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NME Prince and the no power generation Lush were embroiled in a furious row with Prince following their recent sell-out date at his Los Angeles club, Glam Slam. The venue, use mainly by rap and dance acts, was ill-prepared for the group's PA requirements. Three songs into Lush's set the onstage power blew and the band were forced to retreat to their dressing room. While a heavy-handed, aggressive security team battled to placate an increasingly rowdy audience, the band and the venue management were locked in ferocious negotiations backstage. Members of Lush's entourage eventually distributed much of the band's rider amongst the 1,200 fans. "The place was run by pricks," said singer Miki. "We had this fucker in a ponytail with a mobile phone telling us to calm down because, I quote, 'Although you have problems I'm queuing to get a phone call in the morning from a guy. A very important guy. And that guy's name is Prince!' "What?! Prince can fuck off as far as I'm concerned, sexist dickhead! The stage has two naked women built to support it and the pillars are made from a sculpture of naked women crawling all over each other. It's a horrible place for women." Glam Slam eventually paid for Lush to play the following evening, footing the band and crew's hotel bills for an extra night as well as the flights to Lush's next show in Dallas. Prince and his partner's bill for the debacle scraped $15,000. Meanwhile, the rest of Lush's sell-out 24-date tour has passed without any similar set-backs and their recent album 'Split' is currently in the Top Five of both the College Radio and Alternative retail charts Stateside, higher than any other current British exports - including Blur and Primal Scream. |