When Prince embarks on his month-long European tour on November 21, he’ll show fans a very different side than usual — one stripped of his guitar virtuosity and anthemic sound. Instead the 16-date tour will feature the Purple One singing solo and playing piano, without his backing band. The Prince Spotlight Tour: Piano & A Microphone was announced over the weekend, just three weeks before the first show takes place in Vienna, Austria.
“Why do this now? For several reasons,” began the 57 year-old multi-instrumentalist in a statement. “For starters it is a challenge. I rarely get bad reviews because this is something that’s been perfected 4 over thirty years. You have to try new things. With the piano it is more naked, more pure. You can see exactly what you get.”
He hasn’t yet announced specific dates for the tour but Spin (via El Pais) notes that he’ll perform in the U.K., Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
The highly-acclaimed Minneapolis-based artist released his 38th studio record, Hit N Run: Phase One, in September. “I would say it’s an experimental Prince record for fans who just don’t care about him sounding like a certain thing,” said 25 year-old co-producer, mixer, and engineer Joshua to Entertainment Weekly over the summer. “I know he has different types of fan bases and this is kind of for the [hardcore] Purple Collective, the ones who say ‘I don’t care what he puts out! I love Prince.’ And because he’s such a creative, it gives him that freedom to say, ‘I just want to make music like this today.’”
While Prince hasn’t toured in support of the new record extensively stateside, he did hit Washington DC, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit, and Louisville in the spring. Maybe fans in more U.S. cities will be able to see him perform live next year? Stay tuned.
