Why the disdain for Mick?
 

A lot posts portray Mick in a negative manner, as a heartless "cash grabber."
This seems a bit unfair. All the band members have enjoyed financial wealth from their success. Having lived most of their lives in a higher standard, you can't blame them for wanting to maintain that standard. That is not greed to me.

Unlike the writers in the band, Mick does not get revenue on song royalties. I assume most of his income comes from touring. If you were in his position, wouldn't in be your best interests to keep your job, i.e. keep the band active?

Mick genuinely loves and respects the legacy of Fleetwood Mac. One thing to remember: the music industry is big business. Mick, more than anyone else in the band, is a business man. Instead of castigating him, how about thanking and praising him for being the catalyst that has kept the band together all these years, depsite huge upheavals and challenges?

I love Mick Fleetwood. If it wasn't for him, this board wouldn't exist.

I think he's great. He's probably one of the most down to earth celebrities out there. I did the Meet and Greet with him this last tour, and if you didn't know who he was, you'd think he was just a really friendly guy you met off the street who likes to tell long stories. He seemed very appreciative, did not rush anything, and really went out of his way to make sure we all had a good experience. You might say the money he was making for the M&G was motivating his behavior, but I don't think you can really fake it that well. He's the only one to do the M&Gs, and I think that says a lot about his character and fan appreciation despite making money off of it. Plus, I agree with the OP. I mean, don't we all work to make as much money as we can? How is his job any different? If it wasn't for him treating the band as a business (which it is), FM would've died a long time ago.

Brad

I like them all pretty equally actually, they each have their quirks.. Mick seems like a very cool person to me.

He's made some boneheaded business decisions. Outside of that, I don't get it myself. He's always been good the fans, and really that's all that matters.

he needs to cash in with meet and greets to pay his alimony, but I'm cool with that - by all accounts it was a great experience and good value for money. I'm really disappointed I didn't get to do one with him in Oz late last year, but I'm assuming he'll do them for the re-scheduled tour this year.

I can't say I've ever seen any true disdain for Mick. However, he incites a lot of eye rolling because he can't seem to keep himself financially solvent after nearly 5 decades of fame. I can see how some fans would be offended by that, especially since some have supported this band for many years.

But really, that's nobody's business. We don't pay him to make good business decisions. We pay him to see him play drums.

thank you! i expressed something similar a while ago. it's almost like Mick is a fair game as a punchbag and people are rarely defending him. it seems kinda assumed by many he's a cash-grabbing person and that's his only motif for getting FM together, or doing anything, really.

Good point. I just don't like seeing him being characterized as being motivated only by a paycheck. If I was offered a chance to spend a day with a member of Fleetwood Mac...although Stevie would be a strong contender, I would choose Mick. He seems like he'd be good company, a lot of fun, and up for anything. I think Stevie would be good company, but with conditions, and a little too intense! I'd be overwhelmed!

I think Mick loves the band like family. I don't think money is his primary motivation for keeping them together at all. I think he's a very emotional and loving person.

However, I'm disdainful of some things he's done.

Michele

His crasser side really started to show itself big when he started his own website years ago. He put a guy in charge of it who was a real weirdo—a scummy Hollywood-agent type. Disgusted fans took to calling this clown "Toad."

Stevie used to say that Mick has expensive tastes. He loves fine clothes, fine cars, fine food, fine real estate. I think he's always been like the majority of the population—he leverages himself to within an inch of his life by buying things that he doesn't have the cash for at the moment so he uses loans based on investments he makes. So when his investments tank, his loans go into default. But all his marketing—sellings wines at Costco, opening dozens of restaurants (and then closing them), selling digital drum instruments and software, etc.—is really no different from what Gene Simmons does. Gene Simmons is just better at it.

But Mick is a very kindhearted guy who has always been accommodating with the news-hungry press.

Yes, and if it wasn't for him, the band would have died long ago.

And whether it's for money or not, thanks to Mick we got all those bonus and unreleased tracks from the special editions (Rumours, Tusk, box set, etc.)

He has, for the most part, kept this band alive when this band was straight lining!!

I've never understood the "Mick-bashing" that goes on here either. Sure, the guy's made some poor business decisions (who hasn't?!?!) and gotten cross ways of Stevie more than once, but honestly, I don't think the guy is a bad person.

