. When "Lovesexy" came out I had a weekend job cutting grass and washing cars and was able to buy this on vinyl myself. The album was fantastic, "Glam Slam" being my favorite with the guitar sound within.

Prince started to tour and at the time I was hanging with my uncle alot. He'd rag on me about my love for the music, and it came up that he was touring and would be performing at the Capital Centre in Maryland in October. I didn't have the money to afford the tickets. When I got home that Saturday afternoon my grandmother had come over and told my mom and dad that uncle had gotten tickets to one of the October shows. When I heard about this I completely freaked out! I'd never been to anyone's tours before and my first was going to be Prince's!

October came around and he picked me up in his '87 Lincoln Town Car and a couple of his friends had gotten tickets too so the car was full. We got there, the second show I believe, and the parking lot was near empty. We had no trouble finding our seats because the turnout for this show was really low. I remember walking the hallway around the arena on our way to our seats and I could see the stage, and hear some kind of music being played over the speakers as the technicians got things set up.

We were seated, and not long after the lights went out, and the "thump... Thumpthump" of the drums started. The car rotated the stage and out pops Prince. Even though the crowd was small the energy was just as astounding. The music, alot of which I didn't know at the time because he was performing "Black Album" material as well, was amazing. I don't think I blinked the entire time. 13-year-old James was at a Prince concert! I remember some basketball playing on the side of the stage closest to me, the competition between my side of the arena and the other side over who could sing the loudest. I think that singer Pebbles was in attendance on the floor, but I'm not sure.

Anyway... I'm not sure if this has been asked before, and the posting about the Purple Rain tour made me think of the Lovesexy go-round. What are everyone's memories of those shows?

Purpleaxxe1972 said:

and hear some kind of music being played over the speakers as the technicians got things set up.

Back in those days Prince used to play Andreas Vollenweider before the shows, at least that is what i remember.

http://www.vollenweider.com/magazine/music/video.php?c=us&act=show&ref=html&vid=13

I saw the Lovesexy show on Friday,November 11,1988 at the Oakland Arena (still got the ticket stub!)...it was the best concert I've ever seen.This was something really magical about that era.Prince had an amazing band and an amazing stage show.I walked out of that arena in a daze....knowing that I had witnessed something truly incredible.

Purpleaxxe1972 said:

I was a Prince fan since 1999. I'd never gotten to see the tours in the beginning because I was young and from a low-income household. My dad would take me to Ames(before they were Zayre's) each spring when he got his tax refun money and got me the latest Prince albums. When "Lovesexy" came out I had a weekend job cutting grass and washing cars and was able to buy this on vinyl myself. The album was fantastic, "Glam Slam" being my favorite with the guitar sound within.

Prince started to tour and at the time I was hanging with my uncle alot. He'd rag on me about my love for the music, and it came up that he was touring and would be performing at the Capital Centre in Maryland in October. I didn't have the money to afford the tickets. When I got home that Saturday afternoon my grandmother had come over and told my mom and dad that uncle had gotten tickets to one of the October shows. When I heard about this I completely freaked out! I'd never been to anyone's tours before and my first was going to be Prince's!

October came around and he picked me up in his '87 Lincoln Town Car and a couple of his friends had gotten tickets too so the car was full. We got there, the second show I believe, and the parking lot was near empty. We had no trouble finding our seats because the turnout for this show was really low. I remember walking the hallway around the arena on our way to our seats and I could see the stage, and hear some kind of music being played over the speakers as the technicians got things set up.

We were seated, and not long after the lights went out, and the "thump... Thumpthump" of the drums started. The car rotated the stage and out pops Prince. Even though the crowd was small the energy was just as astounding. The music, alot of which I didn't know at the time because he was performing "Black Album" material as well, was amazing. I don't think I blinked the entire time. 13-year-old James was at a Prince concert! I remember some basketball playing on the side of the stage closest to me, the competition between my side of the arena and the other side over who could sing the loudest. I think that singer Pebbles was in attendance on the floor, but I'm not sure.

Anyway... I'm not sure if this has been asked before, and the posting about the Purple Rain tour made me think of the Lovesexy go-round. What are everyone's memories of those shows?

I remember being too late to get to any tickets as other prince-fans had already spend the night buying each and every one of them in just a few hours. It took me untill the broadcast of the Dortmund show to see what the fuss was about. It would be great to ever see a full movie of the German aftershow, or the London one, of which snippets appear on the Magnoli files.

If your nickname refers to your birthday, wouldn't you have been 16 at the time?

Love the beard btw

zobilamouche said:

Purpleaxxe1972 said:

I was a Prince fan since 1999. I'd never gotten to see the tours in the beginning because I was young and from a low-income household. My dad would take me to Ames(before they were Zayre's) each spring when he got his tax refun money and got me the latest Prince albums. When "Lovesexy" came out I had a weekend job cutting grass and washing cars and was able to buy this on vinyl myself. The album was fantastic, "Glam Slam" being my favorite with the guitar sound within.

