February 5, 2016
NEW YORK (AFP) - Prince, who scrapped a hotly anticipated "Piano and Microphone" tour of Europe, has rescheduled his shows -- for Australia and New Zealand.
The pop star, known for his love of surprises, posted a flier Thursday on Twitter that read simply: "Piano and a Microphone - Prince - Australia and New Zealand - February 2016."
Prince had earlier announced a tour in November and December of Europe that would have been the first in the 57-year-old pop legend's career in which he solely sings and plays piano.
The "Purple Rain" star, who is well known as a guitar virtuoso as well as a dancer and singer, said that he wanted a new artistic challenge because he had grown accustomed to glowing reviews.
But Prince abruptly stopped ticket sales moments before they were to go online, outraged that scalpers were already trying to resell them at exorbitant prices.
He canceled the tour entirely after the November 13 assault by Islamic State extremists on Paris, which included a raid on the Bataclan concert hall that killed 90 people.
Prince last month played two back-to-back piano shows but at his home studio of Paisley Park outside Minneapolis, where he did not allow name changes on tickets in a bid to ward off scalpers.
In recent years Prince has grown fond of announcing concerts with only hours of notice in advance, also as a way to stop the secondary market in tickets.
Prince did not immediately announce the venues or dates of his shows in Australia and New Zealand.
Prince last went Down Under in 2012 with an eight-date tour of Australia. He has never previously played in New Zealand.
