Seriously...are they even playing?
 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CKnTyPFDMUg

CMs hands aren't even on the keyboard for the opening piano riff.

I don't think LBs guitar is on until the solo, then he shuts it back off.

Big machine. Small machine. Karaoke machine.

I hate it, too. My HEROES are(hard to find, because they're) singing karaoke.

Somebody needs to kick Lindsey's ass for thinking the karaoke is a good idea. I think I'll send my great grandma...shouldn't be a problem.:lol:

She's playing basic chords on some tracks, he's playing solos. The rest of the band is playing some of the parts. A strange mix of performance and pre-recorded tracks. This as been typical of LB's solo shows for the last two tours. I think it's also the way with FM shows as of late.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a8V30RXZP5U

Here there is some mechanical issue, and mid solo the track stopped. Not sure he was even playing this solo now. (Last 40 seconds)

It would be funny if they piped in Stevie's vocals :eek:

They are piping in LINDZ vocals for sure! WATCH the clip again during the first time he sings "COME ON AND"...it's totally not coming from him. He's lip synching to a pre-recorded version of himself. How friggin lazy! I noticed this at the Beacon NYC show and i just lost all enjoyment of a "LIVE" version of the song.

with a stuff animal goat on screen, from the cartoon.. lol

It saddens me so much to see this. I know it is common practice with a number of big name acts, but it has clearly become more of a crutch for the past few tours. This combined with the never ending Stevie related drama has turned me off of the Mac as they currently exist. I am to the point where I want to appreciate and enjoy the great songs and performances they gave us in the past and accept that it is time for them to call it a day as a band.

So I'm really torn about getting a ticket to the show. I need to decide by tomorrow morning. :(

Kevin

it's funny.... and his face is the same face he made during GYOW at the Classic (east? west?) ....he scrunches up like he just bit a lemon and then looks offstage to his guitar guy.

The "tell me, tell me lies" is clearly pre recorded, none of their backing musicians are even pretending to sing it either.

Which raises the question-- do Brett and Neale et al really actually sing, or do they mime to pre recorded LB tracks? I've wondered this at his solo shows as well.....

If this is true, it is really sad.

Lee :(

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

They should.

Kevin, seriously go. It was an amazing show for me in Los Angeles.

EVERY act uses backing tracks and musicians. And a lot of the youtube are getting feed from the monitors vs. the PA's sound system so if you sit up front the concert will sound different.

I sat just a little bit back from the stage had an amazing experience. Don't miss it. You will be so happy you went.

It *is* pretty off-putting, though I still enjoyed the show. My favorite part by far was the acoustic opening set, largely because I don't think they use any pre-recorded tracks during those 4 songs.

Say what you will about Stevie, I don't think she uses prerecorded tracks in her shows. The 24KG performance I saw felt much more dynamic than Buckingham McVie.

You make a great point. They don't need to sound like the album. Which is why they do it. I love the raw voices. But, the vibe was amazing. I felt the love for sure. Plus, maybe the last time I ever get to see them. You never know.

It's so clear if you watch the videos that the choruses and certain verses are "enhanced" by pre-recorded vocals. And it's obvious that Christine is barely playing her instrument, save for some basic chords now and then.

This saddens me, but I guess they don't want their limitations (brought on by age) to affect the show.

And, no, I don't think Stevie uses backing tracks. I don't think she'd be able to. She can barely remember the words to her own songs and she often misses cues. She'd always be three verses behind the track.....:laugh:

yes this is what I was thinking... she just has more and more backup singers and such...

why would you be torn? do it do it!!

so the only one of his solo tours for which i know for sure what was prerecorded and what was not was One Man Show. he played 13 or 14 songs there (depending on whether he did a request at the end or not), and there were 3 (or 4? can't remember) with either prerecorded click track or prerecorded music parts. from what i remember only GYOW had both backing vocals and some music prerecorded (i've heard the soundcheck, without Lindsey being there). all other songs it was just him.

FM i'm pretty sure uses prerecorded stuff, and BM definitely does too, although some people have told me that some of what we see are just pedal loops.

Sadly, this is what the music business has come to nowadays. Buckingham McVie and Fleetwood Mac are just one of a growing list of live acts whose stage shows are about 50% backing tracks. This is why the setlist can NEVER be changed nightly or mid-tour. Yes, they are lip synching to certain portions. No, they are NOT playing ALL guitar and piano parts and it's completely obvious. Nope, there's no cocaine or other energy inducing drugs up there. Perhaps only a glass of wine or half a joint to calm the nerves.

I suppose the only way to defend this backing track crime is to accept that these folks are in their 70's (or nearing). We must all ask ourselves a question. Can ANY of us over the age of 40 do things with the same energy and fervor that we did at 25? Now imagine yourself with the aches and pains of a 70 year old. Playing guitar and keyboards requires extensive and repetitive use of the hands. NEWSFLASH: 70 year olds often suffer from arthritis and members of The Mac are not superhuman. Add to that the additional wear and tear that they've placed on their bodies over the years through extensive travel and drug/alcohol abuse. I'm just going to accept that, if I want to see these folks climb their bodies up on the stage, they're going to need some assistance and accommodation (much in the same way that my elderly father uses a walker). This assistance comes in the form of backing tracks. We will probably only be able to enjoy MAC shows for another 7-10 years. Let's forgive, overlook, and make the most of it.

Don't be torn just go.

Think about like this. People still go and
see Elvis impersonators. And that's kind
of what this tour is like. Very, very good
impersonators.

I appreciate the feedback, but I'm surprised by it as well. This doesn't bother you guys? :) I posted on my FB page and good friends who are into music, one a big Machead like me, all said not to go.

I will probably get a ticket anyway, but I really believe that live music should be just that. I would MUCH RATHER hear them play and sing live with mistakes and missed notes than to hear a better sound because it's been pre-recorded. I feel like it's really cheating the audience and it's just plain lazy. I don't know if lots of other bands do that, but if so, they aren't the people that I see play live. Also, one of my friends made a really good point. He has seen Bruce Springsteen, Sting, and Peter Gabriel live recently and none of them did this, and they are all in their 60's or more. So age really shouldn't be an issue.

If anyone wants to comment on why this doesn't bother them, feel free to. I don't want to start a big controversy or anything, but I am interested in hearing other opinions. :)

Thanks.

Kevin

if you do a quick search through TL threads you will see plenty of opinions on this - what bothers and doesn't bother people about this.

i'm shocked that your "machead" friends are telling you not to go. everyone who went, whether machead, buckhead, chrishead or stevie fan loved the show (even though we are all bothered by this, same as we were at Mac shows!). everyone who went wants to or is going to the next leg / another show too. the only people who are looking for an excuse not to go seem to be strongly SN-first fans (which i didn't think you were?). but i also know plenty of SN-first fans who went to a several shows, and loved them.

frankly, you seem to be looking for an excuse not to go. the first leg, 2-3 hour drive was too far for you; now they will be coming close yet you seem to still be on the fence. i think you shouldn't go. you will be missing a great show and tons of fun, but if you need to be so talked into going so much, maybe you should just skip?

Hi Kevin, I can understand your dilemma but I will offer that the BuckVie show I attended was one of my best concert experiences.

I don't enjoy the backing vocals (really need to go) and I don't agree with Lindsey wanting to recreate studio sounds (here or with FM), but I've accepted this is something they do. The reason I've accepted it is that they do still play and sing, it's not all karaoke. And, if a level of enhancement is what it takes to keep them on stage, then I can accept it.

CM does not play all the keys, and she didn't on OWTS tour, but she plays, and sings, and dances, and entertains to a level that is, for me, delightful. Her engagement with the band and audience was unlike I've seen her do before (my most recent comparison being The Dance tour, where she'd clearly switched off). There were wobbles on vocals and ad lib giggles and it was entirely enjoyable. Not to diminish LB: he is an amazing performer and clears wants to deliver perfection.

Do I wish we could have the two or the FM 5 on stage, back-up track free? Yes, and we get some of that. I wish we'd hear some blues & older FM and solo music, I wish we'd have a Lindsey, John, Mick, Chris off-the-cuff jam, but I know none of that will happen. But, yes, I can accept what is presented on this tour because, for me, it was a fantastic experience.

Thanks for all of the feedback, and I actually hadn't read some of the other posts before I posted, which I should have. In any case, I wasn't really looking for a reason not to go. It's just the opposite. I am going to go.. I was looking for a way for this not to bug me. And I guess the only way I"ll really know is to go and see. And in the very worst case, which I don't think it will be, I will get to hear them sing (some) live. :)

And just so it's clear, I totally understand about aging. I'm only in my 50's (the last time I'll ever write THAT sentence :) ) and I already have a lot of limitations that I didn't have when I was younger. I"m fine with Chris not playing the keys. I just wish she weren't pretending to, and that someone else in the band was, instead of having something prerecorded. Ditto some of Lindsey's guitar solos.

Anyway, thanks for being patient with me. :) I"ll let you know what seat I get. For better or for worse, I just can't not go.

Kevin

I'm not sure it's entirely down to age. I think a lot of it is on Lindsey, and his need for trying to recreate studio perfection on stage.

