Prince - Lovesexy World Tour 1988

Although the tour was a huge success in terms of audience numbers,(Most of the shows were sellouts.) it lost money due to high production costs; Prince used elaborate props on stage such as a basketball hoop, a fountain, trellis fences and a fully working Ford Thunderbird automobile.

The two-hour shows included most songs from Lovesexy, alongside hits and rarer material. In usual Prince fashion, many shows saw the premiere of new songs, particularly 'Blues in C (If I Had a Harem)'.

Thematically, the show was divided into two main acts. Act One, which ran for an hour, consisted mainly of older material from Prince's earlier albums, often strung together into medley form to ease time constraints. The show often began with 'Escape' before segueing into 'Erotic City' and concluded with 'Anna Stesia'.

Act Two consisted largely of songs from the 'Lovesexy' album, plus classic hits like 'Kiss' and towards the end of the concert, 'Let's Go Crazy', 'Purple Rain', and '1999'. The highlight of many shows was the piano medley in the second act, often featuring 'When 2 R in Love', 'Venus de Milo', 'Starfish and Coffee', 'Raspberry Beret' and 'Condition of the Heart'. Easily one of my favourite concerts ever.

The set list ran often as follows.

ACT I

1. Escape (Introduction)/Erotic City

2. Housequake

3. Slow Love/Adore

4. Delirious/Jack U Off/Sister

5. Adore (Reprise)

6. I Wanna Be Your Lover

7. Head

8. A Love Bizarre

9. When U Were Mine/Blues In C (If I Had A Harem)/When U Were Mine (Reprise)

10. Little Red Corvette

11. Controversy/Dirty Mind/Superfunkycalifragisexy/Controversy (Reprise)

12. Bob George

13. Ana Stasia

ACT II

1. Cross The Line (Poem Introduction)

2. Eye No

3. Lovesexy

4. Glam Slam

5. The Cross

6. I Wish U Heaven

7. Kiss

8. Dance On/Sheila Drum Solo

9. Piano Medley

    a. When 2 R In Love

    b. Venus De Milo

    c. Starfish And Coffee

    d. Raspberry Beret

    e. Condition Of The Heart

    f. Strange Relationship

    g. When 2 R In Love (Reprise)

10. Let's Go Crazy

11. When Doves Cry

12. Purple Rain

13. 1999

14. Alphabet Street