European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A tvs a unplugged the program that lip sync hers dare not come on by Jay Sharbutt associated press a yes mtg Rock videos. Quick Cut posturing mini musicals for those who love synthesizers Rock stars who Mouth the words of their hits and the Robo rhythms of electronic drum machines. But there is weirdness afoot. You might have been startled to see a show with Flash Rock King Elton John just himself and his piano surrounded by about 100 fans in a Small new York studio. It was part of a relatively new weekly mtg series unplugged wherein major and minor stars of Rock do their thing in an intimate setting not the usual 50,000-seat stadium full of fugitives from Homes for the strange. The show is Odd in other ways. The musicians generally play what younger tads raised on microchip Rock Call  like real guitars real Drums and in one Don Henley show even real violins and cellos. The video is no frills four cameras taping a Complete performance. And the singers actually sing which was slyly noted in Johns one hour show As he welcomed viewers to Quot the program that lip sync hers dare not come  the audience cheered. Quot ooh Nasty Nasty Quot John said mock chiding himself. Quot right a since that cuts out about 75 percent of the top 100, it s Only the old ones like me that can do  then Clad in a Pink baseball Cap and Pink and Black jogging togs he briskly proceeded to do seven classics among them a Boogie Boogie version of one of his most Golden oldies Bennie and the jets. His gospel tinged piano accompaniment at times was monotonous. So was the close up Long shot medium shot Camerawork. But it was a Welcome change from the High gloss overproduced Rock videos that have become new wave old hat. Billed As a tvs so first acoustic music series Quot unplugged began in january. The first show featured the British rockers squeeze. Thirteen More shows since have been taped and aired starring such artists As Sinead of Connor and 10,000 maniacs the group not the audience. New ones featuring Aero Smith and Eric Clapton Are planned. The series has gotten a Good reaction from All age caught in the act Prince its difficult to write objectively about a concert that one found slightly disappointing but that 15,000 or so fans evidently enjoyed. Such was the Case when Prince rolled into Dortmund West Germany last week As part of his 1990 a nude  no he does t appear nude on stage backed by a five piece band the purple one opened the show with a four song Medley that included 1999, Quot a. Michael Abrams Prince turns on the Energy in his first Stop in Germany. The title track of his 1982 double album. This was to be the oldest song Prince would play that evening. The concert leaned heavily on newer material from Batman and his soon to be released movie Grafitti Bridge. After a costume change one of three during the concert came the shows highlight a spirited rendition of purple rain. With the stage and the crowd bathed in purple Light the number turned into a massive sing along As the fans swayed Back and Forth to the music. Princess stage antics have always been among his Strong Points and this concert was no exception. Hip gyrations and slow push ups on the stage floor and on top of the grand piano by Prince and his three male dancers put the concert in the Quot a Quot rating category. The concert closed with nothing compares 2u, the Prince penned song that Sinead o Connor recently took to no.1 on the pop charts world wide and with Bat dance. After two encores a Quick look at the watch showed that the big hand had gone around Only one and a half times. In these Days of inflated ticket prices a fans had to pay about $33 to see Prince a a 90-minute concert is a disappointment from a Star who has put out 11 albums in 12 years. Besides Tina Turner who a about 20 years older than Prince performed for two hours for roughly the same Price. Ditto for the rolling stones. But what can i say the fans loved it anyway. A Michael Abrams Prince performs in the following locations in Europe . London stadium june 19-20, 22-23 and 25-27, july 3-4 and 9-11, aug. 22-24 Birmingham Nec june 29 and 30, july 1 and 13 Manchester Maine Road aug. 2 Ireland Cork Pairo i Cha Jimh july 6 and 7 Switzerland Basel St. Jakobs station july 15 Lausanne Pon Taise stadium aug. 16 Italy Turnn july 17 Rome july 19 Udine july 30 Spain Marbella municipal stadium july 22 Madrid Calderon stadium july 24 Barcelona olympic stadium july 26 Germany Wurzburg Talaver Wiesen july 28 Dortmund westfalen hallo aug.6 and 7 Belgium Weschter open air Field aug.4 Scandinavia Gothenburg Scandin Vium aug. 10 Stockholm Globe aug. 11 and 12 France Nice Stade Del guest aug. 19. Of mtg fans according to mtg senior vice president Judy Mcgrath. But it was t started she said As a reaction to what some Rock analysts see As an increasing turn by the Public away from lip synthesizer is the Star. Quot no it really in t a reaction against anything a she said. Rather it was part of a tvs a goal of doing a original unexpected things Quot she said. Quot we wanted to say there a another Way to do  unplugged might seem new to Many mtg viewers for whom thirty something is a show about old folks. But its More a Back to the future Effort resembling Public tvs soundstage of the 70s. A when i look at unplugged i get sense of Dejavu Quot said Ken Ehrlich a producer of television music shows. Quot i think that perhaps the most telling thing is that kids. Are going to be Able to see once again what the music is and what the performers Are like instead of having to follow 400 cuts in a video Quot he said. Mtg s Mcgrath said unplugged is aimed at a Broad audience not just the fast growing aging baby Boom collection of citizens aged 25 to 44. Ehrlich agreed saying he does t think baby Boomers even watch mtg. A i think what a happening Quot he said Quot is that there Are probably a lot of kids watching unplugged and saying a gee we be discovered a new Way of looking at music Quot stars and stripes bookstores stars and stripes bookstores it. I of 0 h it it o o cd it it 1u a. Oct a q z it co of f save 10% on our Magazine discounts for the month of june the july 1990 Issue of hit parader a one of ten Magazine titles we re discounting during the month of june. Ten or More different Magazine titles Are selected each month and discounted 10% from cover Price. 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