San Jose 11/21
 

https://twitter.com/jimthecritic/sta...28211457499141

https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/11/...ey-buckingham/

Review: Fleetwood Mac flops without Lindsey Buckingham on board

By JIM HARRINGTON | jharrington@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: November 22, 2018 at 12:45 am | UPDATED: November 22, 2018 at 1:04 am
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Fleetwood Mac showed up and played music at the SAP Center in San Jose on Nov. 21.

The band’s performance was professional, well organized and started in a timely fashion.

It wasn’t an entirely bad way to spend a Wednesday night.

Honest.

But you’ll have to excuse me if I’m not sounding too enthusiastic about the concert. It’s just that, for the entire evening, it was nearly impossible to shake the feeling that something — or, more accurately, someone — was missing.

And that someone was, of course, Lindsey Buckingham.

The group dismissed its incredibly talented singer-songwriter-guitarist back in April, sending shock waves through the classic rock world and resulting in a big lawsuit between Buckingham and the band. Of course, Fleetwood Mac has long been one of rock’s all-time great soap operas, but few, if any, outside the band saw this coming.

The split seemingly had something to do with the band’s touring schedule, with the big sticking point reportedly being when the trek was to begin. Although, Buckingham told Rolling Stone that his former band mate — and former love interest — Stevie Nicks wanted him out of the band, going so far as to have Fleetwood Mac manager Irving Azoff deliver the message that “Stevie never wants to be on a stage with you again.”

So, the band quickly enlisted not just one, but two replacement guitarists — Neil Finn of Crowded House fame and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — and announced a major tour.

t stop the public from snatching up ducats. The San Jose show was dubbed a sell out, while big crowds are expected for the band’s two upcoming shows in Northern California — Nov. 23 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento and Nov. 25 at Oracle Arena in Oakland. (Tickets, priced $69.50-$299.50, are still available for those two shows at www.ticketmaster.com. Shows start at 8 p.m.)

The fans seemed pretty excited about the evening as they entered the SAP Center, forming long lines at the merchandise booths to purchase $15 Fleetwood Mac bottle openers, $20 Fleetwood Mac mugs, $15 Fleetwood Mac shot glasses and an assortment of $40 Fleetwood Mac T-shirts. There was, however, no truth to the rumor that the band might be selling “Lindsey Buckingham is a big jerk” hoodies.

The fans were still going strong as the group — featuring vocalist Nicks, drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie, vocalist-keyboardist Christine McVie and new members Campbell and Finn — took the stage and kicked off
You see, it’s not always enough to simply try and replace talent with talent. If it was just pure guitar chops then the new Fleetwood Mac — with Campbell on board — wouldn’t miss Buckingham all that much. If it was just a fine singing voice then the new Fleetwood Mac — with Finn signed on — would be just fine.

But Buckingham also brought those hard-to-quantify intangibles to the band. He delivered the passion and power, brought the heart and soul, and was able to lift the entire show to a higher level. He also shared unbelievable love/hate chemistry with Nicks – a dynamic that helped make Fleetwood Mac more than just a tired nostalgia act.

Yet, the group was sounding pretty tired on this night, as it delivered clean, capable and barely compelling versions of such fan favorites as “Dreams,” “Second Hand News” and “Say You Love Me.”

The two newcomers did help out quite a bit, though.

Campbell’s leads were typically on point throughout the night and he did an admirable job on the microphone during “Oh Well,” a 1969 single from what’s commonly referred to as the Peter Green-era of Fleetwood Mac. He’d also heavily factor in during the encore, as the band covered Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin'” with Nicks on vocals.

Finn was part of the best moment of the night, as he sang a lovely duet with Nicks on the Crowded House nugget “Don’t Dream It’s Over.”

“It’s in the top five best-written songs in the history of songs,” Nicks commented at its conclusion.

Overall, Nicks didn’t have a great night. The former Bay Area resident, who attended nearby San Jose State University, kept saying how nervous she was to be back home — and she’d prove it by forgetting the lyrics and losing the key on “Landslide.”

“I think that has never happened before – ever,” she said.

One thing that hasn’t changed in Buckingham’s absence is that Mick Fleetwood’s lengthy, obnoxious drum solo is still a complete waste of time and space. It goes nowhere. But it still takes forever to get there.

As the band wrapped the main set up with the dependable crowd pleaser “Go Your Own Way,” I couldn’t help but linger on the feeling that the whole thing would’ve been so much better with Buckingham in the mix.

Sure, without Buckingham, the group has proven that it can still be popular, still sell out an arena, still get people to spend $15 on a bottle opener.

But, without Buckingham, the group might never be truly great again.

Thank you for posting. I was very curious about how this show was going to go without Lindsey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liVoJ_17knU

Looks like All Over Again was played last night. Nice!

Knew we could count on you, Elle. thanks a million for this.

Eh, it just highlights how positive most of other reviews have been of this tour. Besides, the actual review doesn't even support the sensationalistic headline.

Oh look! Elle just couldnt wait (help herself) to post the only negative review of the tour. Thanks Elle! Happy Thanksgiving!
Here's 37 minutes from Periscope:
https://www.pscp.tv/JShawsTidbits/1MnxnNAnaLExO?t=

An old friend of mine used to say "What do you expect from a hog but a grunt?"

Gypsy:
https://youtu.be/dJ22ieXmCow

Everywhere:
https://youtu.be/I_Yi0pNmHgg

Don't Dream It's Over
https://youtu.be/VPq9hkLm-x4

Hooray! :woohoo:

Well I was at the concert and agree 100% with the reviewer. The band sounded fine but generic. Neil's voice is bland and lacks the fire and passion that we're used to, especially on Lindsey's songs. Mike is an accomplished guitar player but his tone and style are very different from Lindsey's. Mike sounds good and shines on the Peter Green, bluesy songs but otherwise his guitar playing does not seem to elevate the songs like Lindsey's playing does.

I enjoyed hearing the Peter Green era songs since I think Mike is a better fit for these songs. I was also happy to finally hear Isn't It Midnight live. I was disappointed not to hear Storms especially since it has been replaced with Gypsy which Stevie sings so monotonously and now doesn't even have Lindsey's solo at the end as a saving grace. I also enjoyed hearing Free Falling because at least Stevie is passionate about singing this song.

Are you sure you're not Elle under a false indentity? Because apparently she's the worst person on the planet because she posted a review of no other place that Lindsey's hometown (not Nicks') where he's of course missed because guess what?, he was born there, so naturally he's gonna be missed (not Nicks').

Thanks for using the word 'monotonous' and 'generic'. They're ok and they don't mean the band sucked, but I guess not all of us can take a neutral review the same way. :thumbsup:

Thanks for this, I now have to clean the coffee off my keyboard and screen...

We are reacting to the fact that it is one of the only negative reviews so far and it was posted here by Elle, whose attitudes to the band and the ousted one are well known here. It is more comical than anything.

Many fans’ attitudes here are predictable and well-known, so I guess we can all laugh together.

Say You Love me
https://youtu.be/unormOXevgE

Gold Dust Woman
https://youtu.be/FialkfDjr1s

https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/mus...n-jose-concert

A second opinion with a clip of the Landslide snafu. IMO she handles it well. :o

Maybe it was being in Lindsey's home town that made her so nervous...

This bit
The fans seemed pretty excited about the evening as they entered the SAP Center, forming long lines at the merchandise booths to purchase $15 Fleetwood Mac bottle openers, $20 Fleetwood Mac mugs, $15 Fleetwood Mac shot glasses and an assortment of $40 Fleetwood Mac T-shirts.
They're starting to sound more like Fleetwood Kiss.........

