The death of Stevies fandom

[BlueLight]

Yeah, it's really just the death of the Stevie Ledge board. For me, the invective, knee-jerk hatred, and name-calling has really ruined the Ledge experience. Stevie is by no means a saint (nor are any of us), but Ledgies' inability to engage in respectful dialogue has made it hard for me to muster the energy to post here with any frequency.

That said, can't wait for her rumored next tour, and I remain hopeful for another album. When either or both happens, I'll be in back here, with hopes of engaging in friendly conversation/debate.

[Storms123]

Originally Posted by Steviegirl

Yes--the RRHOF speech was embarrassing to watch. It would have been such a proud day for most of us, but I really didn't even care because of what had preceded it. And all that tripe about not listening to women was stupid but very revealing. The speech sounded unprepared and silly. In the past, I would have circulated it on my social media, but I was too disappointed in her behaviour with Lindsey, AND she looked like a self-indulgent fool rambling on like she did. "If you are GRACIOUS, you have won the game"? Okay.

She's always been a rambler. She reminds me of my batty aunt. Usually I find it endearing, but the RRHOF and the Musicare's speeches were cringeworthy.
I saw 24KG 4 times. This last FM tour was the 1st one I've missed since the Dance. I saw LB's solo tour last year--he was as energetic and joyful as always. I loved it. I am torn as to what I will do if Stevie actually solo tours again.
I miss this band. Like another poster said, I used to call them "my band". It saddens me that this is how they will likely end.

[Steviegirl]

Originally Posted by Storms123

She's always been a rambler. She reminds me of my batty aunt. Usually I find it endearing, but the RRHOF and the Musicare's speeches were cringeworthy.
I saw 24KG 4 times. This last FM tour was the 1st one I've missed since the Dance. I saw LB's solo tour last year--he was as energetic and joyful as always. I loved it. I am torn as to what I will do if Stevie actually solo tours again.
I miss this band. Like another poster said, I used to call them "my band". It saddens me that this is how they will likely end.

I miss the band, too. I also miss coming to The Ledge and reading and writing about FM. There are so many times that I've come to The Ledge for advice about tickets, to read and write reviews of shows, to admire Ledgies whose encyclopedic knowledge of the band and its members is astonishing and a revelation, or just to celebrate these five people who were such significant figures in our lives. I saw 24KG in the theatre, and I, too, have watched it many times; I saw LB's show, bought the BuckVie album, and have supported the band in every way for decades. I believe with all my heart that Stevie was determined to drag MC around, and I only wish she had done this on her solo tours. Waddy would probably have been fine with it, where, of course, she knew LB would not. I think a lot of the vitriol here comes from the fact that many of us are stunned and HURT by the heartlessness of what was done to Lindsey, and then, when he was hospitalized last year, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. As much as I miss them, I just can't even look at them anymore. Sad, indeed.

[TheWildHeart67]

I don't post here as much because of the fighting and constant negativity. It's not worth the time.

[bombaysaffires]

Originally Posted by Steviegirl

I miss the band, too. I also miss coming to The Ledge and reading and writing about FM. There are so many times that I've come to The Ledge for advice about tickets, to read and write reviews of shows, to admire Ledgies whose encyclopedic knowledge of the band and its members is astonishing and a revelation, or just to celebrate these five people who were such significant figures in our lives. I saw 24KG in the theatre, and I, too, have watched it many times; I saw LB's show, bought the BuckVie album, and have supported the band in every way for decades. I believe with all my heart that Stevie was determined to drag MC around, and I only wish she had done this on her solo tours. Waddy would probably have been fine with it, where, of course, she knew LB would not. I think a lot of the vitriol here comes from the fact that many of us are stunned and HURT by the heartlessness of what was done to Lindsey, and then, when he was hospitalized last year, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. As much as I miss them, I just can't even look at them anymore. Sad, indeed.

I don't think Mike would have had any interest or motivation to be in Stevie's solo band prior to Tom's death. Why go from being a member of a major group to being a backup player? I am not sure he'd even agree to be part of her band now because no matter how they billed it, he'd just be her back up player. (He might to the odd show with her here and there maybe but not full time). But being part of FM is much bigger, it makes him once again the lead guitarist in another major band. Whereas Waddy's career has been as a studio player and backup to famous front-people.

Why would Lindsey care who she had in her back up band? I don't think she gave any thought to LB's opinions when forming her own bands.

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

She did it to herself. She stopped a Fleetwood Mac album with all three songwriters from happening. She got the main creative force kicked out of the band over nothing. She wanted her own band and Tom Petty wasn’t dead that long before she snagged Michael Campbell. She is a selfish person. Always has been. She ruined the final years of the band. The people on the ledge who are still here for the most part are Stevie fans and sooo you are not going to get much honesty out of them. Posts dropped significantly after she decided not to do a final album with Chris and Lindsey and they nose-dived further after she got Lindsey kicked out. She left Fleetwood Mac fans with no hope.

And it is a joke that her and Mick run the band. The two coke heads who put the band through hell end up with all the glory. It’s too hard for many fans to take.

This. Stevie could walk down fifth avenue shooting orphaned cancer patients in the stomach (ensuring they die slowly & painfully), yet she wouldn’t any of her sycophantic fans. They’d find a way to blame it on Lindsey for suggesting Stevie match her verb tenses that one time 20 years ago.

The funny thing is, I was a rabid Stevie fan for 2 decades. Her slow destruction of FM & her own dignity drove me away, unfortunately. But that’s okay. She gets the last laugh!

[lulu28]

Originally Posted by Feather Blade

I'd say it might be more about the death of the Ledge. As someone else said, tickets are selling just fine and there is plenty of activity in other Stevie/Fleetwood Mac forums. I only occasionally check back in here because it became such a miserable place with a half dozen or so people dominating discourse with the same angry tirade over and over again. I think a lot of people gave up and left to find places to talk about something else. Also, as was said by an earlier poster, people just naturally age out of the equation. Could be some of that going on. At any rate, its a big internet out there and you don't have to go too far to find current conversations.

The nastiness drove me away. The Ledge moderators/owners are responsible for the decline. They allow the same ones to beat a dead horse over and over again with no consequences, yet someone can say something that disagrees with the hatred and they get banned. I can find my FM/Stevie news elsewhere and yes I still buy all the releases and go to the concerts. It's a shame because this used to be my favorite website.

[BLY]

Originally Posted by lulu28

The nastiness drove me away. The Ledge moderators/owners are responsible for the decline. They allow the same ones to beat a dead horse over and over again with no consequences, yet someone can say something that disagrees with the hatred and they get banned. I can find my FM/Stevie news elsewhere and yes I still buy all the releases and go to the concerts. It's a shame because this used to be my favorite website.

I couldn’t agree more. I came to ledge in 1997. I now come to the ledge do to habit. It use to be a great place to visit and share experiences and opinions. In the last couple of years it became very mean spirited and nasty. We all don’t like and agree on what went down in recent years and there is nothing wrong with voicing our thoughts but the nastiness is just plain rude and extremely immature. I’m really close to deleting this site from a daily go to place.

[reebokandlace]

Originally Posted by BLY

I couldnÂ’t agree more. I came to ledge in 1997. I now come to the ledge do to habit. It use to be a great place to visit and share experiences and opinions. In the last couple of years it became very mean spirited and nasty. We all donÂ’t like and agree on what went down in recent years and there is nothing wrong with voicing our thoughts but the nastiness is just plain rude and extremely immature. IÂ’m really close to deleting this site from a daily go to place.

I am happy to see that there are a few people who have stayed and continue to try to have positive discussions. Yes, the bitter people will still troll the SN section but I think it will tone down.

There have been a few things that the band has done that has disappointed and disillusioned die hard fans over the years. The reality of who Stevie is vs what fans believed her to be can be eye opening. I remember in the 80’s when fans would meet her after shows and say “she wasn’t very nice...” or “wow she was not at all the sweet person I always thought she was”. They would walk away hurt and crying. It was sad to see. The people around her would stay...”Sometimes it is best to never meet your heroes”. I think many of the fans on this board may have come to the harsh reality that who they thought she was wasn’t all at who she really is. That is a hard pill to swallow.

[David]

Originally Posted by lulu28

The nastiness drove me away. The Ledge moderators/owners are responsible for the decline.

But you haven’t posted anything that wasn’t a board gripe since Oct. 3, 2017 (when you posted about Petty). Start a thread about something or other, or jump into a non-gripe thread. We’re talking about Tusk singles in the Rumours forum, for example. Jump in.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by reebokandlace

I am happy to see that there are a few people who have stayed and continue to try to have positive discussions. Yes, the bitter people will still troll the SN section but I think it will tone down.

There have been a few things that the band has done that has disappointed and disillusioned die hard fans over the years. The reality of who Stevie is vs what fans believed her to be can be eye opening. I remember in the 80’s when fans would meet her after shows and say “she wasn’t very nice...” or “wow she was not at all the sweet person I always thought she was”. They would walk away hurt and crying. It was sad to see. The people around her would stay...”Sometimes it is best to never meet your heroes”. I think many of the fans on this board may have come to the harsh reality that who they thought she was wasn’t all at who she really is. That is a hard pill to swallow.

It is toning because hardly anyone frequents the site anymore because they don’t like her anymore.

[Feather Blade]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

It is toning because hardly anyone frequents the site anymore because they don’t like her anymore.

Sigh. Or...as several people already stated, they left here because of all the negativity coming from a very small group of people, found a new place to discuss F/M and Stevie and only infrequently check back in here now. Those people certainly didn't choose to not frequent the site because they didn't like Stevie.

[Feather Blade]

Originally Posted by David

But you haven’t posted anything that wasn’t a board gripe since Oct. 3, 2017 (when you posted about Petty). Start a thread about something or other, or jump into a non-gripe thread. We’re talking about Tusk singles in the Rumours forum, for example. Jump in.

Sorry to speak for Lulu here, but personally, though I appreciate what you are saying; it hasn't always been easy to do just that. There were countless times where someone would TRY to start a non-gripe thread, or join in on one and it would quickly get overwhelmed by that same handful of angry people interjecting completely non related nastiness over that same old subject. It didn't seem to matter what the subject of the new thread was. In the end, I think it was just easier to leave and join in with people in other forums who actually wanted to talk about other stuff.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by Feather Blade

Sigh. Or...as several people already stated, they left here because of all the negativity coming from a very small group of people, found a new place to discuss F/M and Stevie and only infrequently check back in here now. Those people certainly didn't choose to not frequent the site because they didn't like Stevie.

Right? A mass exodus happened after she got Lindsey fired. Why don’t you try being honest.

[Feather Blade]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

Right? A mass exodus happened after she got Lindsey fired. Why don’t you try being honest.

Yes, an eventual mass exodus of the people who didn't care to discuss the Lindsey situation over and over and over for going on two years now. That little group of people who kept reminding us all how much they hate Mick and Stevie and how the band should just curl up and die now are still here and still telling us those same things. It is the people who are exhausted with it all that left for livelier forums where there are other things to talk about. Those people were not driven off because they were angry with Stevie. And now back I go to one of those forums to rejoin a pretty cool conversation with some nice people about things that are happening now.