As others have said, if it wasn't for him, FM would have flatlined long ago. Just look at who he's brought into the band over the years (or at least was involved in bringing them in): Bob Welch, Lindsey and Stevie, Rick and Billy, all awesome players and singers who have made a definite mark on FM. I think he's doing what he can for the FM brand and not doing too poorly of late. He probably doesn't get much at all in terms of royalties, most likely album royalties as he's not a songwriter, but I'm not that music business savvy so I don't know how that works.

He certainly seems a "larger than life" type of celebrity (not just in terms of size), being so boisterous in terms of performance and public personality, no idea if he's that way in private, but sometimes that boisterousness can rub people the wrong way.

I think a lot of people are turned off by the news of his divorces, alimony, business failures, and then we get another FM album or tour, leading to the thought that it's all Mick trying to pay his debts and it's not about the music.

Personally, I think the guys is fantastic and would love to meet him. Honestly, if I had the chance for a "meet & greet", I'd love it to be him and John! I'd be in heaven listening to those guys tell stories about their adventures in the Mac!

Probably because Mick would do anything for a dollar. We aren't talking about Fleetwood Mac, of course he wants the band back on the road, although I suspect that isn't necessarily always for the sake of the music or the fans.

You just get the feeling he would lend his name to pretty much anything if it meant a dollar. Mick Fleetwood wines is an example. He didn't grow the wines, he didn't bottle the wines, he just threw his name on some wines he liked and they called it the Mick Fleetwood Collection or some such.

I understand he doesn't make as much money as some of the others in terms of royalties but then again neither does John McVie.

But why is that anybody's business but his own (and maybe his family's)? Why would his foolhardy business decisions cause a fan to have "disdain" for him? Does venturing into "get rich quick" schemes (and often failing at them) really affect what a fan thinks of his drumming ability and what he does to keep FM together? I mean, you might say that what he does is "tacky" or in poor taste, but to to have disdain for the guy because of it? I don't get it.

I'm really not trying to be political, but when did doing everything you could in order to make as much money to provide for you and your family become a bad thing? Are we supposed to hit some upper income level and then all of a sudden stop being ambitious and productive and be content living at 75% of our potential? I can see if Mick was trampling on people or screwing them over in the process to do so, but from what I can tell, that's not how he operates. Someone mentioned Jonathan "Toad" Todd from several years ago with the official FM site. Yes, that guy screwed over a lot of fans. But he's gone now and has been gone for years. I don't think Mick hired him in order to screw over fans; he did that himself. Perhaps once he finally got word of and saw how he was treating the fans, that's when he let him go. Or maybe he left for other reasons. Who knows?

Brad

I have most certainly never seen anyone here criticize the band members over their success. In fact, we all seem to cluck & preen when we see the likes of Lindsey & Stevie on the Richest Rock Stars lists, or Top Grossing Tours of 2013 (etc), Best Selling Album Of All Time lists, et al. We're proud of the band's accomplishments. We continually hope for new albums, albums that will validate our fandom by hitting #1 on the charts. We want the band to be successful.

If anything, we don't get how Mick can squander his fortunes over & over. And that's solely because we want him to be successful. Sure, we bitch about the inflating ticket prices, meet & greets, restaurants, and wines... but we all support these things just the same. There is absolutely no anti-capitalist sentiment around here. If anything, we want more albums, tour books, t-shirts, bumper stickers, concert tickets, and other items to buy. More than anything, I see people complaining that the band doesn't put enough stuff out there for us to purchase.

I think *all* the members of Fleetwood Mac are guilty of a cash-in at one time or another. The last 2 tours have been complete cash-in's for all 4 members. I'm pretty sure the 2009 tour would have funded Lindsey and Stevie's latest solo efforts. Does that make them bad people? Does it hell. Look at the rave reviews from last years tour and the THOUSANDS of people who paid out to see them and had a bloody good time. Win win for everyone.

I don't think the tours are just cash-in's either. On the 2013 tour especially, they were clearly having a blast on stage. Stevie once said "you have to think 'I would die if I wasn't doing this'. I can't do anything else".

Of course, I would love to see some more new material from the band, but I'm just thankful I've had the chance to see them 3 times now, considering I wasn't around in their peak.

The only cash-in that irritates me slightly is the constant Rumours re-issues. It's been released 6 times now in one format or another. There are other albums that need the remaster treatment and other stuff they could release from the archives, but instead they chose to "celebrate" Rumours. Why? Because it sells. $$$!! But, back to the point, I don't think that's entirely Mick's doing, I think they're all guilty of it. But again, there's nothing wrong with that. Let em cash in, I say! It's only like one of us doing overtime at the office and getting extra in our pay packet that month, just on a larger scale.

