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The Music of Prince - New Purple Celebration

Non-stop hits with a 9-piece band

New Purple Celebration, the band formerly known as Purple Rain: A Celebration Of Prince, are back with a brand new name but the same “brilliantly funky” musical extravaganza celebrating the music, life and legacy of Prince.

New Purple Celebration deliver a non-stop, hit packed show, spanning more than two hours. Described in the Press as “nothing short of a huge party,” expect to see, hear and feel the hits from one of the most loved artists of all time: '1999', 'Little Red Corvette', 'Purple Rain', 'Kiss', 'Diamonds And Pearls', 'U Got The Look', 'When Doves Cry', 'Cream', 'I Wanna Be Your Lover' and many more…

A full nine-piece band, New Purple Celebration have been together since 2004. One of the only European Prince Tribute acts with a guitar-playing Prince, the band is fronted by founder-member Jimi Love. He in turn is backed by a band of top quality musicians with a wealth of worldwide touring experience, including a horn section, backing vocals and two keys players. All performing together because of their mutual respect and love for the music of Prince.

Presented by New Purple Celebration

Venue: The Queen's Hall

Category: Rock & Pop

The Queen's Hall

85-89 Clerk Street Edinburgh EH8 9JG

+44 (0)131 668 2019

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Approximate and subject to change. More details will be published closer to the event.

6:30pm Box Office Opens 7:00pm Venue Doors & Bar Opens 8:00pm First set 9:05pm Interval 20 minutes 9:25pm Second set 10:35pm Show end 11:00pm Curfew

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Prince’s Epic ‘Purple Rain’ Tour: An Oral History

By David Browne

David Browne

On July 27th, 1984, Prince and the Revolution were confronted with their first hint of how their lives were about to change when they attended the Hollywood premiere of Prince ‘s first movie, Purple Rain . “That night at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre was insane,” recalls keyboardist Lisa Coleman. “We thought were just making what would be kind of a cult film. I’d stood in line at that theater to see Alien the first day it came out. And now there I was, arriving in a limo. Limousine, red carpet – none of us had ever done anything like that before. We felt more like rebels, and suddenly we’re all fancy, like movie stars.”

That night would only be the start of one of the most momentous years in Prince’s life. The film was an immediate cultural touchstone, grossing $7.7 million in its opening weekend (a commanding figure at the time) and eventually grossing 10 times that amount. Four months later, at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Prince and the Revolution launched the Purple Rain tour. The 98-show trek, which continued through April 1985, was groundbreaking in many ways: It introduced Prince’s most elaborate sets and a new guitarist (Wendy Melvoin), and the crowd hysteria and occasional cameos from the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Madonna confirmed Prince’s place as pop’s most commanding star of the moment.

In the confines of those tightly structured shows, Prince reveled in special effects and over-the-top staging – doing splits or somersaults, playing his famous ejaculating guitar (using Ivory Liquid, of course) or pretending to talk to the Lord during the “Purple Rain” B side “God.” Yet the tour impacted on him in ways he and the Revolution never expected. In time for the upcoming deluxe reissue of the Purple Rain album – with accompanying bonus audio and video material – and the tour’s inclusion on  Rolling Stone ‘s 50 Greatest Concerts of the Last 50 Years list, RS spoke with the Revolution and the band’s unofficial member, lighting director LeRoy Bennett, about those momentous five months and their aftermath.

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I. Preparations

Wendy Melvoin (guitarist): I remember being conscious that the Purple Rain tour was the biggest thing he had ever done [during planning stages]. I kept seeing sketches of plans and Prince would buzz in and out of the rooms. We were all being fitted for clothes that were being made. I was standing on one of those pill boxes, and there are about five people doing the measurements on me. It was like Queen Victoria being dressed for a gathering. At one point, one of them tried to do an inseam on my pant leg, and I felt really oddly like, “Fuck this – I’m not entitled to this. Why is this happening?”

Prince walked in and asked me to come outside so he could talk to me. Apparently he had been watching what was going on and he took me outside and goes, “You have to allow this to happen. You have to allow them to do what it is that they do. That’s why they’re here. And don’t feel bad about it.” At that very moment, I realized, “OK. There’s something else happening here, and I just have to let this happen.” I didn’t want to get in the way of how he was trying to represent himself. And that was a big, big a-ha! moment for me. I sat back and saw this thing unfold.

LeRoy Bennett (lighting director): The theatrics started to become more and more evident. Controversy had a little bit and the 1999 tour had a bit more theatrics in it. But the Purple Rain tour was a major step in technology for us. Once you’ve seen a laser beam for five minutes, you’re done with it. So what we were doing was pushing the lasers and different things through fiber optics. We had dry-ice fog, but we used liquid nitrogen a lot. For “When Doves Cry,” we’d have jets that shot horizontally across the stage. It almost looked like ghosts that flew across, met in the middle of the stage and dissipated. Other [lights] came up from the back like these huge fountains. We wanted the show to be more of an immersive experience. We wanted to portray the emotions of the songs and create interesting environments.

Melvoin : As far as signing a non-disclosure, like “You’re not allowed to do drugs,” I had heard his crew had to do something like that, but we as a band didn’t have to. But he didn’t like it when you drank in public and someone took a picture of it. He would get really buzzed if you had a picture taken with a beer because it’s like, “I don’t want children to think they can be badass only with a beer in their hand!” I understood it. I got it. There was a little bit of a weirdness, but I understood it was a business he was trying to run, and I respected it.

Prince's Revolution Reunites for Tribute on 'Purple Rain' Stage

Jimin of bts is tapping some deep beatles love on his new 'muse'.

Matt Fink (keyboardist): Very few bands – pop bands, which I suppose you could say we were at that time – were doing coordinated dance moves while they were on their instruments. Keyboard players like myself, you didn’t really see them doing choreographed moves with the bands. But Prince wanted the whole band moving.

Mark Brown (a.k.a. BrownMark, bassist): I grew up in a time period where I would go see Cameo and the whole band was always moving. I was always asked to help with the choreography [for Prince], and so, when we would build the shows, I was kind of responsible for all of the movement. I had to figure out a way, with this different type of music, to create movement that was simple and where you could still play your instrument effectively. It was a challenge because not everybody was used to dancing and playing.

Lisa Coleman (keyboardist): We would just have to bend our bodies or shake our heads. Sometimes it got kind of rough too because I was wearing high heels and playing keyboards. It ruined my back for the rest of my life.

Fink : We were at Rudolphs Bar-B-Que [in Minneapolis] one late night and I remember Prince saying to me, “Do you think it would be cool if Bobby was standing up playing drums?” And I said, “How does a drummer stand up?” He wanted so badly for Bobby to stand up and play drums. But it worked because we had the drum machine running and Bobby was playing percussion and cymbals against the drum machine.

