In the first half of the performance, everything was as smooth and melodic as any time this classic song was performed. Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty alternately sang songs. Prince peeked out from the right with a red hat. But when the spotlight was on him, things were different.
Prince proved his ability with the guitar, which seemed to be lost in his colorful career. Dhani, the youngest of the artists on the stage, could not hide his interest in Prince’s demeanor, especially when he turned his back on the audience, fell back and had a backroom staff waiting to hold me, gently push me back to the stage.
All of these movements and poses have no effect on the solo guitar verse Prince is playing, everything is smooth. Dhani excitedly recounted after the stage: “I want to be friends with him, we are the same height!”. This performance is the highlight of the awards night and also one of the best versions of this song even though the original has Eric Clapton’s solo guitar part.
Seen more at: Tom Petty and the heartbreakers 40th anniversary tour poster
