Prince & The NPG with Larry Graham, Doug E. Fresh &
Rosie Gaines
Larry 's set: (I Got
My Groove On) Baby Let's Go (instr.) - Days Of Wild / Thank You (Falettinme Be
Mice Elf Agin) / You Can Sing It If You Try - Free & Everyday People with
Prince - Larry's bass solo - The Jam intro / I Want To Take You Higher with Prince
( 10:30pm - 11:30pm )
Prince guested on
stage during Free, Everyday People and I Want To Take You Higher, playing
guitar and keyboards. During Larry's solo, Prince was at the soundboard and
arranged the sound to his preference; he then made the 'wild sign' for Larry
and seemed to have a great time. Larry's set was exactly the same as usual
(note for note), only Prince added some refreshing flavor when he guested.
I ask this question
again, what is Larry Graham's wife's function in GCS? I don't get it? She just seemed to get in the way and almost
literally
bow down to
Larry. On another note, she does play a
really mean air tamborine... whatever...
After Larry's set
they played two tracks off his forthcoming CD on the PA system: You Move Me and
Free. Free sounds remarkably similar to
the SoDark remix from Crystal Ball, in case u care.
11:50pm - 1:15am
Prince's set: Push
It Up / Jam Of The Year / Talking Loud & Saying Nothing - Car Wash - Let's
Work - Delirious - Rock 'N' Roll Is Alive instr. - Purple Rain - Little Red
Corvette - I Would Die 4 U - Jingo-Lo-Ba / Get Yo Groove On instr. intro -
ICNTTPOYM - The Freedom Song (Bob Marley cover) (ballad sung by Rosie Gaines) -
Ain't No Way - Nothing Compares 2 U - Freaks On This Side chant - Hola Hola /
The Roof Is On Fire chant - Come On – 1999 (Deep House Version; instr.) -
Erotic City - Rosie's beatbox solo - 6 Minutes - Doug E.'s Fresh's beatbox solo
- La Di Da Di - Gett Off / Gett Off Houstyle - intro jam / Release Yourself
Doug E. Fresh was on
stage for the first few numbers and joined the band for the encore as well,
this time singing on top of a platform situated in the audience. Rosie Gaines
joined for Car Wash, Ain't No Way and Nothing Compares 2 U and led the Bob
Marley cover (singing & playing keyboards; "won't you help to sing
these songs of freedom"). Rosie also stood in the background (next to Doug
E Fresh) and sang backing vocals for many other songs. Larry Graham returned
for Release Yourself.
For the encore,
Prince was at the soundboard again, singing and directing the band from there.
Since he didn't have any instruments back there, he started to 'play' with the
soundboard, e.g. changing the volume in response to Doug's chants like an MC.
About an hour after the concert they played the Deep House Version of 1999 over
the PA.
It was funny to hear
Prince add to Doug E Fresh's "Who rocks the hardest" chant "the
Artist rocks the hardest." It was
also interesting that Prince played all three verses of Purple Rain.
I heard some of the
soundcheck, which lasted about 2 hours, including the new medley of I wish u
heaven, 4 the tears in your eyes, question of u, plus Mad, all of which he did
not play. The entire band also
rehearsed 1999-the new master but did not play it. I thought they were gonna play it in the encore, but then he sang
2 verses of Erotic city over the instrumental.
After the
performance, Prince sat in a closed section upstairs and talked a lot to Marva
& Rhonda; he left around 3:00am.
There's an unconfirmed report that he headed back to the club around 5am
and played an additional 2 hour set until 7AM (!!!) but since nobody saw it I don't
know if I believe it.
I met a bunch of
really cool people at the concert and had a really good time.
And that's how I spent my New Years! :)