Is there anyone out there who was lucky enough to see the Sign O The Times tour in 1987? Anyone attend the epic New Year's Eve concert that year that included Miles Davis? Please share below! I love the concert film but would love to hear more!

whatsurname said:

I have seen the SOTT tour twice (in different venues) back in 1987. They were my first big concerts, I was 16 years old. I can only say it was a very exciting and rewarding experience to be able to see my musical hero perform live. The stage looked fabulous and that opening with the song SOTT was mindblowing!!

Ramzoo said:

jazzz said:

I was at the SOTT twice in The Netherlands, Utrecht and Rotterdam. . Especially the Utrecht concert still remains one of the most memorabele experiences in my life, together with the Lovesexy concert next year, for which my friends and I got access to the press-area just in front of the stage. Unforgetable... .

Except for 'access to the press-area' part I had the same experiences!

funkaholic1972 said:

I saw the first three Utrecht concerts and one of the Rotterdam shows that was filmed. The concerts didn't blow me away like the Under The Cherry Moon tour the year before, but it was great! The downside of the show (and the same was much more true for the Lovesexy show the year later) was so big and choreographed that it limited the ability to turn on a dime. Mostly, it was just Beautiful Night that was different (although Forever In My Life was another highlight).

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Shame about the movie, I hope they can use the original film with new techniques to make an actual concert film, instead of the lipsynch musical we got

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Sorry.. you were saying? I was at a few SOTT shows and they were great! Anything you wanted to know about them?

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[edit]random rememberings:

-we slept in front of the ticket office the night before tickets went on sale. I was in a small provincial city (Alkmaar) but there were around 50+ people there the entire night. Great camaraderie. In Amsterdam, for the sale of the Rotterdam shows (which happened after the Utrecht shows and while Prince was in the Netherlands), they got to see Prince who did a quick dance on top of his limo and he was gone before they really realized what was happening. He saw the people waiting outside the ticket office after he came from a club.

-Sure, it was a stadium show, but the Utrecht shows felt quite small and intimate, very unlike the shows in the Rotterdam stadium (not during this tour, but other shows in the same timeframe, Madonna, Michael Jackson and the like). I remember making eye contact with a lady in the stands and meeting up after the show.

-it may have been the chairs on the field, but it was spacious and people were dancing and no one got crushed. The atmosphere was great.

-Instead of Richard Clayderman, they now played the Jill Jones album before the show. It was odd that she wasn't an opening act

-the Madhouse show was cool, but a lot of people had no idea what was going on. It almost seemed like it was more done for the band, to have some fun, than for the audience.

-Like I said, not much variation in the songs or how they were played with the exception of Forever in my Life and Beautiful Night.

-During the first or second night, at the start of Forever In My Life the audience started to flick their lighters to the rhythm. It was new to me and gave a magical effect (the movie doesn't really capture it well). I think it was also new to Prince as he walked to the backstage area and called the band to come look. Back in those days, people would light their lighters during ballads. This was more fun and more beautiful.

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All in all, lots of people in peach and black (me included), which worked much better that people trying to copy his clothes with purple. It helped, for a little while, to not associate him just with Purple.

[Edited 9/30/21 7:20am]

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Well, that was my Biggest Prince year to date!

Saw the SOTT tour shows six times.

Me and a friend were blown away by Prince (since 1999), and were ready to give an arm to see nearly every show we could get tickets for.

I just started working and all my money went to concert tickets and music.

I was at the first show in Munich and first show in Dortmund,

then first show in Paris-Bercy,

a fourth time in Utrecht (aso first show) & for the fifth time in Rotterdam (first show),

and ended with the last show in Antwerp.

Munich was bizarre caue the Olympia Halle had aweful accoustics. We were on the side.

Both Holland shows were the best when it came to 'ambiance' (seen up and close from the side(s) too).

The Holland fans went completely crazy, with that roaring thundering noise in Ahoy Sportpaleis - never forget the thrill and exceitement.

The close up front show in Antwerp is the one I remember the most.

Prince really was sweaty and gave his all, although the sound wasn't all that great.

It was sooooo great to see the stage from up close - those big boxed-lightings above the stage moving around, Cat in full effect, the back curtain, the whole set. There were also many people stading at both sides of the stage watching the show, dancing, etc.

From all the shows i've seen, the opening acts Madhouse was always very amusing and exciting.

People were constantly wondering if Prince was up there with 'm.

Since it was already kinda known that he was behind these protegees albums.

And i do believe sometimes up there with Madhouse, in disguise, in the background.

The show intro with the marching drums and the fantastic 'Forever In My Life' with great audience chants... So much unforgetable moments.