There's a meaningful difference between recording in a studio and performing live. He's always been partial to the studio experience. Not to say he never enjoyed performing because I'd have to assume he did or he wouldn't have made a career of it, but in my opinion he didn't really come into his own as a performer until several albums into his solo career. His performances for his first two solo albums were a bit shaky when compared to his comfort now with being the center of attention onstage. In the early early days with BN clearly she was more comfortable in the spotlight and knew how to "entertain" whereas he was better at producing. Now he's become a tremendous entertainer and performer in his own right. But he still seems to bring a studio mentality to the stage. I've never understood FM's need for such elaborate rehearsals before every tour, especially as the years, no--the DECADES wore on, and they were still doing the same songs. Why so much rehearsal? I think it comes down to him, and wanting it to sound closer to the recordings. Surely the 3 Brits,coming from a blues background, are more comfortable playing more loosely.

Now that they're older I think the worn out voices and not being able to hit all the high notes of one's youth are just another layer on top of that.

The concerning thing isn't so much that they are relying on some tweaks here and there, it's that it has become SOOOOOO obvious on this tour, and where will it end as they get even older??

So I did end up getting a ticket, though a pretty crappy one. I guess the presale this time did have all the good seats.

At the risk of having a reputation as a curmudgeon (I hope I don't have that moniker just yet) I hate Ticketmaster even more now. They have made it so easy to legally scalp (i.e. as long as they get a cut, it's fine, but when they don't, it's illegal) that it's even harder to get good seats at the already really high face value. Plus, the way they do it now is really frustrating. You pick a seat, and then they tell you that it's gone. So you pick another one. Ditto. Then you pick the one they suggest, and that's gone too. :) Back in the old days, the best seat available came up, and you took it, knowing it was the one closest to the stage. It would be great to pick your own seat if it actually worked. :) By trying to get the best seat, it actually probably worked to my detriment. If I had gone for a worse seat the first time I chose, I probably would have gotten something better than what I ended up with. And YES I see the irony in me complaining about my seat when I wasn't sure I even wanted to go. What can I say. Human beings are weird. :)

And Elle, I'm really flattered that you remembered that I didn't want to drive 3 1/2 hours to a show before they announced the Bay Area show. :) (And I"m not being snarky and sarcastic.)


Kevin

How come u don't use the word "chiffs" any longer to describe us SN fans?

I really want to go see the tour, regardless of use of pre-recorded stuff.
The big issue for me is I am working in Yellowstone National Park until my contract ends September 17. I didn't bring a car with me, and we are remotely located 8,000 feet above sea level, and driving to a show anyplace is out of the question.:shocked:
After my contract ends, I am going on a quick vacation and then moving to Florida.
If there is any chance of a South Florida show from October onward, I will be able to catch a show.
But I think the tour is winding down now??
Does anybody know if there is going to be another leg of the tour?

Bunch of shows in Florida for November just went on sale today - looks like you are in luck!

I'm bummed to read about all of this. I always thought FM was one of the few bands that kept everything live. My god, Stevie sang live on Solid Gold. I'd rather they play live and sound off at times. I saw Dolly Parton a couple of times, who clearly lip-syncs the entire show except maybe Little Sparrow and it was an embarrassment. Went the second time hoping it would be different.

hey my attempt at reverse psychology apparently worked!:angel: :xoxo: (just teasing!)

and awww - what can i say i have great memory for stuff that i don't actually need to remember! :shrug:

If Buckingham McVie are going to prerecord everything, they ought at least to prerecord more adventurous performances. Why bother piping in such blandly safe recordings? When you only have to move your lips, you can "sing" as high as you ever did. If you don't have to reproduce it live, make it shred.

Like a lot of rock stars, the Macsters haven't found a way to square their decades with their former intensity. Being a Machead these days consists primarily in leafing through old photo albums and listening to Tusk Deluxe tour showpieces.

I guess I am not as bitter as you all?

They are all still alive. Lindsey and Christine are still making new music. Stevie, while she can't write new material anymore, she can still command an audience. So all being said and most of your cases, being complained about, I am pretty happy with the output for a bunch of 67-74 year olds.

Easy answer for the rest of you-Transport back to your 20's, listen to Rumours and Tusk and pretend FM and all their ancillary output ended then.

What a cop out response.

Do you think Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers would go this route? Eric Clapton, dare I saw Bob Dylan.

LB is the guy who wrote Time Precious Time, Red Rover, etc. he's better than this.

I'm more pissed about them singing karaoke!

Because they are better than that. Or should be!

True but it sure saves money on back up singers :eek:

With Brett, the bass player, and other guitar player (I simply CAN'T remember his name- I've forgotten it a hundred times) singing, they shouldn't need backup singers.

They don't have to be super high parts, as long as it's three part harmony.

Homer, you're telling me you don't remember Neale Heywood, he has been playing with the band for 20 years.

For whatever reason, that name just slips out of my head. Looks wise, he reminds me of someone I know personally. Hopefully that's the reason, and not the onset of early dementia! :lol: