Photograph
Academy 1 (Manchester Academy)
21st February 2014

Photo: Manchester Evening News

A great shot from the first of Prince's surprise gigs at Manchester Academy, February 2015, with Third Eye Girl.

The first show was a blistering guitar-led rollercoaster ride through some of Prince's biggest hits and lesser known cuts from his vast back catalogue. Towards the end of the first gig, it was announced via Twitter that a second show would take place that same night at half past midnight, for fans who queued to pay on the door.

It was all a bit chaotic, though, and when the second wave of fans joined the first, they were only treated to a 15-min set (the encore of the first show).

Excerpt from Manchester Evening News:

Martin Laws, commercial operations director [at the University of Manchester Students' Union] told Emily [Heward - MEN Reporter] that Prince had had a 'change of heart' and decided to play for longer instead of playing a second show when only 150 people turned up for it.

The price had been dropped from £70 to £35 to reflect that, he added - but the reason for the reduction was not communicated to fans, who had waited for more than an hour in the rain.

"Not long after the announcement of the second show tonight they had a change of heart and another tweet went out saying they would be playing for longer and that anybody who was here inside the show already or who was in the queue was welcome," he said.

"That's why the second show was reduced to £35 and not £70.

"We have since agreed with them, immediately after the event, that it was only fair and proper that all the customers who had bought those 150 tickets and are able to produce them would be able to come in free on Saturday.

"Anybody who wishes to contact us and attend tomorrow can do so and they will get the full show."

He added: "The show was amazing and the feedback has been fantastic, it is just unfortunate that we have a maximum of 150 customers who may feel slightly disappointed."

The Saturday show, was by all accounts a blinder, and more hit-strewn than the first.

Following Prince's untimely death just over a year later, these two amazing nights have become the stuff of Manchester folklore.

Set list 1: 21/2/15
Source: setlist.fm

Funknroll
Endorphinmachine
Screwdriver
She's Always in My Hair
I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
Guitar
Stratus
(Billy Cobham cover)
Plectrum Electrum
FixUrLifeUp
Forever in My Life
A Love Bizarre
(Sheila E. cover)
When Doves Cry
Sign “?” the Times
Hot Thing
The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
I Would Die 4 U
Purple Rain

Encore:
Let's Go Crazy
U Got the Look
Play That Funky Music
(Wild Cherry cover)

Encore 2:
The Love We Make
Electric Intercourse
Take Me With U
Raspberry Beret

Encore 3:
Musicology
Liathach
(Jo Hamilton cover)
Train in Vain
(The Clash cover)
Cause and Effect
Crimson & Clover
(Tommy James & the Shondells cover) (w/ Wild Thing chorus)

Encore 4:
Bambi

Setlist 2: 22/2/15
Source: setlist.fm

Let's Go Crazy
(Reloaded)
Guitar
Plectrum Electrum
FixUrLifeUp
Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)
(Piano)
When We're Dancing Close and Slow
(Piano)
She's Always in My Hair
Funknroll
Sign “?” the Times
Hot Thing
Forever in My Life
(Piano and bass)
I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
Crimson & Clover
(Tommy James & the Shondells cover) (w/ Wild Thing chorus)
When Doves Cry
Alphabet St.
Nasty Girl
(Vanity 6 cover)
777-9311
(The Time cover) (Bass solo)
Housequake
I Would Die 4 U
If I Was Your Girlfriend
(instrumental)
Purple Rain

Encore:
Screwdriver
Chaos and Disorder
How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore
Starfish and Coffee
Diamonds and Pearls
The Beautiful Ones
Under the Cherry Moon
(instrumental)
Venus de Milo
Sometimes It Snows in April
Nothing Compares 2 U

Encore 2:
The Max
Play That Funky Music
(Wild Cherry cover)

Encore 3:
Take Me With U
(keyboard)
Raspberry Beret
(keyboard)
Cool
(The Time cover) (keyboard)

Encore 4:
Endorphinmachine
Bambi

Encore 5:
Colonized Mind
Cause and Effect