"I'm sick of motherfuckers trying to tell me that they're down with Prince" complained Hot Chip on their 2004 non-hit Down With Prince. Well, Alexis Taylor, you'll just have to get used to a lot more people attempting to inform you of just such an affinity - Liz Jones, for example - as London goes c-c-c-crazy for the Paisley Park legend.

Twenty one whole nights of Prince, we can look forward to this August. Twenty one! Seven in the sure-to-be-ghastly Dome O2 Arena, but fourteen of them in various other venues, some of them probably intimate and unforgettable. Fingers on the buzzers: tickets go on sale at www.aeglive.co.uk, www.3121.com and www.marshall-arts.co.uk from 9am tomorrow.

I simply can't get over the generosity of the Purple One, gracing us with so much of his presence after such a long absence. It's the nicest thing he's done since Sexy MF. "I love London. I've had some of my favourite shows here," he explained. Just as kind, he's selling tickets at a reasonable £31.21: "Last time I was here a lot of people didn't get to see me so we are trying to make it affordable for everybody. That's why we are doing an extended stay."

I sincerely wish more stars would spread the joy in this way. Settling in for a theatre-length run in one city - provinces, you can come to us - is surely more enjoyable for the artist, able to vary their set, fool about, relax into performing, and better on the fans too, who get a unique, fresh experience. Everyone I know who's seen Prince perform dissolves in the attempt to explain the experience. Sure, you need a certain penchant for lengthy jazz-rock workouts these days, and a weakness for ballads with 2, 4, and U replacing the conventional "to", "for" and "you" in their titles, but Prince's genuinely independent-minded way of going about things since his Sony split should increase our indulgence. That and his delicious funk. In fact, from now until August, I think I shall adopt Prince-style orthography 2 show my admiration 4 the smutty little whippet. He may yet move 2 our city, U know.