Chicago 25 September 2012

 Today I continue my journey by looking at main shows and after shows from the same night. This week I am taking in a 2012 concert from Chicago, with the aftershow to follow next week. This is part of a string of shows Prince played in Chicago at this time, playing three main shows and two after shows. The concert I will be listening to is the performance from the United Centre on the 25th of September, followed by an aftershow at House Of Blues in the early morning of the 26th. The main show offers no surprises, it is a standard set of the time, while the aftershow provides the usual mix of covers and jams. Across the two there seems little here to differentiate these performances from any other, but as I have found time and time again, listening to the recording can reveal much more than we see on the surface. 

25th September 2012. United Centre, Chicago 

The drawn-out introduction of “Let’s Go Crazy” is the first point of interest in the recording. The curtain of synth that heralds the oncoming spectacle lingers far beyond what we normally hear, with the only other input coming from the first sparks of excitement generated by Prince’s guitar. When the song does kick into gear it becomes less compelling, the vocals impulsive, but unmatched by the music, Prince’s call of “turn me up” is unanswered, and the guitar sound remains neutered for the end of the song. 

It is the keyboard stabs that provide the driving energy to “Delirious,” the concert propelled forward on the back of the contagious energy. It is an unbridled performance that better starts the show, Morris Hayes adding some depth to the pop, his keyboard adding a richness to the otherwise sharp sound. 

 

The final coda of “Let’s Go Crazy” leaves me with mixed feelings. The “on no, let’s go” chant adds nothing to the bootleg, but the more guttural sound of Prince’s guitar hits at something far more substantial, the song ending in an equilibrium. 

“1999” is a feel-good song, and it has the desired effect as I feel good throughout. The crowd is vocal throughout the song, as one they cheer and sing, and even though this is an audience recording, it puts the band first and foremost, the audience noise merely adding color to the recording. 

Prince chooses just the right moment to insert “Shhh” into the setlist, the pop and sparkle from the opening songs giving way to a more serious and mature sound. It comes as no surprise to see it appear at this point of the concert, looking back at many of these recordings as we see it popping up at about this time. It is one of the more weighty moments of the concert and sees Prince striking a powerful blow early in the show, a heavy-weight punch reminding us that we are listening to one of music’s great heavy weights. 

Prince takes us back to the 1980s for “Let’s Work.” As much as I like the song and the performance, it is lacking in the strong bass sound as it should, despite Prince’s call for “more bass.” It is an average moment of the recording and gets a pass based purely on its nostalgic value. 

“U Got The Look” is equally lackluster, this time it is Prince’s guitar that remains too far in the background. I do find myself singing along, but this isn’t the song that would make me recommend the bootleg. Prince’s final guitar stanza is louder but contains very little fire and fury, all flash and no show. 

 

The first moments of “Sometimes It Snows In April” are stunning, but the moment is lost as audience chatter takes over and drops me out of the moment. The song itself has its understated elegance, but with audience chat constantly breaking the mood it amounts to little. 

This flat spot of the concert is rounded out by the appearance of Andy Allo and “People Pleaser.” A good song, and fine performance, it fails to fire with the audience, and even on the recording, it sounds flat and hard work. The crowd remains unmoved and this leadens the mood of the recording. Coupled with the previous few songs this part of the show drags, despite the best efforts of Prince and the band. 

The ship is righted with a quickfire performance of “She’s Always In My Hair.” Although only two minutes in length, Prince regains the enthusiasm of the audience, and many can be heard murmuring appreciation as the open riff cries out. Prince keeps the performance neatly manicured, the guitar solo being both the high point and the closing salvo of the number. 

We stay with the aggressive guitar tones for  “Dreamer,” a song that is steeped in steely lyrics and guitar venom to match.  His speech mid-song still rings every bit as true today and backs up the lyrics he is singing. I am not normally one for mid-song speeches, but in this case, it works and the guitar break that follows matches his words for feeling and as a statement. 

 

It’s hard for me to be objective about the blues version of  “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man,” I love it without reservation. This version is just as smoldering and made all the more affecting by the audience singing at Prince’s prompting. The guitar break has the guitar weeping in the hands of Prince, the emotion and feeling of earlier in the song made all the more real as Prince turns it into a tormented cry. Prince's final talk to the crowd does detract from the previously scaled heights, but the song stills stand monumentally above the surrounding tracklist. 

Andy Allo returns for “Take Me With U,” a song that seems to go over extremely well with the audience. Andy adds brightness, and with its generally upbeat sound, the concert turns purely pop for a few minutes. The best part though perhaps lies in the final minute as Prince turns this pop sound darker with an ominous piece of guitar work that brings the song to a definitive full stop. 

Hearing “Raspberry Beret” straight after is no surprise, although it is refreshing in this case not to have it segued from “Take Me With U.” It appears as a separate entity, and I find it all the better for it. It is short (especially in comparison to “Take Me With U” which stretched to five minutes) but its inclusion is welcomed and appreciated. 

Prince rounds out this trifecta of pop hits with a sedate rendition of “Cream.” The only spikiness, or indeed interest, comes from the sharpness the horns bring, otherwise, it is business as usual with a smooth rendition. 

It’s hard to tell where “Cool” ends and “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” starts and Prince intertwines the two with finesse, making them both sound like one long continuous jam. It is a celebratory moment, and even listening at home one can hear home much of a party is ignited in the arena by this performance. These types of songs don’t always work on bootlegs, but in this case, it carries across well on the recording, making for another eminently enjoyable moment. 

“Nothing Compares 2 U” is a showstopper. The appearance of Jennifer Hudson is a masterstroke, her vocals bringing a sense of shock and awe to the performance. It is almost a spiritual moment, and this is heightened by the solo provided by Morris Hayes on Princes’s command to “bring em to church”. The keyboard maestro obliges with a solo that has me both fearing God and bathed in his light. In a show that is three hours long, this is a song that passes us by in a flash, leaving me wishing that it could go on for longer. 

 

There is an air of predictability about “Purple Rain” and the first few minutes live up to that feeling as the song goes steadily through its paces. This changes with the arrival of Prince’s guitar break, as he once again lifts the song from another 1980s power ballad into something otherworldly. The first howl of guitar inflames the recording, and from here on in it's an emotive and riveting experience. As the final strains fade, I feel well satisfied, but the concert is far from over yet. 

There is very little time to reflect on the previous “Purple Rain,” as the bootleg takes us directly to the first encore of “Controversy.” It is an electrifying performance from the outset, with the insistent keyboard riff creating a tension that can only be released by the scratch guitar sound of Prince. The main riff itself is powerfully intoxicating, and even though the song is 30 years old at the time of this recording, it remains just as compelling as ever. The “Housquake” chanting is unnecessary, “Controversy” itself contains funk for days, and the chant only undoes some of its power. 

The recording sees a pause in the action before we return to a free-flowing and lucid “How Come You Don’t Call Me.” After the previous fireworks, its stripped-back sound is welcome. Prince hovers and lingers over the lyrics, drawing as much as he can from its bare bones and imbuing it with a sense of emotion that belies its bare form. 

 

The sampler set remains what has always been, a tease that demonstrates the vastness of Prince’s hit collection. “When Doves Cry” deserves far more than what we get here, but what can Prince do with a catalog such as his. “Nasty Girl” probably gets what it’s worth in this case, a mere taster and reminder of where he has been. The most interesting part of its 20 seconds is Prince calling to John to get ready for “Kiss”, a pointer to where the full band will rejoin at a later stage. 

“Sign O The Times” sounds the same on the sampler as it does on record, and so too does “Hot Thing.” Their electronic leanings are served well by the sampler and little is lost by not having a band performance. 

“Forever In My Life” promises more, and there is just enough time for us to appreciate its sentiment before the arrival of a song from the opposite end of the lust/love spectrum – “Darling Nikki.” No words are required, the riff enough to conjure the song to the front of the mind. 

“Mr. Goodnight” is short and sweet, both in sound and sentiment, and the following “I Would Die 4 U” swallows it up in sound and energy. 

John and the band add their weight to “Kiss.” The song doesn’t seem to have its usual propulsion, although it’s hard to discern why this might be. The finest part of the song is the final moments as Prince dances to the barest of beats, although we are robbed of seeing this on the audio recording. 

There follows a monstrous performance of “Little Red Corvette,” a song that Prince pulls and pushes in several directions over the next ten minutes. From the long drawn-out intro, through the pop of the original, to the final mournful moments, Prince plays with the song like putty in his hands. The crowd are willing accomplices and follow Prince with his whims, always on hand to provide whatever vocals and moods that Prince requires. At ten minutes, it is a shade too long, and it does languish towards the end. For all this though, it is a great performance and one of the more memorable moments in the recording. 

The end of the show is an unstoppable jam building the groove set down by “Act Of God.” The song sounds fresh in this setting and is a natural bed for the other songs to lie in. “What Have You Done For Me Lately” is a natural fit, and the song squelches easily across the two. It takes a drum break to switch us up into “(Theme Song From) Which Way Is Up,” a song that gives Shelby to shine brightly as the end of the concert looms large. It is only fitting that “Partyman” is the last song of this jam, Prince is the party-man personified as he and his music turn a mere concert into a communal party.  It is traditional for Prince concerts to end with a party, and this one is no different as Prince raises the energy levels one last time before the finale. 

At three hours long, this show had a bit of everything, although to be honest, three hours was a little too long, and there was a moment mid-setlist where it did drag and the audience wasn’t quite as engaged as they could have been. If the test of a good bootleg is “Would I listen to it again,” then in that case this certainly passes. Without being stunning, it nevertheless covers all the bases with a steady audience recording. The setlist managed to touch every part of Prince’s back catalog, and I look forward to listening to the aftershow from the same night and seeing how it compares. 

Melbourne 29 May 2012 (am)

 This week I will be posting about two shows as both are short, yet they are interesting for several reasons. Firstly, the legendary Bennetts Lane impromptu performance. Anyone who has spent time on the internet reading about Prince will be familiar with this concert; Prince made an appearance at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club early morning of 29th May 2012. The show was only announced very late, and Prince and the band played to a crowd of about seventy people. In almost darkness, Prince played for close to three hours, with a setlist that is chock full of goodies. From all accounts, this was a humdinger of a show, and it made all the mythical by the fact we don’t have a complete recording of it. We are spoilt nowadays by the scope and quality of recordings available for most shows, and this bootleg harks back to earlier days when shows were only partly available, or not available at all. The recording appears on an Eye Records release and covers a half-hour period early in the concert. We don’t get the gems promised by the setlist, but it is a taste of the flavor of the evening and I have to say it well and truly whets my appetite for more. I thoroughly recommend taking time to go online and read about this concert from those who were there, there is so much more to this performance than what is heard on the recording. 

 29th May 2012(am) Bennetts Lane, Melbourne 

I am salivating from the first moments as John drums up a funky brew with Erykah Badu’s “On & On.” There is the wow factor from the very first seconds, John’s percussive sound setting a vibe that the small audience responds to with shouts of encouragement. The recording picks it up well, the band is clearly heard, and although the audience calls out they aren’t right in the microphone and sound almost as if they have been added in for atmosphere. Prince introduces himself with his first tentative notes stretching into the darkness before the guitar takes an authoritative tone and lights the room in its luminescence. 

I have heard “Stratus” many times over the years and wasn’t expecting much from this performance. Instead, the band floors me with a well-rounded and satisfying performance. I think it is partly down to the recording, it is steady in its sound and seems to have the mix in balance. Part of me wants Prince’s guitar to sound louder, but sitting lower in the mix works well for the song overall and I have no complaints. The band idles loudly behind Prince's guitar sound, waiting for the clutch to be dropped and the concert to accelerate into the next few songs. It is John Blackwell who puts the pedal to the metal with a drum break that carries power, speed, and finesse in a combination that drives the show forward. 

There is a break in the recording next, “Stratus” fades out at the end before “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)” fades in, delivering us late into the song. We only get the last few calls and responses of “must be something in the water you drink” before the song fizzles out.

 

It’s not all that bad though as the following song is  “Strange Relationship.” The bass may not be particularly prominent on the recording, but there is plenty of funk dripping from the keyboards and Prince’s vocals. However, things flip when Cassandra plays her solo, the piano is barely audible and the bass suddenly becomes the backbone of the song. It is a very loose performance, one that I feel as much as I hear, and it’s about this point that I decide I would gladly sell my right arm for a soundboard recording of this entire gig. 

Even “I Like Funky Music” sounds better in this context. A song I could happily pass on, here it becomes part of the “Strange Relationship” jam, and rather than drag it down it adds to it with the audience becoming involved with the chants. I must praise the keyboards again at this point as they continue to solo and delight me with their sprinklings of stardust. 

This funk jam continues to evolve, and “Up For The Downstroke” reminds me of how much this white boy has learned about the history of funk from Prince. My first introduction to Parliament/Funkadelic/George Clinton was from hearing performances like this and then going back to find the original artists. This performance is worthy of those predecessors as the song swells and bloats, Prince and the band playing the audience as much as they are playing the music. It remains a beautifully unfocused, all-encompassing jam that is further enhanced by cameos from “Fantastic Voyage” and “Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)” it is not an intense jam that fills the recording, but it is one of the most enjoyable I have heard for a long time, and again I am quite ready to sell my body parts for more of the same. Oh to be there! 

I am seriously overwhelmed as the jam continues to creep across the land, this time swallowing up Mary J Blige’s “Be Happy” and consuming it into the body of the music. I regret that I am sitting at the computer at this stage, such is the urge just to get up and let my body move to the music. In my book, there is no higher recommendation. I am an old jaded fan who spends too much time listening to bootlegs, but performances like this are what I live for. 

A brief “Don’t Stop Until You Get Enough rounds off this jam before the recording ends with a final hit out from John Blackwell. At this point, the recording is raggedy sounding, with John’s drums distorting. In some ways, it is probably just as well it finishes here, lest my previous buzz from the funk jam is shattered by this less-than-stellar sound. Nothing against John himself, it is purely the recording that is sounding rough at this stage. 

There is no mistaking, this is a great show and one that I want to hear a lot more of. A sparkling setlist is matched with a classy performance and throw in the vibe of the room and this makes for one heck of a show. It is all the more disappointing then that we can only enjoy a half hour of the performance, with another two and half hours missing I can only imagine how good the rest of it is. Again, I strongly recommend researching more about this gig, with first eye accounts, the music takes on a whole new dimension. I am grateful for what we do have here, but I want so much more. This recording creates a thirst that I know will never be quenched, no matter how much I hope and pray. Worth hearing, just try not to think about what we are missing. 

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. 

Brisbane 19 May 2012 (am)

 I shouldn’t like today’s show, but it is one that I listen to quite a lot. On paper it doesn’t have much going for it, it’s an audience recording, the set list is rather ho-hum, and it’s only just over an hour long. But I find myself coming back to it again and again- I guess there is no accounting for some people's taste. An aftershow from the Australian tour of 2012, it’s more recent than some of the gigs I have dusted off over the last couple of months. So before I begin, please bear in mind that although I enjoy this one, it’s probably not to everyone’s tastes. 

 

19 May 2012 (am) The Hi-Fi Brisbane, Australia 

There is an unusual start to this recording and show, as the first thing we hear is a couple of minutes of the PA, while there is a live sound check. While “I Know You Got Soul” plays you can hear various instruments being checked, a few drum beats here and there, and a bass run or two. Often I find that the beauty of listening to these recordings is that I listen carefully and imagine that I am at the show. And with the band sound checking with the PA I can well imagine the excitement in the room, as that is the feeling I get here listening at home. And to give you further insight into my world, I often dance around the room listening to these songs, before forcing myself to sit down and listen again and write about it, and believe me and was and truly dancing around the room for the first portion of this show. 

 

The PA stops playing abruptly and the drums of “Musicology” begin. It’s got a good shuffle to it, and the horn stabs are prominent while the organ adds depth behind it. The bass enters, and then some great rhythm guitar. It’s got a funky wah wah sound before it changes and starts to play some funky-sounding lead lines. I have never been a fan of “Musicology” but if it had been played more like this in the main shows then I definitely would have given it much more love. Played here as a jam with plenty of guitar and bass its sounds much fuller and funkier. The bass hits a nice loop and the singers join in with a good harmony of “I know you got soul”. Because this is an audience recording, there is a lot of crowd noise, and sometimes it does drown the band, but I feel it’s a trade-off, as it does give it a brilliant live feel. This one is far from the sterile shows I sometimes hear. Prince calls “Brisbane, I know you got soul”, and there is great cheer from the crowd before Prince goes on to play a lot more guitar. It is not a roaring guitar solo, just very long, funky, improvised playing. Mr. Hayes gets called for a solo, and there is a moment when you can hear Prince calling to the sound desk “Turn him up, help him, help him”. The organ then becomes noticeable louder and Mr. Hayes plays a very nice break. Shelby J follows soon after singing “Mama Feelgood,” and I must say it’s very refreshing to hear her singing, rather than encouraging the audience as we hear at the main shows. She does have a great voice and is a favorite of mine, but I feel she doesn’t play to her strengths at the main shows. Here it’s all about her singing, and I am on board as a fan. The band does all get a chance to play, there is a brief drum break for John Blackwell, and Cassandra O’Neal also gets a small solo. Both are good in their own ways but too short to be noteworthy. Again, there is very much the feeling that it is a live show as Prince gets on the microphone to speak to the crowd, and at the same time asks for the sound desk to give him “more high-end on stage, more high-end” I love that this is raw and unpolished, and they are working on it as they go. He further goes on to explain to the audience “we get it right, we can stay here all night” There are then a few minutes when the song is stripped back to Ida and John Blackwell, before the crowd starts to chant with Prince “ooohhhhh, Brisbane”. The last two minutes of the song are Cassandra and John Blackwell playing, it’s a funky rhythm and has me itching to dance. The song ends, and I see it’s clocked in at almost 18 minutes- a great way to start an aftershow. 

 

Ida on the bass and some heavy organ from Mr. Hayes starts us into “Days Of Wild.” The first call of Prince to the crowd of “these are the days, these are the days” has them chanting along from the start. There is some heavy organ which I do like before Prince starts to sing. As I said earlier, there is a trade-off with audience recordings, and here I find I don’t hear Prince's vocals as well as I expect. He’s not spitting the lyrics as intensely as he used to, and there is also some distortion in the sound which makes him hard to listen to. And of course, I should mention, that I have this playing way too loud for my speakers, so it’s not always just about the show! Prince comes out with his “oh by the way I play the bass guitar” but what follows is fairly muted and restrained by his standards. There is then a nice moment when the main refrain from “America” is played before we return to the heavy organ groove of Mr. Hayes. I have to give further love to Mr. Hayes when he then goes on to play a great organ break for a good minute or so. It is fantastic and adds warm darkness to everything. There is then a great break, with just the band pulling right back while the guitar plays a funky stroke. It’s the funkiest moment of the song before Prince begins to sing “Wild And Loose.” He only sings it for a verse, before there is another keyboard solo. This song is just dripping, and it’s impossible not to move to it. Liv also gets a moment to sing on it, and she delivers an impassioned and deep “Ain’t Nobody.” I am feeling this one as another keyboard solo comes at us, and the heavy groove goes on and on. Cassandra plays great on the piano, but it's only fitting that it’s Mr. Hayes who plays us through to the end of the song with his organ. “These are the days, these are the days”! 

 

“The Question Of U” starts as purely an instrumental, while Prince plays some restrained lead guitar. I say restrained, as in its not fiery and loud, but it does have a stratospheric sound. He does sing, but it’s not “The Question Of U,” instead he sings the lyrics of “The One” over the music. “The One” is some of my favorite lyrics, and I am pleased that the recording is good enough that I can hear him quite clearly throughout this song. He pauses after each verse for some guitar play, nothing wild, just suitably mournful. After the second verse, he does play with a tone more in line with what I expect from “The Question Of U.” Although he plays a good long break, the song isn’t totally about him and his guitar. After his solo, there is then a long piano break, played by presumably Cassandra. The surprises keep coming as Prince begins to sing “Gingerbread Man.” The band is very quiet at this point, and it’s mostly Prince's vocals and the crowd we can hear. I am not overly familiar with the song, but I enjoy it here, and it’s a great fit for the song. Soon after Mr. Hayes plays another break (he sure is busy tonight) before the song comes to a soft end with the audience clapping and singing “ooohh, ohhh. ohhh, oooohh” A beautiful song, and again it’s played to maximum effect with nothing feeling rushed at all. 

