Live Review: Nothing Compares 2 Prince

Arts Centre Melbourne holds special memories for Prince fans since The Purple One played his final Piano & A Microphone shows at State Theatre in April, 2016 shortly before he passed away.  

A dramatic sound collage that sounds more like it belongs to a show celebrating Michael Jackson's Thriller opens proceedings before Prince's voice enters the soundscape, wishing us "all the best on this fascinating journey".

The band hit the stage and as soon as we recognise 1999, we all immediately ditch the idea of sitting down. Queen Cora (Coleman) is so accomplished behind her kit that she somehow manages to swipe her fringe away from her eyes without missing a beat! And we're immediately in awe of The NPG Hornz brass trio: Adrian Crutchfield and BK Jackson on sax, Lynn Grissett on trumpet is all their fully choreographed splendour! There's funky dancing, a lot of fringing on the ensemble's stage outfits and a lot of purple attire up there on stage (including exquisite bass player Nik West's purple mohawk). Assorted band members also express their dedication through dyeing their hair purple. Nothing Compares 2 Prince recruits members from Prince's bands of different eras, including The New Power Generation and The Time, some of which have never met before let along played together and we can immediately tell they're Prince's people.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage Tyka Nelson!" Prince's sister arrives on stage and sings The Ladder, which we learn she actually co-wrote with Prince and their father. We sit down, reverently. During this song, Crutchfield performs a sax solo on his knees and it's sexy (saxy? Sorry) beyond belief. But then enter When Doves Cry and we're back on our feet jiving once more. Plus one aptly sports a Raspberry Beret this evening and this song's lyrics remind us how Prince always presented female sexuality in an extremely tantalising way: "But I could tell when she kissed me/She knew how to get her kicks."

While singing along with a lot of these lyrics throughout the show, we call up Prince's iconic image from the Purple Rain poster: straddling a purple motorbike wearing a purple suit, with that gloriously shiny black mane cascading down his back and a knowing look in his eye.

Vocalists Shelby J and Liv Warfield are absolutely awe-inspiring throughout, and the sassiness of performing while waving a hand-held fan to the beat on stage is off the hook!

West expertly performs Nasty Girl with understated sex appeal. And how did we not know Prince wrote Stand Back, which Stevie Nicks made her own? Sheila E's The Glamorous Life actually causes punters to side-step out into the aisles in search of more dancing room. We decide Queen Cora should change her name to Thunder by deed poll, 'cause she absolutely decimates that kit! We're given "permission to sit" by St Paul Peterson, who is also this show's MD, before The Most Beautiful Girl In The World causes mass swoons. Peterson reveals this is the only song on which Prince allowed an outside producer and said producer, Peterson's brother Ricky, is up there demonstrating keys majesty tonight.

The sax and guitar solos during Alphabet Street destroy us. Prince's guitar work was extraordinary and we similarly find ourselves shaking our heads in disbelief at Tori Ruffin's riff wizardry - no separate notes can be determined, just music that wails, weeps and acquiesces.

It's kind of lucky there's an intermission 'cause our dancing feet need a rest!

Act Two commences with a grinding, slower tempo Let's Go Crazy than we're accustomed to. The guitar duel that closes out this song - Ruffin versus Jellybean Johnson - certainly does drive us crazy! The entire band freeze, mid-song, during Musicology "on the one" and then all return on a dime to perform a reprise. A phrase in this song's lyrics rings true on how we feel right now: "Don't you miss the feeling music gave ya/Back in the day?"

We're reminded that Sign O' The Times features the best opening verse ever: "In France a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name/By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same/At home there are 17-year-old boys and their idea of fun/Is being in a gang called The Disciples high on crack, totin' a machine gun..."

Who knew Kiss could be sung over Sexy MF's instrumental parts as some kinda funk-infused mash-up!? The collective stank faces scattered on faces throughout the crowd prove these cats are onto something good.

This scribe's set highlight above many close-second contenders comes with Cassandra O'Neal's solo rendition of Sometimes It Snows In April. She accompanies herself on piano and meaningfully substitutes Prince into some lyrics: "I often dream of heaven and I know that Prince's there." We feel his presence, it's a spiritual thing and this song's closing phrase, "And love, it isn't love until it's past", cuts deep. 

After St Paul Peterson explains he was the first person to sing Nothing Compares 2 You, the song later made famous by Sinead O'Connor, his performance of the song - assisted by the incomparable Shelby J - is emotional. I Would Die 4 U flows into Baby I'm A Star and our muscle memory kick in, with hips swaying and a whole lot of gyrating in the house.

We always knew Purple Rain would be saved for the encore and Nelson, Prince's sister, returns to the stage to commence this song before calling on Peterson to help out when she gets too emotional to carry on alone. We're immediately taken back to Prince's rendition of this song, the last time we ever saw him, and the way his high-pitched cries that close out this song seemed to catch him mourning the loss of former girlfriend/protegee Vanity (Denise Matthews). We already knew we missed Prince, but tonight reminds us just how much.