I wrote this post sitting at Brisbane Airport, preparing to return to my real life and reflecting on a wonderful weekend. So many factors made it special: reconnecting with good friends, dancing until the wee small hours with boys that were far too young, singing songs around an RSL piano, drinking amazing wine. But at the heart of it there was Prince. He was the man who inspired me to make the trip to Brisbane to begin with, so perhaps it’s fitting that his Friday night show was one of my long weekend’s highlights.
I started to feel that thrill of excitement before the doors even opened. There’s something special about standing in a sea of folks dressed in purple whose excitement is just as palpable as yours. That frisson reached fever pitch as we stepped inside and took in the iconic love symbol shaped stage. It escalated again when a lone guitarist appeared to serenade us for a bit with an introduction to “Purple Rain” before the full band and Prince himself graced us with his presence and a killer rendition of “Jam of the Year.”
And what a presence it is. I was so struck by him, spellbound as I watched him dance and sing, using the full extent of that big stage, playing to the entire room despite its size. I found myself thinking about other entertainers he reminded me of: Little Richard, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix. He’s all that and more. A born showman who is completely captivating and utterly sexy.
And he’s got the songs to match that electric stage presence. There were some notable absences, but I suppose that’s inevitable for a man with such an impressive back catalogue. He certainly crammed as much as he could in, even if it meant singing just a snippet of some like “Pop Life” and “Darling Nikki.” “Let’s Go Crazy” and “1999” were electric, and the unexpected appearance of “Shhh” made me weak at the knees. Hearing him sing “Purple Rain” will stick out as one of my most treasured concert moments. Sitting in a room illuminated by the light of thousands of mobile phones – the new cigarette lighters – was incredible. Watching purple glitter fall as the song snaked towards its epic conclusion is something I’ll never forget. “Kiss” was perhaps the perfect closer, cheeky and playful and everything Prince showed us he is.
I travelled a long way for the performance but it was definitely worth it to bask in his aura for a few hours. When I told people I was going to see Prince a few suggested he might be past his prime. However on reflection it seems the Purple One is just warming up.