28 Jul Prince & The NPG Run Into Trouble In Germany
Prince NPG Records 2011
I would hate to be around Prince or any of his NPG band right now in Germany, especially if I am the sound man!
I am hearing from a source that Prince and the band are having some post-production difficulties that they are trying to get fixed before the next gig. It seems there were some sound problems at the show tonight and it caused a delay. After the first song, the band knew something was different. They didn’t and don’t want to cancel a show because of janky sound quality but sometimes, things are out of their control.
The audience knows what the sound is supposed to sound like at a Prince show and so does the band. You know Prince and the band want to give the BEST possible experience when you come to their shows, so I can bet everyone is unhappy. I am told things went perfect in sound check but by the time they hit the stage, things were drastically changed.
A source at the venue over heard that they better get to the bottom of this and fix it for the people coming to see them. They said that it will take a minute BUT it is being made sure that the audience gets the best sound and performance by Prince and The NPG.
It appears the band was highly upset about the sound after the show, some even taking to Twitter to vent. You can bet they truly feel bad for the fans who had to put up with the audio problems but I can guarantee you Prince and crew will get it fixed! You can believe that!!!-Dr.FB
Diagnosis: Soaked In Banana Cologne…..
anjelle
Posted at 08:07h, 29 Julyomg! it’s not prince and the npg fault …damn! get over it ppl were all humans we make mistakes !
Johan
Posted at 06:43h, 29 JulyI was there and it was at times very enjoyable. However, the sound was a disaster AND the way the audience was handled even worse. I am seeking a refund, and there are rumors of a 50% reimbursement.
14 songs?! That’s a lot of money per song if you pay 100€ … And to leave the audience hanging for 10 minutes before turning on the house lights was just mocking. No wonder there was a massive booing and people throwing things.
I don’t blame Prince, but he should have better people around him.
Terri Walsh
Posted at 06:22h, 29 Julywell, everyone can have a bad week, but Prince really doesn’t need much else on that stage but him and his piano or guitar. everyone would be happy with that, he doesnt need all those other people, especially if it means complication.
Studio53
Posted at 04:27h, 29 Julyand I thought Rotterdam Ahoy was a short gig… sorry for the German fans..
justmemuchlove
Posted at 04:24h, 29 JulyThe headline gave me a scare.. I thought something terrible happend!!
@Bruce Willis.. yadda yada yadda….
marijke jongbloed
Posted at 04:11h, 29 JulyI feel for Prince! He’s always impaccable with his show, performance, costumes, lighting, image, setlist, sound everything under the sun. It shows how vulnerable you are as an artist. Stuff been trown at you, while you’re playing your socks off!! It might have re opened an old wound, when he was doing the opening act of The Rolling Stones in the early eighties in California. He got beer bottles and rotten food in his face and flew back to Minneapolis. Even the second time stuff was trown at him, but Jagger told him to stay. All I can say: send Prince good vibes to keep up the good work. He’s a genius and even when the sound is off – skip it- and go to the next take, eh performance!
Prince - Purple Rain (Live in Cologne 2011) | digitaldisqo
Posted at 04:10h, 29 July[…] Purple Rain zog Prince in Köln nahezu alle Register. Alleine dieser Song entschädigte für ein wegen technischer Probleme stark verkürztes […]
Dominique
Posted at 04:00h, 29 Julythe concert in Belgium Ghent was SUPERRRRRRRRRR, the best !
unbelievable performance ! Come all to Belgium next time !
great vibes, cool people , great atmosphere !
Prince - Purple Rain (Live in Cologne) | digitaldisqo
Posted at 03:16h, 29 July[…] Purple Rain zog Prince in Köln nahezu alle Register. Alleine dieser Song entschädigte für ein wegen technischer Probleme stark verkürztes […]
TKanne
Posted at 03:06h, 29 JulyA lot said here, nothing to add. I was traveling 8 hours to see him after approx. 20 years again, just to have again a supershort concert like in Hanover.
Basically I agree with Bruce Willis here – really sad experience.
ranon
Posted at 02:28h, 29 JulySo Germany is being left with leftovers lately in Princeland?
This isn’t good PR. Not the slightest. Buy new gear Prince.
marijke jongbloed
Posted at 02:01h, 29 JulyAll I can say is the first concert in The Hague july 8th the sound was distorted too. All levels, instruments and voices far too loud. I was wearing earplugs and mailed Shelby J too report this. The next concert on saturday night things were fixed and Prince apologized for this matter…
My other concert in a smaller venue, The Melkweg in Amsterdam was superb! I had a ball! So who is in the end responsible for the sound?
BillySez
Posted at 23:47h, 28 JulyBILLY: It won’t be The Time — they’re playing backup to Vanity. So it’s either you or the Modern Aires.
What would You do in my position?
(Prince has a sinking feeling in his gut)
‘Nough said. Get smart. Straighten up your shit
angelarnold
Posted at 23:38h, 28 JulyPrince has ALWAYS been a performer. Im sad that he is having problems with his equip,ent…I am sure that it has happened before…all the concerts he has given. No need to riot and throw things on the stage…a sign of real maturity…pppfftt.
When you go to a concert…do you go to see PRINCE or do you go to hear the fluff of the band (no offese…I did like them) …you go to see and hear PRINCE. Prince could sing accepella and it would still be good!! “FREETHEMUSIC” said it BEST!!!! Stop your complaining…chalk it up to a bad experience and move on.
freethemusic
Posted at 23:31h, 28 JulyAll I need is Prince and deep emotion from his soul, the pain, the joy, the love, the heartache, the laughter, the magic of him and his music that connects him with the audience. All the other stuff around him is insignificant.
