DisSatisfaction

“Prince’s Life and Times” (April 16) reminded me of my first rock concert, on October 11, 1981, at The Coliseum in Los Angeles, where he bombed as the opening act for the Rolling Stones, which followed him with an utterly unsatisfying performance.

Promotion of the show was overwhelmed with warnings against alcohol or drugs. Parking was impossible, stern police were everywhere, guards searched everyone on entry, beer was not for sale inside, the show was behind schedule, the afternoon was hot, the audience was stone sober, and Prince came on stage in a heavy, full length trench coat — which was weird in LA — and then he was just dull. When he opened the coat to reveal his thong, the consensus was a big yawn. Boos got him off the stage, followed by more waiting. Then! Lights flashed, beats filled the stadium, the audience was on its feet, Mick Jagger — Mr. Satisfaction Himself — strutted to the front and … gave a safety announcement: Would everyone near the front please step back and open up some room?

Years later, living back east, I came to like Prince’s music and even went to another Rolling Stones concert, in October 1989 at Shea Stadium in Queens. No body searches, alcohol flowed, even police were openly smoking joints, no safety warning, and when they played “Satisfaction” the audience jumped up and down in rhythm causing the cantilevered balcony to rise and fall several feet. Very satisfying.

Duncan Palmatier

Moscow