02 Feb PRINCE Performs Private Show At KOKO In London For #AUTISMROCKS!

PRINCE & 3RDEYEGIRL along with Liv Warfield. took over KOKO In London for a private concert for Autism Rocks yesterday. The concert was by invite only with only a few tickets on sale to raise awareness for Autism.

We were asked by organizers to not publicize the event before it happened due to it being a private show and we all know what happened the last time Prince was in London so we could understand especially that it does not appear that the purple one will be in there for long with the Grammy’s this weekend and him being teased as appearing at the award show in Los Angeles.

Prince & 3RDEYEGIRL tore up London yet again last night, February 2nd 2015, as they played a joyous set for a private charity event at the historic venue KOKO in Camden Town.  Re-visiting the scene of one of their triumphant ‘Hit and Run’ shows from last year, Prince and the band (guitarist Donna Grantis, bassist Ida Nielsen and drummer Hannah Ford-Welton) took to the stage to play an astonishing set that turned KOKO into a massive Monday night party.  At the organizer’s request, Prince and the band delivered an awe inspiring greatest hits collection to a rapturous reception from the capacity crowd.

Prince will also be doing another benefit for Autism Rocks scheduled for tonight in Dubai. We will have news on that after the show takes place.

For more  on the show, photos from the concert and set list, click here!

The enigmatic icon and his band arrived from America just yesterday for a whistlestop visit to the UK especially for the one-off show held in aid of the Autism Rocks charity.  Taking to the stage at 10pm the band played for over two hours with Prince setting fire to the stage from the get-go, launching into a roof-raising version of Purple Rain which set the tone for the evening ahead.  Playing hit-after-hit the band were joined on stage by Joshua Welton (keyboards) and Liv Warfield (vocals).  Classics performed included Controversy, Lets Go Crazy, U Got The Look, 1999, Nothing Compares 2 U and Kiss, many complete with incendiary guitar solos and breathtaking instrumental breaks as the band showed their incredible musicianship song after song. Also included was a heart-wrenching rendition of Paloma Faith’s Only Love Can Hurt Like This featuring Liv Warfield.

Prince then moved on to keyboards and mixing duties spinning a turbo charged mini-set that included When Doves Cry, Sign of the Times, Hot Thing and Love Bizarre.
Returning to the front of stage he led the band in tracks from their acclaimed new albums including The Breakdown from ART OFFICIAL AGE (Prince’s solo album) and the title track of the 3RDEYEGIRL album PLECTRUMELECTRUM.
The set was a top-to-bottom masterclass in the very best of Prince – incredible singing, electrifying guitar playing, breathtaking showmanship and some serious dance moves!

The set was a top-to-bottom masterclass in the very best of Prince – incredible singing, electrifying guitar playing, breathtaking showmanship and some serious dance moves!
This was the first UK show of 2015 following last year’s series of spontaneous ‘Hit and Run’ shows announced at the 11th hour via Twitter.  Legendary venues included Ronnie Scotts, Electric Ballroom and Shepherds Bush Empire, with the band often playing up to three shows in one night.  This was followed by ‘Hit and Run 2’ which saw the band blow up arenas across the UK and Europe with further surprise club shows in the mix.  The Guardian said it best, describing the Electric Ballroom shows in this way: “These are performances by one of the greatest funk-rock bands ever.”  The group has been showered in 5-star reviews from all major reviewing media.

Note to editors: Autism Rocks is a UK charity established in 2014 by Sanjay Shah, founder of Solo Capital.  Committed to funding research into autism with the support of the music industry, Autism Rocks exclusively supports the Autism Research Trust in the UK.  Led by Shah, a dynamic philanthropist in addition to financier, the charity has a successful track record in hosting spectacular fundraising events in the UK and as of February 2015, expands its reach into the United Arab Emirates.

KOKO Autism Rocks Set List 2-2-15

Set List provided by Paul:

PURPLE RAIN
LETS GO CRAZY
TAKE ME WITH U (with Liv Warfield)
U GOT THE LOOK (with Liv Warfield)
FUNK N ROLL/FUNK N ROLL REMIX
CONTROVERSY
1999
LITTLE RED CORVETTE
NOTHING COMPARES 2 U
KISS (extended)
ONLY LOVE CAN HURT LIKE THIS (Paloma Faith Cover) (with Liv Warfield)

Sampler + Band Set
– “turn the lights off, this is not a country and western show” prince

WHEN DOES CRY (full with new “oh”chant)
SIGN O THE TIMES (full band join in, slightly altered melody in verse)
DARLING NIKKI (intro) (crowd go WILD)
HOT THING
A LOVE BIZARRE (intro)
POP LIFE
I WOULD DIE 4 U
4EVER IN MY LIFE
HOUSEQUAKE (including 3rd Eye solos)
U KNOW (intro)
THE GOLD STANDARD (sample)
IF I WAS UR GIRLFRIEND (short)
GUITAR
PLECTRUMELECTRUM

“Thank you London”

Encore 1

“This is dedicated to a friend of mine” – P

THE BREAKDOWN (in full P at Piano)
WHATS MY NAME?
STRATUS
SOMETIMES IT SNOWS IN APRIL (abandoned after 2 lines)
DREAMER

Encore 2
Prince “we gotta go after this one”
LETS WORK
DONT STOP TIL U GET ENOUGH
During this he shouted “You know who wrote this?
COOL

-DocFB

Diagnosis: Great photos. We are thankful to share them with U. We hope Prince returns to Funky London sooner than U think!

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