Shame the DVD versions we most have don't live up to the thrill of what we then experience - OK, we were yougn, and all was new (too).

The overall atmosphere was so exciting. Everyone wanted to see Prince back then. He was huge and huge and huge. Expectations were nearly always better than expected.

Most of the excitement started hours before, outside. Waiting in line. People dressed up etc.

Illegal posters and fake tourbooks being sold after the concerts, hanging around, hoping to see a glimpse of Prince somewhere outside. Stupid young kids we were.

A year later with the Lovesexy tour, i did another marathon of shows.

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I had tickets for a UK show, which got cancelled

Still saw the Revolution in 1986 and Lovesexy in 1988, so can't complain

whatsurname said:

Is there anyone out there who was lucky enough to see the Sign O The Times tour in 1987? Anyone attend the epic New Year's Eve concert that year that included Miles Davis? Please share below! I love the concert film but would love to hear more!

Prince, Sign O the Times live in Utrecht, The Netherlands 1987

"DON'T U FOOLS SEE THAT IT'S RAINING?"

I was 17 year old when I skipped school to go to Utrecht city the day before the ticketsale. I was determined to get the best tickets available so I had to sleep in front of the local tourist information office, where the ticket sale would take place.

I lied to my grandma by telling her that I had a day off from school the day after. And that I was invited to a garden party at my good friend Denis' house.

I asked her if I could get an old garden chair to take with me since they didn't have enough chairs and I didn't want to sit with my ass in wet grass all night. She told me that I could get one of the old chairs from the shed and said that I could throw it away afterwards.

I left my grandma's house and took an early evening train to Utrecht, with a small backpack, a pillow and an old folding chair under my arm. And of course enough money for two field tickets and more than enough to buy something to drink and eat in the City Mall of Utrecht, 'Hoog Catharijne' where the Tourist Information Office was.

When I arrived on Utrecht C.S. I inmediately went to the T.I.O. to check out if I was alone or not. To my great surprise there was allready a small crowd of people who all looked undianably like Prince fans.

Black picolo jackets, peach coloured blouses, white buttoned trousers, ruffled shirts, long and wild hair do's swepped back on one side, boys wearing eyeliner, big earrings and what not.. It looked like Prince was about to shoot a new videoclip for his upcomming single and all the extra's were waiting here for a call from the video director.

There seemed to be no waiting line whatsoever, but soon after I found a nice spot near the door of the T.I.O. I was told to go to the 'pre-sale organizers' right in front of the door. With my 17 year old innocence I probably looked like someone that needed some protection or guidance or whatever because the moment I shook hands with the 30-something-year old organiser, I was taken under the wings of the entire die-hard Prince incrowd and treated like their little brother... I didn't now what was happening, but someone from that group gave up his waiting line ticket (number 12) to me and moved back to nr. 25!

I got free food, free beverages all night and a shitload of cassete tapes with unreleased studio material from Prince I never ever heard of.

During the night I felt that I at least had to tell my mother that I wasn't at Denis' Heavy metal garden fest, but somewhere else instead.

Right in front of the T.I.O. was a phonebooth and somewhere around midnight I decided to call my mother.

When I told her where I really was, I inmediately felt that my mother tried desperately not to undo this deed of ultimate responsability by me by busrsting out in a long and angry lecture out of worries. Instead she carefully asked if I was there all alone.

I opened the phonebooth and asked if someone could reasure her that I was in save hands.

One second later a massive applause and cheers followed by all the Prince fans and freaks that where out there!

I took the phone back and told my mom that I was there in the company of 150 new found friends!

At least 150 waiting tickets where handed out, there were probably more people, but after nr.150 was handed out, there were no more tickets available. If you came after that, you had to take care of your own position in the waitingline (if there were still concert tickets available by then of course)

the morning after, I found myself back on the streets of Utrecht city, loaded with energy, exceitement about this new adventureous experience, new Prince music, and most important: four (4!) beautifully pressed field tickets for two ( 2!) of the Utrecht shows!! They turned out to be not as expensive as I thoughed... plus the fact that everybody somehow felt the need to supply me with food and beverages all night and told me to save my money and buy as much tickets as I could the next morning.. as I did.

I went home, and inmediately fell asleep even before my head hit the pillow.. probabely with a large grin on my face from ear to ear

Sign Of The Times Tour '87 was Phenomenal.

Being a Prince fan in 1987 was phenomenal!

In the week before the concerts at Galgenwaard Utrecht, the regional newspapers kept reporting EVERY little detail about the preparations for the show. EVERY detail, EVERY DAY! I First of all Galgenwaard was a heavely (maximum) secured stadium, built to host extremely dangerous and completely bezerk F.C. Utrecht hooligans. The only thing it did not have was a pit with live crockodiles around the playing field. But besides that it looked like a state prison with butterfly barbed wires and high fences.