And even the SF review commented that -
McVie’s collaboration with Buckingham last year on an album of new material was such a pleasant surprise that it’s disappointing to know that Fleetwood Mac has no intentions of recording new songs again

oh look! gldstwmn just couldn't wait (help herself) to post a comment! and her opinion was such a surprise! grunt, grunt.

LOL... Now that I've met you.. I read your posts so differently!!

Love you...

It's a good point. There's very few people I can't predict on this board.

I get surprised once or twice a year. Sometimes by myself.

Thanks for posting. Maybe, they were or are just tired. It happens on tour.

I heard the BTM tour diminished greatly toward the end. It was an amazing show for me that year and I was surprised to hear it peter'd out.

As for the generic, well the 5 are just magic together. Drama helps.

I couldn’t care less who posted the review.

I appreciate the review. He clearly knows the band and nothing he said is unfair. Some reviewers are going to be ok with the new FM. Others are going to be a harder sell.

Thank you goldenbraid for giving us your take as someone who was at the show.

The best part of the review is the slam on the drum solo. I laughed and laughed and laughed.

I've enjoyed both good and bad review, too. I don't think there was anything unfair.

That is the most disgusting, sexist thing you've ever posted. And that's saying a lot.

I've seen at least 5 or 6 nasty reviews in the past few weeks, and I haven't been looking very hard.

So glad we have finally met, and love you too. ;)

Funny how they're accusing Elle of practically the same thing they do all the time. It was a honest review and it agrees with people that actually were at the show, like goldenbraid. Hard to refute that. :nod:

And the remainder of the song after the lapse..
https://youtu.be/SHL-Z2Xq40k

Rewind to 2013, with LB at her side and no nerves. The Buckingham Nicks haunts and the illness break would I’m sure have ramped up the pressure of nerves.
https://youtu.be/liVoJ_17knU

Actually after watching the full landslide start to finish, I vastly prefer the vocals of Landslide in the beginning where Stevie is lost and can’t find the key. Her just singing spontaneously is so much better then whatever she considers
To be her “polished, never had a bad night vocally since her vocal coach” voice!

Actually I was going to post that very review. But she beat me to it and at 5 AM no less. It's the only review of FM she's posted from this tour. That's an opinion. I wont be bothered to repeat the old cliche about that.

Really? By journalists? Where?
I'm actually posting this from my hospital bed so I'm thrilled that I still have the strength and wit to piss all of you off with a metaphor that has nothing to do with gender. :laugh: I'm sure a few posts down someone will call me a misogynist again. :laugh: :o

They? They who? What are we? A gang?

Do the same thing? Post negative reviews of Lindsey's shows? In the Lindsey forum? i don't see anyone do that.

I don't know why so many are making a big deal Stevie flubbed lyrics. It would not be a Stevie concert unless she did this. My first Stevie concert in 1983 had her sing the second verse of Dreams first and improvise so many other lyrics. Its part of how she performs. My all time favorite Stevie flub was her Concord, CA Timespace show where she sung the last verse of Outside the Rain over and over for the first and second verse. Then in the end she launces into her first verse. I don't know how but her band kept up with her. Blame it on the klonopin haze or not.

Nice..
 

We are all getting older, too. I love this for whatever weird reason.

Even though I enjoy watching the videos of the present band, I also really miss Lindsey so I kinda get this review.

Exactly. I rarely even go there.

Agreed, it’s very common for her to mess up lyrics but I think this was a first. Her stopping the song in the middle basically and explaining why she’s lost. Not saying it’s a bad thing, it’s just a first, unless one of you can a pull a clip of it happening before out of your ass (and I’m not ruling that out)

During the first night of the taping of the Dance MTV special, Stevie messed up during Dreams and had to start over, and she said in an interview later that it was due to nerves because of all the celebrities in the audience.

Fleetwood Mac paid tribute to its varied incarnations at San Jose’s SAP Center on Wednesday, Nov. 21, and despite a few surprising flubs, the storied rockers commanded the crowd as if they never broke the chain.


The band, which has survived decades of shifts in sound, personnel and personalities, performed an almost 2½-hour set rich in the soft-rock standards that defined its commercial peak in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as blues tunes from its formative years and a few obscurities, during its 50th anniversary tour stop.

It was a set that, regardless of which Fleetwood Mac era fans came to see, hit every note. The show may not have won over those who miss singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, recently replaced in a move that divided classic rock lovers, but the tour that is likely to please longtime followers planning to catch Fleetwood Mac when the band plays Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center on Friday, Nov. 23, and Oakland’s Oracle Arena on Sunday, Nov. 25.

The San Jose concert was particularly special for singer Stevie Nicks, who turned 70 this year but hasn’t ditched her shawls or heels. A homecoming of sorts, Nicks took several moments to give the South Bay city a proper shout-out. Born in Phoenix, she attended San Jose State University and made some of her first recordings in the Bay Area.

“It’s pretty darn good to be back in my own specific and very special hood,” she said. “This is where it all started, and I had to take a minute to let you know that.”


Nicks, who has done decades of shows worldwide with the band as well as solo, said she was a bit nervous to be back in the Bay Area and even forgot the lyrics at one point to “Landslide.” Whether it was nerves or overfamiliarity with one of her most popular songs with the band, it was an odd moment from a normally polished singer.

“What’s happening? … I’ve lost the key,” Nicks admitted in the midst the song, which she dedicated to longtime friends (including one who used to drive her to the College of San Mateo for “two solid years, back and forth”).

“This is my home, so I can do this,” she laughed off. “Seriously, I’m so nervous I’m never coming back here!

“I’m kidding. I will always come back,” she assured the crowd. “This is when you know, after 70 years, that you still get this nervous when you sing a song for people that you love.”

With longtime singer-guitarist Buckingham fired amid reports of major bad blood with Nicks, his former lover he met when the two attended Menlo-Atherton High School, the band has been touring with Neil Finn of Crowded House and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty’s band, the Heartbreakers. Though neither had the manic magic that made Buckingham unstoppable onstage, they provided competent interpretations of Buckingham’s standards, with Finn handling the lead vocal in “Second Hand News” and “Monday Morning,” and Campbell tackling the frenetic guitar leads on “The Chain” and “Go Your Own Way
Neil Finn sings lead on songs popularized by Lindsey Buckingham during Fleetwood Mac’s show at the SAP Center.

The image
The band did a deep dive into its blues catalog, with Nicks providing a feminist spin singing “Black Magic Woman,” a haunting psychedelic gem later popularized by Santana; Finn dusting off “Tell Me All the Things You Do,” a melodic nugget from Danny Kirwan, a Fleetwood Mac member from 1968 to 1972 who died this year; and Campbell taking the spotlight on “Oh Well,” a powerful hard rock hybrid.

Nicks, even more of a focal point for the band with Buckingham out of the picture, gave the crowd what it wanted with “Dreams,” “Rhiannon” and “Gypsy.” She paid tribute to Petty, her frequent collaborator who died last year, with a spirited version of “Free Fallin’ ” featuring projected images of the two together and Petty with the Heartbreakers over the years.

Finn, whose solo career hasn’t received the attention it deserves after he created moody, melodic pop with Crowded House and Split Enz, took a deserved spotlight with a cover of “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” It was an unusual choice for a Fleetwood Mac concert, but it was well received — especially when Nicks joined in on the chorus.

Drummer Mick Fleetwood, still a solid player at 71 and probably the member who’s worked harder than anyone else to keep Fleetwood Mac together over the years, did his standard wild-man solo. Bassist John McVie kept his usual low profile but provided a solid foundation for the band. And keyboardist Christine McVie, who rejoined the band in 2014 after a lengthy semi-retirement, proved to be a grounding force with her smoky vocals on the mid-tempo staples “Little Lies,” “Isn’t It Midnight” and ”Everywhere.” She closed the evening with a duet with Nicks for the band’s third encore song, “All Over Again.” The deep cut is off the band’s poorly received 1995 “Time” album and is a song that only Fleetwood Mac’s die-hard fans remember — if at all.