Bruce Willis
Posted at 22:59h, 28 JulyThis was the worst Prince concert I´ve ever been to, and maybe not just the worst Prince concert but THE WORST concert by any major artist that I´ve ever seen.
The sound engineer was, as far as I know, the same guy who handled the sound in Rotterdam.
( A guy named John).
If I were John, I´d quit my job and let Prince know that it´s not cool and not very professional to put the blame on ONE guy and tell thousands of people that John messed up and that he wishes everybody would just do their job just like Shelby does. That is just wrong and unfair, unprofessional and makes you wonder who is really in charge of this show. The sound was not the only problem last night, the whole show left a lot to be desired.
Andy should either play the guitar or not play it at all and maybe just sing ……but not just stand there on stage HOLDING a guitar. That Purple Rain intro was a joke. The whole show was a bad joke. The singalongs, the “Clap your hands!” chants, the “No curfew!” and “Party til you fall asleep” comments when you don´t even play more than 90 minutes and KNOW there´s a curfew, Shelby J dominating the whole show and singing a cover version, all those people on stage, the lack of passion, the lack of dedication while singing, letting other people sing most of his lyrics for him, or blaming this, that and the other for a bunch of things that already happened before and should have been dealt with before.
I know Prince can still deliver a great show, and maybe he´ll make up for this in Ireland, but the majority of those who were there last night and saw Prince´s ONLY Germany show during this tourand will probably never go to a Prince show again.
I was just standing there in shock and disbelief. I have never seen people booing at a Prince show or throwing garbage and beer cups on stage . This whole thing was a disaster, a disgrace and no matter how many people liked it or no matter who Prince blames for this mess, in the end it is HIS show and he should know better by now.
There´s absolutely no use in sugarcoating this. As long as his fans and his band members tolerate this, this will definitely happen again and again.
The best thing about that whole fiasco was the pizza and salad I had at Vapiano before the show, and of course spending some time with my friends and finding out that Prince is only human. It was an interesting experience. Not really positive, but interesting.
There are much more important things in life than having a bad night at a bad Prince show, shit happens, and I know he can get his act together just like he´s done before but this was really a bad joke.
I used to think that Prince on his worst day is still just as exciting or maybe even more exciting than any other artist in his prime but last night´s show proved me wrong.
I don´t need to see, let alone hear, two or three background singers, or dancers, or Prince dancing or doing the splits, I don´t need to hear certain lyrics to certain songs that he doesn´t want to sing anymore…..just go on stage and let your music and your lyrics and your singing create the magic, sit on a stool if you can´t run around all the time, sit at your piano and play for hours, I don´t care , as long as you don´t fool yourself and those who care about your music.
JessicaLove69
Posted at 22:57h, 28 JulyYeah it sucks when the playback track goes of and the band has to follow! Lol. Come on Prince, go back to a full live band. I was there, you guys didn’t fool a fellow musician!
saidelarkin
Posted at 22:52h, 28 July@fixit band I agree! 100 percent. Fans go to a Prince concert to hear Prince singing, playing the guitar and piano. He is the one we all pay to see. He is a legendary performer known for having the best show and best band, this is not amateur hour with a bit of Prince thrown in.
violet aura
Posted at 22:42h, 28 JulyA sound check may go smooth but once you start adding bodies to the mix things can get a little fuzzy.Perhaps he has a man doing the sound and the place he really needs some ladies is working that board!Besides it is a proven fact we are better at it! 😉 Who knows what they are dealing with phase cancellation, the reverberant sound,feedback etc But I am sure that Prince will see to it that it is dealt with.And I agree with a few of the points that fixitband made.Mr John Blackwell and Mr Hayes are 2 he should most definately hang onto.Thanks for sharing the details Doc
Royal Rican Prince
Posted at 22:30h, 28 JulyI see a purple heel going in to someone ass in thier future!
fixitband
Posted at 22:23h, 28 JulyThese seem to be the reoccuring problems with this European tour. Three main points Prince and the NPG should consider fixing.
1- Bad Sound, really bad sound
2- Too many covers!
3- His backing singers take up most of the show! We wanna hear Prince sing and play, not his latest young toy he wants to impress. (Who can’t play the guitar BTW so why does she have one in her hands?)
This band is by far the weakest collectively Prince has had to date. John Blackwell, Ida and Cassie are great but this line up is not impressive. Andy Allo is an amatuer and the weakest link. It takes away from the whole IMO
Rinna
Posted at 21:29h, 28 JulyExactly the same thing happened in Helsinki week ago.Hopefully John the soundman will keep his job!The concert here was over 40 minutes late and in the beginning sounded strange,hope the crew can fix the problem.Still,The concert was superb anyway because Prince and the NPG are professionals!Thank you!
drfunkencherry
Posted at 21:08h, 28 JulyWhat a bummer for the fans and Prince and the band; I know they always want to give the best performance they can. From what I’ve read, it sounds like it affected the band more than the audience. But I know Prince and the NPG will come back kicking even more a** next time!
AngelSoDivine
Posted at 21:02h, 28 JulyLOL!! Love the diagnosis, Doc. =D
Kai
Posted at 21:01h, 28 JulyWorst concert ever. He can skip Germany next time. The audience was really disappointed, was shouting out loud and throwing empty cups on stage.
I’ll try to get a refund.