“I was dreaming when I wrote this so forgive me if it goes astray…”  There are some experiences that are so incredible that it takes time to process the fact they really did happen and that you were actually there. This was one of those surreal experiences.

 

To know that your favourite multi-award winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist. were to play a SECRET, tickets by invitation only, private gig at the legendary Café De Paris and then knowing that I would be there but were not allowed to talk about it or share any information about it beforehand due to STRICT Confidentiality was a bit frustrating to say the least but those were the rules we all had to follow.

 

The event was organised by Autism Rocks a newly founded charity to create #autismawareness

and help and support people and research in this field.

 

Once inside there was a secret auction with some incredibly lithographs including Picasso and Chagall, a signed U2 album, some Mohammed Ali pictures, a signed  Chaplin picture etc. which  were another great and successful way for the charity to raise some serious money for this great cause.

 

The club itself have two levels with the lower floor being the dance floor, with a bar along one side and booths on the opposite side of the bar plus a very small stage opposite the DJ booth and the upper level mainly consisting of tables overlooking the dance floor and stage.

After playing some dance tunes mixed with some old skool heroes like James Brown and a cover version of ‘How Come U don't call” me DJ Trevor Nelson plays the last song, WOW and the party gets REAL.

 

Hanna, Ida, Donna, Cassandra and Joshua comes on stage and taking their positing and are later followed by Prince in shades who kicks off the show with LETS GO CRAZY and the club takes it literally and goes WILD!

 

I was very fortunate to be 1m or less from the very minimalistic stage that had Prince in front and Ida and Donna behind and Hanna further back. There were no more room on the stage so Cassandras and Joshuas are sitting and playing keyboards in a big balcony above the stage.

 

Prince seems to be in great mood is smiling a lot and follow up Let’s Go Crazy with Take me with you and Raspberry beret.

 

U got the look is played with a really cool, funky and unique intro.

The we all get too spell C-O-O-L and go old skool and Café de Paris is on FIRE.

 

A SUPERFUNKY version of KISS was played with some funky, extended guitar playing and really cool dancing.

 

Casandra then started off the soft intro to THE LOVE WE MAKE followed but the drums and band joins in. I am so close that I can look down to read the lyrics as I sing along. This is the best karaoke experience ever :)  I LOVE this song so much and especially the lyrics, it gets really emotional as we sings “precious is the baby without a mother”. we then moves on to the “put down the needle, put down the spoon” part, followed a killer guitar solo by Donna we moves into the “Sacred is the Prayer that asks for nothing, while giving thanks for every breath we take” and I can see in his eyes  that he means every word of it.

 

Prince then talks about the great cause, about love for one another  and real music and says something like “this is real music, we do not need any tape recorders when we have Hanna on the drums” and Hanna then kicks of the beat to MUSICOLOGY which is one of the best versions I have ever heard. Prince decided to take the stairs up to the balcony to play some keyboard and then descends towards the stage but suddenly stops 2m in front of me and starts singing “I heard about a party over in London, Prince was going to be there and We  are going to have some fun” which was unbelievable cool.

 

 

CONTROVERSY played with a funky guitar and spoken intro takes the party to the  NEXT LEVEL.

“I wish there was no black and white, I wish there were no rules”  lots fo cool guitar parts are added and mixed into the song. We really have a party going on, people are dancing around their tables and the floor is boiling of heat. Roller-coaster is mixed in to the jam and Prince directs the jam into Play that Funky Music and this version is OFF DA HOOK!! The groove is incredible, he shows what a guitar good he is and then starts playing the guitar line from JOY IN2 THE JOY FANTASTIC over the beat and funky groove and he then starts the Alphabet Street chant “Clap your hand, stamp you feet” goes back to controversy and directs the band into 1999. And we all PARTY like we are running out of time and this is the very last SUPER PARTY we will ever have.

BOY is this funky!  The crowd sings PARTY!!! like they never have done before until we get the LAS VEGAS!!  from Prince and everyone leaves the stage.

 

Due to the stage being so small Princes keyboard had a booth of its own and have to be plugged in and set up and several technical guys run all over the place to get it up and ready for set 2.

 

 

Prince comes back, in a new outfit and ready for the Keyboard.

The sampler set starts of with Prince saying something like 30 years ago this was the sound and he starts off “When Doves Cry”, teases us with NASTY GIRL and then hits us hard with HOT THING! “London - do you wanna play with me?” YES WE DO! what question is that? :) and Prince jams along on keyboard. SIGN THE TIMES starts and Prince gets starts of the crowd with a “ooooh e ooh” chant.. and we then get some super funky duracell power solo from Hanna.

 

It is now HOUSEQUAKE time, literally, and this is beyond FUNKY.  Everyone seems to know about the quake and claps their hands. The groove is unbelievable. They break down the beat. and we get a bass solo from Ida.  That girl sure can play!!  “You all cant handle me” Prince says and we get the full I WOULD DIE FOR YOU treatment. The place goes crazy, the whole club singing I WOULD DIE FOR YOU, pointing to the sky. WOW…

 

Prince then leaves the stage.

It is now PURPLE RAIN time. The intro is extra long as in gets extended because the keyboard have to make room for some serious guitar playing so the band keeps the intro going for a while longer than usual.

Purple Rain is really the perfect ending to this show. We hear the string parts of the song as they leave the stage.

When the song fades out there is almost a silence as people are genuinely stunned by the powerful and intimate performance we have all just experienced.

 

If Ronnie Scott was the living room experience. Café de Paris was the PARTY Room!

 

This was a was very special night and event, not only was it a great, intimate and powerful performance and a real HOUSEQUAKE PARTY but we all supported a great charity & cause and that felt really good supporting a great charity doing good #autismrocks

 

Some famous people in the crowd included Alan Carr, Michael Mcintyre, Laura Whitmore, Kara Tointon

 

The concert was about 90min