McVie’s collaboration with Buckingham last year on an album of new material was such a pleasant surprise that it’s disappointing to know that Fleetwood Mac has no intentions of recording new songs again. New material could have taken away the sting for Buckingham fans who resent hearing the new guys covering songs he made famous. But as long as some form of Fleetwood Mac remains intact revisiting the band’s classic catalog, this incarnation passes the test.

https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/mus...se-concert/amp

At the risk of feeding the troll.....I love that it somehow is wrong or surprising that people are fans of both the band AND some or all of the individual members. I hadn't realized that people weren't "supposed" to come into one forum or another if they'd expressed an opinion in a different forum.

I also am saddened but not surprised that the stans have taken over and we're in major snowflake territory-- anything that actually reports what happened at a concert-- in this case Stevie flubbed a few lines of a song -- is considered a negative review and therefore treasonous and should never have been mentioned because omg it shows our idol in a 'bad' light. Most people found the flub somewhat endearing. But sycophants think it's fake news and should never be mentioned because they're too fragile to handle reality. (btw, where's the outrage at the negative review of Mick's 'obnoxious' drum solo? Hmmm....) No one gives a sh*t if you posted a legit review from a legit newspaper in any forum. This whole site is meant to be a resource so people can use it to see articles and reviews or videos or whatever that they might have missed. Grow up.

I didn't get the sense this had anything to do with somebody writing about Stevie's flubbed lyrics in their review. It would be odd not to mention it, even in a positive review. I'm definitely one of those people who finds moments like that endearing, or at least interesting. Having seen so many shows, and so many performances of certain songs, it's actually kind of cool to have something make it memorable.

I agree that the site is meant to be a resource. All reviews should get posted, and the vast majority of them do. Kudos to the Ledgies who keep up with all the news and post it for the rest who don't have the time. But if you haven't regularly been posting reviews, but the one headlined "FM flops with LB" is posted less than 6 hours after the show's end, it's going to be perceived as selective posting and will probably be called out as a way to push people's buttons. I would expect no less if I did that in the Lindsey forum.

It's a band, fans are going to have their likes and dislikes, and all of this is magnified 100x in a band like FM with multiple singer/songwriters, not to mention a drummer with his own unique personality. I can't believe it's this hard to just read and post the things that interest you and ignore the things that don't. No one changes their mind because they're antagonized on the internet; if anything, they just dig their heels in deeper. See any discussion of politics as an example.

It's about the ugliness of rooting for someone to fail. I'm not hoping that Lindsey fails. Quite the opposite in fact. And not everyone who posts here is a fan of every person in the band or the band overall. That has been made abundantly clear. I was probably one of the first to call out the sexism and misogyny and now I'm being called those very things which just underscores to me that people either have no idea what those things mean or have been so conditioned to ignore it they don't know what it is when it's standing right in front of them. :shrug: People including the reviewer were thrilled about the non issue with Lanslide. Elle was thrilled to post a negative review. But none of you want to see Lindsey back in Fleetwood Mac either. There is no happy ending here for you. I never said who could or couldn't post somewhere, just that they were posting that review here for a specific reason. Are they going to post other show reviews here? Only if they're bad or if Kristen Buckingham wants them to. :cool:

Exactly. I'm never going to think Lindsey didn't have a hand in his own demise with Fleetwood Mac. On the other side of that I don't think the people who hate Stevie are going to change their minds about anything. Its just the way it is. When you start calling people troll, stans or snowflake no one will be interested in the point you're trying to make either if that's really your goal. Not talking about you Mike.