Fleetwood mac was the last 'big act' that ever played there, but the stadium wasn't used as a concert venue ever since.

But to host friendly, peace and god lovin' Prince fans it was totally unsuitable. the fences had to be taken'down, the barbed wire was removed. and they had to make a ton or more adjustments to get the stadium ready for the big event. And then they started to report about the production details. About the insanely big stage set up (from side to side) the aggregate park, the quadrophonic speaker columns, lightning plans, the amount of staff and personell, the amount of trucks etc. etc. it was Prince heaven. If you told your friends at a party that you were going to see Prince live, because you were a Prince fan, no one made funny comments, no one was snickering or rolled his/her eyes.. being a Prince fan in 1987 was a good thing. I'm tellin'ya.

Because Prince insisted that everybody on the field was seated, they finally had to make a wooden floor over the enire Galgenwaard field to protect the grass. rows and rows of white numbered plastic chairs were placed on the wooden floor. On the day of the first show, the everlasting dutch rain kept falling and falling. leaving all the seats filled with water. With only a few hours to go before the show Prince demanded that they had to drill holes in every seat in order to keep our asses dry during the show. (lol)

There were ushers and security guards between the isles to make sure that everybody remained seated. But as soon as the roaring loud opening chords of Sign 'O the Times sonically flew over our heads, the heavy bassdrum beat set in, and we discovered Prince in the rising fog on stage

None of them was able to get us back into our seats….

it was a beautiful night!

thePJsupreme said:

whatsurname said:

Is there anyone out there who was lucky enough to see the Sign O The Times tour in 1987? Anyone attend the epic New Year's Eve concert that year that included Miles Davis? Please share below! I love the concert film but would love to hear more!

it was a beautiful night!

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Fantastisch verhaal !

Thank you very much for that.

I relived some of the detailed sotries you told here.

I had several of the same small experiences here in Belgium (Holland, Germany and France).

Days and days ahead of the concert we were driven mad with all the info w ecould get our hands on.

Prince was also heavy on rotation on most radio station and often talked about in the national news.

Indeed it was fatastic to get crazy for tickets.

I also stood in line, a day before here in Ghent at the Mucic Mania, and afterward at the FNAC.

I had a jacket with the pins and all, not a purple but a black one. I even had a ruffled peach shirt made by an ant, and found sort of the same high heels, which i sprayed purple. LOL.

Those were the days. And indeed people looked up at you if you had seen Prince live, or were a fan.

Antoher thing i remember well, is trying to know where Prince stayed. In which Hotel.

It was all crazy good. Glad i've been that silly and wondrous about it all.

The Lovesexy era right after that had a the same crazyness too.

It lasted till 1989 when i was 24yo.

But i always remained a bit of that era Prince fan in my heart.

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Vannormal said:

thePJsupreme said:

it was a beautiful night!

I even had a ruffled peach shirt made by an ant

Are you sure?

jazzz said:

. Yeah, the quadraphonic opening in Galgenwaard was mindblowing... .

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I forgot all about the quadrophonics! Thanks for reminding me...

mediumdry said:

It was the first time i saw Prince live (in Paris - 14 & 17 jun. 1987), i was 15yo and I took a big slap in my face. I became an addict right after.

funkaholic1972 said:

Vannormal said:

I even had a ruffled peach shirt made by an ant

Are you sure?

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Yep a tiny little ant made it. LOL

Typo.

aunty ant.

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mediumdry said:

jazzz said:

. Yeah, the quadraphonic opening in Galgenwaard was mindblowing... .

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I forgot all about the quadrophonics! Thanks for reminding me...

quadraphonics? Like sound coming from four distinct corners?

ufoclub said:

yeah, there was some weird effects going on where all four corners of the field had different sounds coming. iirc there was a bit more than the sound flying over you from behind, but it's been a long time..

I saw the SOTT show in Paris. A girl in the row in front of me peed herself when the show started because the guitar line coming out of the central speakers above us was so loud it startled her.

ufoclub said:

mediumdry said:

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I forgot all about the quadrophonics! Thanks for reminding me...

quadraphonics? Like sound coming from four distinct corners?

When they played Hot thing, the lead synth line indeed came from 4 different corners. It sounded like it was running circles around us. During ICNTTPOYM the guitar part after the break down flew from the back over our heads to the front...

I saw it 2 times in Vienna (1st show 12th row, 2nd show front row middle) and also the aftershow (which was in fact an aftershow of the charity Madhouse concert taking place at that club the day before the first Vienna show) at the U4 club. Also front row right in the middle. Wonderful memories