For me it was seeing in in London on the 21 nights run... the moment the start of 'If i was your girlfriend' kicked in. Never expected to hear it live and it was a pure joy to realise I would be.

A close second was realising he was playing Electric Intercourse when seeing him a few months ago at the show in Birmingham... was a real shock.

Vegas 2013. It was my first Prince show. And it was my graduation present. I met a whole bunch of awesome people, and talked to Josh (hannahs husband) a good bit, and he gave me VIP wrist bands for 2 shows. Me and P shared a little moment when he was soloing, and my jaw was dropped, he kind of did this little smile/smirk and then pointed at me and did the "what's up" head gesture. Then the next show I went up on stage and danced during the sampler set. It was Awesome.

Cinco De Mayo 2012 - Prince was playing at the Los Angeles Forum. My friend and I were in the front row right next to the stage screaming and singing to every song. At the end of his song Kiss, Prince looked directly at me and winked his eye! BEST CONCERT MOMENT EVER!!!!

The arena goes dark, smoke surrounds the stage
The starting sound of a car engine, the lights on a thunderbrid appers
The drum kick on the 1 and 2... Boom.. boom, boom
The vehicle drives around the stage. The car stops, the door opens.. cat, sheila e, Prince exit the car
Erotic city starts


The Lovesexy Tour 88
At the age of 15 my first concert was Awesome!

Both times in San Diego when he played the Cox Arena (near SDSU). The first moment was the 2001 Hit & Run Tour, and there were three or four encores, the last one being Kiss. I finally said funk it and made my way down about 20 rows. It was just him and the one-eyed bass, along with drums, and he had thump-finger like his life depended on it. He knows how to train his eyes to look out at a section of the concert and make it look like he's looking right at you. Eventually his eyes made his ways over to the section I was in, and it was like he was having a conversation with the whole section all at once. It was intimate. The second moment was a few years later during the Musicology, and it was righ before the show was about to start. The RORHOF footage ended, and the lights went down, and the way the crowd all screamed at once was like it was a Daoist thunderbolt right to the spirit. But Prince crowds are electric that way.

I have to name three:

The first time I saw Prince in concert (Worcester, Massachusetts at the Palladium [?]) in 2000 during the Hit n Run Tour. He invited this sister up on stage (she had to be three times his size) and she started chasing him around the stage. It was funny seeing this little guy running from a lady thrice his size!

The other memorable moment was in 2004 (NYC at Madison Square Garden) during the Musicology tour. I don't remember which night I attended, but it had been raining that day, so naturally, when Prince closed out with Purple Rain, I remember looking around the Garden (from my awesome floor seats--thanks NPGMC!) and rather than seeing a sea of lighters waving in the air, everyone was waving their opened umbrellas back and forth! Does anyone else recall which night that was? I feel like he played two or three nights at the Garden in '04.

The third memorable concert moment occurred at Butter (I guess you would call it the aftershow to the Good Morning America performance in the park earlier in the day), when Prince was on guitar, ?uestlove was on drums and Tamar was looking for folk to come up and do a dance from the 80's. I went up, told her I was going to do the Oak Tree, but I ended up doing the Wooden Leg (see the Sheila E. concert video when they perform A Love Bizarre together). Prince being sharp as a knife, starting laughing, then shouted in the mic "WOODEN LEG!"

I've seen Prince several times over the last 30 years including Lovesexy in the round which was amazing - his dancing back then was incredible. But for me the best time was the most intimate time: Manchester Academy this year (second night). I was just a few feet back and the best moment was when he exploded onto the stage with LGC. I still get goosebumps. And it was captured on video too.

Pretty good, pretty good. I like this thread not because it was started by me but because it's very positive and these are great stories. Ok, I got another one. 1994 NYC Palladium. About 1500 in attendance. I was on the floor about 15 ft from watching him perform. He was doing all the songs from the Come album and the Gold Experience. Shhh was a high light as well as Papa. But then he says towards the end of the show "Let me go back stage and see if I can find a friend." He dissapears and comes out from behind the curtain with Lenny Kravitz! Then they jam into Peach. He was in great mood. It was great to seem them together. What a surprise! But cmon on y'all, if your into funky music drop another favorite concert moment!

MSG LoveSexy backstage 1988. After party at Nells that night, invited by bodyguard to meet Prince after he ate frenchfries off my plate and asked if he could have a sip of my water...was too shy to say yes. I think I almost fainted....I still have the napkin and the glass ::

I've lost count of how many shows I've seen but nothing compares to that one I got backstage because my clients husband was a big wig at MSG at the time. (I'm a personal trainer)

Ah to be 20-something again ....

[Edited 12/16/14 6:29am]

My favourite was at Brixton Academy in 1998 during the Chakka Khan set. She starts with I Feel For U and then a voice comes over the PA, "Hey girl, that's my song", Prince strolls on, duets it with her and strolls back off again.

Loved it because I wasn't expecting to get any Prince during the support act and it all seemed so casual the way it played out. Great moment.

I would probably say the Musicology tour, Fresno. He kicked butt on Purplr Rain.

Also. Me, my 55 plus(at the time) year old mother and a couple relatives had nose bleed seats and were pissed about it. Anyway the ticket said, "wear something purple", and since i couldn't find anything purple (clothing wise), i decided to buy a couple purple bandannas.

So at the end of the show, Prince is saying his good byes, and I'm up in the clouds holding up these purple bandannas(like a gangster) and i could swear that Prince acknowledged me(or our area).

He seemed to look in our direction for a good while, and smile.

On a different note. My mom was such a fan that when she died(age 68) we buried her in a Purple, ladies suit.

The 1999 tour was a special time as well. It was the first time that i had ever seen Prince in concert.


Overall the show itself was pretty good. Especially when he performed International Lover, and 1999. On international lover, i remember this girl yelling, "Prince, get nekkid !!!"

That was a pretty cool time to be a Prince fan...

P.S. One thing i will say is, i envy the people who have seen Prince when he's brought the funk big time. Probably in places like Detroit, NYC, DC, etc. Ive seen him in Places where the crowd is probably a little different than in those places and therefore the overall vibe is probably a little different.

Good thread.

[Edited 12/16/14 17:49pm]

21 January, 1991 - Estadio Monumental A. Vespucio Liberti (River Plate)

.

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I happened to be in neighbouring Chile at the time, and heard he was playing a one off gig in Buenos Aires in between his Rock in Rio shows.

So I grabbed the first plane out and got to see this short but amazing show.

.

He was in transition between Nude and D&P, so aside from your Hits, we also got to hear new tunes and some Graffitti Bridge tracks.

.

It was my 1st P concert, so it will forever be my BEST concert moment.

[Edited 12/16/14 18:13pm]

My best concert moment was on November 13, 1994. Prince was having a private birthday party for Mayte in the atrium of Paisley Park. They had the band gear set up on a riser about a foot off the floor. There were only about 50 people. They were jamming to Flash Light by Parliament and Prince was playing a tambourine. He held it out for me and I was chicken shit to grab it, and he gave me this look like are you going to take it. So I did. I have a ton of best of moments, but that one has to be at the top of my list.

[Edited 12/16/14 19:19pm]

SuperSoulFighter said:

2007 August 19th, , The Earth Tour, aftershow Indigo.

Standing about 3 meters infront of Prince (wearing a red hat)

while he played an incredible, unforgetable aftershow...

Man, that Superstition intro cover was damn hot!

http://www.princevault.com/index.php/19_August,_2007-am

[Edited 12/17/14 8:47am]

Philly76 said:

2007 August 19th, , The Earth Tour, aftershow Indigo.

Standing about 3 meters infront of Prince (wearing a read hat)

while he played an incredible, unforgetable afterhow...

Man, that Superstition intro cover was damn hot!

http://www.princevault.com/index.php/19_August,_2007-am

Fantastic show. Did any pictures of the hat ever emerge?

Paisley Park, Chanhassen, June 26th 2002. Night 6 of the Xenophobia celebration.

The setlist is great, at one point he launches into a number of piano tunes we've heard a bunch of times, then all of a sudden he goes into Empty Room. The room is packed with hardcore Prince fans who have traveled from around the world. A purple pilgrimage. They know the song well, despite being unreleased at the time. It was an undisputed classic among the outtakes. The entire UN-empty room, hundreds of people, all collectively gasp at the same time when the first notes and words hit their ears. It's an unspoken nod to all of us who know more than just the hits... a musical blessing of the faithful. He takes the song on an emotional roller coaster, then by the final notes the crowd erupts in a collective thank you. I'm moved to tears.

[Edited 12/17/14 11:24am]

18 January 2013, last show at the Dakota Jazz Club and 3rdEyeGirl's debut. My first Prince concert in an intimate setting. Standing with my toes touching the candlelit foot-high stage and a mere two feet from Prince for the entire concert, eye to eye with the end of his guitar! Amazing voice, amazing flying fingers, amazing music! Then comes the moment -- he brings out another guitar, looks at me, and extends it out to me ... dare I take it? I cradle the guitar while he attaches the strap and amp cord, and then I gently hand it back to him, and he launches into Purple Rain. He continues to to connect with me for the next hour -- joking with me, pretending to spray me with the guitar string lubricant, asking me to guard his guitar when he leaves the stage between encores, ... What a magical night -- I haven't been the same since then!

Wow to the last post and others above it. That's truly special to read. I can only imagine what that must have been like. Envious just thinking about it. Again thanks to all for the all the responses thus far. But I know there's more best concert moments. I have a few more that I will share as others share. Cmon drop some more stories y'all. Let's appreciate all the good funk this man has given us over the years.

In a small club--just a few feet away!

2014 essence fest, New Orleans, Prince turns around and shakes his nice ass. I would have love to go up and kiss it. I love Prince, with ya fine ass.

2014 essence fest, New Orleans, Prince turns around and shakes his nice ass. I would have love to go up and kiss it. I love Prince, with ya fine ass.

annadaggs said:

2014 essence fest, New Orleans, Prince turns around and shakes his nice ass. I would have love to go up and kiss it. I love Prince, with ya fine ass.

But next time he comes to New Orleans, i hope i get to be alot closer, the superdome was just too big.

Bumper

Camping out all day on Hollywood Blvd for the ONA shows. Getting third row center courtesy of the NPGMC. Having Prince notice my gf's outfit, and getting yelled at by his security for waving a blue light around our seating area. Oh yeah, there was this girl who was sitting right next to me who asked me to sit down and stop dancing! This was third row center of a Prince concert, so of course I stood and danced the whole time!! How could I not? After show was upstairs. Pretty perfect night.