I wouldn't say "guilty" of a cash-in is an entirely fair word choice, but certainly all band members have been shown to have commercial interests, and there's nothing wrong with that. Mick's tend to be particularly visible because they often fall well outside the realm of his artistic work. But it's not like he's making biscuits out of ground up orphans or anything. If I thought I could make money by slapping my name on some wine that I like, I might go for it. I can think of very few people who wouldn't consider that opportunity if it came to them. I don't see ventures like that as a fair point of criticism.

I think people can get caught up in this ideal of what an "artist" is supposed to be, and it can seem jarring and unpleasant when we find out that, like everyone else who lives in the world, money matters to artists too. There's an unwritten rule that they're not "supposed to" care about money, and Mick is pretty transparent about refuting that notion.

Personally I'm basically indifferent to Mick. He seems like he's nice enough, but he's a drummer and I'm not really into drums, so I can find little in his body of work to be excited about. *shrugs*

Yeah, I think people are forgetting how much of a disaster that website was. So many people got banned from it for very silly reasons.

Also, I think people forget how disloyal he was to the rest of the band with his book that came out around 1990. There was a fair number of untruths in it, and Lindsey even responded to it with his song "Wrong" on the Out of the Cradle CD.

To me, this is beside the point. The point is the man has had a history of wanting the band to get together only when he needs money. That offends some fans' sensibilities. Secondly, he was very disloyal to Stevie and Lindsey in his book. They may have forgiven him and it's up to them to do that, but it says something about his character that he did it in the first place.

I like Mick. God Love him. He is just a money-grubbing whore.

This. I don't know that I sense that much disdain for Mick, and he has always seemed to me like a very nice person, but he is in an enviable position of being able to make millions every time his band hits the road, so his repeated money woes don't generate a lot of sympathy. Most of us don't have even one chance to make a million, let alone several, so I wish Mick would learn some fiscal responsibility and not just rely on the fact that he can solve his problems by getting his band back together.

From a reddit post by Mongo1021 with people discussing their favorite brushes with celebrities, 2-10-2014:

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/co...it=500#cfbwbrd

Mick Fleetwood -- Very well spoken, friendly person. I was a reporter and interviewed him about a restaurant he was opening in Virginia.

I've always liked Mick and whether he squanders his money or not is none of my business. We all do things "for the money" but that can only hold up for so long. I have always felt that he is the heart of Fleetwood Mac and that he is genuinely devoted to the band. If he tries to make more money via wine or restaurants, more power to him.

I am a Stevie fan, but I don't think I'd want to know her in person. I love her songwriting, voice, etc. What she does in her personal life is none of my business. Same for the rest of the band. If Mick screwed Stevie over (once or more than once) that's also not for me to judge. People screw over the ones they love all the time... :shrug:

I don't particularly have disdain for him, I just don't really care one way or another for him. There are a lot of members (and not necessarily in the main five) that I have a lot more time and respect for. I'm not sure why I am supposed to love him just because he drums in a band that bears his name. Sure he's done a lot to keep the band going, but he's also done a lot of things over the years that have caused the band to almost fall apart.

This is what I've been trying to say- you're far more eloquent with your words than I am. :nod: I don't think any of us disdain Mick for his behavior- we'd just like to see him act more fiscally responsible. He's pushing 70, he can't write too many more scathing Playboy articles to entice the band to bail him out of his financial blues. His days of offering fans a $36,000 seat on his private jet have to be limited, too. I think we'd just all like to see him be able to write the last chapters of Fleetwood Mac history with some stability.

I have zero desire to meet the band members, either. They're a fascinating group of people who make great music. To know them as people would strip away the element of intrigue.

I certainly don't care what Mick may have written about Stevie in his book, or if Christine slapped Lindsey once, or if John is the last one off the wagon. They're all very strong adults who can handle their own battles.

Agree, and I have absolutely no desire to meet any of the band members either.. I do not want to be recognized at shows- like maybe Lindsey will see me as some crazy, obsessed punter. :shocked: I get that lots of ppl don't feel this way, but I do. Certainly they want ppl- lots and lots of people, to appreciate their music- so of course they appreciate their fans.. but actually getting out there and dealing with fans- like meeting them and talking to them is a job, like it would be for anybody. Having had a position where you were expected to smile, schmooze a bit, and act interested in what people are saying, I understand this completely. I guess going along with that, and though it may be fun to discuss, I'm perplexed when people very seriously want to agendize for them; how exactly they should behave, who exactly they need to be collaborating with, how exactly they should be making their music, even what exactly they should or should not be writing about. :shocked: I'm satisfied just listening to everything and anything they have to say from the heart, lyrically or otherwise, on their own terms- just taking in what is, and leaving it at that.. As a fan, judging (or caring in the least) about the way Mick takes care of his personal finances- other than wanting the best for him- I don't get it.:sorry:

