Prince: Last Night's Concert Performance In Rome, Italy

'Purple Rain"


"Let's Work/You Got The Look"


"Le Freak" (Chic cover)

Photo links:
Rex Features

Setlist:
Let's Go Crazy
Delirious
1999
Shhh
Controversy
Le Freak (Chic cover)
Angel (Sarah McLachlan cover)
Nothing Compares 2 U
Uptown
Raspberry Beret
Cream
Cool
Let's Work
U Got the Look
Purple Rain

Encore:
If I Was Your Girlfriend
Kiss

Encore 2:
Little Red Corvette

Encore 3:
Dance (Disco Heat) (Sylvester cover)
Baby, I'm A Star

Encore 4:
Peach
(source)

Prince Sells Out

via Pollstar

How long did it take for Prince to sell out his two December gigs at New York’s Madison Square Garden? Turns out it took his Purpleness longer to announce the shows than sell the tickets.

Prince held a press conference at New York’s Apollo Theatre in mid-October to announce his “Welcome 2 America Live” tour. Although his Purpleness did not mention specific dates at that time, the tour, so far, consists of only five shows – Dec. 14-15 & 17 at New Jersey’s IZOD Center in E. Rutherford and Dec. 18 & 29 at MSG.

The shows went on sale Oct. 29 with fans gobbling up tickets for both Garden shows in 30 minutes, about half the run-time of the press op announcing the tour.

Scheduled to include performances by Maceo Parker, Janelle Monae, Mint Condition, Esperanza Spalding, Cassandra Wilson, Sinbad, Lalah Hathaway, Sheila E and Graham Central Station, Prince told reporters he’ll appear as the tour’s master of ceremonies.

“You need to come often because every time we play there’s always something new,” Prince said. “No concert is ever the same. I got a lot of hits. Bring friends, bring your children and bring foot spray ‘cause it's gon’ be funky.”

Prince: Dublin, Ireland Concert Promoter Awarded Damages From 2008 Cancelation

via Pollstar

Prince canceled his 2008 concert at Dublin’s Croke Park “on a whim,” according to MCD chief Denis Desmond, who was awarded undisclosed damages Feb. 26.

“I’m pleased with the result because it means I’m not out of pocket, but I’m still disappointed for the fans that bought the tickets,” he told Pollstar, hours after the Dublin Commercial Court laid down the judgment.

On Feb. 23, the day the case opened, Desmond told the court he didn’t have any “rumblings” that anything was wrong until two weeks before the June 18 show date. And then it was only because his production staff could not get any information from Prince’s production staff.

He brought a euro 1.6 million action against Prince (Prince Rogers Nelson) and William Morris Endeavour Entertainment’s Los Angeles office. WME was added to the case after Prince allegedly said the Beverly Hills-based agency had no authority to bind him to the concert.’

The Commercial Court took the view the agency did have authority to book Prince and awarded damages against the artist.
“In a way it was more like a case between Prince and WMEE because I know the agency did its utmost to try to make the show happen,” Desmond explained.

WME, which claimed an agreement dating back to August 2005 authorised it to negotiate on Prince’s behalf, said on Feb. 26, 2008, it agreed to a contract with MCD for Prince to play the Dublin park for guaranteed fee of $3 million. MCD transferred $1.5 million to William Morris as a deposit.

WME also admitted that it notified MCD of the cancellation June 6 on the grounds that Prince refused to travel to Dublin, an explanation that it described as having “no reason of substance.” It claimed the decision to cancel was outside its control and it had returned $1.5 million to MCD. The company denied negligence, breach of duty or misrepresentation.

Desmond told the court that he had a good relationship with the WME. He entered into negotiations with WME in 2007 and early 2008 to bring Prince to Ireland.

The act played 21 concerts in London in 2007, and while efforts to bring him to Ireland did not work out, Desmond later confirmed Prince for Croke Park in June 2008.

Desmond told the court that promoters can take out cancellation insurance and dates could be rescheduled in the event of a performer being genuinely ill but, in this case, there was no reason given for the cancellation.

Read the full article here:
Pollstar - Prince Canceled ‘On A Whim’

Prince Plays Rare Concert At Paisley Park Studios

(photo courtesy of David Joles at the Star Tribune)

Prince played a surprise private concert Saturday, October 24 at Paisley Park studios in Chanhassen, MN.

Show review and set list courtesy of Jon Bream at the Star Tribune Minneapolis - St. Paul, Minnesota and idolator.

Prince showed more versatility and musicality in his first hour onstage than Michael Jackson did in his entire career. He started with a bunch of tunes from this year's "Lotusflow3r" collection and then paraded through his hits, especially from the 1980s. In fact, there wasn't one tune from the '90s and only "Feel 4 U" from the '70s.

With his horn-less band, Prince has never sounded funkier at Paisley. He was talkative and humorous, loose and spontaneous, calling out songs and arrangements as well as an occasional "so-low" for himself on guitar. To witness that kind of organic musicmaking always feels special -- especially when it's a well-drilled, first-rate band like Prince's -- even if you have to put up with the bandleader frequently telling the sound guy how to adjust the mix.

Prince saluted the Time, the Doobie Brothers and the Jackson 5 in song and verbally acknowledged his debt ("I wouldn't be who I am without...") to James Brown, the Jacksons, Chaka Khan, Rufus, Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone, Joni Mitchell and Tower of Power. His pal Larry Graham sat in on bass for a series of Sly & the Family Stone tunes, and backup singer Shelby J, a powerhouse from the southern soul/gospel school, stepped out front on a couple of selections, most notably "The Arms Of An Angel."

Read more of the show review here:
Star Tribune - Paisley Park's night to remember





Prince's Paisley Park Set list:

No More Candy 4 U
Ol Skool Company
Stand (Sly Stone cover)
Turn Me Loose
I Want You Back (Jackson 5 cover)
Dance with Me
1999
Feel 4 U
Controversy
Sexy Dancer
Le Freak (Chic cover)
Shake That Moneymaker
Controversy
Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad
Take Me with U
Anotherholeinthehead/Rock Lobster (the B-52's)
Guitar
Raspberry Beret
Arms Of An Angel (Sarah McLachlan cover sung by Shelby J)
Forever in My Life
Mountains
Shake Your Booty (Jackson 5 cover)
begins Sly Stone medley: Everyday People
I Want To Take You Higher
You Can Make It If You Try
Long Train Runnin (Doobie Brothers cover, sung by Shelby J)
Thankuforlettinmebemyself (back to Sly Stone)
Dancin' Machine (The Jacksons cover)
Sing a Simple Song (more Sly Stone)
Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry cover)

Encore #1
Uptown
Let's Work
Cool (The Time)
Kiss
Sometimes it Snows in April
The Bird (The Time, playfully introduced as "another ballad")
Jungle Love
Love Bizarre
Glamourous Life

Encore #2
Purple Rain