Prince fans have learned to take the rough with the spectacular. No other musician oscillates so rapidly across the fine line between genius and ego-driven madness. The amazing songs have always been there. People just had to accept that on a regular basis, Prince would do something, on record, on stage or in his everyday behaviour that was unquestionably nutty.
There were moments of oddness at last night's Prince concert at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, the stringently enforced embargo on photography being just one. It barely seemed to matter, because what the vertically challenged maestro produced over the course of nearly two and a half hours was a masterpiece of musical entertainment that everyone present will be discussing with both friends and strangers well into the new year.
Without a new album to promote, Prince appeared happy to cherry-pick his favourite songs from his own massive back catalogue. The only criterion for selection, on this night anyway, was whether the song would get people dancing.
Of course, Prince has never lacked confidence. But it takes a special kind of self-assurance to drop "Purple Rain" into the set as the second song of the night, dousing the crowd in purple confetti while shredding a solo on his faithful Telecaster. It turned out he was only warming up. "Let's Go Crazy" merged into "Delirious," which in turn exploded into "1999." The musical polemic of the night – how funky can Vancouver take it – had been asked. As a growing crowd left their seats and gathered in front of Prince's symbol-shaped stage on the Rogers Arena floor, and his band blasted through Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People," "Alphabet St." and "Long Train Running," the answer became apparent. Very funky indeed. The security personnel looked worried. Prince was enjoying every minute of it.
The Doobie Brothers' cover heralded the first of many farewells from Prince. No one believed that there wouldn't be multiples encores. Each return to the stage unveiled more surprises, more energy and more excitement, as Prince seemingly channelled the spirits of James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jackson, often within the space of a few moments.
"Controversy" was reinvented as dark electro, climaxing with Prince instructing the crowd to wave their cellphones in the darkness. The perfect pop of "Raspberry Beret" re-energized the crowd before "Cream," during which Prince declared that to really appreciate the track, "I just wish I had a bigger booty." "If I was your Girlfriend" was transformed into ultra-heavy doom funk. And after Prince faux-tested the crowd saying, "I don't have any more hits," "Kiss" climaxed with a dance routine that would floor professionals half his 53 years.
More than a few people went home when the house lights finally came up. Ten minutes later, those who refused to leave were still screaming for more. Their perseverance was rewarded by the absolute pinnacle of the performance as Prince, triggering samples from a synth dressed as a grand piano, blasted through diamond-hard versions of "Hot Thing," "When Doves Cry," "Sign O' The Times" and "Baby I'm A Star." The remaining crowd, rightly convinced it was witnessing truly special moments, gyrated as one, with Prince conducting them as masterfully as he controlled his own band.
Prince's star power and talent were never in doubt. His brilliance, on last night's form anyway, was tying it together with flair, funk and honest showmanship in a performance that provided an illustrated definition of musical greatness. The best night out in Vancouver this year.
Prince plays Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria on Saturday night.