I do a little local show out here in the Valley of Los Angeles. After the show people will come up and want to talk to me and you would not believe some of the stuff that comes out of their mouths. Especially because they've been drinking. I had one audience member start talking about music and then was telling me about his sex life. I can only imagine what kind of questions and conversations FMac members have. People are crazy!! lol

apparently i feel differently than some others here. i enjoy meeting and observing interactions among people that interest me, and am curious to see how they'll behave. i don't generally tend to keep almost anybody on a pedestal (definitely not any rock stars), so i guess i cannot be too disappointed when meeting them. their music is a way to make our lives nicer. if we can influence that in some ways (yeah right ;) ), telling Mick at m&gs what we would like them to do, hey it's worth a try!

meeting Mick was definitely interesting. he talks and talks, and has some interesting stories to tell, when people ask him the right questions, or when he's in the mood. i don't see how whether or not he's bankrupt is of any concern to me. and i don't ask him (or care!) what he thinks of me. ;)

ha - i'd definitely want to meet you. :)

seriously though, i guess it would depend, but don't you generally enjoy some of those conversations? shows you that you are doing something right if all these people want to talk to you... or maybe something wrong if that's what they are telling you? :D

I do enjoy them!! But it's only once a week and about 5-10 people out of 100.

I was just thinking that I would not want to be famous like Mick or Lindsey because it does get tiring to talk to people after a show and I want a hot dog or a martini!!!

I would love to meet you Elle. We could argue about FMAc all damn day!!

I would love to meet the band. I could sit and talk to Christine McVie all day long. I'd probably hug her and get arrested.

we will one day, hopefully! :)

re having to talk to people after the shows, i understand that's what some entertainers routinely do, so i guess it depends. personally, that's why i like those prearranged paid for m&gs, as both Mick and Lindsey were doing. i don't find enjoyable hanging behind the venues yelling after some people passing by. m&gs are clear-cut - a part of a job for them, and structured for people who are interested in talking to them. it's part of the deal and doesn't take any of their, or your, personal time.

Then he should keep his financial woes to himself - or ask Stevie to stop telling everyone that she has to put her solo career aside *again* so Mick can tour 'cause he needs the money.

Because I can say, for me, that's where the eye-rolling comes in. Mick can't manage his money, and everyone else (Stevie and/or Lindsey) has to stop what they're doing to bail him out, and it's been portrayed like that in interviews.

That's how it comes across in the media. Fleetwood Mac, since 1991, is only a cash machine that mobilizes when a certain someone needs money, because as a fan for the past 30 years, it's become crystal clear that they aren't doing it for the art.

That said, I have no real disdain for Mick - he is responsible for my exposure to one of the artists who has been a constant soundtrack to my life. But I am able to understand where the disdain comes from when expressed by others.

I'll say it again - Then he should keep his financial woes to himself - or ask Stevie to stop telling everyone that she has to put her solo career aside *again* so Mick can tour 'cause he needs the money.

This is one of the things I don't like about Mick...Stevie was nice enough to invite Mick to play on her record (IYD) and she even portrays him as a fairly charming guy in the IYD doc and how did he return the favor???While Stevie was doing her "IYD" thing Mick publicly complained about not working and stating that he feared that FM might never tour again...He even went so far as to accuse certain band members (Stevie) of not being loyal to the band...

Some of the stuff Mick has done that I don't like has impacted me as a fan and consumer. It's not about whether he can afford handmade, italian red shoes for himself.

But all and all, he's done more good than bad and I hold him responsible for Christine's return. The relationship he maintains with each band member individually makes things happen for them as a group. Without him there, they wouldn't be reaching out to each other. I'm grateful to him for that.

But all in all, I don't think it matters whether fans disdain him or not. He's not losing any sleep at night over fan opinion.

Michle

i don't think anybody's worried whether Mick's losing any sleep over their opinions. some people are just wondering why are so many fans of this band quick to jump on Mick in the most - for a lack of a better word - disrespectful manner, and blame him for all kinds of stuff, and seemingly not acknowledging all the positives he brings in.

a fresh example from just a second ago in regards to him adding to other artists' opinion (that they were invited to provide) on some patent law revisions: