Wiener Stadthalle

1. Let's Go Crazy(reload)

2. Take Me With U

3. Raspberry Beret

4. U Got the Look

5. Cool

(sampler set)

When Doves Cry / Sign O the Times / Hot Thing / Nasty Girl / Alphabet St / Forever In My Life

7. 1999

8. Little Red Corvette

9. Nothign Compares 2 U

10. Kiss

(Piano Set)

Diamonds & Pearls / the Beautiful Ones

11. Empty Room

12. Guitar

13. Plectrum Electrum

14. Crimson & Clover

15. She's Always In My Hair

16. Purple Rain

17. Play That Funky Music(cover)

18. ScrewDriver

19. FunknRoll

(sampler set)

Housequake

20. Sometimes It Snows In April

21. Bambi

22. Stratus

23. What's My Name

I have heard around 12 tracks from here on ziggerdome release. Brilliant guitar playing from prince and one of best versions of purple rain I have heard . What is point in post just letting us know tracklist.
I enjoyed what I heard anyway. Seemed like a descent show.
[Edited 3/9/15 15:26pm]
[Edited 3/9/15 15:28pm]

master said:

I have around 12 tracks from here on ziggerdome release. Brilliant guitar playing from prince and possibly the best version of purple rain I have heard. What is point in post just letting us know tracklist

I always do this

The point, just like talking about the 6.5 1984 show or any other is to talk about the show.
I think sometimes instead of comparing other shows against say 6.5.1984 we can talk about this show and have an appreciation for this period.

It would be cool to share your experiences with this show

http://venia-mag.net/live...4/?lang=en

It took me 28 years to catch Prince live and it finally happened in Vienna last Saturday. Since the first failed attempt to see him at Wembley Arena in 1986, when he ruled the world stages and shared the spotlight with Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen although representing different genres, this was a rule of three guys. Why I didn’t see Prince perform then or later doesn’t matter. What does matter is that two weeks ago when out of the blue he announced he’ll be playing in Vienna, I rushed there like a bat out of hell. They didn’t give photo passes to anyone so there’s no photo gallery for you to look at. Not only the official photo shooting wasn’t allowed, but no photo shooting was allowed at all, the security jumped even at smartphones in the audience.

Obviously the fact that night was his 56th birthday was too much to handle and when the audience in the Stadthalle spontaneously sang “Happy Birthday” to him, instead being moved or glad, he just said “Okay, thank you, but I’d rather be younger than a year older”.
Everything else was perfect. There’s not much performers older than 55 who jump, play, sing and perform as Prince does it. He may be 56, but he’s at least twice as playful than many of his colleagues half his age.

It’s pretty certain that the old dog gets some juice from his band made up from three official chicks, and two unofficial under the name 3RDEYEGIRL. We can lament on Prince’s weaknesses towards beautiful women in the band, but truth be told, all the girls who ever played with Prince were top players (not so much singers). Prince is a freaking musical perfectionist – he plays a plethora of instruments, most of which brilliantly, and he never took with someone who is not musically phenomenal, what cannot be said of some other great performers. Because 3RDEYEGIRL are not only players (and singers), they are performers full of energy, heart and zest, in total harmony with the colorful and difficult Prince, and that makes all the difference.

the concert lasted for over two and a half hours, with 4 encores and plenty of remixes or adding snippets of famous songs into his own ones so the setlist at the end of this article is not quite complete.
This was my first time (although similar stuff is done by Springsteen, and even U2, but not the entire time), to witness such “remixed” concert, that none of the songs sounds like it should sound like. And although this was unusual, I found it excellent. Some performances were so different that I needed some time to recognize the song. With those who know only famous performances this would not pass, but they don’t listen to Prince anyway. Change is everything when it comes to Prince.

Anyway, the show started with “Let’s Go Crazy” in which 3RDEYEGIRL showed what they were made of and Prince that he didn’t slowed down since the 80s or 90s although the commercial success of his albums dropped a lot.
And that’s the secret why many raised their brows when I said I was going to see him: “He’s still active?” He sure is, and he makes quality music, but there’s no hit singles and he doesn’t give a damn about the Internet nor web sites (he doesn’t have any), and it’s logical that in this day and age it’s as good as being dead.
You can’t deny him integrity and consistence, both in character and music, and that deserves respect.

Primarily the king of R’n’B and funk, copied by our late Dino Dvornik, he also does well in synthpop, r’n’r, and especially in hard and heavy rock sound. This may be unfamiliar to you, until he drops in a bomb and does two or three of his songs (“Guitar”, “Plenum Electrum” “Empty Room”), in such a hard rock style and with such solos that would put to shame many of the far better known hard rock guitarists.

In fact, Prince is always featured on the best guitarists lists, and depending on the genre of the list he’s placed higher or lower, but that’s just because he’s primarily known as funk and r’n’b performer. If you ask me, he’s close to Jimmi Hendrix, but Hendrix is better known due to his guitar skills. Most rock connoisseurs will without giving a second thought say that “Purple Rain” is probably the best rock ballad ever written, and that his solo is one of the best ever played ones, the most impressive ones.

