Brussels 7 November 2010 (am)

 I have listened to a few after-shows in the last few weeks, but this one is something special and well worth a listen. This one looks particularly good as it’s a nice long set and a good balance of songs. Some of the selections wouldn’t be out of place at the main show, but here in a smaller setting, they take on a different sound in a different context. 2010 doesn’t feature highly when I select shows to listen to, so I am hoping to have some nice treats in this show. My only reservation is that it's 3 hours, and as much as I love Prince, I can’t say I’m well known for my patience and ability to sit still for more than a couple of hours. 

7 November, 2010. Viage, Brussels 

This isn’t my favorite Prince band. I admire their technical abilities, but most of the time I find them too sterile and safe. The beginning of this show is a good example of this. The band begins by playing an instrumental version of “Joy In Repetition.” That gets a big thumbs up from me. The song strongly highlights Renato Neto on the keyboards, and as much as I love the idea of an instrumental of Joy In Repetition, I can’t quite find a way into the recording. It is smooth and sweet-sounding, and to my ears, it’s missing the emotion that Prince's lyrics and guitar bring to it. Without these two key elements, it’s nothing more than a very pleasant piece of music. Maybe a more piano sound, rather than the keyboard, would give it some depth. But it is what it is, and I am reluctant to be too critical as I have listened to this plenty of times and greatly enjoyed it, it’s only today as I listen closely and think about what I am hearing do I find it lacking. It is an interesting opening for a show, and I give the band credit for doing something different. 

 

A drum roll, a woman’s voice, I wonder what is coming next. Whatever it is, it’s in no hurry as the drum roll carries us a couple of minutes. The drum builds, then with a final roll and a crash “Stratus” begins. Prince’s unmistakable guitar sound is present, and the sound has a deep rolling groove. After the previous song, the show now feels like it is beginning properly. The bass is captured excellently on the recording, and over its ominous roll, there is plenty of action on the guitar and the keyboard. Both up the ante as the song goes on, and I have to rate this as one of the better covers of Stratus I have heard. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is, this is the one I would choose to listen to first. There is a lot to enjoy and listen to here, be it the drums, the guitar, or the keyboard, there is never a dull moment or a point in the song where it loses momentum. There is a quieter moment where the piano plays, but that is fine for me, I like the sound of the piano after some of the other fireworks, and that rolling groove underneath pulls it all together. 

My first thoughts are ‘Oh wow” as a guitar picks out a soft intro to “Sometimes It Snows In April.” The rest of the band back it, but they are light of touch, and it’s the crisp yet gentle guitar that is the main focus here. The spell is temporarily broken as somebody loudly whistles, but the guitar then plays the vocal line and I am enraptured by it all. The balance is just right between the guitar and the rest of the band, and this instrumental version is just stellar. The keyboards add some nice strings to it, and later in the song the keyboard itself carries the main melody. I am often generous with my praise for songs and performances, but if there was ever a moment worth praising to the skies, this would be it. Like so many of these after shows, Prince brings new life to a song that is more than 20 years old, and there is a freshness through the song that is uplifting. I am almost disappointed as the song ends, and my first reaction is to go back and listen to it again. 

Another instrumental follows, and this time it’s “Delirious” that gets the instrumental treatment. This one is interesting, on record Delirious is a short sharp pop song, here it is played to the hilt and runs for nigh on 13 minutes. It begins with the familiar synth lines before Prince comes on board with his lead guitar and begins to lead us into unfamiliar territory. He does play with the guitar, giving us a mix of styles as he plays the lead. As the band plays on the synth line disappears a long piano solo begins. Prince encourages with a “Take your time brother” as the crowd picks up with a hand clap. The piano is well complimented by the guitar, and the two play hand in hand for quite a while. It’s not right in my face, but it demands my attention just on pure musicianship alone.  There is a warm feel to the evening as the crowd chant “Delirious” before a cool, low-key organ begins to play. It doesn’t jump out of the speakers at me, but the more I listen to it, the more I hear as it unfolds. The music drops right down low as the guitar plays, and by this point, the original sound of “Delirious” is just a memory. It stays in this way for a few minutes, and it’s easy to forget that this is Prince I am listening to, I’m so lost in the smoothness of the groove. 

Things kick back as the band play “Soft And Wet.” Like everything else so far this evening, it’s an instrumental. The thing I hear most when listening to this is how well-drilled the band is. They play sharply, and although the song doesn’t have the funk or energy that I normally go for, it’s still a nice couple of minutes and is just as good as anything else we have heard thus far. It is however only a couple of minutes, and I sense the crowd is in a similar mood to me as the song ends, a steady beat begins and the crowd can be heard shouting “we want the funk” 

The band picks up the coda of “I Want To Be Your Lover” and as the crowd shouts I am taken back to a rawer dirtier time in Prince’s career. The band does a fine job playing on it for a couple of minutes and I do enjoy the synth squiggles and the driving bass. There are a couple of whistles thrown in too, which I can’t decide if they add or detract from it. Near the end, some squelching guitar is played by Prince, and this perks me up. It is only half a minute, it could have been more as I am feeling it. 

The opening salvo of “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad” sounds, and my heart briefly stops as I anticipate what is coming next. And what is coming next is a bitter disappointment as after the opening riff Prince stops and says “We aren’t gonna play that one”. I should be used to these Prince teases, but I still fall for them every time. 

 

“Sexy Dancer” follows and Prince instructs Shelby to get some dancers. There is a lot of hand-clapping, and Prince plays some more of his lead guitar over the track. It’s not heavy at all, and adds to the groove, as does the keyboard that plays on it. This is another instrumental, and I can already see that this is shaping up to be a very long show.  Some of the guitar lines sound familiar, and I am sure I remember them from “Clockin The Jizz” back in 1991. The keyboards take over later in the song as the guitar disappears. Things take a further twist as the bass and drums strip back to a groove while Shelby encourages the crowd. For the first time in the show, we have some singing as Shelby sings “Give It To Me Baby.” This is great, Shelby has her detractors, but she can sing and sing well. I love hearing her, that is until she falls back to encouraging the crowd and having them scream. I much preferred her singing, but at this stage, the band is starting to warm up and there is a definite funk flavor to it all. Normally I am not a fan of these “somebody scream” moments, but on this recording, it sounds like the intensity goes up a lot at this point, and the party is indeed starting. “Le Freak” follows on rather naturally and easily at this point and Shelby’s voice is joined by Liv. I have heard it plenty of times from era, and there’s no real surprise at this point. That’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable though, and it’s hard not to smile as I listen. 

The atmosphere created is continued as the band plays an instrumental “Party Up” as the crowd helps out with plenty of chanting. It’s not as raw as it used to sound, but that is to be expected with this band. The band is sounding pretty hot at this point, but I am slightly distracted by various audience members singing into the microphone “Party Up”. Things improve moments later, as the band strips back and Prince plays some very crisp funky guitar as the crowd chants. It’s easily my favorite moment of the song, and it harks right back to that Prince funk that I used to love. 

Now all these first songs have been played as an instrumental, except for the last medley which Shelby sang. As I said this isn’t my favorite band, but it does have its strengths. I grew up with garage bands and punk gigs. Rawness and energy were what drove me when it came to music, and the quality of the musicianship came second. It was raw emotion that I wanted. Young Prince and his dirty raw songs, furious guitar sound, and heavy funk appealed to me. This band is a million miles away from that, and yet I find that as Prince has grown and matured, so have I. This band is smooth, and at times almost disappears into the background. But listening today I find myself listening for every note, and admiring their professionalism. 30 years ago I could never have sat and digested a mature sound like this, but I have grown over the years, and I find that this is perfect as I sit after a hard day’s work and enjoy a drink. There is nothing wrong with getting older and finding enjoyment in different things, I can always go back and pull an older recording if I want that raw untamed Prince, but right now this is doing me just fine. 

That old-school funky Prince appears next as “Uptown” begins to play. The bass is nicely in the groove and for the first time, Prince begins to sing. He is well accompanied by the crowd, and by me here at home. He avoids some of his lines, leaving the audience to fill in the gaps. The guitar is low and the mix, it’s the vocals that are most prominent, and Prince is right up front. The song is barely a couple of minutes, but I was won over in the first few seconds. 

“One, two” starts “Raspberry Beret” to a loud cheer from the audience. Predictably enough Prince asks the crowd to sing it if they know it, and they do just that. However, Prince doesn’t drop out his vocals as he is inclined to do at many of his shows. He sings all the way, although the song is abridged. I feel he puts more into it here than I have heard at many of the main gigs, and I get the feeling the audience appreciates that. 

 

“Cream” follows up, a song I could happily skip on most recordings, I am pleasantly surprised by it at this gig. Prince sings, the girls sing, the crowd sings, and everybody is having a good old time. Prince’s guitar break sounds different from what is normally heard, there seems to be something extra in it. All show I have complaining of the smoothness and lack of personality in the band, then they go and prove me all wrong by delivering an organic, fun-sounding “Cream.” Yes, I am completely won over. 

The transition to “Cool” seems perfectly natural, and it feels more like the main show rather than an after-show at this point. I do like “Cool” a lot, and this one is very cool. It follows closely what is heard at the main shows, with the girls and Prince leading the crowd in all the cool chants. Things heat up as Ida gets funky with the bass later in the song, and I wish we heard from her more often. 

At this point, I turn to my girlfriend and say “Shit this is a good concert!” as the guitar riff of “U Got The Look” drives in. The sound at this point is just right, and the guitar is how I like it, not too much and not too little. Often this song is out of balance, but this night it’s perfect. The song isn’t the greatest in Prince’s repertoire, others show his guitar talents to a greater degree, but “U Got The Look” is perfectly serviceable and it’s certainly a lot of fun at this show, without ever going into guitar overdrive. 

With the beat still pounding Prince starts intoning his “People call me rude, I wish we all were nude” talk from “Controversy.” Prince calls for the lead line, and the band rips into one of the better versions I have heard of late. Prince, the band, and the crowd all sing in unison and it’s got a loud in-your-face sound to it. Prince squeals, sings, and encourages the crowd, even getting them to chant “oh Belgium” before asking them to pull their cell phones out. He doesn’t revert to his “clap your hands, stomp your feet” until well into the song, and there is plenty of time for the song to marinate. As the crowd chants, Prince does plenty of talking himself, and it’s all jolly good fun. The chant and the groove continue for quite a long time, I never tire of it though, and there is a treat later in the song as Prince plays some brief lead guitar that harks back to his 80s sound. 

The piano plays softly and I recognize the beginnings of “Free.” It’s sung by Liz, and she gives it a different twist, but it’s still just as good as ever. Shelby joins her for the chorus, and the two of them singing over the piano has a pure sound that is nostalgic and beautiful. I enjoy it for its simplicity and its easy sound. There is a horn sound later in the song as it fills out in sound, and its sharpness seems to sit on top of everything else. 

The song segues to “Pearls B4 The Swine,” a song that I very rarely listen to. The appearance of it here doesn’t persuade me to listen to it more often. The girl’s voices are lovely together, and I like the song, but I need a lot more Prince in there. It’s all very pleasant, but it’s not my cup of tea tonight. 

“Love Thy Will Be Done” follows, it’s played with a much fuller sound, with Shelby leading the singing. The drum beat is overtaken by the other instruments and it doesn’t have the basic sound of the original. I am pleased to see it on the setlist, but after hearing it I’m not so enthusiastic. It’s got a crowded sound with all the voices in there, and lots of keyboards. 

Next Prince and his guitar sound return to front and center. There is a nice loud keyboard accompanying him as he plays the opening of “She’s Always In My Hair.” I have heard this song plenty of times in the last few years, but this one has a different sound with a larger band, and the keyboards are far more prominent. It’s also a nice touch having the backing singers sing the chorus with him. I expected it to go for some time, but after only a verse and a chorus Prince and the band switch up a gear. 

 

The guitar stays the main focus as “Dreamer” begins. It’s a step up from ‘She’s Always In My Hair,” it has a lot more energy and liveliness to it. Prince makes the most of it, with plenty of guitar work. There is no singing, only the sound of the audience chanting. The guitars get heavier and start riffing as Prince speaks to the crowd as has them chanting “Dreamer” It’s at this point that Prince begins to sing the lyrics. The vocals are secondary, it’s the music that stays at the center of attention. Prince has the band on a tight leash, and they are pinpoint accurate as he works them “Right back where we were”. The song changes again as Prince begins to solo for the last few minutes of the song. It’s by the numbers, and I don’t find a lot of joy in it. 

The joy returns with the upbeat sound of the synth playing “I Feel For You.” Shelby, Liv, and Elisa take on the vocal duties. They do a good job of it, I still prefer Chaka Khan though. “Dreamer” started livelily but was leaden by the end, so this brings some lightness back to the show, and even though I would have liked to hear Prince singing more, it’s still a nice couple of minutes and a look back at another gem from the catalog. 

Prince starts the crowd clapping as “Chelsea Rogers” begins, and I know that this will get the crowd dancing. Shelby is the center of attention, she takes on all the vocals for this one while Prince is playing with the band. I shouldn’t like this one, and yet I find myself happily nodding along. I can hear all the lyrics just fine, and at some stages, Shelby speaks/sings which is kind of cool. To be honest, Shelby owns this song, and it’s a definite highlight of the Shelby I have heard. 

“Disco Heat” doesn’t sound quite as good to me. It’s got a nice sound to it, I think it sounds too shallow for my tastes. As Shelby starts calling “Party” I decide that to be there live would be much better than listening here at home. But like all Prince shows, things move quickly and after a couple of minutes, we are on to the next part of the show. 

I do a double take as I hear “Baby I’m A Star.” Now, this is more like it, the song is sounding fresh for its 25 years, and I forget for a moment what band this is. Having the girls singing with him is just great, and a welcome addition. There are only a couple of stops/starts and the song ends with an enthusiastic “Vegas” as Prince introduces the band over the crescendo. 

“The Love We Make” is a nice come-down after all the previous noise. Prince and the piano are heard above the drum beat, it’s got a low-key melancholy sound, and yet uplifting in the chorus. The guitar tone offers a sound of hope, and despite the early downbeat feeling its finishes up sounding very uplifting indeed. The guitar break is excellent, and I love the next line “Precious is the prayer that asks for nothing”. Prince plays out to the end with the girls accompanying him, before finishing with another sunny guitar break. I have to say, this song is another highlight of the show for me. 

 

  

The party/jam section of the show follows as Prince and the band take a long groove into “Get On The Boat.” The first minutes contain the crowd singing America, as the band just grooves smoothly behind. It’s all very low-key and played gently, the first few minutes it’s all just building up. The piano comes up in the mix, as does the guitar and still we wait for the song to kick off. John is heard on the drums much more about the four-minute mark as the song builds. The release comes a minute later as Prince calls “one, two!” and the riff of “Get On The Boat” starts proper. The keys do a good job of providing the horn parts and stab, and things move along nicely. Even with the song being played by everyone here, it still has a low-key feel, and it’s a laid-back groove rather than an intense jam. I do like that there is a piano solo, played over the top of the horns sound it provides a nice balance. There is even a lead break played by Prince on the guitar that seems to be swamped in the mix. The song ends with another round of band introductions as the crowd shows their appreciation. 

As Cassandra plays the band transition into “Which Way Is Up” Shelby is again at the front, and as she has all evening she does what she does best. The song gets funkier as it goes along, and there is some keyboard work that I just adore. I am surprised by how much I enjoy this song, and I am lapping it up. The song drops back to bass and drums, and the bass has the elastic sound that I always listen for. It gets even better for me as the drums drop out leaving just the bass, it’s unfortunate that the bass isn’t as fat-sounding at this point. The groove of the song carries me on for a long time, and I could easily listen to it again as it finishes. 

“Mountains” sounds very thin as it begins. It’s an abridged version that is played, and somewhat of a lost opportunity. I was excited to see it in the playlist, but upon hearing it I find it is missing the x-factor, and it fails to wow me. It’s shallow in sound and I am not too disappointed as “Shake Your Body Down To The Ground” is sung over the last minute of the song. 

A pounding beat and we breeze easily into “Everyday People.” The gig is accelerating to an end here, as it too is only a couple of minutes. Prince is singing, but it’s the voices of the girls we hear most as Prince sings backing for them. I enjoy the song, it’s a shame it doesn’t play on for longer. There is just a hint of some interesting things happening, only none of them are followed up on. 

Keeping with the theme the next song is “I Want To Take You Higher.” Prince trades lines with Shelby, and like the show overall there is the sense that things are accelerating to a finish. The crowd is very vocal as they sing “Higher” and the band increases the tempo. There is a swirling guitar solo by Prince, low in the mix. It’s got a great sound to it and I would have loved to hear much more of it. The crowd is happily chanting as the song comes to a sudden halt leaving them chanting unaccompanied. 

 

This doesn’t last long, as the funky bass of “All The Critics Love U” begins. I never grow tired of this. Prince sings just as he has always done, this time with “in Brussels” at the end of the appropriate lines. There is a big deviation as a funky-sounding piano plays a break. It’s not a strong sound, and I guess that it’s Renato. I had expected the song to follow a groove all the way, so the twists and turns that are thrown in catch me off guard. There is a drum breakdown, and then things are slightly faster as a synth plays a snaky solo. The bass solo from Prince has the crowd singing his bass parts back to him, which is just fantastic, and one of my favorite moments of the show. Prince resumes with “Body don’t want to quit, gotta get another hit” and he sounds just as fresh as he did three hours earlier. A couple of turn arounds from Prince followed by a call of “end” finishes the show, and as he says “we the best” I am inclined to believe him. 

This show is a real gem. I think if it was a scratchy recording from the 80s, it would have a mystique to it and we would all be raving about it. As it is, it’s a clean-sounding recording from recent times, and that seems to count against it. Don’t be mistaken, this show is the business. A three-hour set, a great opening hour with loads of instrumentals, and a band that can go where ever Prince wants them to go. I’m not prepared to compare this to some of the greats, but I am going to recommend it to anyone who enjoys Prince's music. A top-notch show that deserves a wider audience.