Rotterdam 11 July 2011

 Before I take a listen to today’s show, I feel I must first apologize. Reading some of my more recent posts and comparing them to some of my earlier ones I see that my standards are slipping, and my recent posts have been shallow and empty. I read them, and I can see that I am not really feeling what I am writing. The problem is, like many people, I am very time-poor. You might think that it's easy to find a couple of hours to sit down and listen to a Prince show, but I barely have two hours to spare. Often I am racing against the clock, and I can see that my enjoyment and appreciation of the shows are dropping. So, instead of knocking this out quickly between other attention-grabbing activities, I am dedicating as much time to this as it takes. My doors are locked, my blinds drawn, and my mobile phone turned off. Prince and the third night of the North Sea Jazz Festival have my complete and undivided attention. 

I have quite a few Prince bootlegs, and there is plenty to choose from every time I have an urge to hear a live show. My criteria to decide on what to listen to are quite simple. The first and overriding consideration for me is the setlist. I want to hear something unusual, something I haven’t heard before- be it B-sides, deep album cuts, or unreleased tracks. Secondly, the intensity of the performance is important to me. Shows where Prince is on fire, and you can hear him singing and playing with a lot of passion. Thirdly, the quality of the recording. I can overlook this if the first two criteria are more than met, but if it's an average recording of an average show, then it's unlikely to get much play at my place. The last thing I look for is pretty shallow- a cool cover. Anything eye-catching and interesting, for example, any boot with a cover by The Reverend gets me interested. There is plenty of boots out there that look better than the album covers of Prince’s official albums, and that’s one thing that makes the bootleg scene interesting for me. 

This third show of the North Sea Jazz Festivals ticks several of the aforementioned boxes. The setlist looks great on paper, I see a couple of B-sides, some rare tracks, and a couple of internet-only releases, as well as an unreleased track -what could be better! I can’t comment on the intensity of the performance yet, but the quality of the recording is just fine, and the artwork is pretty to look at, so I have a confident feeling about the show. 

11 July 2011, Ahoy, Rotterdam 

Right from the start, the show lives up to expectations. “Laydown” is a song that sounds like it was written to open shows. Prince has so many great songs for opening a show, and this one is just as good as any other. What I like about it is that it’s a statement of intent from Prince. The sound of the music matches his lyrics, as he sings about laying it down there is an intensity that has me believing it. Even with it not sounding as sharp as I expect, I still find plenty to admire about it, and it does hook me. Prince’s guitar is to the fore, often I am torn between my love of rocking Prince and funky Prince, on this recording we start with rocking Prince, and that’s just fine with me. 

A sudden change of music and styles is common from Prince, and as a fan, I expect to hear a variety of styles from Prince throughout a show, throughout an album, and even within a song. He lives up to this as the intensity of “Laydown” quickly fades as the band lowers the mood with “The Question of U/The One.” The opening strains of “The Question Of U” sound, before the band quietens and Prince begins singing “The One.” “The One” is a fantastic song, and it's a shame it's not known by a wider audience. Sure, most Prince fans know and love it, but the “Purple Rain”/”Raspberry Beret” causal radio listeners never got a chance to hear this one, and that’s a travesty. Prince’s lyrics are clever and heartfelt, and at this show, he delivers his lines with a lot of passion that I don’t always hear in this song. Often he is very smooth as he sings it, here he is throaty and sings from a deeper place that gives me a sense that he singing for me as well as him. Maceo plays later in the song, at earlier shows he was outstanding, and in this song, he is much more restrained and sounds very good without ever taking over the song. It is to his credit that he plays within the song rather than over the top of it. I think the song is coming to an end, but Prince teases it out further, and it feels much more like an aftershow gig. He firstly plays some fragile-sounding guitar as the music comes up, and then after a couple of minutes steps back to let the band play -and play they do, the sound becomes freer as they progress. The music gains intensity as Maceo plays again, and then Prince returns with another guitar break that by now is sounding like a completely different song. The music pulls back once again, and over the top of “The Question Of U” Prince begins to sing the unreleased “Gingerbread man.” The lyrics are intriguing, a simple story of the “Gingerbread man” that with Prince’s vocal delivery sounds like it could mean so much more.  It is then that Prince brings out his secret weapon- Morris Hayes. Morris Hayes is the special ingredient of Prince’s band, even though it took me many years to recognize it. He has played with Prince for such a long time, and he delivers at every show, his playing filling out Prince's sound, and his solos are always right in the pocket. His playing should not be underestimated, and he deserves much more credit than he gets. I listen carefully to his organ break, and I have nothing but admiration for him. By now the song has been running for a good 15 minutes, and every minute of it has been worth the listen. Its Prince playing for the love of playing, and he is giving us a great vocal delivery, and some sweet-sounding guitar, while the band plays beautifully behind him. I am not sure the rest of the gig can match this, but I certainly hope so. 

 

Things stay on track as Prince next plays “When Eye Lay My Hands On U.” It is not the show stopper that the previous song was, the band is fine and so is Prince, it is just that I don’t enjoy the arrangement so much with Prince singing with the backup singers. Shelby is a shade too much for me, and I preferred earlier when I could hear Prince’s voice alone. I don’t have too long to think about this, as Prince begins to play his guitar, and with plenty of face pulling, he plays a very tidy solo. It is not one for the ages, I couldn’t pick it out of a line-up, but it's good in that it fits nicely in the song, and that is an art in itself. The second half of the song is much more to my tastes as Prince sings alone over a quieter band. I like that I hear his voice much better, and he adds some humanity and soul to a fairly clean-sounding song. It's enough to save it in my view, and he even adds some moans and howls that seal the deal. 

The song segues easily into “Brownskin,” with Shelby taking the lead on the vocals. This arrangement isn’t as intense as I have heard elsewhere, and usually, I dismiss it as a throwaway, at this show I like it much more, especially as Maceo comes and adds his sound to the mix. The song starts gently but soon is fiery and gains an added push as it goes. Prince is playing guitar, I can’t hear him in the mix, it is very much all Shelby and Maceo. Maceo’s second break is the one I like the best, it is a little longer, faster, and sharper. There is a bonus later in the song as Prince begins to play guitar matching Shelby’s vocals lick for lick. The song returns to its structure, but now I am satisfied as I can hear Prince much better and his guitar sound is what drives the latter part of the song. 

“Empty Room” sounds like the classic that it is. Prince’s opening guitar and vocals are soft and gentle before he ups the intensity and emotion. The music is good, but it is the lyrics, as well as Prince's guitar, that makes this song what it is. I can hear Prince's lyrics clearly, and the song gains a lot from that. He sings his lines with a full sound, before stepping back and playing his guitar, emphasizing the emotion with his playing while giving us time to digest his lyrics. The guitar and lyrics compliment each other well, both highlighting the emotion of the other. It is a fantastic balance, and even though I don’t always give this song a lot of thought, I can’t deny that it's great. 

 

“Calhoun Square” next, and even though we hear it plenty at aftershow gigs, it's still a surprise as he begins to play it here. It's missing something on this recording and I wonder if it's the sound or the venue. It's too relaxed sounding, that’s not a big criticism, it is just not as I usually hear it.  I can’t complain about the band sounding relaxed, they have sounded relaxed all show and it gives the sound of the show a joyful sound, the band sounds best when they are having fun. “Calhoun Square” feels very short compared to the previous songs, and it quickly ends as Prince stops and quickly speaks to the crowd. 

The following song is “People Pleaser” and Prince introduces Andy Allo to the crowd as she takes vocal duties. As a people pleaser myself, I like the title of this song, as well as the lyrical content. It sounds pretty good live, and Andy does a great job of getting it across to the crowd. Maceo also adds some weight to it with his playing, and it would be a pretty miserable sort of person that didn’t enjoy this song. It is not heavy with Prince, and not as funky as some of the other songs played tonight, but it does have its place in the setlist and gives us a fun break before Prince takes the show back. 

 

Prince claims the stage back in style as the opening riff of “She’s Always In My Hair” sounds. It is not as heavy as the 3rdEyegirl version of late, nevertheless, it’s still got Prince's distinctive guitar sound all over it. I find that even with Prince's guitar sound, there is still something missing. It’s too clean sounding to my ears and lacking that raw, impassioned sound. It's still great to listen to, and Prince's guitar break does have me smiling, yet it's much shorter than the current configuration and ends quickly after Prince's guitar break. It is a timely place to end, I am just hungry for more as Prince closes down. 

“Future Soul Song” pulls us gently into Prince's softer side. It is great to hear Prince play something off the current album at that time, and I applaud him for that, as it's something that doesn’t happen enough nowadays. I like it when Prince has confidence and faith in his current music and is wanting to share it with us. The song is very smooth, and Prince's spoken middle section adds to the gentle feel of the overall song. The band is quiet, and this only heightens the message Prince is singing. The guitar playing again has Prince pulling faces as he plays, and I can never quite decide if that means he is feeling it, or it is just part of the act. Although the singing is nice, it's Prince's guitar playing I keep coming back to, and he gives us another couple of guitar breaks, both short but heavy on his tone and feel. As a Prince fan, it is exactly as you might want to hear. The song ends just as softly as it began, it is not the most memorable song of the evening, but it is the most pleasant. 

 

I get a chance to collect my thoughts for a couple of minutes as Prince spends some time getting the sound just right on stage, he has learned his lesson from the first night. What happens next is a surprise and a casual moment that I appreciate. Prince begins to play, then tells the audience “this is what happens in practice” as he turns to John and talks him through the beat. The real surprise is what comes next as Prince begins to sing “Girl.” Now, this is one song I never expected to hear. An airy-sounding B-side, it stands up well in the live setting. I used to play this a lot in my early days, and I find myself singing easily along with it as they play. Prince sings the first verse, then the lovely Andy Allo sings the second, with the sweet lyric change of “boy..” The bass bobs along more prominently than in the original, and Prince adds a guitar sound, that although slight, fills it in a little more. Maceo has his horn also in the mix, and as much as I love it, I still think I prefer the original. With that said, I would love to hear more of it live, so Prince can do whatever he wants with it, so long as he plays it onstage. The latter part of the song is a very laid-back sounding groove, as Prince squeaks and tweaks his guitar. It is not captivating, instead just a lovely pleasant groove that has me in mind of a lazy Sunday. This feeling is heightened as Maceo plays the last minute, and for a second I close my eyes and imagine that I am in a Georges Seurat painting. 

 

A brief band intro and Prince tells us that the party is about to start “That kick drum ain’t going to stop.” The first song they play is “Partyman,” although I struggle to pick it, asides from the lyrics. Rather strangely Prince calls for the crowd to pull their cell phones out, this from a guy who is always telling us to enjoy the show in the old-fashioned way. It is just after this that the party begins, and Prince and the band hit their groove, with the keyboard horn sound especially prominent. I can’t complain about it all, but it's just not my thing, it's a little hollow and fake sounding. I change my mind somewhat as it drops to just the beat and the crowd very loudly sings “ohh way oohh” in a way that suggests that a great time is being had by all. 

What follows is “You’re The One For Me,” a song I didn’t previously know before I heard it here. Shelby takes the lead vocals, and it is a song that I immediately warm to and enjoy, I think I need to go back and hear the original of this. Once again, Prince introduces me to another song and act I hadn’t previously known. Prince plays guitar in the back half of the song, and he has that Santana sound that he often favors on the guitar. John Blackwell gets a chance to play a solo before the song moves on. 

 

With the kick drum still pounding, I am not the least bit surprised to hear “Controversy” next. What does surprise me is how fresh and raw it sounds here. Not raw in the rocked-out sense, rather it's the urgency of it that takes me. I find that in the last few years, about this stage in the show, Prince plays Controversy, and it is an uptempo dance number where the crowd gets to sing and jump. This performance gains some more of its funk sound, and the drum and synths are right in my ear, and they give it a big push. True to form, later in the song Prince has the crowd jumping up and down, but I am more than satisfied with what I have heard up until now. 

The kick drum continues as the keyboard sounds and Prince begins his spoken word intro to “Let’s Go Crazy.” It's disappointing that this is the arrangement of “Let's Go Crazy” that I don’t like. Prince and the band fair race through the song, and there’s not much left for me to enjoy. Prince sings the chorus a few times, briefly plays guitar, and then finishes it without a guitar break. It's a song I have heard thousands of times, so I didn’t feel I needed to hear a kick-ass version every night, but I would rather not hear it at all rather than hear this truncated version. 

“Delirious” is fun, as always, the band persists at breakneck speed, and I and the crowd both appreciate Prince's free spirit. Another aspect of the song I liked, was that the band got a chance to solo, only very briefly, but still they had that chance.  Prince then returns to “Let’s Go Crazy,” and this time he does close out the song with his guitar howling. 

 

The medley is dispensed with, and we again get a full proper song with “1999.” This is the type of “1999” I like to hear, there are no bells and whistles, and the song is heard just as it was 30 years ago (That sentence makes me feel old) The synths are nice and loud, and Prince sings in a strong voice. The only part that I would want to hear better is his rhythm guitar, but later in the song, I do indeed hear it much louder and clearer. Even played in full, the song still feels very short, and soon Prince is waving farewell to the crowd as the song ends. 

Prince takes a break now, and we get Maceo and the band playing “Pass The Peas.” It excited me, not one jot. It does have its time and place, but right now, listening close, it's something that I want to skip over to get to my next Prince fix. However the sound is good, the band is in fine form, and Maceo’s playing belies his age. 

 

Prince repays my patience with the always excellent “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)” This was one song that I latched onto in my teenage years, and I am always thrilled to hear it live. Prince sings at the microphone, leaving the piano to be played by the band. I get the feeling that it maybe would have been better with him at the piano, as his hands move and swing with the music, making it look like a dance song rather than a plea to love lost. His vocal performance cannot be faulted and even though it is not as emotionally wrought as I like, it is still excellent. Prince ends the song by confirming that it is Cassandra on the keys. 

Another emotional love lost song next, this one has a completely different feel to it though, as Prince and Shelby give us a sonically full “Nothing Compares 2 U.” This song doesn’t mean as much to me as the previous song, and yet I can’t help but feel the emotion in it. Both Prince and Shelby are in fine voice, and they more than do the song justice. Asides from Shelby and Prince, the other highlight of the song is the Morris Hayes organ solo. He is great, and I am listening to him more and more carefully on every recording. 

 

There is barely enough time for us to catch our breaths before the band pound into “Take Me With U.” It is not a classic performance of it, but I haven’t heard it for a while, and I find myself easily enjoying it. Andy is stronger sounding on the mic than Apollonia ever was, and the song is sounding much stronger and fuller overall. 

The old one-two punch follows with “Raspberry Beret” very naturally coming next. There is plenty of space for the crowd to sing, but they are sounding rather quiet by this point. Perhaps the recording isn’t picking them up, or maybe they are jaded and a little over the “Take Me With U/Raspberry Beret” combo, much like myself. Prince still seems to be enjoying it, and it is uplifting to see him still playing pure pop. 

“Cream” has a strong Maceo presence, and it feels so natural and good I am wondering why this arrangement wasn’t played more often. Prince doesn’t sing too much, only the first verse and chorus, and from then on it's all Maceo. It is a good use of the sax, and something I find interesting. 

“Cool” is absolutely timeless. Prince does more than enough to reclaim the song, and he is indeed the epitome of cool as he sings and struts across the stage. The almost obligatory “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” is thrown into the song, and the band is sounding like they are having a lot of fun onstage. The groove comes effortlessly, and I could see the band just sitting on the groove for hours. After some time for dancing, Maceo gets a chance to play, and he gives a nice riff before Prince calls “Vegas” and the show comes to an end. 

I thought the second show of these three was outstanding, but in many ways, this one was just as good. It was a delight to hear some of these selections in a live setting, and in particular, I enjoyed hearing “Girl” live. There was a sense that perhaps Prince wasn’t entirely happy with the sound, but it certainly didn’t come across in the recording. All three of these shows had their unique character, and perhaps the best way to appreciate them is to listen to all three.  This one was my favorite, but any other given day I may well say the second night. 

Rotterdam 10 July 2011

 Following last week’s post on the first night of the North Sea Jazz Festival, this week I will be taking a listen to the second show. I would like to thank those that contacted me about the last blog post, especially Roy and John who were both at the show and provided me with some much-appreciated first-hand information. I was unaware that these Prince shows came after the main shows, and began after midnight. With that in mind, Prince is playing to a much more hardcore fan base, and I think that is reflected in the set-list of today’s show. The first show was plagued with sound issues, and the overall show was uneven. This second show has quite a few interesting song selections, and I am sure that with a good sound it will be an excellent show. I have heard many good things about this show, so I am eager to begin. 

10 July 2011, Ahoy, Rotterdam 

This is not your run-of-the-mill main show, and Prince lets us know that right from the start with his choice to open with “Joy In Repetition.” The opening bare piano playing to the hushed auditorium has a beautiful melancholy feel to it, and the swell as the rest of the band enter is equally clean, but brooding sounding. This is a fine choice to start with, and I’m sure many of the hardcore fans out there appreciate Prince’s intent. It would be easy to open with an up-tempo crowd pleaser, but this is a better choice for the audience and venue. Prince’s delivery is excellent, and he sings as if he is in a small club. There are times here that as I watch him, I can picture him delivering the same performance in the studio. His singing is very much part of the song, and it does sound as if he is living it and feeling it. I had expected him to sing with his guitar in hand, but instead, he clutches a small bunch of flowers in his hand as he sings, a much more feminine choice than the masculine guitar. Andy Allo is onstage drawing on her easel, and I could easily imagine David Bowie doing something like this in his stage show back in the 1970s and 1960s. Here it seems unnecessary and is out of place. I am disappointed to see that she has drawn the symbol, I was hoping for something more creative. I anticipate a great guitar solo from Prince, and I am surprised when he introduces Maceo for a solo on his saxophone. It’s not something I would want to hear every time I played this song, although I do like it here. Prince doesn’t let me down though and does bring out his guitar to play us out to the end of the song. The song ends with a sultry and alluring Prince and the bare beat. It’s an excellent opener and has set the bar high for the rest of the show. 

 

Andy Allo’s “Nothing More” throws me, for its similarity to “The Love We Make.” The music is close, and I temporarily start singing the wrong words as it begins. Andy’s voice seems very quiet, and although she sounds nice I wish she was a little louder in the mix. This point is highlighted by Maceo, as he begins to play he is nice and loud, and I find I am following him more than Andy’s vocals. Prince appears with his guitar, and the song very naturally becomes “The Love We Make.” Prince is in total command of his performance and he knows what the crowd has come for. He plays slow and takes his time with the guitar before he begins to sing. The difference between his vocals and Andy’s previous is quite glaring. He is much stronger on the microphone, and very confident and full sounding. I suppose thirty years of being a superstar will do that for you. This is another song that I often enjoy, both for the vocals, and the music. After being drawn in by the gentle melodies early in the song, Prince then unleashes his guitar break, and I find I mentally take a step back.  After listening carefully early on, I want to lean back and just soak up his guitar sound. 

Next, there comes another surprise as “Mountains” begins and Prince is joined on stage by Seal. I was going to say pleasant surprise, but I am less than impressed by Seal and his performance. He doesn’t sound great on the mic, and at times he seems to be mumbling. I’m not sure if he knows all the words, and he is mumbling to cover up. His voice initially isn’t strong, and I wonder if he is slightly hesitant. He does sound much bolder on the following lines, but I still don’t understand everything he is singing. Prince’s rhythm guitar is much more interesting to me, and after Seals exits the band begins to sing the song again from the beginning. Now it’s obvious Seal didn’t know the words, and I do feel for him. At least he made an effort, and his ad-libs will keep me amused on future listens. The song gets a lot of energy near the end, especially as Maceo begins to solo as the guitars get a nice rhythm going. The singing of “Come Together” at the end doesn’t do anything for me. Sure, the groove is still there, and it does add to the light atmosphere, it’s just that there is nothing very interesting going on for me to listen to. Prince does chastise the crowd for taking pictures and urges them to participate, and now that I am officially a grumpy old man, I agree with him. 

At this point, I must compare this show to the previous night. The first night Prince looked far more businesslike as he went about his playing, this second night he looks very much more relaxed, and you can hear that in the music, it does sound like they are having fun playing together. 

 

“Alphabet Street” has the crowd singing along to Prince and his guitar, and even as he speeds up they keep with him. The band enters and the song hits a deeper groove that sounds just like it did in the good old days. Prince plays a short honky tonk break as the organ leads the band in the groove. The song does get the extended treatment, and Prince strips the song back several times to encourage the crowd to sing. It’s all good fun, and I am ready for the next song by the end of it. 

Another treat for me next, as the bass groove begins for “Dear Mr. Man.” I am very surprised to hear it, and now that I am hearing it live I wonder why I don’t play it more on the album. Prince plays the bass himself and you can hear him adding his flourishes as Maceo plays a solo. He repeats the trick after another verse with Morris Hayes playing an organ break while he locks down the groove on the bass. I don’t just like this, I love it. And it gets even better for me when Prince begins to sing “If You Want Me To Stay.” This is one of my most played songs of all time, it’s on almost every playlist I make. To hear Prince sing it while playing bass is fantastic for me, and just when I think it couldn’t get any better, Prince plays a bass solo. This show is something else, and when Prince says “Ya’ll got the funky face, don’t ya” I swear he is talking directly to me. The song then finishes with Prince and Maceo playing side by side, and it’s a fitting funky finish for a funky song. 

 

Another funky cover version next as Prince sings “Stand!” Initially just him and his guitar, before the rest of the band join him later in the song. I prefer when it’s just him and the organ, and when the rest of the band joins in the song loses momentum. Order is restored when Maceo plays a staccato-sounding solo that sharpens the sound. 

Things take yet another twist as the song morphs into The Jackson's “I Want You Back.” Shelby takes the lead in the singing on this one, the beginning is very good, but she scats, raps, and talks later in the song and it loses some of its appeal. Prince singing the bass line though does make me smile and is a great touch, especially when the band stops and leaves just Prince singing the bass line to close out the song. 

 

There is a brief pause as Prince adjusts the onstage sound, but it’s nothing like the previous night's show, this time it’s just minor tweaks. The show resumes with a soft-sounding introduction to “When We’re Dancing Close And Slow.” It’s got a lush sound with plenty of atmospheric sounds to be heard. Prince’s vocals aren’t overly strong, but they are well worth listening to as he gives a beautiful clean performance. Andy serves as a counter-voice to Prince, and she trades verses with him. Again she is good, but she pales in comparison to Prince. Even when he is singing soft and slow there is a presence to his voice that Andy just doesn’t have. That’s no slight on her at all, she does a fine job, but she is no Prince. The song builds slowly, with Prince adding guitar lines and the piano playing an understated solo. It has a floating sound and feel to it, and I am impressed how Prince can create that feeling in a live situation. We float gently back to earth before a pounding beat moves things along. 

The next song is also sung by Andy Allo, and this time she wins me over completely. She sings “The Look Of Love,” and owns it. Having Maceo playing on it also adds to its depth and complexity and it’s the first Andy-centric song that I feel for. Her stage presence goes up several notches and she works the stage back and forth much better than previously. There is a more confident sound to her voice, and she is very a home in this song.  Prince doesn’t sing or play, so it’s even more surprising that I give this song plenty of praise. Maceo plays another hot-sounding solo, followed by a cooler one as the music slows down and the song comes to a gradual end. I wouldn’t have thought this would be a song I give attention to, so I have to hand it to the band, they got me on board for this one. 

Prince is again front and center and gives us a nice minute of guitar before the next song begins. Nothing too exciting, ‘nice’ more than adequately covers it, and it’s more for the benefit of the sound guys than for the audience. What follows is a stomping version of “Guitar.” “Guitar” is a little ‘by the numbers for my taste, its light and throw away, and yet I can’t deny it’s got an energy to it, and it certainly earns its place at this show. Knowing what is coming next, I can see that this is a transition song, signposting what is to follow. The sound is full, and there is the fat rock sound to the song that the recording picks up well. Prince's solos are solid and crowd-pleasing, and you get the sense that he is playing with a knowing smile. 

 

This show keeps delivering surprises, and what comes next is the best of them all. The band strips back to just a power trio of Prince, Ida, and John Blackwell and serves up some good old-fashioned rock. Ever since “The Undertaker,” there has been a chorus of voices online wishing for more of the same. Prince has done something similar in the Josh and Cora power trio after-show during his 21-night run in London, and this garnered a lot of online chat and excitement. In this show here the band strips down to a trio for only three songs, and it’s an exciting moment to hear these songs played in a raw form. The first played is “I Like It There” from his Chaos and Disorder album. Nowadays we have heard it a lot from the 3rd Eyegirl, at this Festival it’s still a rarity, and the crowd responds as such. The bass and the drums sound deep and heavy, and Prince emphasizes this with his strong guitar sound. His playing is loud and strong, it’s not free as you might expect, but it stays very heavy and in the rock vein. This song makes “Guitar” seem pale and weak in comparison. A great moment, and it’s about to get even better. 

Prince plays the opening to “Colonized Mind,” and I want to close my eyes and lean back and enjoy it. The guitar tone is much sharper than the previous two songs, and all the better for it. Prince is playing cleaner, and yet he sounds just as strong as ever. Less is more, and this is the song I prefer most in this selection of rock songs.  Princes’ playing is more emotional, and whereas in the other songs it sounds like he is playing for the sake of playing, here every note carries a weight to it. It’s so good I have to listen to it twice. 

 

“Bambi” is the obvious choice to round out this power trio segment. “Bambi” isn’t as heavy as I thought it may have been, I could easily name several other versions I prefer. It’s by no means bad though, and I do enjoy Prince’s soloing, especially later in the song when he plays lighter and faster. The song finishes with a couple of fast runs from Prince before his long howl brings this part of the show to an end. It was an interesting part of the show and something he has explored much more in the last couple of years with his 3rd Eyegirl band. 

Prince acknowledges the sound issues from the previous show with an apology to the crowd before they play a loose-sounding “Johnny B Goode.” Andy shares the mic with Prince, it's unfortunate that I can hardly hear her. It does improve as she sings alone, but then again she disappears as Prince begins to sing again. Maceo does a much better job at making himself heard, and his sax adds some nice top end after the previous guitar-heavy sound. Prince and the band blend “Peach” into the mix, and Prince plays a solo that sounds straight off the record. The sound strips back as the band play “Peach” and Prince has the crowd clapping and singing before he sings “Peach.” I am not so excited by the crowd singing “oowww weeee” but I do have a lot of time for Maceo as he plays a long solo. I am caught off guard as the song ends here, I was expecting it to go for some time, and I am again caught off guard as it starts again. I have been a fan long enough now not to be caught out by these things, or so you would think. 

 

Following all this noise, Prince takes another turn as he sings the classic “The Beautiful Ones.” He sounds great, not the same as when he was younger but still very good. This song has stood the test of time, and even if Prince’s voice isn’t as pure, he still gets plenty of emotion in there. The climax of the song is the part everyone is waiting for, and Prince does give his impassioned pleas to the crowd, without the shrieks and screams I had hoped for. As I said, he’s not a young man anymore, but he does give enough to the song that it strikes an emotional chord with me. 

Shelby implores the audience to put on their dancing shoes as the beat of “Dance (Disco Heat)” begins. It’s an ‘up’ way to finish the show and one last burst of energy from the band and crowd alike. The band keeps the groove going while Prince engages in some awkward-looking dancing. The song quickly segues into “Baby I’m A Star” without any let up in tempo or energy at all. This is a great song to finish the show with and harks back to some of his classic shows. The sound is good, and it is about now that usually, the band has a chance to show us what they’ve got. Instead, Prince sings the verses, engages with the crowd, and only leaves room for one quick solo and groove. Maceo does hit the groove in great style and this could have been drawn out so much more as we have heard in previous years. Prince elects not to do this, however, and instead, the song ends just as I thought it was really about to take off. Still, it’s a great end to a brilliant show. 

Listening to this show I can’t help but compare it to the first show. The difference between the two is night and day. Whereas the first show had its technical difficulties and the band sounded uptight, here the sound was sharp and the band played with a lot of confidence and freedom. I thought Prince's song choices were very good, and I like that he threw a power trio moment in the mix too. Not everything worked, but 90% of the show had me listening close and smiling. A nice comeback after the first show, and this one certainly lived up to the hype surrounding it. 

Thanks for reading, if you made it this far

Rotterdam 9 July 2011

 I seem to be listening to a lot of shows from 2010 and 2011 recently, and that will continue for the next few posts as I listen to the North Sea Jazz Festival shows from 2011. I missed a lot of shows between 2010 and 2011, at that time I separated from my wife, and in the same month my city was flattened by an earthquake- both events still impact my life daily. In 2011 listening to Prince and following his tours was far from a priority as I dealt with things on a day-by-day basis. Calmness has returned to my hometown now, and I finally have some time to go back and catch up with what I missed at that time. I had the shows, I just never got around to listening to them, so now as I pull them out, I find I am listening with freshness and new enthusiasm for what I am hearing. 

When Prince was at the peak of his powers in the 1980’s it would have been difficult to imagine him ever playing at a festival. He was too singular in his vision, and to see him on a bill with other artists would have been jarring. Of course, his tours celebrated his creativity and songs, and with his league of protégés and other projects, his concerts were a mini-festival of sorts, a festival of Prince. In recent years he has embraced festivals, in particular, 2010 and 2011 in Europe. 

These three shows at the North Sea Jazz provide an interesting mix of songs and styles. I do like that each of them has a sizable portion of songs that I could see lifted straight from a mainstream show, with some more interesting songs and moments grafted onto it. Also, every night is different from the other, and there are a few rarities in the mix that always keep me interested. This first show is not my favorite of the three, but I do have to start somewhere, so why not the beginning. So let’s wind back to 2011 and take a listen to the first night of the North Sea Jazz Festival. 

9 July 2011, Ahoy, Rotterdam 

I find the first few minutes of the show slightly usual, and a little confusing. The show starts with a comfortable beat, and the band plays a tepid version of “Foxy Lady.” You would think this would be tailor-made for Prince and his guitar histrionics, but he elects not to play, instead only appearing later in the song. Andy Allo handles the vocal duties, she does a serviceable job for a song that doesn’t seem to play to her strengths. The music behind her is insipid, the Hendrix guitar groove is carried by the bass, and an acoustic guitar that doesn’t give it the intensity of the original. I thought Prince could have used this song to make an immediate impression, but it’s all quite low-key -that is until mid-song when he finally appears and does indeed lurch into his guitar god mode. The latter part of the song is a definite improvement, Andy dispenses with the singing and Prince plays a guitar solo that you would expect. 

 

“Controversy” is much more conventional, although in the first minute of the song the Prince calls instructions to the soundman as he gets his set up on stage just right. It’s played as a groove with Prince playing his scratch guitar while chanting “Oh North Sea”. I like that he sounds relaxed, as asides from chanting he takes time to tell the crowd that he has plenty of surprises for the next few nights. He is having trouble with his sound as he calls again and again that the sound is too bright and brittle. For a perfectionist like Prince, I am sure it must be incredibly frustrating, and he does sound a little agitated as he strives for the right sound. These issues are resolved and he does begin to sing the song. The song sounds good to me, but the sound problems persist for Prince as he asks for the lights to turn down as again he calls for the sound to be adjusted “more bottom” Under normal circumstances, I would just like to hear the song, but I do listen with interest as Prince strives to get the sound right. You can feel that he is working hard on the stage. 

The “Sexy Dancer/ Le Freak” arrangement follows quickly on the heels of “Controversy,” and this time I am not the least bit surprised to hear it. With Shelby and Liv on the vocals, Prince retreats into the band, but this time he steps in after the first verse to play a tidy-sounding solo. He is much more in control at this gig, and his guitar playing is focused without being scorching. 

“(Theme song from) Which Way Is Up” is next, and this is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I can hear Maceo in the mix, and this is another song where the band is the real strength. Morris Hayes plays a solo, which I would like to heap praise upon if it was only more prominent in the mix. I am questioning Prince playing a song like this so early in the show, but to his credit, it is a jazz festival and I would assume the audience would be open to hearing much more than Prince playing the hits. 

 

I try very hard every week to enjoy “Play That Funky Music,” but I just can’t. The lyrics aren’t interesting, and the groove always sounds labored to me. This week’s arrangement is better, in that Prince plays a guitar break for most of the song, and listening to it I find my mind wanders from the main groove. The guitar break is as good as it gets, however, as they return to the chorus for a final refrain before the song ends. 

There is another odd twist as the band picks up the groove of “Controversy” again and Prince praises Maceo Parker in a speech to the crowd. This is a great moment, as Maceo lives up to all the hype and plays a scorching solo. The band is stomping and Maceo feeds off the energy and gets better and better as he goes. There is a good reason why Prince chooses to play with people like Maceo and Larry Graham. Not only does he learn from them, but he also introduces them to a new audience. But not only that, there is a reason why Maceo is a legend, his playing is fierce, and is a great addition to Prince’s band. 

 

Amazing how quickly my enthusiasm wanes, the next song is “Pass The Peas” with Maceo, and this time I am less enamored. Yes, I love Maceo and his playing, the problem for me here is that I have heard Prince and the band play “Pass The Peas” countless times, and I find very little in it that is new to my ears. Morris Hayes rescues the song somewhat, but not quite enough for me. However, there is a drum break and some more organ that sounds pretty cool, before the main groove resumes. 

The show loses its momentum next as Andy Allo sings “Let’s Get It On.” It’s nice enough, but nobody can touch the original. Her voice is beautiful and she is lovely to look at, it’s the choice of song I have trouble with. I can understand why Prince is giving her plenty of shine, and I wait patiently for the song to finish so we can get back to the Prince show proper. Prince does close out the song with some sweet-sounding guitar playing before the next song gets me up and out of my seat. 

 

I curse as “D.M.S.R” starts, the keyboards sound incredibly bold, and there is a great mix with plenty of bass and piano high in the mix. This is the Prince I signed up for back in the day, and I am overjoyed to hear “D.M.S.R” sound just as good as ever. Ida’s bass has great fatness to it, and I turn the stereo up to ‘neighbor annoying’ levels. The breakdown is my favorite part of the song, normally I’m not a fan of this part of the song -this time Ida has me completely revising my opinions. There is a further sound to listen to as Prince adds some percussion as the guitar and bass squelch along. This one I can feel deep inside of me.  Maceo gives the song some funk credentials as he adds his sound to the mix, and by now I am pretty close to heaven. What I wouldn’t give to be there. 

 

We go from funk with a capital F to some pure pop with “Pop Life.” Of his pop songs, this would have to be my favorite.  This arrangement is as we have heard previously from this period, after a poppy rendition of the first half of the song, the band then pulls back and plays a jazzy instrumental, with the piano featuring heavily. I love that Prince challenges the audience and widens their range. I know that he has introduced me to many new acts and genres that I would have never otherwise heard. The best thing is that as he changes he pulls us all along for the journey too. I have discovered so much music through him, and if I ever had a chance, this is what I would thank him for most. 

“Musicology” goes down a treat at this show. It’s tighter sounding than the Musicology tour, it’s still a jam, except without some of the excesses of those shows. Maceo is the star of the show, his horn is nice and loud and he gets plenty of time to play. There is another fun moment for me as Prince raps through “Prince And The Band.” I am never quite sure if I should take it seriously or not, but I always like to hear it. 

 

My recording is missing a couple of songs at this point, although I do have the full concert on other configurations, however, I am not too concerned as what comes next is fantastic. 

I was going to write off “A Love Bizarre” as Prince plays a long intro and asks Janelle Monae to join him. Boy, was I ever wrong, and this one is the highlight of the show for me. The sound is better than it has been at any other time in the show and after a lengthy guitar and drum intro, the song explodes. Everything brightens and at this point, the show sounds like it has finally turned into a party. Janelle sounds great with Prince and having Maceo in the mix is a real bonus. As Prince calls him, he steps out and shakes things up. This sounds great here at home, and the song becomes a loose jam. It rolls and rolls, and it holds my interest as it evolves. It does strip back to just guitar, drum, and audience singing and this is the great rock n roll moment that I look for in every show. There are the usual “Housequake” lines thrown in, followed by “jump up and down” but I completely forgive this as Prince plays a few seconds of funky guitar that jumps right out at me. 

 

I come back to earth as “Everyday People” begins and Larry Graham joins Prince on stage. I love Larry Graham, I love “Everyday People,” it’s just that I have heard it played in this way so many times that I am done with it, and I don’t feel the need to ever hear it at a Prince show again. That said, the song here is inoffensive and does keep the energy levels up at the gig. 

 

I get excited as Prince takes Ida’s bass and prepares for the next song. “Only Heaven Knows” isn’t familiar to me, but I hear a lot of the song “Johnny” in it. I am disappointed it’s not a bass-heavy song and Prince doesn’t work the bass as much as I was hoping. I do like the line “analog pimps and digital hoes”, asides from that it’s just a nice groove song. Some heavy keyboards keep me in the groove, and Morris and his organ are again well in the mix. Prince hits the effect pedal and plays a fuzzed-up sounding “America.” It is short, and the moment of the song that captures my attention the most. 

 

Every week I wonder how I am going to find something new to write about “Purple Rain,” and I know Prince must have the same problem finding a new way to make it interesting for himself too. This time we have Maceo playing over the introduction. I have heard Eric Leeds play a sax intro for Purple Rain, and I have to say I prefer Eric’s efforts to what we hear from Maceo here. I do applaud Prince and Maceo for making the effort to give us something different, but I don’t think Maceo adds anything interesting here. The verses are perfunctory, and I am waiting to see if Prince can find another level when he reaches the guitar break. The guitar break doesn’t reach the heights I’d hoped for and Prince compensates with his expressions as he plays. The sound is noticeable off through the song here, and it sums up how a lot of the evening has played out. 

 

“If I Was Your Girlfriend,” now this is more like it. Its sound is still off, but it does sound a lot bigger. Prince’s vocals do suffer, and I can understand why so many people complained about the sound through this gig. Ida’s bass should be the main component, and yet I can barely make it out, and that’s no fault of the recording, I’m sure.  Cassandra does sound nice on the piano, and this is one of the few positives I can find in what is normally my favorite song. 

Tonight’s arrangement of “Kiss” is keyboard driven, one plays sharp while the other provides a cool squelch.  The song still has its basic sound, but there is a tiredness to the sound of it, and I wonder if this has been a tough show and the band just want to finish. The one part of the song that does seem to work is the coda, as Prince dances in the spotlight. The drum sound is good, and with the instruments stripped back the sound is softened. The show ends with “Kiss,” and there is no big finale. 

 

This show was incredibly uneven. It’s obvious there were sound issues for Prince to contend with throughout, and although I ignored them early on, by the end they were too much for me to overlook. The high points of the show were “D.M.S.R” and “A Love Bizarre,” and both of these songs benefited from being party jams, and as they both played it was easy to lose myself in the groove rather than pick out various parts of the songs. 

Next week I will take a listen to the second show, which I believe is considerably better by all accounts. This one showed glimpses of brilliance, I am pinning my hopes on much more of those moments in the next two shows. 

Malahide 30 July 2011

 For the last few months, I have been immersing myself in Prince’s 1990s catalog. This is my favorite era of Prince, as he unveiled masses of new music and played with a variety of genres and styles, all the while digging further into a funk sound. Of this era, the song “Gold” isn’t particularly representative, one could easily enough imagine it slotting onto one of his mid to late-80s albums, but it does live up to its name and shines brightly at the center of this period. While following the song through his career, I couldn’t help but notice that it was shelved in 1996 and only resurfaced in a live performance in 2011, a mere fifteen years later. The bootleg I am listening to today opens with “Gold,” only its second live performance since 1996, the other performance being four days previous in Rotterdam, as Prince pulls this jewel from his vault and gives it another polish. It would continue to occasionally pop up in concerts through 2011 and 2012, before disappearing again back into the ether. The rest of today’s concert is typical of Prince’s 2011 European tour, a greatest hits package aimed at mostly 1980’s material, with the occasional surprise thrown in just to keep the hardest of hardcore fans satisfied. Expect no real surprises from this recording, but enjoy Prince playing his hits to an adoring audience who relive their youth in this sprightly performance. 

30th July 2011 Malahide Castle, Malahide, Ireland 

The first strains of “Gold” are almost lost on me as I am trying to remember if I have been to Malahide or not (I decided that I have been there) and when I do register what I am hearing it is with an air of disappointment. There is a thinness to the sound, and not just because of the audience recording. The keyboard chips in with a childlike quality, a children’s toy that has somehow managed to find its way onto the stage, and its tinny and fragile sound detract from the power of hearing “Gold” again in this context. Prince’s lyrics stir up the feelings of old, but without a muscular and well-polished sound behind him, it amounts to very little. The song itself still rises, its uplifting spirit still present, but sonically it stays firmly rooted to the ground, its wings clipped of the soaring quality by the overall sound that is damp and heavy. 

 

The first strains of “Let’s Go Crazy” have the sound that I had hoped for in the previous “Gold,” there is a tautness, and tension, as the guitar pulls hard at the music before the song lifts its skirts and swirls into Prince’s upbeat Las Vegas version of the song, all chants and pounding keyboards, the guitar becoming a mere adornment to the chaos of sound emerging from the stage. Sure enough, it does reappear, but only as a facsimile of itself, as if someone is playing it from another room, its sound ghosting through the recording. “Delirious”  is far more satisfying, the band and its loud brash sound suddenly focusing on a song that carries these gifts with a lightness.  It's far from perfect though, and at times even the keyboard disappears behind the beat, in this case, due to the audience recording rather than the performance. 

“1999” is overplayed, but today it hits me just right, the opening guitar singeing the recording with a touch of fiery guitar that has a quiet intensity that hasn’t been heard thus far on the recording. As it settles into its groove, it is Shelby J that comes to the fore, her personality so large that she temporarily threatens to overwhelm the song with her vocals, and a huge smile that one can hear captured on the bootleg. It never settles on the song “1999” proper, instead, Prince and the band prefer to hand it off to the crowd for chanting, and their chance to become part of the performance. I can’t complain too much, although it does pull a little shine off this old favorite. 

 

The extended slow-down version of “Little Red Corvette” isn’t quite as extended as I anticipated, the opening howls giving way all too quickly to the verse, surrendering some of the power of the song before it has had a chance to properly marinate in the emotional cry that Prince is providing it his guitar whine. However, the rest of the song is a well-paced rendition, and there is enough meat on its bones to satisfy both old and new fans alike. It’s hard not to be caught up in the gravitational pull of Prince’s guitar playing in the breakdown section, and his black-hole sound pulls every strand of emotion from the song to this one point, creating a stellar sound that rings out for the next few minutes, providing a moment that rewards both your ears and your heart. 

Andy Allo is sadly buried by Prince’s vocal throughout “Take Me With U.” Visually striking on stage, sadly I just don’t hear enough of her on this recording. There are moments where she burst out of the recording, but for the most part, it is Prince booming out the lyrics, making for an uneven and unsatisfying moment. 

There is an element of pop missing from “Raspberry Beret,” and this campfire singalong version, although great at the live show, is light on the recording as the pure pop sound is substituted for enthusiastic audience noise. This is how Prince wants it, and one can’t fault him for delivering to his audience exactly what they want. 

The smooth pop returns for “Cream.” It's a strong-sounding rendition, the band adding inner steel to its buttery sound, crafting the song into life with every aspect strengthened by the performance and this iteration of the NPG’s take on it. All play with strength, so much so that Shelby J is matched by the rest of the bold players on stage. 

 

The keyboards propel “Cool” constantly forward, but it is the lyrics that keep us in the moment as Shelby temporarily distracts us with “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough,” before Prince claims the spotlight with his own “Cool.” It is impossible to stay seated for a song such as this, and even on the bootleg, you can feel the groove reaching out through the speakers for you, lifting you from your seat and forcing you to move to the rhythm of Prince’s boasts. 

The introduction to “Purple Rain” creeps slowly across the recording, the opening strains barely perceivable, before building gently into an audience singalong. The recording becomes drenched in this purple sound and Prince’s performance connects both him and the audience directly back to his 1980s peak. The song is played with due respect, nothing is tampered with and every piece is still sitting in place as in 1984, barely diminished by time and place. Prince has barely aged in the years since, and his guitar solo even less so as it rises out of the heart of “Purple Rain,” as the same hurricane force that it always has been. It may not be as loud on this audience recording, but it plays with the same demand that you listen to it that it always has, and remains the linchpin of Prince’s greatest hits package. 

 

With Prince absent from the stage, it falls to Shelby J to carry the following cover of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.” Since its release in 1997, it has been covered by numerous artists, including Billy Joel,  Adele, Kelly Clarkson, and Garth Brookes. Shelby J’s cover could look anyone of them in the eye as she elevates the lyrics on the wings of her soulful voice, and even though Prince is no longer on stage, I remain riveted to the recording by this searing performance. 

All that is forgotten though as Prince returns for “If I Was Your Girlfriend,” its bare funk revealed in these performances later in his career. The bass slips and slides behind the beat and swirling keyboard that adds smoke to an otherwise icy sound. The audience input is a little too much for me, distracting from the purity of the music, but with Casandra on the keyboards, there is plenty to revel in from the onstage performance. 

The party starts with a greasy version of “Kiss,” the scratch guitar usurped by a rubbery keyboard and elastic bassline.  It plays on shaky ground, there is nothing firm to clutch onto as the song shifts and shakes throughout, the only dependable feature being Prince’s clever lyrics that remain at the heart of the song. 

The pacing of the concert is uneven, and “Musicology” feels shoehorned into this part of the show. As much as I enjoyed Shelby’s earlier performance of “Make You Feel My Love” it did temporarily derail the show, and although we hear the audience singing along to “Musicology” it does have the same effect on the show after the crowd-pleasing “Kiss” and “If I Was Your Girlfriend.” As a showcase for the band, it works well enough, but on this particular bootleg I can’t warm to it, instead, I much prefer the versions heard on the Musicology tour. 

 

Over half of “The Bird” is given over to the introduction, and as much as I like the rest of the song, it fails to live up to all the promises made in those first two minutes. There is a renewed energy at this point of the show, and a quick check of the setlist reveals that from here on in the songs will come faster than ever as Prince rips through his back catalog, strip mining it of hits. 

More bass for “Jungle Love” would have been nice, and as hard as I strain to listen, I can’t decide if it’s the live mix or the audience recording that is depriving me of its chest-thumping bass groove. Thoughts of the bass disappear as Prince tears up the guitar break, leaving the breakdown a scorched earth chance to regain some composure before the segue into “Play That Funky Music” 

The funk of “Play That Funky Music” can’t compare to the previous two songs, and as much as Prince injects into the song it is no match for his own Minneapolis funk.  However, the crowd is all on board for the moment, and perhaps at this point, the bootleg isn’t as good as the live show, especially as Prince again ups it a notch with further guitar heroics that elevate the song to a previously unheard intensity. 

I hadn’t expected to hear “Sometimes It Snows In April” at this stage of the show, and it does sound a little lost in this larger concert. The introduction is so light it almost disappears into the audience chatter, and it is not until Prince’s vocals that the song truly reveals itself. The chatter remains strong, and the intimacy of the song is lost as it floats easily over the heads of the audience. Even as the audience joins softly for the chorus, there remains the feeling that Prince has lost most of the crowd with a song that is just too delicate for a crowd this size. 

 

From the same era, “Nothing Compares 2 U” goes over much better. With Shelby J adding her passionate vocals, the song has a power that connects much better with the audience, and with the recording. It certainly helps that the song has an Irish connection through Sinead O’Conner, and Prince and Shelby deliver a stirring version that pays homage to Sinead and this Irish audience. This is one of the best-recorded songs of the bootleg, and a strong way to enter the final phase of the concert. 

“Sign O The Times” is a fine start to the sampler set, its bare-boned funk matching the empty electronic sound of Prince at the sampler. It is the longest of the songs appearing in the sampler set, the following “Alphabet St,” barely a head nod to the original, and its minute run time is mostly given over to the excellent Ida Neilson on bass. 

There is the briefest of teases for “Nasty Girl,” before “Doves Cry” teases in its initial appearance before Prince drags a longer rendition further into the setlist. Stripping the song of most of its treasures, it gets a verse and chorus here before Prince switches gears with “Hot Thing,” – another song shorn of most of its charms by this heavily abridged version. The bouncing bass is worthy, but there is little else to recommend it. 

The concert returns to its roots with a lively rendition of “A Love Bizarre.” Andy’s contribution is again lost in the noise of the band, but the song has always firmly remained Prince’s and this performance is true to form with his vocals bold and to the front. Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect for me is the quirky keyboard solo that can barely be heard in the din. It adds a new sound to the mix and would have changed the song on a better recording. 

I wait with anticipation to see if “Controversy” will be the standard 2011 take, with  “Housquake” and its “jump up and down” refrain making an appearance. Sure enough, it does revert to this, and Shelby imploring us to clap our hands and stomp our feet, always great in concert and always terrible on bootlegs. Still, the first minutes of “Controversy” are excellent and good enough for me to put up with the latter part of the song. 

We stay in the era with a great version of “Let’s Work” that has the rubbery bassline matched by Prince’s classic falsetto. There is plenty of shake in the keyboard lines as the song works the dance floor to its groove, the concert again becoming a purely musical moment as the music becomes paramount. 

The final song of the show is a basic take on “U Got The Look.” Sadly it becomes lost in the moment and the frenzy of the crowd, the song disappearing in its sound and the pure thrill of the concert. Prince’s guitar break is always worth mentioning, but this performance isn’t essential, the thought of the song closing the concert is far more thrilling than what is heard on the bootleg. 

The concert tours of 2011 often serve up this uneven mix of songs and sounds, and although the hits are played in all their glory it can be an unsatisfying experience. It was the song “Gold” that brought me here, and the performance didn’t live up to expectations. It was weak sounding, and pale in comparison to its mid-90s glory. However the rest of the concert was enjoyable enough, and although unevenly paced provided plenty of fun. As a representation of a 2011 show, this is par for the course. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea all the time, but it does deliver as expected and on the right day can be a great experience. 2011 is a placeholder in Prince’s live canon, and this bootleg reflects that. It’s good enough, but never reaches the thrilling highs of other concert tours in circulation.