Prince started to tour and at the time I was hanging with my uncle alot. He'd rag on me about my love for the music, and it came up that he was touring and would be performing at the Capital Centre in Maryland in October. I didn't have the money to afford the tickets. When I got home that Saturday afternoon my grandmother had come over and told my mom and dad that uncle had gotten tickets to one of the October shows. When I heard about this I completely freaked out! I'd never been to anyone's tours before and my first was going to be Prince's!

October came around and he picked me up in his '87 Lincoln Town Car and a couple of his friends had gotten tickets too so the car was full. We got there, the second show I believe, and the parking lot was near empty. We had no trouble finding our seats because the turnout for this show was really low. I remember walking the hallway around the arena on our way to our seats and I could see the stage, and hear some kind of music being played over the speakers as the technicians got things set up.

We were seated, and not long after the lights went out, and the "thump... Thumpthump" of the drums started. The car rotated the stage and out pops Prince. Even though the crowd was small the energy was just as astounding. The music, alot of which I didn't know at the time because he was performing "Black Album" material as well, was amazing. I don't think I blinked the entire time. 13-year-old James was at a Prince concert! I remember some basketball playing on the side of the stage closest to me, the competition between my side of the arena and the other side over who could sing the loudest. I think that singer Pebbles was in attendance on the floor, but I'm not sure.

Anyway... I'm not sure if this has been asked before, and the posting about the Purple Rain tour made me think of the Lovesexy go-round. What are everyone's memories of those shows?

I remember being too late to get to any tickets as other prince-fans had already spend the night buying each and every one of them in just a few hours. It took me untill the broadcast of the Dortmund show to see what the fuss was about. It would be great to ever see a full movie of the German aftershow, or the London one, of which snippets appear on the Magnoli files.

If your nickname refers to your birthday, wouldn't you have been 16 at the time?

Love the beard btw

no just a random number. This was a username I used to use on other sites and the first time I registered purpleaxxe1999 it was used. 1972 was pure, unadulterated randomness.

I wish I could have gone to the first show as well. I heard that one was packed. Still though, the one I went to he performed as though it was a crowded house. What a showman!

Purpleaxxe1972 said:

zobilamouche said:

I remember being too late to get to any tickets as other prince-fans had already spend the night buying each and every one of them in just a few hours. It took me untill the broadcast of the Dortmund show to see what the fuss was about. It would be great to ever see a full movie of the German aftershow, or the London one, of which snippets appear on the Magnoli files.

If your nickname refers to your birthday, wouldn't you have been 16 at the time?

Love the beard btw

no just a random number. This was a username I used to use on other sites and the first time I registered purpleaxxe1999 it was used. 1972 was pure, unadulterated randomness.

I wish I could have gone to the first show as well. I heard that one was packed. Still though, the one I went to he performed as though it was a crowded house. What a showman!

I nearly killed my brother when he taped something else over the VHS tape of the broadcast. A few years later the released version waas available for no money at all. It was also issued on laserdisc but i didn't have the budget for that sort of fancy stuff.

Short version:

I went to Lovesexy, it was kushtie. I loved it.

Multi Maxi 12" import out take:

First off, what a good ol boy your Uncle was eh, nice touch.

I feel like I've told my Lovesexy story a thousand times and when you think how much time's passed since '88, I probably have. I never get sick of it though.

WARNING ~ GUSH ALERT:

I got into P when I was about 12 with the 1999 stuff, LRC and all that. I got really into it though, after my brother played the Purple Rain film over and over one weekend, all weekend. I thought P was obviously a bit of a twat but his music was the tits. After that I went off and bought Purple Rain and 1999 and I was hooked.

My first chance at seeing him live was in '86 for Parade. A few of us ordered tickets and were looking forward to it but for some reason we had to send our tickets back. I can't remember exactly what happened but we never got to go. I always thought he'd moved the dates back a bit but I can't remember properly now. One of my mates did end up going and he made us all sick telling us how fucking great it was. I'm still Gutted I never saw the Revolution live.

Next time it was SOTT in '87. As we'd missed out on Parade we made sure we had really good tickets for Wembley and again, looked forward to the gig. One shitty morning I got a call from my big brother saying we wouldn't be going as P had cancelled. We called the ticket office and they told us there were just a few problems and we'd still be going, just to a different venue. In the end he cancelled the whole UK leg and we were stumped for another year. Meanwhile, I was still getting everything I could get my hands on. Released stuff, Vinyl, Tapes, Out-takes, Videos, live gigs, posters, anything and I was gagging to catch him live.

When tickets for Lovesexy went on sale we jumped on em. At first there were only a few of us going and we got decent tickets but as the gigs got nearer our group got bigger. A coach firm in town were putting on trips to the shows so we chopped our original tickets in and booked up to all go on the coach for the opening night.

I was 17 and a complete P nut at the time and after all the cock ups in the past I wasn't sure it was gonna happen til we got inside of Wembley. I smuggled a crappy camera in with about three rolls of film and we more or less ran to our seats. I'd seen a clip of Sister from Lovesexy in Paris on TV a few days before and I'd read a few reviews so I had an idea of what to expect, least I thought I did.

We were in there pretty early and they were playing some nice orchesteral stuff that sounded like P so I was already buzzing and wondering where I could get a copy. Intermission, apparently.

We'd heard it would be 'in the round' and as it turned out we had a great view of the whole thing. We were stage left, and could see a bit of the T-Bird and the stage props ready to go. Every now and then we'd get a sample from Lovesexy and the crowd would get all jumpy. Security started moving around the bottom of the stage, holding their earpieces and flapping about like the demented FBI or something so we knew it wouldn't be long.

The place was electric already but when the drumbeat started and that Thunderbird popped up I thought my head was about to explode. The noise in there was deafening. Admittedly, half of it was probably coming from me. We were on the same side as the car as it went round half the stage and we could see him shuffling about inside it in his polka dot suit. Then he got out of the car. Even more deafening. I think it took about 5 minutes for my ears to adjust so I could hear it all properly. He marched off towards the mic. "Snare drum pounds on the 2 and 4, all the party people get on the floor, bass" and we were off.

He did his little routine with the girls and on the way back walked straight into the mic stand. He made it look like he meant it and went into Erotic City. Made me chuckle anyway. I had almost everything he'd released up to that point and quite a few he hadn't so I sang my arse off to almost every song. When he went into Housequake I was chuffed to bits. I had my fingers crossed he'd keep playing it through as we know what he's like for a tease. I was thinking if I crossed my toes too maybe we'd get half of the SOTT gig he owed us.

What we did get was better than I'd imagined it would be. I don't know why but every time I've seen P I've always thought 'Go on then, impress me' and he's never failed to yet. Some gigs were better than others but at every one there's been a time where he's really knocked me out. Lovesexy was a constant barrage of knockouts. I wondered if he was gonna play anything in full at times as it sounded like he was gonna go through everything he'd done. Not that I'd have minded. That voice he has is something else and as long as he didn't break a string on it I was ready to hear that guitar playing all night long.

I couldn't believe he was playing stuff like Jack U Off and Sister, live in '88. Working through the older stuff was a blast. We even got some Head too, I was going nuts. The only song he played that I didn't know all night was If I Had A Harem and I fuckin loved it. Since I love hearing him play the blues anyway I was buzzing like a buzzer in buzzersville for that. He strolled up to the front of the stage and the flashes went off like strobe-lights. I was hoping I'd get the pics later as they'd be good for covers. It just kept getting better and we weren't even half way through. It was relentless. He was pulling tunes out of everywhere, Dirty feckin Mind?!! I thought I was hearing things.

When he kicked off with Superfunky I almost shat my trousers. Jumping about on a bed with Cat and chasing her around was mental. After all the crap we'd had with the Black album and then typical of Prince, he's playing stuff from it live and playing it well. What a tune to play from it too. I went berserk, again, naturally.

I remember wondering WTF was going on when he came out for Bob George. It looked like he'd been possessed by Dame Edna Everage or Elton John or something but I wasn't about to complain. I was waiting for Le Grind and 2nigsUnited. Dame Ednas glasses or not.

When he'd finished playing Anna Stesia we shot off for the merchandise in a daze. I had about £150 or something and I couldn't wait to piss it all away on overpriced tat from the stalls. Some of the T-shirts looked well dodgy, even for P. The posters were even worse, well, one of em was anyway. The tour programme cover looked like he'd joined a cult in some dodgy bar in Frisco but it didn't stop me buying one. I got a couple of the T-shirts, a couple of the face collage ones and one of the black camp and mincey princeys. Posters, tour books etc. in hand we got back to our seats for the rest of the show.

I found the t-shirts not so long ago (See my Avi) but the rest got ruined or slung out over time. I put one of everything away and wore the others but in time I used the 'collection' ones for work and they died long ago.

One of the fellas that came with us that night is a pro musician. I'd say he's a better singer than anything else he does but he plays drums, piano, sax, clarinet and is red hot on most of them. That's not fair, he's an amazing singer, drummer and pianist. Credit where credit's due. He's not a big fan of our favourite purple pixie but he's seen a lot of top live acts in his time and he knows his music well.

When the gig was over I wanted to get his take on it all. I'd gone hoarse from all the singing and could hardly speak but I asked him and he told me he'd never heard a better drummer live than Sheila. Prince, he said, was something else but he said he uses too many effects. He didn't like the message P was spouting out but technically, he was mustard. If I was driving him home instead of us getting a coach I'd have left him in Wembley car park for his cheek but he was right. He does use a lot of pedals etc. but I love what he does with em. He can knock shit out of a guitar. Jimi used a pedal or two didn't he. Didn't do him any harm.

The second half was a blast. Lovesexy! The Cross!!! I remember wishing I'd got more tickets for other nights too. I'll save ya every song but I remember I Wish U heaven starting up and just hoping we were gonna get a jam somewhere, we got something like it. He kept on about there being something on the roof but I never saw anything up there. If there was anything I didn't like it was the call and response that God was alive. I remember singing "Fish and Chips" back as loud as I could. Why wouldn't I seeing as it seemed to be 'shout a load of bollocks' time.

Kiss blew the place to bits again though it's not a favourite of mine. Good to see the leather jacket and the shades for a bit I spose. Sheila did her thing and while the drums pounded I tried my best to remove her top using telekinesis. It never bloody works. She can play a kit something lovely though.

I remember him lying on the floor and starting Purple Rain. I was hoping he'd sing it like he did in Wembley in '86 (I'd heard it on a boot) or maybe even an 18 minute flashback to Syracuse or Dallas New Years Eve? To be honest I was just chuffed to be hearing it live for the first time, 4 years late maybe and without the Revolution but still. 1999 I thought was the tits and then what do we get but the Alphabet St. encore. I was bang on it and little did I know I'd still be on it all these years later. I've calmed down a lot more. We both have and none of us are getting any younger but I'd never write him off. Especially not live.

He cancelled Nude in Manchester on us the next time. Same old shit. We had tickets, he moved the dates and I gave up on him for a few years. I didn't see him again live til ONA in 2002. I couldn't be arsed and apart from the odd gem including old stuff like Joy In Repetition, We can Funk etc. I just wasn't up for the stuff he'd put out.

I've been right up his nostrils at amazing aftershows, seen him play his hits more than enough in stadiums but none of it goes anywhere near Lovesexy. I caught him at the right time. He was bang on it during the 80s and right on top in '88. I'd loved to have seen P Rain live, or Parade and SOTT but If I could only pick one of those to go to I'd still pick Lovesexy. It had everything and it had it all when he was on top form.

Lovesexy. The feeling you get when you leave your tour programme on the coach after the gig... Lovesexy. Something like that...

Shit camera, shit lens, blinding gig:

[Edited 11/9/12 16:51pm]

First, the disappointments...

The 1999 tour came to the San Diego Sports Arena in March 1983. I was 9 years old and my mother refused to let me go. I begged and begged (and begged and begged!) but she would not budge. "He's too nasty" and "You dont need to see that shit" is what she said...but she let my older brothers and sister go to the show (they were 14, 15, and 17). I cannot even begin to describe the pain (I can still remember the commercial playing on the radio). They came home and my brothers were showing me the dance moves that the Time performed, my sister was going over Prince's setlist and all the little "Princely" things he did. All the cool kids in the neighborhood went to the show and they talked about it for days afterwards. Pure devastation.

When Purple Rain hit theaters, I was 10 years old and visiting my grandmother in Oakland, CA for the summer. My cousin and her boyfriend Harvey took me to one of those Family Fun Centers with Miniature Golf, etc. We were leaving and When Doves Cry came on the radio. Harvey asked me if I liked Prince and I was like "Hell yeah!" They were going to see Purple Rain on opening night (it was a few days later) and Harvey invited me to come along. I was pumped! Friday night comes, Harvey and Leanna show up at grandma's to pick me up. Grandma says, "What are you going to see?" My cousin told her Purple Rain and my grandma said, "That Prince movie? Isnt that Rated R?" My cousin got into a full blown argument with my grandma, trying to get her to give in, but I ended up staying my ass home that night too. Grandma called my mom...my mom said "Hell no!" and that was that (I finally saw it about a month later, when I went back home to San Diego and tricked my "babysitter" into taking me).

The Purple Rain tour hit Los Angeles in February 1985. A different cousin had tickets to one of the shows and invited me to come along. She was going to drive down in the afternoon to pick me up, I would spend the night with her after the show, and she would drive me home the next day...all on her dime! I dont remember what day the show was on, but it was a school night and my mom said, "Hell no!" I was only 11 years old, in the fifth grade, but I was a straight A student, in the Gifted and Talented Program, Independent Studies (which meant I was given a massive packet of "advanced" work at the beginning of each month, then left by myself to get it all done while the other students did the "regular" work that i had nothing to do with). I would have missed one fucking day of school and it wouldnt have mattered the least bit, but my mom wouldnt budge. To this day, when I watch/listen to Purple Rain concert bootlegs, I still get pissed at my mom.

Finally...Sunday November 6, 1988...Los Angeles Sports Arena. I was 14 years old, in the ninth grade, and rolled up to LA with my sister and three of her friends. I could not believe I was actually going to see Prince. My dad was fucking with me the night before..."Wouldnt it be funny if he got sick and had to cancel?" I remember worrying in the car, thinking "With my luck, his ass will cancel the damned show!" Nope...he tore the fucking house down. When he stepped out of the car in his polka dot suit, I screamed "Owah!!!" My sister put her arm around me and kissed me on the cheek...the bass line for Erotic City kicked in and I went down to one knee. When he screamed "Shut up already, DAMN!" I thought the walls were going to collapse. The only time I sat down was when Adore kicked in, and that was only because I just had to...I was in purple shock! We got home at around 2am. I stayed up all night listening to everything Prince that I had, and I went to school that Monday on no sleep. I was not tired at all. PUMPED. STOKED. On a serious purple high.

As for my mom, she tried to make up for her previous fouls...when the Act I tour hit Los Angeles in April 1993, I had already graduated high school, 19 years old, and was going to San Diego State full time. I was working but had no money for Prince tickets. They sold out and I found tickets thru one of those "agencies", but they were $150 a piece (and that was in the friggin balcony). I gave up and my mom asked if I was going. I told her no and not only did she pay for my ticket, but she paid for my girlfriend too. Yup...$350 with service charges and what have you, plus she gave us money to eat and "have a good time". I jokingly told her "You still ruined my childhood!", but me and my girl were grateful. Then, Prince got sick and had to reschedule. The show was supposed to be on Tuesday or Wednesday and got moved to Saturday, which fucked everything up for me because I had to work till 6:30pm on Saturday (no way was I going to make it to LA in time!) and early in the morning Sunday. I told my boss I was sorry for the short notice, but I need the weekend off. He looked at me like I was insane...then I told him I had Prince tickets, the show was rescheduled, blah, blah, blah. He said, "You got Prince tickets?!" and hooked me the fuck up. Covered both my shifts and paid me for one of them, but I had to buy him a shirt. As for the show...I have always been very critical of Prince's output post-Lovesexy, but I always support, no matter what. The Love Symbol album is far from my fav, but that shit sounded like heaven live...I was missing Eric Leeds BIG TIME, but Michael B was just INSANE to me. That show was FIRE...even with the crappy rap routine. And the second half...when he went from Irresistible Bitch into She's Always in my Hair, I damn near fainted. Totally caught me off guard! I was high as a kite that night (on Prince and a few other things) and it goes down as one of the greatest nights of partying I ever had. We hung out all night in Hollywood, ended up at Venice Beach at dawn...GOOD TIMES.

I've seen him live over 25 times now...he's always torn the house down, but none come close to the first two.

Thanks a lot for sharing your memories and thank you for that picture fonkyman!

Spot the funkiest pixie on the planet:

[Edited 11/9/12 16:52pm]

I don't have time to write a full report, but I went to Rotterdam show twice and then got a ticket to the Dortmund show as well! Words can't express the magnitude of this show, so I just won't try. Besides, I would make ya'll jealous... .

Fonkyman said:

Short version:

I went to Lovesexy, it was kushtie. I loved it.

Multi Maxi 12" import out take:

First off, what a good ol boy your Uncle was eh, nice touch.

I feel like I've told my Lovesexy story a thousand times and when you think how much time's passed since '88, I probably have. I never get sick of it though.

WARNING ~ GUSH ALERT:

I got into P when I was about 12 with the 1999 stuff, LRC and all that. I got really into it though, after my brother played the Purple Rain film over and over one weekend, all weekend. I thought P was obviously a bit of a twat but his music was the tits. After that I went off and bought Purple Rain and 1999 and I was hooked.

My first chance at seeing him live was in '86 for Parade. A few of us ordered tickets and were looking forward to it but for some reason we had to send our tickets back. I can't remember exactly what happened but we never got to go. I always thought he'd moved the dates back a bit but I can't remember properly now. One of my mates did end up going and he made us all sick telling us how fucking great it was. I'm still Gutted I never saw the Revolution live.

Next time it was SOTT in '87. As we'd missed out on Parade we made sure we had really good tickets for Wembley and again, looked forward to the gig. One shitty morning I got a call from my big brother saying we wouldn't be going as P had cancelled. We called the ticket office and they told us there were just a few problems and we'd still be going, just to a different venue. In the end he cancelled the whole UK leg and we were stumped for another year. Meanwhile, I was still getting everything I could get my hands on. Released stuff, Vinyl, Tapes, Out-takes, Videos, live gigs, posters, anything and I was gagging to catch him live.

When tickets for Lovesexy went on sale we jumped on em. At first there were only a few of us going and we got decent tickets but as the gigs got nearer our group got bigger. A coach firm in town were putting on trips to the shows so we chopped our original tickets in and booked up to all go on the coach for the opening night.

I was 17 and a complete P nut at the time and after all the cock ups in the past I wasn't sure it was gonna happen til we got inside of Wembley. I smuggled a crappy camera in with about three rolls of film and we more or less ran to our seats. I'd seen a clip of Sister from Lovesexy in Paris on TV a few days before and I'd read a few reviews so I had an idea of what to expect, least I thought I did.

We were in there pretty early and they were playing some nice orchesteral stuff that sounded like P so I was already buzzing and wondering where I could get a copy. Intermission, apparently.

We'd heard it would be 'in the round' and as it turned out we had a great view of the whole thing. We were stage left, and could see a bit of the T-Bird and the stage props ready to go. Every now and then we'd get a sample from Lovesexy and the crowd would get all jumpy. Security started moving around the bottom of the stage, holding their earpieces and flapping about like the demented FBI or something so we knew it wouldn't be long.

The place was electric already but when the drumbeat started and that Thunderbird popped up I thought my head was about to explode. The noise in there was deafening. Admittedly, half of it was probably coming from me. We were on the same side as the car as it went round half the stage and we could see him shuffling about inside it in his polka dot suit. Then he got out of the car. Even more deafening. I think it took about 5 minutes for my ears to adjust so I could hear it all properly. He marched off towards the mic. "Snare drum pounds on the 2 and 4, all the party people get on the floor, bass" and we were off.

He did his little routine with the girls and on the way back walked straight into the mic stand. He made it look like he meant it and went into Erotic City. Made me chuckle anyway. I had almost everything he'd released up to that point and quite a few he hadn't so I sang my arse off to almost every song. When he went into Housequake I was chuffed to bits. I had my fingers crossed he'd keep playing it through as we know what he's like for a tease. I was thinking if I crossed my toes too maybe we'd get half of the SOTT gig he owed us.

What we did get was better than I'd imagined it would be. I don't know why but every time I've seen P I've always thought 'Go on then, impress me' and he's never failed to yet. Some gigs were better than others but at every one there's been a time where he's really knocked me out. Lovesexy was a constant barrage of knockouts. I wondered if he was gonna play anything in full at times as it sounded like he was gonna go through everything he'd done. Not that I'd have minded. That voice he has is something else and as long as he didn't break a string on it I was ready to hear that guitar playing all night long.

I couldn't believe he was playing stuff like Jack U Off and Sister, live in '88. Working through the older stuff was a blast. We even got some Head too, I was going nuts. The only song he played that I didn't know all night was If I Had A Harem and I fuckin loved it. Since I love hearing him play the blues anyway I was buzzing like a buzzer in buzzersville for that. He strolled up to the front of the stage and the flashes went off like strobe-lights. I was hoping I'd get the pics later as they'd be good for covers. It just kept getting better and we weren't even half way through. It was relentless. He was pulling tunes out of everywhere, Dirty feckin Mind?!! I thought I was hearing things.

When he kicked off with Superfunky I almost shat my trousers. Jumping about on a bed with Cat and chasing her around was mental. After all the crap we'd had with the Black album and then typical of Prince, he's playing stuff from it live and playing it well. What a tune to play from it too. I went berserk, again, naturally.

I remember wondering WTF was going on when he came out for Bob George. It looked like he'd been possessed by Dame Edna Everage or Elton John or something but I wasn't about to complain. I was waiting for Le Grind and 2nigsUnited. Dame Ednas glasses or not.

When he'd finished playing Anna Stesia we shot off for the merchandise in a daze. I had about £150 or something and I couldn't wait to piss it all away on overpriced tat from the stalls. Some of the T-shirts looked well dodgy, even for P. The posters were even worse, well, one of em was anyway. The tour programme cover looked like he'd joined a cult in some dodgy bar in Frisco but it didn't stop me buying one. I got a couple of the T-shirts, a couple of the face collage ones and one of the black camp and mincey princeys. Posters, tour books etc. in hand we got back to our seats for the rest of the show.

I found the t-shirts not so long ago (See my Avi) but the rest got ruined or slung out over time. I put one of everything away and wore the others but in time I used the 'collection' ones for work and they died long ago.

One of the fellas that came with us that night is a pro musician. I'd say he's a better singer than anything else he does but he plays drums, piano, sax, clarinet and is red hot on most of them. That's not fair, he's an amazing singer, drummer and pianist. Credit where credit's due. He's not a big fan of our favourite purple pixie but he's seen a lot of top live acts in his time and he knows his music well.

When the gig was over I wanted to get his take on it all. I'd gone hoarse from all the singing and could hardly speak but I asked him and he told me he'd never heard a better drummer live than Sheila. Prince, he said, was something else but he said he uses too many effects. He didn't like the message P was spouting out but technically, he was mustard. If I was driving him home instead of us getting a coach I'd have left him in Wembley car park for his cheek but he was right. He does use a lot of pedals etc. but I love what he does with em. He can knock shit out of a guitar. Jimi used a pedal or two didn't he. Didn't do him any harm.

The second half was a blast. Lovesexy! The Cross!!! I remember wishing I'd got more tickets for other nights too. I'll save ya every song but I remember I Wish U heaven starting up and just hoping we were gonna get a jam somewhere, we got something like it. He kept on about there being something on the roof but I never saw anything up there. If there was anything I didn't like it was the call and response that God was alive. I remember singing "Fish and Chips" back as loud as I could. Why wouldn't I seeing as it seemed to be 'shout a load of bollocks' time.

Kiss blew the place to bits again though it's not a favourite of mine. Good to see the leather jacket and the shades for a bit I spose. Sheila did her thing and while the drums pounded I tried my best to remove her top using telekinesis. It never bloody works. She can play a kit something lovely though.

I remember him lying on the floor and starting Purple Rain. I was hoping he'd sing it like he did in Wembley in '86 (I'd heard it on a boot) or maybe even an 18 minute flashback to Syracuse or Dallas New Years Eve? To be honest I was just chuffed to be hearing it live for the first time, 4 years late maybe and without the Revolution but still. 1999 I thought was the tits and then what do we get but the Alphabet St. encore. I was bang on it and little did I know I'd still be on it all these years later. I've calmed down a lot more. We both have and none of us are getting any younger but I'd never write him off. Especially not live.

He cancelled Nude in Manchester on us the next time. Same old shit. We had tickets, he moved the dates and I gave up on him for a few years. I didn't see him again live til ONA in 2002. I couldn't be arsed and apart from the odd gem including old stuff like Joy In Repetition, We can Funk etc. I just wasn't up for the stuff he'd put out.

I've been right up his nostrils at amazing aftershows, seen him play his hits more than enough in stadiums but none of it goes anywhere near Lovesexy. I caught him at the right time. He was bang on it during the 80s and right on top in '88. I'd loved to have seen P Rain live, or Parade and SOTT but If I could only pick one of those to go to I'd still pick Lovesexy. It had everything and it had it all when he was on top form.

Lovesexy. The feeling you get when you leave your tour programme on the coach after the gig... Lovesexy. Something like that...

Shit camera, shit lens, blinding gig:

Damn! Pretty good seats!

I went to that concert also!! It was awesome

SoulAlive said:

I saw the Lovesexy show on Friday,November 11,1988 at the Oakland Arena (still got the ticket stub!)...it was the best concert I've ever seen.This was something really magical about that era.Prince had an amazing band and an amazing stage show.I walked out of that arena in a daze....knowing that I had witnessed something truly incredible.

I remember going to school the next day and talking to my friends who'd gone to the first night's show. I'll never forget my first Prince concert. I've only seen him 3 more times after that(Act I tour at the Warner Theatre, DC; Emancipation Concert at the MCI Center; and again at the MCI Center for the NewPowerSoul Festival, DC also). The NewPowerSoul show would be fantastic to get hold of for the DC Show. I remember waiting outside of the Hecht Company at the mall for two hours for them to open when tickets went on sale. This particular show sold out in 13-15 minutes while I was in line. I was lucky they added the second night for this one.

It was a magical time. Music has been on a downhill spiral ever since 1988.

Lovesexy is easily the most brilliant record ever wrtitten and recorded by anyone (it just so happened to be Prince) and the tour was the greatest show ever staged. It raised the bar so high... that to this day...I've never seen any other concert or performance by anyone (including Prince) that could be classfied as being in the same brilliance.

November 3, 1988 changed my life forever. It was the night my own Lovesexy was born! Words cannot describe...all I can say is, if you weren't there, or had the misfortune of not being born at that time... you missed out on something extra special. It defenitely was the era you had to live through and experience firsthand, or you will never fully get it.

And I still live by the "Love God, Love Life, Lovesexy!" attitude. It's just too bad that Prince doesn't. I couldn't imagine creating such a life altering masterpiece...only to join a cult and rebuke the spirituality of this great album. Truly sad. No problem though...the Lovesexy Funkateers will funk on without him!

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

It was a magical time. Music has been on a downhill spiral ever since 1988.

Lovesexy is easily the most brilliant record ever wrtitten and recorded by anyone (it just so happened to be Prince) and the tour was the greatest show ever staged. It raised the bar so high... that to this day...I've never seen any other concert or performance by anyone (including Prince) that could be classfied as being in the same brilliance.

November 3, 1988 changed my life forever. It was the night my own Lovesexy was born! Words cannot describe...all I can say is, if you weren't there, or had the misfortune of not being born at that time... you missed out on something extra special. It defenitely was the era you had to live through and experience firsthand, or you will never fully get it.

And I still live by the "Love God, Love Life, Lovesexy!" attitude. It's just too bad that Prince doesn't. I couldn't imagine creating such a life altering masterpiece...only to join a cult and rebuke the spirituality of this great album. Truly sad. No problem though...the Lovesexy Funkateers will funk on without him!

The album to me is his most underrated. There are alot of great songs there. I remember people saying he was just playing around with that album but I ALWAYS thought it had a cohesive sound to it. The show I went to, the video of the one broadcast, and the various CDs acquired later of other shows, to me displayed a moment in time where he seemed HAPPY to be playing those gigs. He seemed to be having fun, evident in the on stage basketball court. I remember he, Fink, and Boni during one song were shooting hoops. P and Fink were missing all over the place and Boni actually got nets!

That was a great time to be a Prince fan. Did anyone else get funny looks from the cashier at the record store you bought your tape/vinyl from of this album? The cashier looked embarrassed by the cover when I bout my record.

I remember the Sign O' The Times movie coming out on video a week before the Lovesexy album was released. I was in Prince heaven, as the film did not come to a theater near me. Loved the album and still one of my favs today. The videos were awesome, lots of color. The naked Prince pic on the cover! I was 18.

I had tickets to the 3rd Chicago show, the lady at ticketmaster told me to hold out for the 3rd show, because I would get better seats since the first 2 were nearly sold out. She was correct. I had great seats on the lower lever and glad I wasn't on the floor, since it would have been pretty difficult to see the opposite side of the stage. I had read a review in Rolling Stone on the European show, I think it was from Paris (opening night?). I kind of new what to expect and that I would hear some Black Album tunes.

I lived a couple hours away from Chicago and me and two friends went together. I had this big idea to go really early and wait in the parking lot of the Rosemont Horizon (the venue) and try and catch a glimpse of Prince arriving. My mom thought I was nuts! So we got there around 2 in the afternoon and saw several vans arriving around 2:30 and it was raining slightly. I wasn't convinced that Prince was in the vans. So we hung out for awhile longer. We had met a mother and her 2 children also waiting in the parking lot. Her daughter had MS and they told us they talked to Prince's driver the day before and asked him to tell Prince she would really like to meet him. He said he would, but couldn't make any promises.

Around 3:00, a black van and 2 black limos pulled into the lot and my heart started racing. There was a ramp that went down underneath the venue and they were all going down the ramp. We were standing on the ground level looking down towards the bottom of the ramp. All of the sudden the last limo backed all the way up the ramp and someone got out of the front passenger's door ( I later realized it was Gilbert Davison). He came around the back and opened the door and Prince got out. I nearly passed out...seriously. I had a camera and took a picture and Gilbert then said "no more pictures". I said "just let me touch him". He turned around and smiled and put his hand on my elbow and smiled. He was unshaven and had long wavy hair. He wore a white button down shirt, that was tied mid riff, grey and black striped pants, heels to match, and a Lovesexy style coat also in grey and black. He then got back in the limo and went into the venue. We were all freaking out and could not believe what had just happened.

At that point, I could have went home happy. But, that was just the beginning. No need to go over the show, since we all know about the show. A couple of differences at my show, was that he did the song Sign O' The Times the only time on the whole Lovesexy Tour and Mavis Staples was a guest and they sang I'll Take You There.

I saw the Purple Rain tour as well and they both are right up there as my favorites shows. I've seen nearly 80 shows to date. The numbers racked up between Glam Slam and Paisley Park shows mainly.

I do have pictures of the limo encounter and would love to share, but it's kind of the one thing that I have of Prince that no one else does.

LOVESEXY TOUR - WESTFALENHALLE, DORTMUND;
9th SEPTEMBER 1988

TRACKLIST:
INTRO
Escape/EROTIC CITY
HOUSEQUAKE
SLOW LOVE
ADORE
DELIRIOUS
JACK U OFF
SISTER
I WANNA BE YOUR LOVER
HEAD - A LOVE BIZARRE
WHEN YOU WERE MINE
BLUES IN C (IF I HAD A HAREM)
WHEN YOU WERE MINE
LITTLE RED CORVETTE
CONTROVERSY
DIRTY MIND
SUPERFUNKYCALIFRAGISEXY - CONTROVERSY
BOB GEORGE
ANNA STESIA
CROSS THE LINE*
EYE NO
LOVESEXY
GLAM SLAM
THE CROSS
I WISH U HEAVEN
KISS
DANCE ON - SHEILA E DRUM SOLO

Piano Medley

WHEN 2 R IN LOVE
VENUS DE MILO
STARFISH & COFFEE
RASPBERRY BERET
CONDITION OF THE HEART
STRANGE RELATIONSHIP
WHEN 2 R IN LOVE
LET'S GO CRAZY
WHEN DOVES CRY
PURPLE RAIN
1999
ALPHABET STREET

If your body needs water, keep dancin'
Cuz U oughta keep the blood flowin' down 2 your feet
Brother Maurice'll be 'round in a minute
With a bucket filled in it - squirrel meat
The blood real good if U drink it real fast
But the aftertaste just lasts and lasts

Cat

Let me see ya dance

kev1972 said:

Nobody remembers the plastic flowers and movie dollars falling over everyone? And the way the lights spiralled around the arena really impressed

I remember the flowers on stage but I can't remember the money drop. The lights were pretty good. I remember my mate tapping me up and pointing to the wall. The silhouettes of the crowd with all the lights going looked mad. I wasted a few shots trying to get a snap of it. I can still see the 'Alphabet St.' lights on the stage too and the 'Hot Thing hoops'. The whole show was just red hot. Lights, sound, stage, performance. It had it all.

If I knew then what I know now I'd never have got back on the coach. I'd have shot off to Camden for the afterparty, that woulda been something else. Forever In My Life, Mica on Just My Imagination? Mmmm... Bit of Dead On It? Yes please.

Good seeing the pics and screenshots. Well done OldFriends. Anyone else get any snaps of the gigs or the merchandise? They can't be any worse than mine.

[Edited 10/18/12 18:36pm]

Something I always wondered...

Just before the lights went down to start the Lovesexy show, I remember seeing a stage hand roll what I guess was a wardrobe box (one of those big black boxes with silver corners) down to the stage. A little after that, the lights went out. Then, when the show was over, I saw the same stage hand running as he pushed that wardrobe box out of the arena.

Anyone know if Prince was in the box? Is that how he got to and from the "in the round" stage? Just something I've always wondered...anyone else see this?

StonedImmaculate said:

I agree.I feel sorry for the younger fans who didn't get to experience that era.It was mindblowing!

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

November 3, 1988 changed my life forever. It was the night my own Lovesexy was born! Words cannot describe...all I can say is, if you weren't there, or had the misfortune of not being born at that time... you missed out on something extra special. It defenitely was the era you had to live through and experience firsthand, or you will never fully get it.

StonedImmaculate said:

Something I always wondered...

Just before the lights went down to start the Lovesexy show, I remember seeing a stage hand roll what I guess was a wardrobe box (one of those big black boxes with silver corners) down to the stage. A little after that, the lights went out. Then, when the show was over, I saw the same stage hand running as he pushed that wardrobe box out of the arena.

Anyone know if Prince was in the box? Is that how he got to and from the "in the round" stage? Just something I've always wondered...anyone else see this?

Yes, Prince was in the box. His limo driver told me.

i remember working with the promoter of this tour in 88 and i must say it was a wonderful experience. my fav memory of this tour is when this show hit new york and he was pegged to do an indoor signing at SAM goody, there was lines around the block and prince was fucking with the fans and joking with them. which was a treat because throgout this tour he was very tense and nervous.