In the space of less than one year, premiere Prince bootleg label Ladybird Records has branched out into the DVD world in spectacular fashion, issuing no less than 14 titles. All are presented with an eye towards rarity and smart packaging, with an additional emphasis on pro-shot films. This one, their second DVD release, while suffering slightly in video quality, ranks highly.
As the liner notes to the handsomely-designed 4-page booklet relate, Prince was celebrating his 30th birthday in 1994 (it was also the first anniversary of changing him name to that crazy symbol) by throwing a series of concerts at the recently-opened Glam Slam club in Miami, which held about 1500 people. The shows were simulcast via satellite hook-up (done in conjunction with video channel The Box) to the other two Glam Slam clubs (in Minneapolis and L.A.), and as those clubs also had camera hookups, attendees in all three could watch each other dance and, uh, party like it was 1999 via the oversized video screens.
The show -- as well as the subsequent nights' shows on June 8 and 9 (documented on Volume 2, see my review elsewhere) -- was certainly more spontaneous and interesting than your average Prince arena show, with scantilly-clad dancers moving around onstage, writhing on catwalks and cage-like contraptions, etc., and generally lending a house party vibe. Comparisons to a hipper, steamier "Soul Train" would not be offbase. Prince's performance was super-animated as well, and he was dressed to kill. At one point Mayte came out and presente His Purpleness with a birthday cake, too.
The sound here is excellent, and the multi-camera work is hyperactive to lend a true "club" vibe. The digital transfer of the video portion appears to be a couple of generations removed from the master as the picture quality is occasionally murky. The club lighting tended to be somewhat dark at times anyway, so the viewing experience isn't what it could be. Still, seeing Prince under such intimate conditions still makes it a good bet if you're a fan of the man. -- OSWALD
