Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL rock Dubai for Autism Rocks
Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL played the second show on their mini tour in aid of Autism Rocks with a sell-out gig at Pacha in Dubai last night, February 4th 2015.
Prince and the band (guitarist Donna Grantis, bassist Ida Nielsen and drummer Hannah Ford-Welton) took to the stage to play another astonishing set that turned Pacha into an electrically charged purple 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.
The enigmatic icon and his band arrived in Dubai fresh from a rapturously received show at London's Koko on Monday night which saw the band once again showered with ecstatic reviews and acclaim on social media. The Guardian gave the show a five-star review calling Prince 'the best in the business' while Metro called 3RDEYEGIRL 'Prince's most exciting band in a quarter of a century' in another rave review.
Hitting the stage the band played for over two hours with Prince setting fire to it from the get-go, launching into a roof-raising version of Lets Go Crazy which set the tone for the evening ahead. Playing hit-after-hit the band were joined on stage by Liv Warfield (vocals) and Joshua Welton (keyboards). 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 and an amazing mash-up of the B-side favorite Pink Cashmere with the just released single, This Could B Us, from Prince's latest release ART OFFICIAL AGE.
Prince then moved on to piano for a solo set including How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore, Diamonds and Pearls and a stellar The Beautiful Ones. Rejoined by the band for a final encore the triumphant night closed with many brought to tears as the entire venue sang along to Purple Rain.
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 Autism Rocks dates are the first shows of 2015 following last year's series of spontaneous 'Hit and Run' shows in the UK and Europe 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 five-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.
