Vancouver: Roll Call, Interviews, Reviews, Photos

[Moz]

Originally Posted by michelej1

I think the technical name of that song is Say You Will Love Me.

Ok, you singers. So, Christine is like a mezzo-soprano, right? What is Stevie exactly?

Michele

Wikipedia (we all know how reliable that can be sometimes) says she's a contralto.

[vivfox]

Nicks: "It stays fresh because we never stop playing. Basically, what we are is entertainers. If, even if this band had never made it, you know, big, we would still be, we'd be playing all the clubs, we'd be playing the clubs in Europe, we'd be still doing that. Because what we really are is entertainers. So when we go on stage we're performers."
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Love this quote from Stevie. They can't afford to play Europe with the zillions of dollars they're making but if they weren't famous they could afford to travel overseas and play clubs?? What a riot she is sometimes.

[yellowjeep]

My first FMac show EVER, and it didn't disappoint. Vocally, everyone was strong and the show was pretty tight.

That said, I am convinced the person with health issues is Stevie. She struggled to find the words while telling a story, flubbed the second verse of "Stand Back" (but recovered nicely) and generally seemed to be doped - my guess on pain killers. She did well with her songs, but Lindsey is clearing holding the whole thing together. That they dropped "Silver Springs" at the end didn't surprise me. They had already played nearly 2.5 hours, and seemed exhausted.

It was a PACKED house at GM Place last night, and the people ate it up.

[Livia]

Ouch.


Fleetwood Mac's Vancouver show lacks the lustre of yesteryear
By Sarah Rowland
At GM Place on Friday, May 15

If ever there was a mutual effort in denial, it would be the classic rock, cash-grab reunion tour. Embittered bandmates pretend to put their differences aside for the “love of the music”. And in exchange, hard-core fans shell out hundreds of dollars and convince themselves their idols’ coke-ravaged voices can still deliver the goods.

This was pretty much the case at the packed Fleetwood Mac show on Friday. If it weren’t for Lindsey Buckingham’s superlative guitar playing, the concert would have been a total washout. The reason? Well let’s say that, to put things charitably, the voices of Buckingham and Stevie Nicks seemed a little fried, to say the least.

As a result, almost every song was a total tease. The intros to the classics were strong and instantly recognizable, but as soon as the ’70s survivors started singing, it became painfully obvious the sweet blow-fuelled harmonies of yesteryear are long gone.

Maybe Buckingham and Nicks just needed a big fat rail for old times’ sake to loosen up the ol’ vocal chords, or maybe they needed former bandmate and “Songbird” songstress Christine McVie to pick up the slack. But then again, maybe her sagging vocal cords are shot to hell as well.

I’m not sure if the way the four remaining Fleetwood Mac members were positioned on the stage was meant to compensate for McVie’s absence. For whatever reason, Buckingham and Nicks were so far apart, they had to use a split screen in order to fit both of them in the same JumboTron shot. And they weren’t even in the same time zone during the predictable spotlight moments.

In fact, the former lovers didn’t really connect until about halfway into the show during “Sara”, when Nicks awkwardly reached her hands out to Buckingham and he leaned his head on her heavily padded shoulder. But their hips and chests still weren’t touching, so it looked more like two grade eights slow dancing rather than a couple of old friends warmly embracing.

Performance-wise, the highlight of the show was the always-beautiful, pared-down “Landslide.” Nicks has this acoustically led ballad down to a T and the bonus is that it didn’t require much energy, which was good because it didn’t look as though the, um, full-figured singer had a lot to spare. Her eyes were at half-mast almost the entire show. Too much NeoCitran? Bad plastic surgery? Who knows. But I got sleepy just looking at her.

And it wasn’t just her lids that looked heavy. I couldn’t see what kind of shoes Nicks was wearing, but they seemed to be weighing down her feet like cement blocks. So instead of looking like an ethereal and majestical Gypsy in her black-lace finery as she attempted to twirl across the stage (her one big dance move of the night), the ultimate goddess of rock ‘n’ roll excess” looked more like a well-fed Wiccan lumbering around the Maypole in a Beltane fertility ritual.

It was kind of sad. But hey, the first 20 or so rows seemed to be enjoying it.

Other standouts included “Big Love”, in which Buckingham unleashed a wicked acoustic guitar solo. Later, Buckingham got his blues on with “Oh Well”, a Fleetwood Mac song that was written before he and Nicks joined the band.

After burning through 20-plus hits, they left us with “Don’t Stop”, an ironic choice considering it might be time for these classic-rock dinosaurs to do just that.

http://www.straight.com/article-2220...ter-yesteryear

[Livia]

It's no rumour: Fleetwood Mac rocks Vancouver
Updated: Sat May. 16 2009 13:14:36

Darcy Wintonyk, ctvbc.ca

They may not be able to hit all the high notes anymore, but Fleetwood Mac can still bring a crowd to their feet.

The legendary rockers performed to a sold-out crowd Friday at Vancouver's GM Place as part of their 44-stop "Unleashed" North American tour.

Though the tour provides no new musical material, it certainly is a momentous occasion for fans, many of whom have followed the group for more than 40 years.

Performing mostly hits from the mid-1970s, their most commercially successful period, the rockers delivered a solid and entertaining performance, guiding fans through favourites like Dreams, Go Your Own Way, Don't stop and Gypsy.

Singer Stevie Nicks donned her famous shawls and capes, a signature in her live performances: Black for Rhiannon, red for Landslide and gold for, of course, Gold Dust Woman.

Taking a break between songs, a noticeably tanned and trim Lindsey Buckingham described the band's six-year hiatus from touring.

"We take breaks, sometimes more breaks," he said. "When we went out this time around we just said 'lets just go out there and have fun.'"

But while there is no doubt the band is excited about performing on stage, there was little chemistry between them. Interaction between members was almost nonexistent, save for one awkward occasion when Nicks' cradled Buckingham's coiffed head in her shoulder while walking off stage after a song.

Despite this, the current inception of the band must seem like a cakewalk for English rockers Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie, who founded the band and have led it through its troubled history.

Member turnover has plagued the group since its inception in 1967, but the addition of American singer-songwriters and longtime lovers Buckingham and Nicks made things difficult.

Their addition helped propel the band into superstardom, but also threw them into conflict.

The end of Nicks' and Buckingham's longstanding affair threatened to break up the band in the mid-70s, as did the divorce of singer Christine McVie and husband John.


Thankfully, the problems provided rich fodder for Rumors, the band's most commercially successful album -- with more than 25 million albums sold.


And then there's the other band members.


Founding guitarist Peter Green quit the band in 1970 to follow his ascetic religious beliefs, soon after an onset of schizophrenia said to be brought on by LSD abuse. Replacement guitarist Jeremy Spencer disappeared in Los Angeles while on tour in 1971 and turned up as a member of a religious cult, Children of God (ironically, also the title of a later Spencer solo project).


Vocalist Christine McVie retired from the band in 1998, but didn't leave music altogether. She released a solo album in 2004, to moderate success.


Friday's Vancouver show is one of only seven Canadian dates on the tour, which kicked off in Pittsburgh March 1.

Fans were eagerly awaiting news the band would indeed play in B.C. after Tuesday's Calgary show was cancelled because of an "undisclosed illness," rumoured to be Nicks.

The band will now travel to Washington State for a Saturday show, to be followed by six more dates before the tour concludes May 31 in San Diego.

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/l...shColumbiaHome

[sjpdg]

Originally Posted by michelej1

The Vancouver Sun

As a final note, that Mick Fleetwood took a seven-minute drum solo in the middle of encore World Turning, was a bit of magic. After starting the band in ’67 and overseeing the comings and goings of some 17 members, the 61-year-old band leader certainly deserves to bang his epic kit for as long as he pleases. That it was enjoyable to listen to was merely a bonus, that he looked happiest when introducing the talent around him – backup singers and stars both — is perhaps the magic ingredient that has kept the group a draw for so many years.

Finally!!!!!! A little respect for Mick!! It's about damned time!!!! Hallelujah!!!!

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by vivfox

Love this quote from Stevie. They can't afford to play Europe with the zillions of dollars they're making but if they weren't famous they could afford to travel overseas and play clubs?? What a riot she is sometimes.

But I guess it's a little true, because Mick's Blues Band somehow managed to get over to Europe.

Michele

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Livia

In fact, the former lovers didn’t really connect until about halfway into the show during “Sara”, when Nicks awkwardly reached her hands out to Buckingham and he leaned his head on her heavily padded shoulder. But their hips and chests still weren’t touching, so it looked more like two grade eights slow dancing rather than a couple of old friends warmly embracing.

I wonder why the writer doesn't mention that one reason their hips and chests didn't touch is because he was wearing and playing a GUITAR at the time! That makes it kind of hard to get very intimate with someone, even if you loved them madly.

The "heavily padded shoulder" bit was amusing.

Michele

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Livia

But while there is no doubt the band is excited about performing on stage, there was little chemistry between them. Interaction between members was almost nonexistent, save for one awkward occasion when Nicks' cradled Buckingham's coiffed head in her shoulder while walking off stage after a song.

Is his head coiffed? I hadn't noticed. Sure it's all shaped and fluffy for Monday Morning, but as the show wears on, the curls are matted down with sweat.

Michele

[MoonWaterPoet]

Originally Posted by Moz

Oh, Lindsey - everyone's favourite drunk uncle.

Moz ~
I have no ideal where this comment came from, but I love it...
Lmaoooooooooooooooo ~ I nearly spat my Beer across my monitor screen... Lmaoooooooooooooooo ~...


Donnie Wayne ~

[bikerchic]

Yikes! Poor Stevie.

[MoonWaterPoet]

Originally Posted by bikerchic

Yikes! Poor Stevie.

What's so poor about Stevie??? The youtube video didn't play longer than the first 3 bars or vocals of the song...???


Donnie Wayne ~

[MoonWaterPoet]

Originally Posted by sjpdg

Finally!!!!!! A little respect for Mick!! It's about damned time!!!! Hallelujah!!!!

I agree sjpdg, I loves my Mick...


Donnie Wayne ~

[Glittermoondust]

Originally Posted by bikerchic

Yikes! Poor Stevie.

I think she's referring to her voice--it sounds kind of bad here......

[MoonWaterPoet]

Originally Posted by Glittermoondust

I think she's referring to her voice--it sounds kind of bad here......

Yes ~ I gathered that much... but my point is, that you hear only 2 lines of vocals from the song that was posted... Where is the rest of the song???


Donnie Wayne ~