And that’s what makes Prince and his concert great: he’s a complete performer, he won’t force anything, everything’s perfectly balanced. Besides the things he says. A bit irritating (not because I’m not Vienese), but he repeated “Vienna” hundreds of times in many different combinations so I’m under the impression his communication with the audience is not the best.
However, the bad things were so few.
Although I was really impressed by the already mentioned trio, their guitarist stood out with her phenomenal playing in “The Beautiful Ones”. The bass player was also great, especially in “Hot Thing”. Of course, there was the emotional element at “Purple Rain”, and the cover of the ancient, rock ballad “Crimson and Clover” with a spontaneous choir singing in the hall “Over and Over” in the hypnotic of rhythm of some chant, a truly badass performance, although totally different than say my favorite one by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.

Four encores make a difference, right?

Setlist:
1. Let’s Go Crazy
2. Take Me With U
3. Raspberry Beret
4. U Got the Look
5. Cool (The Time cover)
6. When Doves Cry
7. Sign “?” the Times
8. Hot Thing
9. Alphabet Street
10. Forever in My Life
11. Controversy
12. Love Rollercoaster (Ohio Players cover)
13. 1999
14. Little Red Corvette
15. Slow Down
16. Nothing Compares 2 U
17. Kiss
18. Diamonds and Pearls
19. The Beautiful Ones
20. Empty Room
21. Guitar
22. Plectrum Electrum
23. Crimson & Clover (Tommy James & the Shondells cover)
24. She’s Always in My Hair
25. Purple Rain

encore 1
26. Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry cover)
encore 2
27. Screwdriver
28. Funknroll
encore 3
29. Housequake
30. Sometimes It Snows in April
encore 4
31. Bambi
32. Stratus (Billy Cobham cover)
33. What’s My Name?

Report: Anastazija Vržina

Actually, I was quite dissapointed with that show. Before that one, the last show I've seen was on July 13, 2010, also in Vienna, and that was one easily of the best concerts I've ever been to. Great chemistry with Sheila E and the three women singers, and also Frederic Yonnet, who should have stayed in the band longer! Wonderful performances of How come U dont call incl. James Brown's Please, Please, Please. Most wonderful experiences were the one-offs Dance (Disco Heat) plus Peach as a final encore, played when half the hall was already empty. I talked all my friends into going with me, and everybody had the time of his life.

Compared to that one the show with 3rd Eye Girl was very anti-climactic. I already knew a lot of the heavy rock stuff they do and quite enjoyed that part, but when George Clinton sings "Who says a rock band can't play funk music", well: 3rd Eye Girl cannot. They even can't play pop music. Raspberry Beret, U got the Look, Cool, Kiss, Play that Funky Music - That don't work, baby. Even Sometimes it snows sounded bland to me.

Highlights for me were Empty Room, which came quite unexpected, and Plectrumelectrum, which sounds great for me live, plus Bambi, which I never heard live before, I guess. But the version of Whatsmyname (which I enjoy a lot on Crystal Ball) only made my ears hurt. To end the concert with that song and top that off with a horrible (as yet unreleased) remix of Funknroll via PA was a very bad idea.

I also had tried to talk my friends into going to that concert with me, but because of the short notice in the middle of the summer most of them already had other plans. I sure was glad they did afterwards. Maybe the expectations have been to high with it being a birthday show and all.

The first great thing about this show was the fact that it took place at all -Hit and Run - not even 2 weeks earlier announced and almost 10 000 people coming was not bad at all !

Before the concert started he surprised us already with a short, new funky track: Shut this Down, which was only played in Brussel as well AFAIK....

3rdeyegirl is a solid rock band but they can play funky too (Conroversy !) because there is Prince around I guess

I have great respect for Ida's musicianship but at this gig Donna stood out for me. It's not that I miss any additional guitar when prince is working on it but in songs like Crison&Clover or She's always in my hair the 2 guitars just worked fine together, Bambi and Plectrum Electrum as well ! And I never enjoyed the sampler set as much as at this gig because of the participation of the band, specially SOTT-one of my favorites- had cool Donna-riffs and hot drumming by Hannah !

Other highlights :

When Doves Cry (still sampler but quite long)

Forever in my life (first time live for me)

Empty Room (the absolute highlight )

The piano-set: D&P and The Beautiful Ones (always touching)

And hit-songs like Nothing Compares 2 U and Purple Rain had very emotional moments imho

What was to critisize ? Well the version of Stratus was a bit disappointing and the weakest I've heard so far -in 2010 it was one of the highlights with fantastic solos of Prince, Morris Hayes and Frederic Yonnet.

And What's my name: I was hoping for this song to be played but as mentioned before it was just a pain in the ear because of the loudness. The sound was generally VERY loud but sometimes just TOO much - and that was the end of the concert

All in all it was great to have him back after "only" 4 years. I enjoyed it a lot despite the fact that the ONA-band is still my favorite I've seen live. But I went with a friend who has not seen him since 1987 and he was again impressed and loved it.

Well, Vienna is the capital of music (at least that's what we Austrians believe ) and I think Prince, this shining, gifted star just belongs to here from time to time