Prince's former bandmates in the Revolution gave fans some much-needed positive news Tuesday by announcing via video that they plan to reunite for some live shows in his memory.
"We have decided, after spending three or four days together now grieving over the loss of Prince, that we would like to come out and do some shows," guitarist Wendy Melvoin said in a playful video posted Tuesday on the Facebook page of bassist BrownMark (Mark Brown).
The video shows all five of the "Purple Rain"-era band members — also including keyboardist Lisa Coleman, drummer Bobby Z and keyboardist Matt Fink — seated on a couch. Well, actually it starts off showing five imposters on the couch claiming to be the Revolution, but then the real deals take their place in a huff, the kind of levity Prince himself was known for behind-the-scenes.
The video was shot when the band members met in private to mourn their mentor at the Cosmos bar in Loews Hotel in downtown Minneapolis on Sunday night, across the street from their old stomping ground First Avenue.
"We all love each other and are like a family, so it was good to be around each other," said keyboardist Fink, aka Dr. Fink.
There were nearly 100 people there — mostly from Prince's '80s and '90s heyday — including his first wife Mayte; his one-time girlfriend Susannah Melvoin of the group the Family (Wendy's twin sister); Sheila E.; other bandmembers from the NPG and 3rdEyeGirl lineups; Prince's siblings Tyka Nelson and Omarr Baker, and original Paisley Park managers Red White and Hawkeye Henriksen.
"Everybody knew everybody," said Robbie Paster, who was Prince's valet and personal assistant from 1984 to 1992. "Wendy did a eulogy. Everybody told funny stories. Prince was a funny guy. He was the joker of jokers."
The Revolution members have not made any more formal declaration of their intentions beyond the video. "Be there soon," is all that's promised in the video.
