Brisbane 27 May 2012 (am)

 “The greatest show I ever saw”

Not my words, but the words of the guys over at the Peach And Black Podcast (although I must admit, I have uttered these words several times over the years). The show in question is the after jam from 27th May 2012(am), just over a week since the last aftershow from Brisbane on the 19th. I have a lot of time and respect for the Peach and Black podcast, and although they were addressing the show rather than the bootleg of the show, it was enough for me to rummage in the collection to find it. A great show does not guarantee a great bootleg, but those words “the greatest I ever saw” keep rolling around my head, and I hope the recording captures something of the magic of that live performance. Even though Prince is not present throughout the whole show, the setlist is certainly appetizing, and the guest appearance of Andy McKee suggests that we may hear some different arrangements at his concert. There is only one way to find out if this performance lives up to expectations, so let’s jump right in with Shelby and a performance of The Gap band’s “Outstanding” 

27 May 2012 (a.m.) Eatons Hill Hotel & Function Centre – Grand Ballroom, Brisbane 

The word outstanding haunts me as the N.P.G. and Shelby play what turns out to be an outstanding cover of “Outstanding.” The bootleg is well balanced, as is Shelby and the band, the song playing to my sense of nostalgia while drawing the spirit of a party out of the audience. A warmth envelops the recording, and although I have sometimes dismissed shows from 2012 as being soulless, this one is anything but as Shelby and the N.P.G. create a safe space, the bootleg sounding as intimate as someone’s living room, a casual sense of ease and soul that will pervade the rest of the recording. 

The concert steps up a cog with “We Party Hearty,” a song that eases us from the opening “Outstanding” into a more uptempo jam, a song that sets the standard for the rest of the evening both by name and nature as the band come to the fore with a variety of sounds that are aimed squarely at the dance floor. For the first time, we hear the horn section, giving the recording added impetus and raising it above the heavier bass and keyboard that otherwise keep the music flowing. There is still no Prince on stage, but the band is stamped with his trademark sound, and this part of the concert is just as enjoyable as what will come later. 

Built on the stepping stones of some heavy organ riffs, “You Got The Love” sees Shelby and the band add substantial and forceful power to the recording. There is some rock guitar appearing through the cracks in the bassline, a new dynamic we have not previously heard at the show. Normally this would appeal to me, but in contrast to the soulful sounds of the first songs, it feels light and throwaway. The guitar eventually twists itself up into Shelby’s vocals and the bass, making for a noisy center of the song that doesn’t quite hit the right spot for me. 

Although “(Theme Song From) Which Way Is Up?” was only played occasionally at shows, it seems to have appeared often in the shows I have recently listened to. Shelby is enthusiastic by nature, and the song plays to her natural ebullient self, the driving beat and groove matched by her tempestuous vocal delivery. It is punchy and sharp, the snappy keyboards rounding out the chorus beneath Shelby’s more obvious hook. The vocabulary of the second section of the song is steeped in the keyboard and its tight partnership with the bass, both stealing each other’s rhythms and influences as two of the unsung heroes of the band come forward. There is the feeling that the show is beginning to reach a point where it might truly breakout into what it has threatened to become for the first half, and after this song, it can no longer be contained by the stage itself, and the real spirit of the show is released into the atmosphere with Prince coxing “Mutiny” from the band. 

It is at once familiar, and yet at the same time brand new as the band put a spin on it, the groove coming slower, demanding that you pay attention as much as dance to it. It is a Frankenstein version, “Ice Cream Castles” coming strongly over the top as Prince flits between the two. It is a classy performance, and just the sort of twisted version I would normally be attracted to, unfortunately in this case I don’t feel it as much as the band on stage, and for me, the untouchable highlight is the organic organ solo that pulls the song back to earth after it’s previous alien and cold sound. The rolling groove remains the bedrock it is all built upon, and no matter how Prince stretches and toys with the song, it always snaps back to shape on the back of this groove. 

The first real treasure of the recording comes with Andy McKee’s appearance and a pared-back rendition of “Africa.” It is a song that is instantly recognizable, and this arrangement with just Andy and Elisa Fiorillo highlights the songwriting craftsmanship that shaped the song, even in this form it is catchy and has me easily singing along. There is no Prince here, but it is another dip into the nostalgic past, the mists swirling around the recording as we venture back to my teenage years. 

 

I don’t have the same warm feelings for “Emotion,” the performance sounds warm enough, but the overall effect leaves me cold. I do enjoy the sound of the three female voices coming together, and Andy McKee has a light touch of sound behind them, but it is not a song I have heard often, and I am impatient to move forward through the recording. 

I am suddenly fifteen again as the song of “More Than Words” laps against my ears. The crowd can’t help but join in, as do I at home, the distance of time shrinks as the song rises out from a modern context played by this modern band. The vocals are again gentle, I am caressed by the sound rather than battered by it, and although I am a punk rocker at heart, this song captures my imagination and I am transported away as it plays. 

“Paisley Park” is drawn gradually from the audience’s hand clapping, the song slow to reveal its true self in public, before Andy McKee’s guitar sketches it into shape and makes the moment real. The song remains untouched by the band, asides from a beating heart of a drum beat, and it strolls softly across the sonic territory it inhibits, remaining an elusive dream that is always one step ahead. It is undoubtedly the highlight of the show, and although we will have stronger songs later on the bootleg, none can touch “Paisley Park” for raw beauty. It is the very heart of the show itself, a whimsy rendition that captures the spirit of the song in its organic sound. 

The sonic tease that opens “The Bird” stretches on for minutes, the song constantly threatening to burst into life behind the ever-building keyboard riff, yet it remains firmly under the strong will of Prince’s hand. The first cracks appear with the horn’s building before Prince unleashes the band for a full-blooded rendition that goes across a storm with the audience. The recording remains unblemished, but to my ears, this part of the concert doesn’t sound quite as good as the previous few songs. Prince does call for sound adjustment on stage, but this in no way has anything to do with the recording which suddenly becomes a whole lot stronger on the back of a precision strike of a guitar solo, not a single note wasted in an efficient and timely break. 

We have a call for “guitar up in the house” at the beginning of “Jungle Love” that immediately raises unrealistic expectations for what will follow. I was hoping for a storm of guitar, but what we have instead is a paint-by-numbers run-through of the song, and as much as I want to project my sense of occasion and thrill upon it, in truth it doesn’t deliver much beyond its reach. There is the requisite guitar solo, and as good as it sounds, it is not one for the ages, Prince keeps everything neatly trimmed as he rushes to the audience participation led by Shelby. A lot of fun to be there, the bootleg was not quite as fun as the music chops and cuts beneath the audience chants. 

 

We stay firmly entrenched in this era as the band eases the sound into a wider vista, and a sharp take on “The Glamorous Life.” The bootleg is a little uneven at this point, and as much as I want to love it, I merely like it. John Blackwell on the drums adds some excitement late in the piece, but not enough to overturn my earlier verdict. 

Things become far more serious as Prince and the band turns their hand to a brooding “Stratus.” It straddles two worlds, the guitar wiry and sharp, while the galloping bassline funks and rolls beneath. It is a beguiling performance, the previous songs appearing almost throw-away in comparison to this far more studious and unhurried piece. The guitar and keyboard together provide expressive melancholia that seeps through the music at every turn, the sound of the song far more important than any lyrical riff or idea. It is a predictable arsenal, “Stratus” has been heard numerous times through the years, but at this moment it is just the right song for the performance and reinvigorates my interest in the show. 

“Stratus” is the Trojan horse that sneaks “All Shook Up” into the show, the music remaining with its dark atmosphere while Prince reaches to Elvis’s infectious lyrics to offset this impenetrable sound. There is unease as the two worlds rub against each other, friction that sparks but never bursts into flame, the music pulling the lyrics down to its own shuffling uncompromising vision. 

I admire the grandiose intentions of “Insatiable,” intentions that remain unfulfilled as Prince’s vocals remain one step detached and just beyond any true sense of soulfulness. It’s a close enough facsimile, and I am satisfied with the performance, although again the bootleg doesn’t quite reach the level of greatness that I crave. 

A plush “Scandalous” has me one step closer to heaven, Prince pulling his submerged incantation from deep within the song, each breath, and word crafting an atmosphere and drawing the crowd further into his ever-expanding web of seduction. The electric fury of earlier in the evening is now replaced by a soundscape drawn from velvet and silk. I can feel the greatness of the performance crawling out of the speakers, and for a few minutes, I am inclined to agree with the assessment of the Peach and Black crew. 

It is the twinkle of the piano that lights the path into an emotionally crushing “Adore.” Following “Scandalous,” it comes as a heavy one-two punch, “Adore” as emotional and loving as “Scandalous’ was sexy and seducing. It is wholly immersive, I can feel the recording swallowing me as I am again buried deep in Prince’s world for this performance of a song that I shall never tire of hearing. There is a gentle ache to Prince’s lyrics, and with the backing vocals playing as a heavenly choir, the song has a sense of purpose, Prince is pitching it squarely at the heart of the audience, and I can attest from the recording, he is squarely hitting the mark. 

 

With an upbeat spray of color, “Jam Of The Year” springboards us into the final section of the show. It sounds shallow and thinner than it did back in its prime during the 90s, but it retains its fun and Prince’s sense of music being a party. It suffers in comparison to the previous few songs, but it sets the scene for Prince's final few songs, as always intending to raise the party. 

“$” was only played during 2012, and here it is presented only in the briefest of introductions to a medley that also includes “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” and “The Song Of The Heart.” I heard “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” on a golden oldies radio station today, and it was a lot more fun that the insipid version that gets tossed into this medley. Rounding out this flash-in-the-pan threesome is “The Song Of The Heart,” it brings it to a close, but it does nothing in terms of adding to the performance or the music. 

Unfortunately, the circulating recording is missing the final pièce de résistance “Days Of Wild,” no doubt the show-stopping highlight as it always is. It is paired with “Wild And Loose,” which makes me only want to hear it more, one can only imagine what a wild end to the show this would be. 

This bootleg is not the greatest ever, but there is evidence here that this is a great show, and for all that saw it I am sure it was the greatest. It is a reminder that as much as we enjoy these bootlegs, they will always remain a poor cousin to seeing a live performance, and no matter what quality we have them in they will never live up to that experience. As a bootleg, it is very good and has some spectacular moments. It also has a couple of flat points, but overall it is a timely reminder that these shows from the 2000s are in some ways just as good as the after shows of the ’80s, time has jaded us to just how special and amazing these shows are no matter what era they are. Of course, I recommend this recording, and for those that were there, I am sure this is a fine reminder of a great show. Peach and Black have their memories of the show, but for the rest of us, this is the closest we will get. It points to greatness, but that is a peak that can never be conquered by a mere bootleg.