I'm really starting to hate the Mac....
 

This is sort of a general rant. It doesn't really require an answer or anything. I'm just exceedingly frustrated.

I am very disillusioned and taken aback at the blatant ripoffs and outright lies being promulgated on the "official" website. Talk about poisoning the well and destroying any goodwill that fans have for the band. We've waited more or less patiently for six years, only to get royally screwed by Mick and his rip-off fan club bull$h|#. What a no-good, dishonest, greedy bastard!

Does anyone know if Stevie or Lindsey have any clue about the crap that Mick and his minion of evil ("The Knight") are pulling? Has anybody thought about getting together and generating a petition or some sort of mass mailing to complain? Maybe sending it to Stevie/Lindsey via their respective management companies might alert them to this whole sordid situation, but would that really accomplish anything?

I am of very mixed emotions regarding this tour. I'd like to see them if they perform in either Phoenix or Denver (each of them are about an 8-hour drive for me) but I'm almost to the point where I think "The hell with it AND them!" and forget about it.

Well, thanks for listening.

Don't Give Up on the Mac!
 

All that fanclub business does suck, but....

Don't give those guys the power to destroy what you love! Fleetwood Mac still rocks harder than any other band in history, IMO, and their music is still as great as it ever was. Remember all the pleasure they have brought you... doesn't the good outweigh the bad? I REFUSE to allow The Knight and Mick Fleetwood to spoil the specialness of the Mac's music and all it means to me! It is so much bigger than them, and it always will be!

Years from now, this fan club stuff will be a bad memory. I think you'll regret it if you miss out on what could be their last tour because of some greedy small-mindedness on the part of one member of the band. And honestly I don't even blame Mick so much - yes, he is greedy, but I think that the majority of the anger is due to the guy who runs the fan club and message board - his overselling of the club and heavyhandedness regarding the "chat board" are what really turned most people off.

I do fault Stevie and Lindsey for not being more concerned about what's going on in their name. Surely their management has let them know what's going on?

Knight apparently told the admins to tell us that Lindsey occasionally reads the message boards over there. I really wonder if that's true.

u shuld still like the mac! i hate the fan club to

I'm new posting here,
 

but I've been around on a lot of boards and sites for years. I LOVE Fleetwood Mac, and the sorry state of the Official Mick Fleetwood board makes me very sad. But I have to make a distinction between the band that makes my favorite music and the poor excuse for a FAN message board that exists over "there." It's not a fan site. It's an armed camp, and sadly, they have turned some of the previous fans into guards. I think it's sad, because they don't even realize what they have become.

For ME, it's all about the music. The lies, the lies, the lies that go on over there, the deletions and flat out ignoring of the posts from fans that have been used is NOT what represents our band. I honestly don't think the band is aware of what is going on there. Sodascout, I suggest you contact LB's manager and let them know The Knight said LINDSEY's reading the message board! LOL! Might as well give them a good laugh. The lies, The LIES, THE LIES!

Frankly, I am considering contacting the managers of the individual band members to find out if they know about this stuff. The fan club, the ticket sales . . . the $1,100 meet and greet, the lies, the lies, THE LIES!

LONG LIVE FLEETWOOD MAC! And may The Knight soon be knocked from his horse for the lack of chivalry he has displayed to the fans. (You can ride high atop YOUR pony . . . the whole thing's PHONY! But you'll never scare ME!)

I am soooo excited about the new album, the tour . . . a few years ago this was nothing but a dream.

Well, I don't hate the Mac. I do wish they would at least check up on what these people are doing. It doesn't take that much effort to do so. It just takes interest. The rest of it is terribly frustrating. Yes, this will be a bad memory. It makes me sad that we've waited so long for this new album and it has to be tainted by the fan club mess.

You also have to realize, Mick may have initiated this fan club, but The Knight runs it, and Mick is only aware of what The Knight tells him. This is why posts are deleted so easily from the message board, and why he only posts "good" reviews of the fan club. I really don't think this has anything to do with Fleetwood Mac as it does The Knight. He's a master manipulator it seems, obviously very business savvy. I definitely think Mick's not being told the whole story here. Think about it in terms of how many people think Mick is so money hungry...why would he allow displeasure to persist among the most loyal fans? We're the biggest money spenders...it wouldn't be very wise of him to knowingly piss us off. The Knight, on the other hand, can make his money and run if he wants to. There's shananigans about, certainly, but I don't think the Mac is as involved or knowledgeable about it as everyone thinks.

Sadly, I think the band members managers are not aware of what an impact all of this has had on us fans. Just look at the way he talks to fans. He's no fan, and I'm frankly not certain how much of a business man he is either. I've seen the post of his face on some obscure business magazine. He certainly has an odd way of dealing with fan/customers.

Here's a post of his that I saved (by the way, he deleted it):

I can only take it so far guys. We got an offer from a tour operator and the band seemed to feel that if the fans wanted this, they'd take time on a concert nite (just think about that level of loyalty from the artists) to meet those who cared that much that they would book a hotel and tour pack. So I understand differences of opinion and encourage open banter here. But there has to be some level of civility. Too bad the rotten apples really do spoil the barrel.

For the future - Those of you with 3 or 4 stars by your names who have experience here - slap some sense into the offenders. The goal is for this board to encourage participation!

We move on . . .

Hugs to the "Good Guys (and Gals)"

The Knight!

Does having stars = experience. Does it also give wisdom? If you post alot, you've got what it takes to "slap some sense" into others? Yep, that sure would foster the goal of participation!

The Knight said, "We got an offer from a tour operator and the band seemed to feel that if the fans wanted this, they'd take time on a concert nite " . . .

THE BAND???? The BAND seemed to feel? Is saying HE spoke to the band about this meet and greet thing, and they were going for it. You believe him? Pick up the phone and make a call.

I read a post today saying a scheme like this was fostered on some of the Rolling Stones fans. That BAND knew nothing about the meet and greet, and the fans were out the money. Gotta love the potential this outcome might have for Fleetwood Mac.

I'm wanting to find out what the band really knew/knows about what is going on at the Official Knight Site. I think if the band saw how The Knight interacts with their fans, their customers, it would be "goodnight" to The Knight.

I sincerely hope you are right that they haven't got any knowledge of what is going on over there. But I also hope they start paying attention. I know they're busy right now, but doesn't John go online? Isn't anybody in the band's camp web savvy enough to check up on this? And since it is on Mick's official website, he ought to take it upon himself to look in on things every once in a while.

Re: I'm really starting to hate the Mac....
 

I like this idea and it may accomplish something, enlighten them to the hurt and frustration their fans feel regarding a message board

I agree with the advice of separating your love for the music from the nonsense that is going on at Mick's board. For God's sake, I have been banned twice!

But, damn, eight hours is a long way to drive to see a band. Stay home and wait for the HBO special.

You bring up important points. I would guess IF the other members of the band (besides Mick) are aware of "the fan club" they are thinking, "it's not my problem" and that they are not involved in it, and that it's Big Daddy's baby. Mick and his management is the name associated with the board. Nonetheless, it's beginning to come back to haunt the whole band now. I've seen posts about people contacting the Better Business Board, and contacting the State Of California's attorney general for matters. There was posts from someone here, about mickfraudwood or something. If people really did this, you'd have to believe the Knight is aware of it. And unless The Knight is telling them, "Everything's fine, the fan club is great, everyone is happy," at least Mick should be aware of some of what is going on.

Lindsey reading message boards? Reading print outs of message boards? Not a chance. As far as anyone being web savy, I do recall reading here that John once communicated to this site. And Mick did mention an awareness of The Penguin on an online chat. But computer savy? It sure doesn't seem like it. Stevie doesn't seem at all comfortable with the computer. Look at her communication on Nicks Fix and the vast response she has made on The Official Fleetwood Mac Q&A.

BTW, did you notice Lindsey and John are NOT even responding to the Q&A? One of the moderators, Jackie, said they have given them questions and haven't heard back. LOL! I don't think they are supporting this. :laugh: And if you read Stevie's few meager answers, I don't think Stevie participated. Maybe someone else (? Mick?) answered for her. :eek:

LOL....
 

It does sound rather odd to hear the answers on "that site" that were supposedly from Stevie...

I still lurk "over there" and laugh at how it is nearly empty on every one of my visits...

As for me I didnt get banned, I deleted my account over their "censorship" of posts, Which (from what I read) is still a tactic they are using to make "their" lil' piece of the internet world seem "peaceful & serene" without anyone being able to speak their opposing views...Brian J.

I can totally sympathize with the way you are feeling, but try to remember that sometimes the best plans are destroyed by people with massive egos who are left to handle this band's most precious asset, their great fans.


KNIGHT is the one responsible for what has happened and the alienation of 90% of the online FM community. I agree that the band should have been more aware but maybe they saw how well Stevie's site did and not knowing much about the internet they THOUGHT this Knight could handle it. He should have had a cake walk considering he had a built in audience. He managed to turn an entire community against his site and his management skills can only be looked at with disgust for how he has treated this community.

This is NOT Nazi Germany where your existence and words are wiped out because you dare to speak the truth against a tiny dictator who rules over a virtual community.

We all know what happens to dictators who misjudge the power of the subjects they try to silence.

This is all very true...can't totally blame the band...s**t happens...I think we are all still fans...we were just taken aback by the Knight and his ways....

Look folks...
 

The bands been around since the 60's, this $#!% fan club has been around less than a year...don't give up on the Mac because of some moronic idiot who doesn't know his butt from a hole in the ground!! :distress:

This Knight person probably works for the cheapest business that runs fan clubs for celebs and Mick saw that and went "Cool, he's cheap...I'll use him!" :laugh:

I don't think that Stevie, Lindsey and John would do a 180 and start all of a sudden wanting to screw over the fans. I DO agree with whoever said that the Knight keeps things clean over there so Mick and whoever reads the board won't get suspicious at all the crap going on. The board is dead now...so whatever. :shrug: