Prince & @3RDEYEGIRL: Five reasons why the Hit & Run Tour is so awesome

Prince

5) Ticket touts, have been left out in the cold by Prince's marketing strategy

Slick Prince, slick

This has been a mini-triumph for real music fans.  Seatwave have had to refund over-inflated tickets they bought in bulk for the Manchester shows (Friday 21 February Saturday 22 February). As a result of this, Manchester Academy were able to offer a limited number of tickets  on the door.

4) Avoiding the middlemen

That's a no from Prince

Years before Beyoncé declared "I don't trust these record labels I'm tourin'" from her surprise visual album;  Prince  was releasing free and independent music. He is renowned for cutting out the middleman and the Hit and Run tour is just another part of his style.  

The anxiousness at getting into such small venues is rewarded for fans: When only 150 people showed up for a last-minute announced second gig on the Friday in Manchester - they were treated to his encore rather than a second show - four encores  by the way. The mis-communication left the encore arrivals feeling out of pocket  but they were guaranteed free entry into Saturday night's gig.

3) No smartphones

Prince prefers analogue

This one can cause a mixed reaction. Prince has always fought for the copyright of his work and while everybody wants a keepsake of their concert experience - some people forget to live in the moment and can end up watching a full show through their smartphone lens.

2) Lianne La Havas

Her name is Lianne La Havas

Obviously, over the last 30 years, people who have grown up loving Prince's music have gone on to become musicians themselves. The icon has always recognised this and reached out despite being an enigma. British performers he has invited to perform with him include Beverley Knight, Mica Paris and Amy Winehouse. Prince discusses "real music" in an upcoming edition of MOJO magazine and he questions why people like La Havas are not having hits.

Prince's only UK interview

He also held his press conference for the tour with 3RDEYEGIRL in La Havas' living room.

1) Funk N Roll

Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL

Prince's latest group 3RDEYEGIRL are made up of guitarist Donna Grantis, drummer Hannah Ford and bassist Ida Nielsen and boy do they rock! This is real music played by talented musicians who can keep up with Prince. The PRETZELBODYLOGIC era is a larger-than-life experience of rock and funk where the band and Prince all perform their chops off!

Music is available to buy from 3RDEYEGIRL's website.

Applause

Live music review: Prince and @3RDEYEGIRL bring Funk n' Roll to Manchester

It's been many hours and nearly two days...

since Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL left the audience from their second night in Manchester dripping in an adrenaline of black sweat and a glow of funk and roll. 

Funk n' Roll - Prince jamming on stage with 3RDEYEGIRL. Photo taken from Manchester Evening News

This was the second night in a row the band played Manchester Academy.

3RDEYEGIRL, made up of Donna (guitar), Hannah (drums) and Ida (bass) came out at 8PM to an already hype crowd - there's a certain energy when you know Prince Rogers Nelson is behind a curtain.

Then the rock began to rumble, and that instantly recognisable voice began singing as 3RDEYEGIRL got into the groove. Every neck craned to see Prince's entrance as he walked cooly centre-stage. The night was young.

Prince could feel the love. The crowd was definitely giving it back to him singing every song with him; cheering as he relayed that love on to the fantastic band. Everyone cheered as 3RDEYEGIRL tore the roof off, this was the ultimate jam session. My eyes were back and forth trying to absorb the ethereal atmosphere of watching Prince sit and play as the band rocked high to the heavens to classics and new songs alike ranging from She's Always in my Hair to Something In the Water. I'll never forget him incorporating "Man - CHESTER" into his many songs consistently thanking the fans.

The heat in the crowd continued to rise. Although quite far back, this was an intimate venue and when Prince looked into the audience I felt his gaze reach my eye and touch my soul. When he told the crowd to sway side-to-side I was compelled to follow his beat. At points he coyly pointed at fans and told them to put their technology down and clap.

It was clear that Prince is built on a foundation of rhythm. It oozes out of him so naturally.

When the band said their first goodnight and left the stage before 10PM, they'd been playing around an hour and a half. I'd heard the legendary stories of Prince playing hours over UK curfews so I knew he'd come back for an encore. What I didn't expect is for him to come back for 6-8 encores - I lost count.

There were points of the show I couldn't see the band or Prince, but hearing him sit and perform The Beautiful Ones was an experience to cherish even if the image I see of him  is just his face, far away on stage, an image  encapsulated in between a sea of swaying arms. I could see his shadow above my head as I looked to the ceiling.

It was an incredible set list. As he came out for one of the many encores he warned us that with the amount of hits he has, we could be here all night. The crowd were up for that! 

It is a night imprinted in my soul, the energy rocked me to the core and the love and respect Prince showed the fans is evident in them all, old and new.

Prince fans have shown their true purple colours via the Prince Army on twitter. I have watched them all rally together and support each other to get to venues, swap tickets and beat the ticket touts over social media.  

He rewarded this dedication and came out to every encore request. He brought up on stage those who had queued for hours in the Manchester cold, rain and hail.

Seeing his hard-core fans jamming on stage with their hero  is such a highlight – and Prince fans can dance – especially the guy with a beard, who Prince joked looked like Mumford and Sons.

Over 3 hours of pure energy, a term Prince kept repeating - this was Funk n Roll. 3RDEYEGIRL and Prince, they rocked us, they funked us, they brought the house down.