Controversy Tour


The Controversy Tour was a concert tour by American recording artist Prince in support of his fourth studio album Controversy. The tour included Zapp and Roger and The Time as an opening act.

Background

The Controversy Tour marked the debut of Mark Brown, a.k.a. Brown Mark, on bass guitar, replacing the departed André Cymone, and the introduction of Prince's new bodyguard, Chick Huntsberry. At first, Prince contemplated dismissing the huge Huntsberry after only being on tour with him for a few days, as Prince thought he was too big and he scared him. Guitarist Dez Dickerson talked him out of it and he eventually became a confidant to Prince and later appeared in Purple Rain as a bouncer. This tour was also notable for Prince's new side group The Time joining him on tour and the resulting backstage drama and arising tension that developed between the two bands.
Ultimately Prince would kick The Time off the 1999 Tour. The conflict came to a head on the final night of the tour in Cincinnati as during The Time's set, Prince and some of the members in his band began egging them from off stage. Near the end of the set, they grabbed Jerome Benton from the stage and proceeded to "tar and feather" him by pouring honey all over him and dumping trash on him. Things got further escalated after The Time's performance, guitarist Jesse Johnson was handcuffed to a wall-mounted coat rack and further humiliated with Prince throwing Doritos and other food at him. When The Time went to retaliate, they were stopped by the tour manager and told there would be no interruptions during Prince's performance, but as soon as he left the stage, a food fight erupted between the two bands. When the battle continued at the hotel causing damage, Prince made Morris Day pay for all damages, claiming that he had started the whole thing.

Opening acts

Set list

November 20, 1981, at the Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:
  1. "The Second Coming"
  2. "Sexuality"
  3. "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?"
  4. "Jack U Off"
  5. "When You Were Mine"
  6. "I Wanna Be Your Lover"
  7. "Head"
  8. "Annie Christian"
  9. "Dirty Mind"
  10. "Do Me, Baby"
  11. "Let's Work"
  12. "Controversy"
  13. "Uptown"
  14. "Partyup"
January 30, 1982, at the Capitol Theatre, Passaic, New Jersey:
  1. "The Second Coming"
  2. "Uptown"
  3. "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?"
  4. "I Wanna Be Your Lover"
  5. "Head"
  6. "Dirty Mind"
  7. "Do Me, Baby"
  8. "Controversy"
  9. "Let's Work"
  10. "Jack U Off"

Tour dates

Prior to the tour, in October 1981 Prince played two shows at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as an opening act for The Rolling Stones. On the first date, Prince and his band did not finish their set, as the crowd turned hostile towards him. Dressed in his controversial bikini briefs and trench coat, and singing his sexually androgynous lyrics, he was run off stage after 25 minutes of the crowd booing, throwing shoes and beer bottles at him. Off stage, security escorted Prince to his trailer, they described him as emotionally distraught and crying softly. He was later heard cussing at his band and swearing he would never open for the Rolling Stones again.
After the show, Prince immediately flew back home to Minneapolis. After speaking with Dez Dickerson, manager Steve Fargnoli, and Mick Jagger himself, they convinced him to return for the second concert. Amidst the same hostility, as The Rolling Stones' fans heard about the incident at the first concert and came prepared to dog Prince again, Prince and his band finished their set this time. Backstage, Prince referred to the crowd as, "Tasteless in music and mentally retarded".
DateCityCountryVenueAttendanceRevenue
November 20, 1981PittsburghUnited StatesStanley Theater
November 21, 1981Washington, D.C.United StatesWarner Theatre2,000 / 3,400
November 25, 1981GreenvilleUnited StatesGreenville Memorial Auditorium
November 26, 1981BaltimoreUnited StatesBaltimore Civic Center
November 27, 1981CharlotteUnited StatesCharlotte Coliseum
November 29, 1981NashvilleUnited StatesNashville Municipal Auditorium
December 2, 1981New York CityUnited StatesThe Palladium
December 4, 1981DetroitUnited StatesJoe Louis Arena
December 5, 1981ChicagoUnited StatesArie Crown Theater8,638 / 8,638 $95,087
December 6, 1981St. LouisUnited StatesKiel Auditorium
December 9, 1981HoustonUnited StatesThe Summit
December 10, 1981AtlantaUnited StatesThe Omni
December 11, 1981Winston-SalemUnited StatesWinston-Salem Memorial Coliseum
December 12, 1981ColumbiaUnited StatesCarolina Coliseum
December 13, 1981FayettevilleUnited StatesCumberland County Memorial Arena
December ??, 1981SavannahUnited StatesSavannah Civic Center
December 17, 1981ColumbusUnited StatesColumbus Municipal Auditorium
December 18, 1981Baton RougeUnited StatesRiverside Centroplex
December 19, 1981DallasUnited StatesDallas Convention Center
December 20, 1981HoustonUnited StatesThe Summit14,000 / 14,000
December 26, 1981MilwaukeeUnited StatesMECCA Arena
December 27, 1981DaytonUnited StatesHara Arena
December 28, 1981ToledoUnited StatesToledo Sports Arena4,325 / 6,500
December 29, 1981ColumbusUnited StatesVeterans Memorial Auditorium
December 30, 1981LouisvilleUnited StatesLouisville Gardens6,850 / 6,850
December 31, 1981MaconUnited StatesMacon Coliseum8,400 / 9,252

DateCityCountryVenueAttendanceRevenue
January 2, 1982LakelandUnited StatesLakeland Civic Center
January 3, 1982JacksonvilleUnited StatesJacksonville Memorial Coliseum
January 28, 1982RichmondUnited StatesRichmond Coliseum
January 29, 1982LandoverUnited StatesCapital Centre
January 30, 1982PassaicUnited StatesCapitol Theatre
February 1, 1982Ann ArborUnited StatesHill Auditorium
February 4, 1982SaginawUnited StatesSaginaw Civic Center
February 5, 1982ClevelandUnited StatesCleveland Public Auditorium
February 6, 1982NormalUnited StatesISU-Braden Auditorium
February 7, 1982OmahaUnited StatesOmaha Civic Auditorium
February 9, 1982DenverUnited StatesDenver Auditorium
February 11, 1982San DiegoUnited StatesSan Diego Golden Hall
February 12, 1982Santa MonicaUnited StatesSanta Monica Civic Auditorium
February 13, 1982San BernardinoUnited StatesOrange Pavilion
February 14, 1982San FranciscoUnited StatesBill Graham Civic Auditorium
February 15, 1982San FranciscoUnited StatesBill Graham Civic Auditorium
February 18, 1982Kansas CityUnited StatesUptown Theater
February 19, 1982MartinUnited StatesUT-Martin Fieldhouse
February 20, 1982BirminghamUnited StatesBirmingham–Jefferson Civic Center
February 21, 1982IndianapolisUnited StatesIndiana Convention Center
February 24, 1982MemphisUnited StatesMid-South Coliseum
February 25, 1982MonroeUnited StatesMonroe Civic Center
February 26, 1982AugustaUnited StatesAugusta Civic Center
February 27, 1982MontgomeryUnited StatesGarrett Coliseum
February 28, 1982New OrleansUnited StatesSaenger Theatre
March 3, 1982BostonUnited StatesOrpheum Theatre
March 5, 1982RockfordUnited StatesRockford MetroCentre
March 6, 1982DavenportUnited StatesPalmer Auditorium
March 7, 1982BloomingtonUnited StatesMet Center
March 11, 1982HamptonUnited StatesHampton Coliseum
March 12, 1982RaleighUnited StatesDorton Arena
March 13, 1982Upper Darby TownshipUnited StatesTower Theater
March 14, 1982CincinnatiUnited StatesRiverfront Coliseum

The band