Prince (October 4, 2002) – “First Night” Review - The Independent (October 3, 2002)
This review covers the opening night of Prince's three-night residency at the Apollo Hammersmith in London. Writing for The Independent, Gavin Martin praises Prince's musicianship, the power of the New Power Generation and the remarkable breadth of a performance that moved effortlessly between funk, jazz, rock, blues and classic hits.
Publication: The Independent
Date: October 4, 2002
Country: United Kingdom
Published under the heading "First Night", the review documents Prince's opening concert at the Apollo Hammersmith on October 3, 2002, the first British date of the European leg of the One Nite Alone... Tour.
Martin immediately highlights the intensity of the performance, describing Prince as creating "a hot bed of scorching funk" while leading an exceptional group of musicians. Supported by the New Power Generation, the concert demonstrated Prince's ability to move between different musical styles while maintaining complete control of the performance.
The review notes that some of the newer material may not have possessed the immediate familiarity of Prince's most famous recordings, but argues that this hardly mattered because of the warmth, energy and infectious enthusiasm generated throughout the evening. The musicianship of the band receives particular praise, especially the contributions of Maceo Parker, whose presence linked the performance directly to the traditions of James Brown-era funk.
Throughout the concert Prince moved confidently between musical genres. The review highlights moments that ranged from funk workouts and blues-based improvisation through to Duke Ellington-inspired swing and heavy rock. A particularly memorable moment came during a powerful version of "Whole Lotta Love", demonstrating the band's willingness to reinterpret material in unexpected ways.
The latter stages of the performance drew increasingly on Prince's celebrated catalogue. The review specifically praises "Strange Relationship", noting its dedication to the media, alongside strong performances of "Take Me With U" and "Raspberry Beret", both warmly received by the audience. Prince also introduced newer compositions drawn from The Rainbow Children, continuing the spiritual and musical themes that defined the tour.
Martin concludes that Prince remained an artist who should never be underestimated. Despite changes in musical fashion and industry fortunes, the review argues that his talent, creativity and performance skills remained as impressive as ever.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
The review presents Prince as an artist determined to control both the concert environment and audience expectations. The restrictions on cameras and the refusal to deliver a conventional greatest-hits performance form an important part of the writer’s assessment.
Rather than depending on elaborate staging, Prince appeared with a compact five-piece band and placed greater emphasis on funk, musicianship and extended performance. The nearly three-hour concert moved between newer material, excerpts from familiar songs, unexpected cover versions and direct audience participation.
The page is accompanied by an archive photograph captioned “Camera shy: Prince on stage in 1998 – photographers were not allowed in last night.” The photograph shows Prince wearing dark glasses and a patterned stage outfit.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: Opening night of Prince's Apollo Hammersmith residency
Era: 2002 The Rainbow Children / One Nite Alone era
Tone: Enthusiastic and highly appreciative
Photography: Live performance photograph of Prince accompanying the review
WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS
• Review of Prince's October 3, 2002 opening-night performance at the Apollo Hammersmith
• Praise for the New Power Generation and Maceo Parker
• Discussion of material from The Rainbow Children
• References to "Whole Lotta Love", "Strange Relationship", "Take Me With U" and "Raspberry Beret"
• Recognition of Prince's continuing brilliance as a live performer
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