The MOTHER of all Princey Weekends

As I've got another night of last-minute extreme Princeness coming up tonight I need to report on the Prince events of the weekend past before it's too late:

Friday night: Our seats were Row D in the "swirly" side of the stage (the stage is in the shape of his symbol with seating all around it) and although we were not facing the performers dead on, there was plenty happening on the Swirl to make us thank Jebbus we were there. I was with Jenny on that side and Ellie, who bought her ticket at the last minute, was directly opposite us on the other side (the Horn) side of the stage. We got there in time to see Mutya perform at support act and that was all right. He outfit did make me feel better about my legs & belly. The show started as most of them do, by showing the UK Hall of Fame footage with various performers, producers etc. gushing about how wonderful he is then Prince came on stage and opened the show with Musicology, which he usually does in the middle of the show. When he got some audience members up on stage to dance we were all entertained by some woman who was OBVIOUSLY drunk. Prince took one look at her and said "The bar's closed!". She was quickly escorted off stage. After that another woman on stage began bellowing into Prince's mic until he swiftly ran over and grabbed it away form her. The rest of the night was great and again did the usual songs (Cream, Kiss, Purple) as well as 7 and a cover of Come Together. I like to think he was covering MJ's version of the song. There was also a small paino set onthe Swirl where I FINALLY heard him sing (a bt of) Diamonds & Pearls and unknown song called 1000 Hugs & Kisses which was beyoooooootiful and I WANT!!!! After the encores, the house light partially came on and we were about to leave when he noticed the stagehands dragging his keyboard back onstage and Princey came out and delighted us for a further 10 mins doing his solo "Synth Set".

Once we were certain that the concert had well and truly ended (when Prince get wheeled out in his little black box), we said goodby to Jenny and me & Ellie made out way back to the flat (after shopping for provisions at 24hr Asda and waiting almost an hour for a taxi!). At the flat I bravely wired my cooker into the mains (I wanted to do it when someone, Ellie, was with me just incase I did it wrong and ended up blowing myself up in the process. I didn't). With pizza & cola-cola, we sat down at 4am and amused/tortured ourselves by watching one Prince's films "Graffiti Bridge". It may have only been 80 mins long but it seem to drag on and on.... Watching it did however, start to make me feel better about myself. I may be in awe at Prince's musical talent, but an actor (and scriptwriter?) he is not, and knowing that he is AMAZING but not amazing at everything make me feel a little bit more hopeful in myself.

After lying around the flat all day Saturday and making sure I rested enough so I could make it through the night, we got the the arena after Mutya left the stage and not long before Prince would begin. As he was a bit late coing on stage there was no UK Hall of Fame video shown tonight, instead the lights were turned off and in the darkness we bagan to make out the band coming on stage and getting into position. Then a loud wrapped voice rang out over the areana "I don't want to hurt you... I only want you to have fun..." the crowd went hysterical as we realised what song was going to open the show, then we were awash with red & yellow lights and the horn section blasting out the opening to 1999. I got goosebumps then and I'm getting goosebumps now as I write this - it was the PERFECT opening atmosphere! During the Musicology section, Will.I.Am. came onstage with the audience members and walked over to our side (were were 5th row at the Horn part of the Symbol) and (with Prince beside him, who tripped up walking over to us) did a wee rap. Then he (Will) went off stage after that section of the concert was done and went back to sitting in the VIP area and playing with him mobile phone. There was a huge encore that night with Prince coming back on stage 3 times and one of the last songs to be played was Controversy, which is now a Mellie Concert Favourite. We ADORE this song being performed ESPECIALLY with the Housequake ("We know 'bout the 'Quake" breakdown) and for him not to performe it one night would be unforgivable.

Despite queueing for the loo and then taking the long way 'round to exit the arena, we got in the queue for the afterparty show and got really close to the front. Somehow I managed to last the 90 mins in the crowd waiting for Prince & his band to come on, despite annoying people trying to push their way to the front, some pretty girl flirting with a security guard when SHE kicked up huge fuss because some guy accidentally pushed her (the whole crowd surged forward at that point), and some scary emactiated Asian woman staring at Ellie with her green Laser Eyes as she was trying to get back to her place in the crowd. Finally at 1am Prince & band came on and performed for another 90 minutes. They did some of his own less-well known songs (he did "The 1 U Wanna C" from his new album which I luuuuve) and some cover versions including Janet's "What Have You Done For Me Lately" and the new Amy Winehouse song. It was unbelievable being less than 6 feet away from him and then it got better when at the very end of the show he walked over to our little section of the crowd and held his guitar out to us. We all surged forward to touch it and then Prince left it go and let it "crowdsurf" for a little bit before a satgaehand pulled it away form us. The crowd began to disperse and we began to have a little dance to the music the DJ was playing wen he can back out of stage. EVERYONE manically ran to the front and we were properly WEDGED in and unable to jump when we were told too. Luckily (or not) he only did one song and left the stage for good and we were able to breathe again. I forgot what it felt like.

The original plan for tonight was to go to the aftershow tonight and queue up for it early so we'd get right to the very front (barriers, not with a couple of people in front of us), however Ticketmaster just released some fantastic seats that we'd be foolish not to snap up. I have no idea what I'm going to do about work tomorrow. God help me!