Lovesexy Tour

1988/9

Technically (even to this day) it supersedes any in the round show that’s been done.

Despite being completely sold out (selling all 500,000 tickets for stadium sized shows and 32 dates in Europe and another 600,000 in the USA) the massive $2 million production cost of the Lovesexy Tour and its crew of 90 found the tour barely breakeven.

The set design of the Lovesexy Tour was Prince‘s most extravagant. Its props included an actual T-Bird car, a basketball hoop and playground swing, plus a hydraulic piano stage riser. The show was performed ‘in the round’ and split into two Acts; the first comprised the more raunchy songs, then following an intermission, the second act was spiritual and positive. Together the two acts depicted the journey of reaching heaven through hell – the triumph of light over the dark. The band line-up is almost identical to Prince’s previous tour, Sign O’ The Times Tour. The final concert on the European leg of the Lovesexy Tour was filmed for posterity and the footage was televised and later commercially released on VHS as Lovesexy Live (volumes 1 and 2) – to mirror the two acts.