The moment Prince, the 53-year-old, bouffant-haired Minneapolis musician,

The moment Prince, the 53-year-old, bouffant-haired Minneapolis musician, stepped out on to the Hop Farm stage, the crowd erupted. It was his first ever festival appearance in the UK, and his first UK show since 2007, when he enraptured audiences at a 21-date residency at the O2 Arena.
The warm reception came despite a half-hour delay by the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. As the minutes ticked by, a large-screen video montage showed various Prince protégés from the 1980s, including The Family, The Time and Taja Seville. But then, dressed in a creamy satin outfit and his trademark Cuban heels, his eyes lined with kohl, the man himself casually sauntered on and launched into “Let’s Go Crazy” before seguing into the fast-paced “Delirious”.


The creator of the Minneapolis Sound, a vigorous hybrid of funk, rock, pop and R&B, was at his best with extended jams; these included covers of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” and Sly and the Family Stone’s “Everyday People”, for which he was joined by Sly bassist Larry Graham. This was a taste of Prince’s legendary all-night after-show parties. As he repeated throughout the show: “This is real music. We are real musicians.” His predominantly female seven-piece band was incredibly tight and well-choreographed.
Sometimes the act felt like a Vegas-style medley of Prince’s best hits: out came “1999”, “Little Red Corvette”, the sleazy pop of “Cream”, the early “Controversy”. Purple confetti rained down on the audience during “Purple Rain”. But why quibble? Mercifully he played no songs from the mid-1990s Black Album era and after.
It was at times surreal to see the diminutive megastar play in a field to a festival crowd. But his headline act was a memorable and hyper-energised end to the three-day Hop Farm Festival. A relatively low-key event, now in its fourth year, it prides itself on being independent, with no sponsorship. Its eclectic line-up featured Tinie Tempah, Lou Reed and Morrissey, and attracted 30,000 fans.
After a 2¼-hour set, which included four encores, Prince complained: “It’s a shame we have a curfew.” The audience wanted more. And so, it seemed, did he.