EDMONTON -- Rockin' Rick at Axe Music took the call a few days ago:

"Do you have a rehearsal space available?"

"For who?" asks Rick.

"Prince," came the reply.

"Prince who? From which country?"

"Nope, just Prince."

"Um ... I think we can throw something together."

And so it came to pass that Prince spent nine hours at an Edmonton music store rehearsing with his band on the day before his show last night - right under our noses. His Purple Highness was every bit as secretive as we expected him to be. And more.

His minions "swept" the PA room for recording devices - duh, it's a music store; the place is filled with recording devices - and covered up the security cameras, reports store manager Rick Shermack. When all was secure, Prince was brought inside, surrounded by five bodyguards.

"They ducked him down like it was Elvis coming into the room," Shermack says. "He's very paranoid."

It was made clear that if His Royal Purpleness felt uncomfortable at any time, he would leave immediately. Staff and customers managed to keep a lid on it, the PA room was closed to the public and Prince and his band practised unbothered until about 12:30 a.m., only taking a dinner break for some King and I.

"There sure was some smokin' music coming out of there," says Shermack, who only exchanged a few words with the enigmatic superstar. "He comes walking past me and proceeds to the women's washroom, in his full white suit, smiles, says, 'Thanks very much,' and then heads back into the room. That was it."

Needless to say, Prince refused to sign guitars Axe had intended to auction off for charity.

"They told me that Prince has not signed anything other than their cheques for years. And I said, that's OK, because we no longer take cheques."

Prince's money was no good at Axe anyway. He got the rehearsal space for free.