Bobby Z. (a.k.a. Robert Rivkin, drummer): No drummers had been required to do choreography. That was just the Prince world. We’d practice in front of a mirror. Looking at yourself was hard. He made us all look graceful, like in a ballet, because you don’t want to be a dork.

Melvoin : We had two weeks of productions rehearsals, I think in St. Paul, right before the tour started. I remember the first day we went in for full-on production, and that was astonishing to see it. That’s when I realized it, “Holy shit, this is massive. We’re in a stadium right now in production rehearsals.” I know it doesn’t sound like much right now, but back then it was like, “Oh, my God.”

Bennett : We spent more time in rehearsal than we had ever done before. It was almost like we did a tour of Minneapolis because we kept changing venues once a week, or once a week and half.

Bobby Z. : It was all about how he entered the stage. At various shows it was, “OK, now you have the gymnasium and the catwalk.” The biggest thing they had were the elevators under the stage for “Let’s Go Crazy.” There was a mannequin for when he would appear and disappear. There were all these cool magic tricks to get Prince on and off stage.

Brown : For the “When Doves Cry” scene, you had this stage prop of the claw-foot tub up on a hydraulic lift behind Bobby that was way up high. The first time they tried using the tub, which was very lightweight and made out of fiberglass, Prince got into it and they had not nailed it down into the platform. That thing went right over backwards once he got in it. He took quite a tumble. He just lay there while they checked him out, and fortunately he just had some good bruising. Things got called that day while they figured out what needed to be changed on that one. That was a scary moment.

Bennett : My heart stopped. He didn’t really fall that far, like four feet. But it shook him up a little bit. He walked off the stage, got in his car – which he always parked next to the stage in the arena – and took off. That was the end of rehearsals for the day. The carpenters changed the lyrics to “this is the sound when tubs fly.”

Melvoin : If Prince was doing any kind of bad behavior – if he was mean or just straight-up wrong about something he said he was straight-up right about – he always said something bad would happen to him. The way I remember that moment is that he had gotten into a fight with his manager. Prince was in a super-cranky mood and he was practicing his move with the bathtub and the bathtub fell. He was so freaked by it that he was super nice and kind [ laughs ]. Very humble.

Fink : The loudest white noise possible.

Bennett : There were times where I couldn’t hear myself talking to the spotlight operators and they were having a hard time hearing me. It was crazy.

Bobby Z : Then Prince would rile them back up. He’d shake his ass or do a costume change or something, and people would go nuts again.

Coleman : The fun part was watching him, because a lot of things didn’t happen unless he gave us visual cues. It was like a game watching him run around the stage, and he would do a slight move of his hand, which would cue a riff or something. You’d have to watch pretty darn closely. Every once in a while, to cue the end of a song, he’d throw a hankie into the air, and when the hankie hit the ground, that’s when we would stop. So you had to be able to see the ground, and if you’re backed up on a riser behind keyboards and cymbals, sometimes it was hard to see, like, “Oh no! The hankie disappeared!”

Bennett : He would do hand signals for certain musical turnarounds, so you would have to watch for all that. He liked to mess around. Every once in a while, he would just do the signal in front of his chest, so the band could see it and I couldn’t. He would just do it to be funny.

Coleman : He’d say “Body Heat.” Bobby would hit the snare drum once and then we’d have to go to “Body Heat.” Then he’d stop that by saying, “‘Rumble’ in E.” So we had all these different things, little modular funky things that we could put together that he could call out like we were his jukebox or drum machine that he could play. It was like a live computer.

“It was literally the Olympics. We were like synchronized swimmers.” –Wendy Melvoin

Bobby Z : The crowd could feel it was tight and spontaneous, but it also had some train wrecks. Ninety-nine percent of the time it was a miracle.

Melvoin : I had boots on, tons of jewelry, and my instrument and I had to sing and do choreography. It was literally the Olympics. We were like synchronized swimmers. If someone screwed up that thing, there’s not even a bronze medal. You’re just off the team. This was high stakes.

Bobby Z.: At our Syracuse show, he called out “sway from side to side,” and the entire Revolution moved like a piston in an engine back and forth.

Coleman : We were wearing all these big … what do you call it? These regal New Romantics clothes? It was hot. I’d go up onstage wearing a cape on top of a dress, and I would just take off stuff during the show. Shed as much as I could. It was hot onstage with all those ruffles.

Melvoin : One of the things that Prince would tell us before going on tour, especially at the beginning of Purple Rain , was, “If you feel yourself rushing and playing too fast, cut your body’s heart rhythm in half and move your body in half-time, and you will play behind the beat.” We were religious about it.

Coleman : Prince wanted always be as good as the film. He didn’t want anyone ever to go, “Oh, that’s the band from the movie? Eww , they’re not as good.” That was one of his worst fears.

Brown : We used to get fined if we made mistakes, and I got to a point where I would stop playing bass notes in certain types of segues and start this rumbling on the bass. Prince loved that crap. And it saved me from a lot of fines.

Coleman : If you missed a cue or played an extra horn punch or something, that was $500. He would withhold your money. It never happened to me. I’m lucky. Actually, I’m good at faking it. He never knew when I made a mistake.

Melvoin : He threatened to take your paycheck away, and a couple times he tried, but we all laughed at him and said, “No, that’s not going to happen.” It was this warning, this threat, and he was really happy to go ahead and make the threat because it would make you get your shit together if you had made a mistake.

“If you missed a cue or played an extra horn punch or something, that was $500. He would withhold your money.” –Lisa Coleman

III. The Intensity

Coleman : When we were at the Superdome in New Orleans, it was, what, 90,000 people? We knew it was big because it sounded big, and then Prince said, “LeRoy, turn on the house lights!” And we turn on the house lights and it was scary. Prince was like, “ Noooo! Turn them off, turn them off!” It was too much. It was an ocean of people.

Melvoin : I loved when we turned the lights on during “Take Me with You” and we could actually see the audience. We would turn on the stadium lights full blast – fluorescent, horrible lighting – and we could see everybody in the audience and we all became one and sang “Take Me With You.” You see every seat filled. You look to your left and you see everybody. You look to your right. It was incredible, and they all sang it. It was really beautiful.

Bennett : It must have been scary to them because they had no idea there were that many people. I’m sure the first time they saw that, they shit themselves [ laughs ].

Brown : We were literally the hardest-working band in show business. I would feel sorry when he would invite people to play with us onstage, because they didn’t understand that type of dedication. When people would sit in with us, they didn’t even know what to do. I don’t care how seasoned a musician they were.

Bobby Z: Everybody came in the band’s room, like Springsteen and Madonna [during a multi-show run at the Forum in Los Angeles in February 1985]. We had an open-door policy and got to meet a lot of fun people. Onstage, they always thought it was exciting. But onstage with Prince it was always a game.

Coleman : It became a take-no-prisoners situation, like, “Yeah, let’s just go out there and conquer the world.” And all the people that were supposed to be the competition were just like saying, “Wow!” to Prince. And again, he wanted to soak that up. He wanted to experience it firsthand, so that was a good way to do it.

Melvoin : Unfortunately he would kind of screw with people, especially big famous artists who would come up. If he sensed they were a little bit lost, he’d try and expose that: grab a guitar and do a blistering solo in their face. There was a certain amount of, like, straight-up competitive humiliation. But he thrived on that, like, “I know I’m great.”

Coleman : With Bruce, I remember Prince being a bit of an imp and trying to throw him off. He was giving us his secret hand signals while Bruce was trying to play a guitar solo. There was a little cat and mouse going on. I never knew if Bruce knew Prince was doing that because there was a bit of giggling, but we knew and were like, “No, don’t do that, it’s so mean!”

Fink : Prince was reveling in it. It was his goal to tower over everybody in a lot of ways. He loved it. With Madonna, they were flirting and playing.

Coleman : I have to admit I’m such a dork. I didn’t know who Madonna was. This girl came onto the stage and I was like, “Who’s that?” I thought he just pulled some girl up on the stage. I didn’t know what was going on until I was in the bathroom after the show.

Melvoin : Madonna came backstage and was in our dressing room, mine and Lisa’s, and wanted to use the bathroom. It was this true girl moment. We were each in our stalls peeing at the same time and she goes, “You guys are such badasses!” That was my first introduction to Madonna.

Coleman : We always had jams [during the encores]. “Baby I’m a Star” was notorious. “Purple Rain” could be 30 minutes long. We could stretch things out.

Bennett : We used to do a running bet with the crew on how long “Purple Rain” was going to be. Every night. I’m not a betting man, so I never got involved, but in the production office, there was a board where people would place their bets on the time. It was usually extended between 20 to 25 minutes. You could win a couple hundred bucks.

Coleman : During that time, Prince was very positive and didn’t want to miss what it meant to the world. He would read every magazine, whatever press. He wanted to see it all, good or bad. And then he wanted to affect it in a positive way, and he started doing more philanthropic things. We started playing at schools or doing food drives.

“We used to do a running bet with the crew on how long ‘Purple Rain’ was going to be.” –LeRoy Bennett

Melvoin : On that tour we’d be onstage for hours and then of course we’d end up doing another show afterwards or we’d do a show during the day somewhere else. It was full on every night until the last show. I remember we went to Gallaudet, the school for the deaf [in Washington, D.C.] and did the entire show in their auditorium, and it was incredible. There were huge monitors on the floor in the audience so the kids could feel the bottom end. I remember at least 25 signers in the audience who were watching us and signing all the words to every song. The kids loved it. And then they broke it down and we went to the stadium and played another show that night.

Fink : By the end of it, we were changing some arrangements. Prince still put us through mental gymnastics every day. He’d make a new transition between certain songs and you had to remember it. It was like a game to him. But Prince cut the tour short. Around the World in a Day was on his mind and backstage we were already looking at album covers for that.

Brown : During soundchecks, we recorded “4 the Tears in Your Eyes.” “The Ladder.” All kinds of stuff.

IV. The Aftermath

Coleman : By the end of the tour, he was done with [ Purple Rain ]. He just burned fast and hard. If you look at the concert footage, he was killing his body. It was really, really hard work and to do it for six months was plenty for him. He was starting to get excited about other things. He was ready to move on.

Bennett : Prior to that tour, we were all very close, but then it started to separate out so that he was very isolated from us towards the end of the tour. I think he anticipated the fame to a certain level, but not what that was. It sounds good in theory until it actually happens. I can’t say it frightened him, but it definitely threw him off. He was just withdrawing. I used to spend a ton of time with him back in Minneapolis over at his house and doing things with him like going to movies. That all started to go away and disappear at a certain degree during that tour. It eventually got to the point where it was us and him. And it started to suck.

Coleman : At first it was just one bus for the whole band. Then the boys had a bus, and Wendy and I had a bus. And Prince had his own bus.

Melvoin : From Purple Rain through Sign ‘O’ the Times were his strongest mental and physical times. He wasn’t beaten down by any of it. It gave him incredible strength. There was a certain sort of naïveté about him during that time where he wasn’t second-guessing himself. He handled it really beautifully and wasn’t a frivolous little boy at all. He knew what his responsibility was, and he felt great about it. I don’t know how strong that feeling was for him in his later years. He handled it great at the time, but I’m sure that ultimately what it did to him is whittle away at a certain kind of deep self-esteem about himself. How could anybody reconcile that kind of power and success without it screwing with you deeply?

Coleman  [on Prince not participating in “We Are the World” near the end of the tour]: It was the night of the Grammys – we’d done so well and everything was so positive. He just messed up big. I didn’t get why he wouldn’t be involved in that. I can’t really speak to that, honestly, because I didn’t really understand his thinking on it then. I think he just saw a whole bunch of pop stars getting together to “do good,” and I think he thought that was kind of bullshit, in a way.

But if you weren’t going to go there, then just don’t be seen. He was out [that night] and his bodyguard punched somebody or something. When the bad press came out it was like, “Don’t talk about it. … Nobody mention that.” So ridiculous! I thought it was most unfortunate. It was totally the opposite of what he preached.

Bennett : That whole period was so magical. You could just feel the energy of his stardom just skyrocketing. He could’ve continued to write major hits like all the songs on Purple Rain . I think it just became too easy. It wasn’t pushing him and challenging himself, because he constantly challenged himself. He did that with all of us, too. He pushed me to be more than I thought I could be. He would see who you are, what he saw you could do, and most of the time beyond what you believed you could do. And he would just push you there.

Brown : The confidence level that Prince created in all of us – you did anything. You did whatever to win the game.

Melvoin : It was thrilling. It was this roller-coaster feeling: “ Woo , God, it’s scary, but I love it!” It felt like the world had opened up and we were going ahead and being allowed to make our dreams come true on that tour.

Singer-songwriter and ‘Voice’ coach Alicia Keys talks about the lessons Prince taught her. Watch here.

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Prince – the revolution will be televised

By Felix Rowe | September 3, 2022

Prince owned the airwaves when his 1985 Purple Rain tour was beamed out to millions around the world and its legendary Syracuse show is now being released on Blu-ray and remastered live album. Classic Pop talks with Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman from his stellar backing band The Revolution to find out more… 

“H ello Syracuse and the world. My name is Prince and I have come to play with you.”

Note the choice of phrase: not play for you, but with you. The audience are his personal playthings, mere pawns in his wicked game. Over the course of the next two hours, Prince plays the 40,000-strong crowd like an instrument, demonstrating – as always – a masterly control.

This was Prince in full splendour at the Carrier Dome, Syracuse , in New York State on 30 March 1985, during his mammoth Purple Rain US tour – and we can now revisit that legendary show once more on the newly-released triple vinyl or 2CD/Blu-ray set Prince And The Revolution: Live .  

Between November 1984 and April 1985, Prince And The Revolution performed just under 100 shows – sometimes twice a day – to a total of 1.7 million people. The tour represents a performer in total command of his artistry, testing the limits of his power.

Picking up where Hendrix left off, Prince’s axe-wielding antics injected Black R&B back into white-dominated rock’n’roll. Like 1999 before it, Purple Rain was instrumental in removing barriers that hitherto segmented audiences.

The wider tour highlighted Prince’s mid-80s power, with guests at various dates including heavyweights Bruce Springsteen and Madonna .

Syracuse is the resounding document of that era. The occasion was beamed live around the world and ultimately immortalised in pop lore, cementing Prince’s status as a live tour de force. The master tapes have now been unearthed from the vaults and digitally restored in all their glory.

Purple Rain (the album) needs no introduction: a self-contained greatest hits and Prince’s magnum opus – though 1999 and Sign O ’ The Times put up a good fight. On 1999 , Prince honed his aesthetic – the music, the look, the stage presence all coalescing to make him an MTV staple.

But with Purple Rain , he went cinematic. Only five days before Syracuse, Prince picked up an Oscar for the Purple Rain soundtrack. Another frontier conquered.

While Prince was undoubtedly the star, the Purple Rain Tour was as much a celebration of the world he had created and reigned over. His band, The Revolution, were no shrinking violets, while the opening acts – his Minneapolis sound protégés, Apollonia 6 and Sheila E – would return to the stage each night for the big all-star encore.

Guitarist Wendy Melvoin and keyboard player Lisa Coleman were key members of The Revolution, before embarking on their own successful career as a duo.

Having known each other since they were children, back when their fathers were members of the legendary LA session musician assemblage The Wrecking Crew , they are now in-demand TV score composers, having recently celebrated 40 years of collaboration.

They even complete each other’s sentences. Classic Pop tracked them down, keen to discover if they realised they were making history that evening in Syracuse.

“I don’t know if that particular night was any different from all the others on the Purple Rain tour,” says Wendy. “The whole tour seemed to be touching on some other level of excitement… every night I felt it.”

“Prince was the kind of guy who wanted to make history at every minute of the day!” laughs Lisa, sporting a resplendent shade of purple. “So that gig in particular was just another night that had to be better than the last one.”

Though it’s not every night you’re being beamed out to millions worldwide by satellite…

• Read more: The Revolution interview
• Read more: Top 10 Prince songs

“In terms of the technical aspect, we were all praying that nothing would go wrong,” explains Wendy. “We knew the stakes were even higher for that night and could feel Prince really wanting to have everybody go beyond the call.”

The Revolution were completed by Dr Fink on keyboards, bassist BrownMark, Eric Leeds on saxophone and drummer Bobby Z – previous guitarist, Dez Dickerson, having left after 1999 .

Of Syracuse, BrownMark has said: “We sound like a freight train just coming out of nowhere. That was powerful. I’ve been to a lot of concerts, and I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“We felt powerful, like such a tight unit,” agrees Lisa, with pride. “I mean, we were! Looking back on it, it’s incredible! We really were quite a great band.”

From opener Let’s Go Crazy! onwards, it’s a powerhouse performance in every sense – at once energising and exhausting. Syracuse encapsulates the contradiction at the heart of Prince: that clash between an ultra-tight ensemble, rubbing against his characteristic looseness.

It’s well-rehearsed yet spontaneous. As he flits across the stage leaving behind a trail of endorphins and dry ice, there’s a feeling of ‘what the hell is going to happen next?’ The band are totally on the pulse, instinctively knowing when to charge forwards, when to hold back.

“We just knew Prince’s body language,” explains Lisa. “You had to keep your eyes on him the whole time, it was like musical parkour. It’s like running along rooftops and jumping all over the place. You don’t know what the terrain is at first, but as you’re running and jumping and doing everything…”

Wendy: “You get a flow. And that unpredictability is part of the fun of working with Prince.”

“You expect that it’s going to be new territory at all times,” adds Wendy, “The band always used to have these little looks to each other, like, ‘Don’t take your eye off of him!’, because if you do you’re going to miss a real subtle cue and be left behind. You’re gonna make a mistake, and that was just the worst thing you could do for him. Our job was to be perfect for him.”

They didn’t let him down. Of the Syracuse show, Prince himself said: “There’s nothing I would change.”  

Come the start of recording Purple Rain , The Revolution were a well-established force in Prince’s creative circle. Rehearsals, recording sessions and live performances were inseparably entwined in one near-continuous, fluid outpouring of creativity.

• Read more: Making Prince’s 1999
• Read more: Making Prince’s Sign O’ The Times

“A lot of the tapes on the Purple Rain album were live performances that we did overdubs to,” explains Wendy. “We performed those songs and recorded them live at First Avenue, and then did overdubs later. Those were the songs that you’re hearing in the film and on the record.”

“A lot of times,” adds Lisa, “we’d work on songs and record them, then go play live and come up with these other sections, and Prince would get really excited. Then we’d record a new 12″ version with those new sections. It was just great coming up with different ways to play the song.”

Once that tap had been opened, it was a particularly prolific time, even by Prince’s standards.

“There was a four-and-a-half to five-year period where massive amounts of product were happening and tours at the same time,” says Wendy.

“In the daytime we’d be rehearsing for a tour, and at night we’d be recording a record. It would be up to Prince’s mood whether he’d want to be isolated and finishing or starting a record by himself, or whether he wanted the collaboration…

“I think mostly because he had so much on his plate at the time, creating this film, and he was doing The Time, Apollonia 6 and Vanity 6 and all these other projects, The Family, Sheila E, that he needed some collaborative help. So that’s where we came in.”

So, when it came to taking Purple Rain on the road, the band were by now a well-oiled machine, in tune with Prince’s creative whims.

“The tour felt like a book,” says Wendy, “every chapter was so fun to play. I loved playing The Beautiful Ones with him, he was just remarkable to watch during that. And then, at the very end of the tour, we’d always do this big huge revue of Baby I’m A Star and I Would Die 4 U , which was always lovely to watch and be a part of.

“I really loved playing Darling Nikki live, too. I loved watching Prince because his moods changed depending on where we were, the performance he would give would be different.”

Indeed, the lyrics to said song were so filthy that the ‘parental advisory’ sticker was invented in their honour.

But, quite frankly, Prince could recite one’s tax returns and make them sound deliciously scandalous. As Syracuse highlights, it’s Prince’s inimitable delivery that takes the heat to another level – extended jams, impromptu detours and hysterical spoken-word musings eking out every last drop of emotion from the music.

Purple Rain , for example, is stretched out into 18 minutes of glory. Even Yankee Doodle is boldly reimagined into his universe.

Though very different artists, there’s a parallel to be drawn with David Bowie – a singular talent with a clear vision, who was nevertheless willing to give his band the freedom to bring something to the table.

“A band leader should be able to come in with a vision, and pick the right kind of ingredients of people that have certain abilities to make it that much better,” says Wendy. “And Prince was phenomenal at that. Any great band leader will be that.”

“When you have all that confidence, there’s no threat of egos in asking other people for input,” agrees Lisa, “because you’ve already laid out the…”

Wendy: “…the seed.”

Lisa: “Right, it’s already been planted. So everything you’re going to harvest from it is something that you motivated. Prince felt like anything that we would offer to him he was totally entitled to, and also had the ability to say, ‘No, what else you got?’”

“Prince was showing signs of getting, not bored… but it was starting to feel too confined for him to do this tour,” says Wendy. “We were supposed to go to Europe and all these other territories, but he wanted to get busy on the next project.

“So that’s why there’s this Syracuse performance being beamed around the world, to enable Prince to return to Minneapolis so that we could get working on other albums.

“As soon as that tour was finished, we were already almost done with Around The World In A Day , starting Parade and having glimmers of Sign O’ The Times , so it was all happening very fast.”

It really begs the question: were they aware then that they were dealing with a polymath?  

“Oh definitely, I had so much faith in him. Prince was a restless soul and he just needed to eat the world!” laughs Lisa. “And so being around him, you got all kinds of snacks. We were all in our twenties and had so much energy – we were out to conquer the world.”  

All photos ©PRN-MusicCorp Nancy Bundt

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The Music Of Prince – New Purple Celebration

Jan 28, 2024

DATE / TIME: Sunday, January 28, 2024 7:30 pm

NEW PURPLE CELEBRATION, the band formerly known as PURPLE RAIN: A CELEBRATION OF PRINCE, celebrate the music, life and legacy of Prince.

NEW PURPLE CELEBRATION deliver a non-stop, hit packed show, spanning more than two hours. Described in the Press as “nothing short of a huge party,” expect to see, hear and feel the hits from one of the most loved artists of all time; 1999, Little Red Corvette, Purple Rain, Kiss, Diamonds And Pearls, U Got The Look, When Doves Cry, Cream, I Wanna Be Your Lover and many more…

Check out the website here: www.newpurplecelebration.co.uk

A full nine-piece band, NEW PURPLE CELEBRATION have been together since 2004. One of the only European Prince Tribute acts with a guitar playing ‘Prince’, the band is fronted by founder-member JIMI LOVE. He is backed by a band of top quality musicians with a wealth of worldwide touring experience, performing together because of their mutual respect and love for the music of Prince.

In the Press:

“An excellent night of great songs and terrific musicianship… If you’re looking for a night out this is the show to see.”

“Fantastic! As close any as any mere mortal should ever reasonably expect to get to reaching the godlike genius that was Prince. Highly recommended.”

AGE: Adults, Teens

GENRE: Music

PRICE: £28.13

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Prince & The Revolution – 40 Years Since The Release of ‘Purple Rain’

NPG RECORDS AND PAISLEY PARK ENTERPRISES, 

In partnership with warner records, , celebrate the 40th anniversary of , prince and the revolution’s landmark album, purple rain , with new immersive audio mix.

“I think  Purple Rain  is the most avant-garde purple thing I’ve ever done. Just look at [the singles] ‘When Doves Cry’ and ‘Let’s Go Crazy.’ Most Black artists won’t try a groove like that. If more would, we’d have more colorful radio stations.” 

– Prince

(Minneapolis, MN – June 21, 2024) NPG Records and Paisley Park Enterprises , in partnership with Warner Records, are pleased to announce the release of a brand-new Dolby ATMOS mix of Prince and the Revolution’s iconic 1984 album, Purple Rain , which is available to stream now via participating digital partners. 

40 years ago this month, Prince shattered all expectations and made music history when he released the album Purple Rain , followed by the hit movie of the same name weeks later.

The 9-track LP went on to win two Grammy awards (“Best Rock Performance by a Group” & “Best Album of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture”), two American Music Awards, a Brit Award, and an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. In 2012 the Library of Congress added the album to the National Recording Registry, which only accepts sound recordings that “are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.” Purple Rain spent 24 weeks at #1 on the Billboard album charts, sold over 25 million copies worldwide, and appears on countless ‘Best Of’ polls, most recently achieving the #4 spot on Apple Music’s Top 100 Albums Of All Time. 

The new ATMOS presentation of   Purple Rain   has been meticulously mixed from the original multi-track master tapes by Prince’s protege and Best Engineered Grammy nominee Chris James. It is available now via all participating Digital Service Providers, with an audiophile Blu-ray to be released later in 2024.

“As we begin what will be a year-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of Purple Rain , we are thrilled to present Prince’s masterpiece in ATMOS, providing an immersive, surround auditory experience of Prince’s legendary album. This highly crafted release will present Prince’s iconic work with more space and depth while preserving the beautiful songs that have shaped music and popular culture, and touched the lives of countless fans around the world.”

– Paisley Park Enterprises

As part of the festivities honoring Purple Rain ‘s 40th anniversary, Paisley Park Enterprises is welcoming Prince fans to Celebration 2024, at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, MN, from Thursday June 20 – Monday June 24. The annual event features live concert performances by The Revolution, Morris Day, The New Power Generation, and other special guests. The event also provides the first sneak-peek preview of the Purple Rain musical currently in development and production.

Warner Bros. Discovery will reissue a newly restored 4K version of the Purple Rain motion picture on June 25, with a limited theatrical run scheduled to start on July 3.

In addition to these Purple Rain reissues, Prince’s catalogue is also now available in full on Snapchat and other social media for the next generation of Prince fans to engage, discover and enjoy.

https://www.prince.com

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New Purple Celebration

Tribute to the funk rock of Prince.

New Purple Celebration, the band formally known as Purple Rain: A Celebration of Prince, are back with a brand new name but the same “brilliantly funky,” musical extravaganza celebrating the music, life and legacy of Prince.

New Purple Celebration deliver a non-stop, hit packed show, spanning more than two hours. Described as “nothing short of a huge party,” expect to see, hear and feel the hits from one of the most loved artists of all time; 1999, Little Red Corvette, Purple Rain, Kiss, Diamonds And Pearls, U Got The Look, When Doves Cry, Cream, I Wanna Be Your Lover and many more…

A full nine-piece band, New Purple Celebration have been together for 13 years. Fronted by founder-member Jimi Love, and including a horn section, backing vocals and keys.

Text supplied by third party.

At 11 venues:

Concorde 2, Brighton

Fri 14 mar 2025.

£24.10 / 01273 673311

EPIC Studios, Norwich

Fri 7 mar 2025.

Prices to be confirmed

• 19:30 – 22:30

The Fire Station, Sunderland

Fri 21 mar 2025.

£23.10 / 0191 5700 007

Hangar34, Liverpool

Thu 27 feb 2025, ipswich corn exchange, sat 8 mar 2025.

£24.75 / 01473 433100

£30.50 (Free) / 01473 433100

O2 Academy Leicester

Fri 14 feb 2025.

£22.50 / 0844 477 2000

O2 Academy Oxford

Fri 2 may 2025.

£21.50 / 0844 477 2000

Old Fire Station, Carlisle

Fri 21 feb 2025.

Prices to be confirmed / 01228 817590

• 19:00 – 22:30

The Picturedrome, Holmfirth

Sat 22 mar 2025.

£23.10 / 01484 689759

The Robin 2, Wolverhampton

Sat 26 apr 2025.

£22 / 01902 401211

• 19:30 – 23:59

Tramshed, Cardiff

£25.95 / 029 2023 5555

Sat 8 Feb 2025

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‘Prince said, I want to talk to God’: The Revolution remember the Purple Rain tour

The band tell the inside story of being on the road with the superstar and playing one of his most iconic gigs.

On 30 March 1985, Prince turned the world purple. He’d spent the months prior transitioning to global superstardom: in July 1984, he’d become the first ever artist to simultaneously hold the number one song (“Let’s Go Crazy”), album ( Purple Rain ) and film (also Purple Rain ) in the US charts, elevating his fame to that of other 80s pop goliaths Madonna and Michael Jackson.

When his Purple Rain tour kicked off in Detroit in November 1984, Princemania was in full swing. “The audience was louder than the band,” says Matt Fink, aka The Revolution keyboardist Dr Fink.

“You grew up watching the Beatles , and then find yourself in that situation. It was quite amazing”.

His 30 March concert at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York – the most iconic night of the tour – is the definitive document of one of pop’s most astonishing eras.

Originally transmitted live worldwide via satellite as a pay-per-view event – one of the first of its kind – it presents Prince, who would have turned 64 today, and his band The Revolution at their full glory: the greatest live act on the planet beamed directly into people’s homes in their flamboyant, otherworldly pomp, armed with some of the decade’s greatest songs (“Purple Rain”, “When Doves Cry”, “I Would Die 4 U”, “1999”).

The footage has now been lifted from Prince’s Paisley Park vault and given the full remastered, colour-corrected treatment for a new Blu-ray release.

“He was often saying ‘we’re making history!’” says drummer Robert B Rivkin, known as Bobby Z. “But this show really was.”

The journey to Syracuse began a year earlier. On previous hits like “1999” and “Little Red Corvette”, Prince would record every instrument himself. Now, he wanted a band to bring his music to life.

Enter The Revolution. Rivkin had been with Prince since the very start in 1976 after meeting him at Minneapolis recording studio Moonsound; Fink, childhood friends with Rivkin, joined in 1979.

Lisa Coleman, a keyboardist, joined in December 1980; bassist Brown Mark was next, the line-up completed by unfailingly cool guitarist Wendy Melvolin – at the time Coleman’s girlfriend – after Prince asked her onstage to jam at a soundcheck.

“We were all energised adding Wendy, she gave the band its final puzzle piece”, says Fink.

Prince had his dream: a diverse band in terms of race and gender, with a range of musical influences. Brown Mark once called The Revolution “a salt ‘n’ pepper Fleetwood Mac”.

Fink says The Revolution “were a very tight knit band” – not least as Prince was a notoriously hard taskmaster, with rehearsals lasting 10 hours at a time.

“He wanted you to get what he was talking about quickly. You could have an idea and bring it forward – but you better be right”.

Purple Rain – the film – in which Prince played a version of himself called The Kid, was hardly a classic. It had a low-rent feel, spoilt by some sexist storylines – but it grossed $75m, and made Prince a star. “The movie premiere was the signal that something was changing,”

Rivkin says. “He couldn’t go anywhere after that. He had more handlers, things were different from the scrappy days going around the country, rehearsing in the basement, Prince writing our cheques from Warner Brothers to keep us alive. He became more separated. Then he was just off to the races. He already was, but it even went beyond that”.

The success of the film meant the Purple Rain live show, Fink says, “had to be spectacular”. Musically, Prince wanted “big arrangements, concert speed tempos, everything to be super hyped. The energy had to be off the charts”.

It was left to production designer Roy Bennett, Prince’s creative partner since 1979, to mastermind a suitable stage show.

“I was very lucky that he would allow me to do pretty much whatever I wanted to do, based off of some obscure concepts that he had,” he says. The pair had upped the theatricality of Prince’s shows over the years, but “ Purple Rain was the next level”.

The show contained staged, spoken-word elements, inspired by the film, choreographed dance moves with The Revolution and state-of-the-art lighting and five separate costume changes for Prince, whose entrance came via a hydraulic lift beneath the stage.

“The whole concept was to have an ever-evolving stage set based on the technology that existed at the time. It’s a tired word right now, but it was an “immersive experience”. We dropped flowers on the audience at the top of the show, I had lights in the back of the audience that would interact with him”. It was Bennett’s job to make Prince’s ambitions come true, no matter what.

“He was like, ‘I want to talk to God’. I thought, ‘OK, well, what would God be doing?’” he says, laughing.

“And I thought, OK, sunlight coming through the clouds, because that’s the typical appearance of God.”

The Purple Rain tour was huge, selling 1.7 million tickets in the US. Michael Jackson saw it twice, while Madonna and Bruce Springsteen joined Prince onstage for guest appearances.

]Prince couldn’t help but show his mischievous side. “He had these visual audio cues that he could throw out in the middle of a song, a signal that suddenly we’re playing something else. When superstars would join us, he would deliberately do hand signals that were secret to the band, that they wouldn’t actually know. He was playful, he liked his tomfoolery”.

The band were still a high-functioning unit – they joined Prince in his dressing room every night for a pre-gig prayer – but it didn’t take long before Prince was feeling creatively restless. He took to changing the set, and introducing spontaneous musical shifts to keep himself interested: most noticeably “Baby I’m a Star”, often transformed into an epic freeform jazz and funk jam.

“He got trapped in Purple Rain a little bit more than I think he anticipated,” Rivkin says. With new songs already recorded – unknown to the band he had already finished his next album Around the World in a Day – Prince decided weeks before he’d had enough of touring his mega-selling album, and refused to add more dates beyond April. The band were shocked, not to mention the bean counters at Warner Brothers.

“He didn’t care what other people expected of him,” Bennett says.

“He just liked to do what he wanted to do. The Purple Rain thing had exposed him too much. There were elements of it that just didn’t resonate so well with him. It was all the added pressure, it was just overwhelming. He liked being more on the edge, somebody that is not easily accessible. It was one of those things, be careful what you wish for.”

The compromise was the show at Syracuse, to be broadcast everywhere he decided not to tour, with a focus on Europe. It was a huge undertaking, not least the issues in leaving indoor arenas for a huge dome with a 30,000 capacity space, outdoors with a roof, that was more used to hosting sporting events than pop concerts.

“It was this big pile of scaffolding, a structure didn’t exist,” Bennett says. “So we built kind of walkways around the sides and around the back so he could interact with people behind the stage. We had to add more elements to the show, based on the fact that we were in the dome, and it was being broadcast”.

Playing with a musician as demanding and astounding as Prince was a high wire act at the best of times given his exacting standards: more so on a live broadcast.

“You just didn’t want to disappoint him,” Fink says. “We were playing to an audience of one. Matt said to get a perfect show it was like an Olympic gymnast’s routine – you don’t want to miss the parallel. That’s very, very true”.

“He would definitely point out if there have been mistakes,” Rivkin says. “If he was not in the spotlight, he might laugh at you. If he was in the spotlight,” he says ruefully, “that was a different mistake”.

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There were no mistakes at Syracuse. The concert is spectacular: The Revolution are a tight, flowing, choreographed force , providing the perfect canvas for Prince, regal in purple velvet and coiffured hair, to showcase the full extent his genius: a freakish mix of Michael Jackson, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix.

From the electric opening of “Let’s Go Crazy” to the closing 20-minute version of “Purple Rain” – “it became this sacred prayer,” Rivkin says – it is two hours of high octane, sexualised pop, funk and theatre.

“I’m always taken aback about how meticulous Prince was with that show,” Fink says. “And the perfection that it had. I always think – did we actually play that?”

“This was a big deal,” Bennett says. “It basically put the normal show on steroids”.

The Revolution stayed with Prince for another year, before inter-band frictions caused a split. But working with Prince – The Revolution reformed after Prince died in April 2016 – during what many consider his commercial and creative peak remains a career high.

“It’s what made him, this was his height of fame and glory,” says Rivkin. “I think Purple Rain is the flag that everyone rallies around. And to have this performance captured is wonderful. The next generations can now see what the fuss is about”.

The Prince and The Revolution: Liv e album and Blu-ray is out now

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November 1984: Prince Launches PURPLE RAIN Tour in Detroit

It was November 4, 1984, when Prince kicked off his massive Purple Rain tour. With both the album and the movie topping the charts for weeks on end, anticipation to see the songs brought to life was through the roof, and well into the stratosphere.

With Detroit, Michigan, being his strongest market outside of Minnesota by far, Prince chose the Motor City to launch the run of shows. Given his next-level popularity at the time, the artist and his band, the Revolution, ended up selling out seven shows at the Joe Louis Arena. With a concert capacity of just over 20,000, the outfit would perform to more than 150,000 screaming fans before heading off to the second city on the tour, Greensboro, NC.

Prince's arrival in Detroit was big news. So much so that local news outlets went down to Joe Louis Arena to capture some of that purple excitement. Tune in and feel the palpable energy below.

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Prince tours

We don’t practice. We rehearse. Practice is what you do at home.

Ever wondered when Prince toured, what he performed and the venues he played. And how his experiences on one tour moulded the next, and who played in his bands? Prince left nothing to chance, in addition to meticulously rehearsing his bands, he methodically sound checked each venue by sitting in every seat section himself to ensure the sound and the experience was perfect.

Explore the entire list of the thirty identifiable tours Prince staged throughout his forty year career. Starting with his debut tour and going right through to his last. Discover the trivia, background, typical set list and encores Prince performed, and the touring schedules, including every aftershow.

Prince Tour

Dirty Mind Tour

Controversy Tour

1999 Triple Threat Tour

Purple Rain Tour

Parade Tour

Sign O’ The Times Tour

Lovesexy Tour

Diamonds And Pearls Tour

Act II Tour

Interactive Tour

The Ultimate Live Experience

Jam of the Year

Hit N Run Tour

One Nite Alone… Tour

World Tour 2003

Musicology Live 2004ever

Per4ming Live 3121

The Earth Tour

Welcome 2 America Tour

Live Out Loud Tour

Hit And Run Tour

Piano & A Microphone Tour

Prince tour trivia.

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Past Events

Here are the most recent UK tour dates we had listed for Purple Rain. Were you there?

January 2020

• Fri 10 Jan London, The Blues Kitchen Brixton Purple Rain

December 2019

• Fri 20 Dec London, The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch Purple Rain

November 2019

• Fri 29 Nov London, The Blues Kitchen Camden Purple Rain

September 2019

• Thu 12 Sep Southampton, The 1865 Purple Rain
• Sat 21 Jul London, The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch Purple Rain
• Fri 20 Jul London, The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch Purple Rain

February 2018

• Sun 25 Feb Northampton, Royal & Derngate Theatre Purple Rain
• Sat 24 Feb Glasgow, The ABC Purple Rain
• Fri 23 Feb Sheffield City Hall and Memorial Hall Purple Rain
• Sat 10 Feb Brighton, Concorde 2 Purple Rain
• Fri 9 Feb Brighton, Concorde 2 Purple Rain

December 2017

• Sat 16 Dec Manchester, Albert Hall Purple Rain
• Fri 15 Dec O2 Academy Bristol Purple Rain
• Sat 2 Dec Holmfirth Picturedrome Purple Rain
• Fri 1 Dec Scarborough Spa Purple Rain

November 2017

• Thu 30 Nov Nottingham, Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall Purple Rain
• Sat 18 Nov London, Troxy Purple Rain
• Fri 17 Nov Cardiff, Tramshed Purple Rain
• Tue 14 Nov Portsmouth Guildhall Purple Rain
• Mon 13 Nov Bournemouth Pavilion Purple Rain
• Sun 12 Nov Basingstoke, The Anvil Purple Rain
• Sat 11 Nov Leamington Spa, The Assembly Purple Rain
• Thu 9 Nov Watford Colosseum Purple Rain
• Wed 8 Nov Southend-on-Sea, Cliffs Pavilion Purple Rain
• Tue 7 Nov Wolverhampton, The Wulfrun at The Halls Purple Rain
• Mon 6 Nov Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Purple Rain

October 2017

• Sat 21 Oct Folkestone, Leas Cliff Hall Purple Rain
• Fri 20 Oct Southampton, Engine Rooms Purple Rain
• Sat 14 Oct Worthing, Pavilion Theatre Purple Rain
• Fri 13 Oct Ipswich, Corn Exchange Purple Rain

September 2017

• Sat 23 Sep Yeovil, Octagon Theatre Purple Rain
• Fri 22 Sep Blackpool, Grand Theatre Purple Rain
• Sun 3 Sep Norwich, Theatre Royal Purple Rain
• Sat 2 Sep Swindon, Wyvern Theatre Purple Rain
• Fri 1 Sep Birmingham, O2 Institute Purple Rain

August 2017

• Sun 27 Aug Exeter Corn Exchange Purple Rain
• Sat 26 Aug Weston-super-Mare, The Playhouse Theatre Purple Rain
• Fri 25 Aug Hastings, The White Rock Theatre Purple Rain
• Sat 29 Jul Chippenham, Neeld Community & Arts Centre Purple Rain
• Fri 21 Jul Truro, Hall For Cornwall Purple Rain
• Fri 19 May Belfast, The Limelight Purple Rain
• Tue 18 Apr Leicester, De Montfort Hall Purple Rain
• Mon 17 Apr Edinburgh, Usher Hall Purple Rain
• Sun 16 Apr Leeds, City Varieties Purple Rain
• Sat 15 Apr Glasgow, The ABC Purple Rain
• Thu 13 Apr Newcastle upon Tyne, O2 City Hall Newcastle Purple Rain
• Wed 12 Apr York Barbican Purple Rain
• Tue 11 Apr Salisbury City Hall Purple Rain
• Mon 10 Apr Guildford, G Live Purple Rain
• Sat 11 Mar Cambridge Corn Exchange Purple Rain

February 2017

• Sat 11 Feb Brighton, Concorde 2 Purple Rain
• Fri 10 Feb London, Scala Purple Rain

December 2016

• Wed 21 Dec Bath, Komedia Purple Rain
• Tue 20 Dec Cardiff, The Globe Purple Rain
• Mon 19 Dec Cardiff, The Globe Purple Rain
• Sun 18 Dec Manchester, Gorilla Purple Rain
• Sat 10 Dec Bristol, The Fleece Purple Rain
• Fri 9 Dec Cardiff, The Globe Purple Rain

November 2016

• Sat 26 Nov York, Fibbers Purple Rain
• Fri 25 Nov Leicester, Jukebox Purple Rain

October 2016

• Sat 29 Oct Poole, Mr Kyps Purple Rain
• Fri 21 Oct Northampton, Royal & Derngate Theatre Purple Rain

September 2016

• Fri 30 Sep Leamington Spa, The Assembly Purple Rain
• Fri 23 Sep Bath, Komedia Purple Rain
• Thu 15 Sep → Fri 16 Sep Liverpool, The Epstein Theatre Purple Rain
• Fri 9 Sep Pershore, The Iron Road Live Purple Rain
• Sat 3 Sep Holmfirth Picturedrome Purple Rain
• Thu 21 Jul Dublin, The Academy Purple Rain
• Fri 1 Jul London, Surya Purple Rain
• Fri 27 May → Sun 29 May Bishop Auckland Football Club Wannasee Tribute Festival The Scandals, Ultra 90s, JD & The Woodsmen, Purple Rain, Bon Jovi Forever…

September 2014

• Fri 5 Sep Cardiff, The Globe Purple Rain

August 2014

• Fri 8 Aug Wolverhampton, Robin 2 Purple Rain

September 2013

• Sun 15 Sep Ipswich, Isaacs Purple Rain
• Fri 12 Jul Bolton, Railway Venue Purple Rain
• Fri 7 Jun London, Draft House Farringdon Purple Rain

October 2012

• Fri 26 Oct London, The Social W1 Purple Rain

December 2011

• Sat 17 Dec Bolton, Railway Venue Purple Rain

August 2011

• Fri 26 Aug London, The Brickhouse Purple Rain, Guest DJs

December 2010

• Thu 16 Dec Leeds, New Roscoe Purple Rain
• Thu 9 Dec Poole, Mr Kyps Purple Rain

August 2010

• Sat 14 Aug Leicester, The Musician Purple Rain
• Fri 18 Jun Witney, Fat Lil's Purple Rain
• Thu 27 May Leeds, New Roscoe Purple Rain
• Sat 15 May Wolverhampton, Robin 2 Purple Rain, Broken Promise
• Sat 3 Apr The RoadHouse Birmingham Purple Rain
• Fri 26 Mar Leicester, The Musician Purple Rain

December 2009

• Fri 11 Dec Derby, The Flowerpot Purple Rain

October 2009

• Sat 31 Oct Bury, Hark To Towler Purple Rain
• Fri 30 Oct The RoadHouse Birmingham Purple Rain
• Thu 29 Oct Leeds, New Roscoe Purple Rain

August 2009

• Sat 29 Aug Wolverhampton, Robin 2 Purple Rain
• Sat 4 Jul The RoadHouse Birmingham Purple Rain
• Sat 27 Jun Manchester, The Ruby Lounge Purple Rain
• Sat 9 May Bristol, The Fleece Purple Rain
• Sat 25 Apr Leicester, The Musician Purple Rain
• Fri 24 Apr Derby, The Flowerpot Purple Rain
• Fri 6 Mar The RoadHouse Birmingham Purple Rain

January 2009

• Sat 3 Jan Bury, Hark To Towler Purple Rain

December 2008

• Fri 12 Dec Poole, Mr Kyps Purple Rain
• Fri 5 Dec Swindon, 12Bar Purple Rain

• PRESS AND RAVES
• MARSHALL CHARLOFF
• TOUR JOURNAL AND REVIEWS
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THE PURPLE XPERIENCE TOUR DATES

Upcoming tour dates.

PURPLE XPERIENCE (WITH TONY TONI TONE) COUNTRY CLUB AMPHITHEATER @ CHICAGO, IL

PURPLE XPERIENCE GEORGIA NATIONAL FAIR @ PERRY, GA

UPCOMING 2025 TOUR DATES

Completed 2024 tour dates, ''charloff now not only performs with the purple xperience but also with symphonies worldwide, giving audiences who might never have had a chance to see prince in person a taste of what made him an american treasure.'', latest merch.

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Prince and the Revolution: The Purple Rain Tour

Experience the powerful performance by Prince and The Revolution on their legendary Purple Rain Tour, featuring hits like “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Little Red Corvette,” “When Doves Cry” and a mind-bending 18+ minute version of “Purple Rain.”

Previews + Extras

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Buddy Guy: True to the Blues

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