I remember the first time I heard Prince: the year was 1994, the song was The Most Beautiful Girl in the World and I remember thinking that the clip was filthy and he was just a cheap, tacky Michael Jackson rip-off. I was eleven. My, how times change.

Cut to eighteen years later and I'm sitting in the sixth row of his sold out Allphones Arena concert on Saturday night, thrumming with excitement at the prospect of being graced by the mere presence - let alone performance - of this musical genius.

Slated to start at 8pm, the venue granted a twenty minute grace period before throwing the arena into darkness, while hundreds of patrons poured in to take their seats. Prince symbols were displayed on the numerous screens as lightning flashed over them and thunder rumbled from the speakers overhead.

Back-up singers and band members took their positions and built an introduction with music and lights. Several minutes later, Prince rose from the centre of the stage to a rapturous applause, launching straight into the first song and setting the tempo for the whole night.

(It was at this point that my disdain for the arena was vindicated; there was no atmosphere. Almost everyone was on their feet, people were stomping, clapping, cheering, etc., but the incredible noise and feeling you get from being part of a crowd like that was non-existent, because it was either lost in the expanse of the venue or absorbed by the concrete surrounds. Disappointing.)

For two and a half hours, he had the audience enthralled with wailing guitar solos, amazing covers, incredible reworks and just by being a captivating showman; he even addressed them from beneath the stage during costume changes - for banter, to rev the crowd up, or to introduce the next song.

At fifty three years of age, he was incredibly energetic, constantly moving around the stage (even strutting in three inch heeled boots at one point), effortlessly pulling out slick dance moves and routines (that could have just as easily been impromptu as rehearsed), cycling through guitars, jumping on the piano (both figuratively and literally) and singing flawlessly (falsetto or otherwise!).

The interaction between Prince and his absurdly talented supporting singers, dancers and band (including the sound guy who played organ!) was a joy to watch. They all seemed to be having a blast being onstage together and, amusing quips aside ("You ain't got no hair!"), their mutual respect for each other and appreciation of music had them revelling in their craft, which added to the enjoyment of the concert.

With the exclusion of Little Red Corvette and Song of the Heart, he played or at least incorporated every single song I wanted to hear into the set. The range was vast and all-encompassing, with released commercial favourites, b-sides, and rare inclusions from the past thirty years.

Prince himself even lamented over the abundance of songs in his catalogue when he took on the role of DJ and churned out a sampler of ten songs as he crooned, "Too. Many. Hits.", interspersed with the likes of Alphabet Street, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, and Hot Thing.

Personal highlights included: Raspberry Beret/Cream mash-up; his version of How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore (Alicia Keys), while he accompanied himself on piano; Nothing Compares 2 U duet (Sinead O'Connor) with the stunning acrobatic vocals of (back-up singer) Shelby J; a reverent full-length edition of Purple Rain, complete with purple confetti falling from the ceiling; and, of course, Kiss.

By the time he reached his fifth and final encore, I was more than satiated. But then he delivered two words that had my excitement levels well and truly peaked; "Dearly beloved". It kicked off an amazing rendition of Let's Go Crazy with a pair of dancing flapper girls, crazy lights, and maximum energy!

( The Set-List... )

The show proved just how wrong and harsh I was in my initial judgement. He is so much more than a popstar; he's so much more than his raw sexuality; more than his unique fusion of music; and his androgynous sense of fashion and style. He's an icon. For resolve. For character. For talent. For nonconformity. For ingenuity. And, of course, for music.