Mindflux said:

Generally I can't fault his shows - really, what's not to like? If you go in with the attitude that "I know I am going to be like....ugh.." then you've only yourself to blame. Perhaps going in with a more open-mind and looking to enjoy yourself might help you have a better time. Because, to nit-pick one of the greatest live performers ever is somewhat conceited.

That said - if there are 2 things I was disappointed about in the 54 times I've seen him since 1986. One was the concert being cut short due to a malfunctioning prop that was seriously irritating him during a piano medley (which was anything but boring!) - Brixton Academy 1996 I think.

The other was during The Gold Experience tour, when he would disappear in to that big golden vagina palace, apparently to tweak the mix of the sound - which, if that was true, is always better handled by somebody at front-of-house as the sound is always different on stage and means Prince can just get on with his own performance.

But these are minor gripes. Your compaints I find a bit much - you have every right to them, but they're not really fair. Ok, you may not like medleys, but Prince's skill at re-arranging classic tracks and his entire musical oeuvre to begin with should render them far from boring. There's nothing wrong with showcasing band members! It is a band and they're all skilled musicians - why shouldn't each one get a bit of limelight? Virtually any band from any time has always done this, it's only right really. "So many hits...." - well, if you've got it, flaunt it. It's not as if he's lying. And covers, don't have a problem with that either. Why not pay homage to other artists you like - personally, I like hearing other artist's interpretations of other people's music. Gives it a fresh perspective.

But, each to their own, eh?

i don't mind the medley's either, pretty much the whole of the first half of the Lovesexy show was 1 long medley, if you hear 20 odd songs in the first hour played like that, what's not to like

I always go into a Prince show with excitement, there hasn't been 1 show i've not liked.

herb4 said:

The meandering jams. Playing five seconds of good songs, making bad songs really long. Remember all the long versions of Musicology?

I missed the biggie. Not playing obscure or some of his best songs. I'm almost shocked that there has never been a live version of Crystal Ball.

1. Having audience members on stage. I know some people here love that part, some for personal reasons, some just in general.No matter how you slice it, that part needs to go. And yes, I´ve been on stage once, too, during an aftershow, and I still dislike that part of a concert.

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2. Shelby Johson. It´s not that I dislike her as a singer or as a person, I just don´t think that what she´s doing is good for ANY concert, especially not a Prince concert. It´s cool that he supports her somehow, and I bet she´s a nice person and good singer, but.....

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3. The sampler set. Why tease with "So many hits, so little time." if you aren´t going to sing those hits and only tease with snippets?

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4. "Real music by real musicians!"...."So many hits, so little time!". and so on . These phrases are played out and don´t mean much. There´s a gazillion talented musicians out there doing their thing, why focus on a dozen lipsynching entertainers? And if you´ve got so many hits, play them....the younger generation doesn´t even remember your greatest hits except for the usual two or three songs.

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5. Cover versions. It was cool to hear The Jam or I Believe In You or Hair or the Ohio Players and the Santana songs during the Gold Experience shows, and I appreciate the occasional cover song because it sparks my interest in old school music but hey, most people are not even familiar with Prince´s own catalog, so why not keep your own legacy alive instead of playing Play That Funky Music or some Sly Stone songs for the umpteenth time?

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This being said, I still think that Prince is an incredible musician and live artist. He still is capable of doing a great show when he puts his heart into it, regardless of age or current musical trends.

I loved the ONA tour even though TRC had some strange lyrics. At least the tour was cohesive, he played a lot of his own material and some unusual stuff from his own catalog.

KoolEaze said:

1. Having audience members on stage. I know some people here love that part, some for personal reasons, some just in general.No matter how you slice it, that part needs to go. And yes, I´ve been on stage once, too, during an aftershow, and I still dislike that part of a concert.

I too dislike having fun and doing and seeing fun things.

alandail said:

My two least favorite parts

- when it's over

- when he doesn't play anywhere remotely near me for years and years

Ditto!