My partner surprised me with tickets for the Melbourne show on Thursday night and I reluctantly went along (I tried every trick in the book to get out of attending but I ultimately had no choice). Anyway, I was impressed by Stevie's performance - she sang extremely well, looked great and actually seemed really enthused to be on stage. However...
Stevie's rambling between songs got old real fast. I was cringing from the outset because I knew what was about to occur - various members of the audience began becoming impatient with each successive 'story' and soon erupted with shouts of "Shut the &%$* up and sing!". These demands became increasingly more aggressive, to the point where I thought a fight was going to break out. From about two thirds into Stevie's set, fans just started leaving.
To be fair, many of the complainants seemed to be drunken thugs who probably shouldn't have been there in the first place (they didn't seem to know any song other than "Seven Wonders", which they kept requesting in a none-too polite manner) but it has to be said, Stevie's anecdotal ramblings are inarticulate, often nonsensical and just plain boring.
The Pretenders, who took to the stage a little after 7:00 pm, delivered a taut set that left just about everyone in the crowd wanting more. Stevie commenced soon afterwards and by the time the concert was over (after 11:00 pm), many people seemed tired and restless. She just stretched it out way too long. People were simply annoyed and yet, Stevie seemed totally oblivious to the reaction. She also came across as extremely arrogant with the usual comments about her successful solo career, how the only Fleetwood Mac song to make number 1 in the charts was 'Dreams', how she would never break up Fleetwood Mac (as in she is holding all the cards), etc. etc.
This truly could have been a remarkable show if Stevie had just edited herself a little here and there. I'm still amazed that for the very first concert of the initial leg of the tour last year (I think in October 2016?), she barely said a word. From memory, she basically performed her set and hardly uttered a word. Then from the second show onwards, she just couldn't shut herself up. What's that all about?
I think I preferred Stevie with a little more mystery. God knows how things will go at the vineyard shows lined up for this weekend. With a potentially inebriated crowd, there's bound to be some harsh criticism of Stevie's verbal diarrhoea.
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