 

The dark bluesy arrangement of “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man” follows next, and it’s soaked in a melancholy feel, especially the guitar tone and Prince's vocals. I am a big fan of this slowed-down arrangement, and this one is particularly smoky. Prince’s guitar playing is tight earlier on, but there is a great release when he does open up and play the first break. Like a door cracking open, the opening notes pull us in and I want to hear what comes next. Prince doesn’t unleash it right away, he returns to the verse after a few bars, but it builds the anticipation. At this point, you can hear some people in the crowd commenting that this version is better, and although I don’t like hearing them on the recording, I do agree with their sentiments. After the next verse Prince does open up on the guitar fully, and this is a good one, I mean the solo is full of emotion and soul. It’s not a solo for the ages, but on this song, on this night it’s just perfect. He does play faster as the song goes, but never furiously so, and as I said before, the fact is it’s a very soulful and mournful solo. The emotion continues as the music breaks down and Prince sings “I could never” over and over. Every word is full of passion, and it gives the song a vibe that is missing on the album. The keyboards play some piano and organ before Prince sings the refrain a couple more times and closes the song with one last mournful line. 

 

Prince gets a break from vocal duties next as Shelby takes the lead for a rendition of “Brownskin.” After the intensity of the previous song, it leaves me a little deflated. Shelby sings well, and I can hear the band is in good form with Prince on guitar, but it’s not at the same high level as the first four songs. There is a guitar break by Prince midsong which is noteworthy, with plenty of sustained notes and a very electric tone to his guitar, but it’s only short and we return to Shelby. On a better recording, I would give this one a lot more time, but being only an audience recording it is hard work to listen to, and even with another fine guitar break by Prince near the end I still can’t quite give it a pass. 

 

Prince calls for the lights to be turned up as he starts the rhythm guitar of “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).” I have heard this one plenty over the years, so it fails to fire me up when I hear it here. It’s as we have heard it previously, although the break with Prince playing plenty of rhythm guitar is cool and for me the most enjoyable part of the song. It’s at this stage of the gig that things speed up a little, and the earlier vibe of a jam is lost. This is very much a show that has two halves. The first few songs were all longer jams and plenty of intensity, but at this stage a lighter vibe is present, and the songs are getting shorter. “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” only goes for a few minutes before it ends and Prince plays the funky guitar intro of “Love Rollercoaster.” He doesn’t go on to play the rest of the song, we just have half a minute of him alone playing the rhythm before we move on to the next song. 

 

Next, his guitar playing moves to the rhythm of “Controversy” and the kick drum comes in behind him. There is the keyboard sound before we have the main groove that we know so well. The crowd gets a chance to sing along as the band play, and the band does a great job of it, they sound very tight. Prince does play with the crowd a little, getting them to scream and shout in a brief call and response. There is then another verse and chorus a breakdown and Prince doing his “people call me rude” speech. Then as the “Controversy” groove continues Prince asks “how many people know about the quake” and we get a minute of him and Shelby encouraging the crowd to clap their hands and stomp their feet before the song is brought to a close. Again it’s very short, and light. 

 

The party is kept going as Prince and the band start to play “I Know You Got Soul,” nicely taking us back to where all this began. Prince mostly speaks to the crowd, getting them dancing, before a very short chant of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie”. The funky guitar starts again and we move to “Play That Funky Music.” 

“Play That Funky Music” I have very strong feelings about. I don’t like it in his main shows, and I don’t like it here. The band plays it very easily, and it feels a little throw away for them. This one is slightly better than others, in that Prince starts a guitar solo early on and maintains it for most of the three minutes. It swirls and grinds away while Prince occasionally sings a line or two to the audience. The song never really starts, nor does it ever turn into a jam, and it ends very quickly with Prince's “Thank you Brisbane, and good night” 

 

So there it is. An odd little show that I listen to a lot. The first part is very strong, and even though I dislike the second part of the show, it is very short and the first few songs more than compensate. As I said earlier, it’s not for everyone’s taste, but if you aren’t averse to an audience recording and want to hear something a little off the radar, this would be as good a place as any to start. 

Brisbane 18 May 2012

 The Welcome 2 Australia concerts are normally a run-through of the hits, yet there are several special moments in the tour that make the circulating bootlegs interesting. The guest appearance of Public Enemy is one such moment, as are a couple of excellent after-shows currently circulating.  I have already written about the aftershow played on the same night as this concert, and I have it on good authority that the main show was just as good as the aftershow. A quick run-through of the setlist confirms this, I see "Empty Room" and "Extralovable" there, two songs that I need to hear. The recording is an audience recording, but Eye records have put together a complete package with the soundcheck, main show, and aftershow all presented together, something that I greatly appreciate. The completest in me is more than happy with the quality of recording when it comes all together like this. 

18th May 2012, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane 

The concert has a somewhat unusual beginning with Andy McKee playing an acoustic rendition of “Purple Rain”. It doesn’t feel like the beginning of the Prince concert, the crowd is quite chatty through his performance – although I do find their singing along with guitar endearing. It is an odd way to open and when Prince takes the stage there are further surprises with his first number being “Jam Of The Year”. It is one thing to read it on the liner notes, quite another to hear it, and I must admit I get a lot of pleasure from this version. The band plays it with a lighter touch than what was heard at The Jam Of The Year concerts, and there is a buoyant sound provided by the keyboard and horns. The dreariness of the late ’90s is all but forgotten with this luminescent performance. 

It is disappointing that the next few minutes can’t match these opening songs for interest. “$” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” are lighthearted, but instantly forgettable. Even listening to the bootleg, there is the feeling that we are being short-changed and Prince has so much more that he could have offered up instead. 

“Let’s Go Crazy” is one of the overplayed hits that the more hardcore fans rail against, but in this case, it serves its purpose in igniting the crowd and the concert. Prince’s guitar has an ominous tone through the introduction that hints at darkness, but once the song starts the curtain opens on music that is filled with warmth and pop fizz. Even if the song is played straight, the crowd can still be heard rising to the occasion, and shorn of its final guitar break it becomes an altogether more danceable number. 

 

Dance is the theme of the moment and “Delirious” is in the same vein. It is a lot of fun, the music skips by in a hurry, barely pausing, and it is only the solo by Mr. Hayes that makes it something substantial. This keyboard runs from a flowery opening to a percussive finish, leaving little doubt about the abilities of Mr. Hayes. 

The reprise of “Let’s Go Crazy” see’s Prince return to the guitar, and this time the sheering guitar finish is present and firmly sets the tone for the next few songs. 

With the energy levels remaining high, the band storms through “1999”. They show no regard for the history of the song, everyone is in the moment and the performance brings it firmly into the present. It is far more organic sounding, and the band injects it with their own life, giving it a contemporary feel that carries the song well across to the crowd. 

What can I say about “Shhh” that hasn’t been said before. Prince and the band play every song at the concert well, but “Shhh” is the song that they truly inhibit and the performance that follows is the most soulful part of the show. The first versus crackle and fizz with unresolved tension before the song boils over with a volcanic solo from Prince. It begins with the dense haze of an ash cloud, before Prince turns it up to an eruption of boiling lava, every note coming as part of an unending fiery river. 

 

The guitar doesn’t let up as Prince plays a hard and heavy “Anotherloverholenyohead”. It certainly is a heavy hitter, and Prince comes out punching from the start with several strong jabs from his guitar. The rest of the song lives up to these opening moments, and although not as soulful as “Shhh”, it is every bit as intense. Of special note is Prince’s solo midsong, although not the best recording we can still hear the intensity of the moment. The “Rock Lobster” coda he ends with is right up my alley, this is exactly the type of music I gravitated to before I discovered Prince and the several minutes he spends shredding through the song has me feeling like a teenager. 

As if the last three songs haven’t been guitar heaven enough, Prince chooses to finish with one of his show stoppers – “Empty Room”. This is the moment I have been waiting for and the reason that my friend Marti recommended this concert to me. It lives up to the occasion, and even with some audible crowd noise, I am transported away on the wings of Prince’s soaring guitar. The verses lose some power due to the audience chat, no doubt this song isn’t familiar to casual fans, but every other part of the song is divine and I am immediately grateful for the recommendation. 

 

The sampler set that follows is a buzz kill, although it begins well with an ever-youthful “When Doves Cry”. Even as part of the sampler set it’s hard not to like it, the beat and main hook as irresistible as ever. 

The funk gets stronger with a brief “Nasty Girl” serving as a doorstep into “Sign O The Times”. The latter has an insistent bass that nails it firmly to the dance floor and propels the concert forward.  Prince follows this with two more songs from the same album, “Hot Thing” and “Forever In My Life” might come from different ends of the spectrum, but they are both forever tied together by the groundbreaking album they first appeared on. Hearing them side by side heightens the contrast between them, leaving the fact that they are from the same album all the more amazing. 

“A Love Bizarre” and “Darlin Nikki” are merely tasters before we have something more nourishing in the form of “Pop Life”. It does indeed have that pop, but it isn’t as filling as it promises and Prince ends it at the first chorus. 

There comes another flurry of songs with “Housequake”, “Extralovable” and “Pheromone”. The titles promise so much, but it is a false hope as Prince skips through them. I am particularly disappointed with “Extralovable” when I saw it listed I was hoping for something substantial, but I can’t say I’m too surprised to see it treated like this in the sampler set. 

This set ends with “Dance For Me” as Prince calls the band back on stage. It's little more than a pounding beat and a chance for the band to rejoin the fray. 

The “I like funky music” chant has the band introduced by Prince, and in this case, it is Ida who is the highlight, she may not be loud and forceful, but she is undeniably funky. The rest of the band follows her lead, and although Prince doesn’t sing the song is one of the funkiest of the evening. 

 

“Take Me With U” is light, even by its own standards, and it is merely a piece of fluff on this recording. Raspberry Beret is equally pop, but more rewarding as it runs substantially longer and features Prince singing “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC (now there’s something I never thought I’d write). It is only the chant that features at the beginning, but it does make for an arresting moment. 

An unsophisticated  “Cream” follows and although the crowd loves it, it is hardly essential. The keyboard wheeze of Morris Hayes is great, but it is submerged beneath the bright and breezy band, dissipating any backbone he may bring to the song. 

Morris Hayes underpins all that is great about “Cool” and “Don’t Stop Until You Get Enough”, it is his keyboard swells that lift the song and carries it forward. It is equally a chance for the singers to have their moment, and Shelby, Liv, and Elise are just as essential to the song as Prince. After the sampler set, this comes as a reward, a six-minute rendition that reignites the party. 

Prince returns to the keyboard, this time for a piano set, and this part of the gig shines as for the next few minutes he plays delicate renditions of some of his finest ballads. The opening minute of “Purple Rain” is every fanboy’s dream, but “Diamonds And Pearls” is even better as Prince begins to sing. Both these songs are heavily abridged, and it is only as he tackles “The Beautiful Ones” that the crowd is treated to something special. The piano is more colorful, the singing slower and less intense, yet the song is just as riveting as it is on record. 

“How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore” struts across the stage, all swagger and spit as Prince brings a bold attitude to the performance. A song that we have heard countless times, this rendition holds my attention through the entire song and is a healthy update of a classic. It is one of the key songs of the concert, which is surprising for a 30-year-old B-side. 

The piano continues with a flourish and sparkle as the opening of “Purple Rain” is heard. It is played as the epic power ballad it is, the crowd singing their piece from the opening moments while the keyboards drape ever morphing chords over it, letting the song build slowly into its true form. This is my “Purple Rain”, nothing is rushed and Prince pulls every strand of emotion from the song as he talks to the crowd, plays an emotive guitar break, and generally turns it into an unforgettable event. All this emotional energy is finally released with his heartbreaking guitar solo that is both forlorn and life-affirming at the same time. I don’t know about the crowd at the arena, but I feel drained by the end of it. 

There is a chance to recover with an easy listening “Everyday People” ushering in the encore. There’s nothing too demanding to be heard and it slides by easily, which is just as well as the following “The Dance Electric” lives up to its name and is electrifying. It takes a minute to warm up, but once the band starts cooking it becomes one of the hottest songs of the concert. I would have liked to hear more of Prince’s vocals, but the groove and the guitar that flickers and flames beneath it are more than enough to satisfy, making this the standout performance of the night, and this bootleg. 

“Kiss” is a song without a center. All the components are in place, but it remains unfocused and passes by in a hazy blur. It is the final song of the evening but it doesn’t put an exclamation mark on the performance and is a wholly unsatisfying end to what has been a very good show. 

I am very quick to dismiss concerts from 2004-2012 as nothing more than greatest hits shows, yet time and time again I find that they offer something for even the most hardened fan. They aren’t as good as the after-shows of this period, but they do offer something for everyone. This concert didn’t immediately grab me when I first saw it, but I was drawn in by the quality of the performance, and there was just enough in the setlist to appeal to my jaded ears. Not a show I would immediately gravitate to, but I appreciate the recommendation and found it worth the time to take a close listen. 

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