Prince
"ONA Exclusive European Soundchecks"
19TH OCTOBER 2002 @ BERLIN, GERMANY
31ST OCTOBER 2002 @ MILAN, ITALY
2ND NOVEMBER 2002 @ ROTTERDAM, HOLLAND
unknown audience > ? > original bootleg CDs "ONA Exclusive European 
Soundchecks" Sabotage Records  #SAB 224-225 > flac > CDR

Disc 1:
One Nite Alone Tour Soundcheck @ Sportpaleis Ahoyhal, Rotterdam, Holland, 2nd November 2002:
1. PRINCE TALKS - SHEILA E. APPEARS   
2. THE SANTANA MEDLEY   
3. FLASHLIGHT   
4. XENOPHOBIA   
5. A CASE OF U   
6. DON'T PLAY ME [ABORTED-RESTARTED]   
7. GUITAR INTERLUDE   
8. THE TRUTH   
9. TELEMARKETER'S BLUES   
10. THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES THEME   
11. THE SANTANA MEDLEY
One Nite Alone Tour Soundcheck @ Palatucker, Milan, Italy, 31st October 2002:
12. THE EVERLASTING NOW   
13. THE RAINBOW CHILDREN   
14. STROLLIN'   
15. THE SANTANA MEDLEY

Disc 2:
One Nite Alone Tour Soundcheck @ International Congress Center, Berlin, Germany, 19th October 2002:
1. PRINCE DRUM SOLO   
2. INSTRUMENTAL JAM [INCL. HERE ON EARTH]   
3. JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL   
4. PRINCE TALKS TO NPGMC MEMBERS   
5. JAZZ JAM [ABORTED]   
6. JAZZ JAM   
7. A CASE OF U [ABORTED]   
8. A CASE OF U [INSTRUMENTAL]   
9. JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL   
10. THE BALLAD OF DOROTHY PARKER   
11. FOUR   
12. PRINCE TALKS TO NPGMC MEMBERS   
13. THE SANTANA MEDLEY
One Nite Alone Tour Soundcheck @ Palatucker, Milan, Italy, 31st October 2002:
14. PRINCE TALKS TO NPGMC MEMBERS   
15. THANK YOU FALLETINME BE MICE ELF AGAIN
One Nite Alone Tour Concert @ Hammersmith Apollo, London, England, 5th October 2002:
16. JOY IN REPETITION


Comments:

This very nice little release comes as a good addition to all the ONA stuff already existing on the Sabotage catalogue.

This particular double set concentrates on 2 of the most interesting soundchecks on the European ONA tour.

Disc 1 showcases the full soundcheck before the last European show in Rotterdam, Holland, 2nd November 2002.
It features noteworthy performances of "Don't Play Me", "The Truth" and Parliament's "Flashlight",
the latter would be played during the subsequent concert [seeded on this tracker].

Disc 2 presents the complete soundcheck in Berlin, Germany, 19th October 2002, definitely the best show on the entire ONA tour,
and the longest in Prince's entire career [also seeded here on DIME]. Interestingly, Prince chooses to perform 2 songs
that would be included in tonight's concert, "A Case Of U" and "The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker". 

I was present that afternoon and a funny moment happened when a young lady, upon being invited to the stage, took over Prince 
at his keyboards. She'd declared earlier she aspired to become a sound engineer at Paisley Park, unfortunately Prince somewhat 
mocked her when she started tweaking the keyz, probably being scared she might alter his settings lol. At one point he even
joked: "So the marijuana must be really good in Berlin!" lol.

The sound at ICC, Berlin was the best I ever had at any concert (the hall is a true auditorium with perfect acoustics) 
and even Prince commented on it after soundchecking his last number, he leaned forward over the edge of the stage,
took a look left and right at the clusters and said "Sounds good!", before going in the middle of the hall to talk for 10 minutes
with his sound engineer, behind the digital mixing consoles.

Bonuses on this release are excerpts from the Milan soundcheck spread on both discs, as well as a take on "Joy In Repetition"
from the 3rd London concert at the Apollo, 5th October 2002, feat. Maceo Parker.