The death of Stevies fandom

[AnthonyMI]

No new posts. No replies nobody logged in. 20 years ago this place was a community. Now, her lack of creativity, selling out her band, and self absorption has turned everyone away. What a sad way to go out. Instead of retiring like Grace Slick or gracious and productive like Loretta Lynn, Stevie turned into a shell of her former glory.

[reebokandlace]

This board has definitely died a slow death. Being a longtime member I too remember the good old days when this board was on fire. Great conversations, memories shared, photos, rare mp3’s... it was a great source. I wonder though... is it that many of the former participants just do not use forums anymore. Twitter and instagram have taken over as the go to source. The die hard Stevie fans are still attending the shows. Recent ticket sales were good. Regardless of the drama on this board regarding peopleÂ’s perception of Stevie, she still has a following.

I wonder how many of the fans from this board are still alive? A lot of the people who posted here were in their 40s and 50s back in the heyday. That would make them 60- 70 now. Good chance many of them are gone.

I am surprised that Stevie is still rocking at 70+. I had always thought she would pursue other things...take time to create other hobbies & live a life outside the arenas and hotels. She has had no other focus except this career. (Amazing career of course, but it is the only chapter in her life, the same year after year, and she lives it over and over and over again) Its like the movie Groundhog Day.
I have to wonder what is the driving force that keeps her in this state of perpetual repeat. It’s much deeper than money or ego.

[HoursAndHours]

Originally Posted by AnthonyMI

No new posts. No replies nobody logged in. 20 years ago this place was a community. Now, her lack of creativity, selling out her band, and self absorption has turned everyone away. What a sad way to go out. Instead of retiring like Grace Slick or gracious and productive like Loretta Lynn, Stevie turned into a shell of her former glory.

Possibly folks just left the Ledge, but continue to be fans? Idk.

I can't speak for everyone else obviously, but for myself, I have not remotely been turned away from her fandom. I don't discuss it much on the Ledge because it doesn't feel like a place for Stevie fans anymore. I still buy all her releases, collect when I can, and will see her live as much as I can, and still consider myself as much a fan as ever.

[Steviegirl]

I just can't stand anything about the band now. There was a lot to criticize before, but I loved them and supported them in all their endeavors. The shows were getting a little lame and played out, but I still never dreamed of missing one, and that almost always meant travelling 4 or 5 hours, getting a hotel room, and paying at least 250.00 for a ticket. Now, I wouldn't go to their show if it were free. The whole thing feels creepy, gross, and uncool. Lindsey is out of the band, and you're dragging around a couple of guys from other bands? It's the antithesis of rock and roll. It's tragic, and it makes me sick. I won't support the band OR Stevie anymore. I excused a lot because of everything they've meant to me over the years, but now Stevie looks like a silly, geriatric fooI lumbering around on stage and phoning in every performance. Most of what she does is cringe-worthy. It doesn't matter though because you're right--they still have a huge following, which is mind-blowing to me.

[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.

[lovethemac1]

Originally Posted by Steviegirl

I just can't stand anything about the band now. There was a lot to criticize before, but I loved them and supported them in all their endeavors. The shows were getting a little lame and played out, but I still never dreamed of missing one, and that almost always meant travelling 4 or 5 hours, getting a hotel room, and paying at least 250.00 for a ticket. Now, I wouldn't go to their show if it were free. The whole thing feels creepy, gross, and uncool. Lindsey is out of the band, and you're dragging around a couple of guys from other bands? It's the antithesis of rock and roll. It's tragic, and it makes me sick. I won't support the band OR Stevie anymore. I excused a lot because of everything they've meant to me over the years, but now Stevie looks like a silly, geriatric fooI lumbering around on stage and phoning in every performance. Most of what she does is cringe-worthy. It doesn't matter though because you're right--they still have a huge following, which is mind-blowing to me.

This pretty much sums up exactly the way I feel as well. I loved Stevie so much, for decades, and loved the band with all my heart. I have never been so disappointed in people.
My heart breaks for Lindsey, how cruel they have been.

This board started to fracture once Stevie pulled her power trip, and people lined up in different camps. Instead of respecting each other's points of views, many (but not all) of the ones who continued to support the band didn't feel the need to be patient and understanding of the ones who were devastated by the move. Nothing is more dismissive or cruel than being told your point of view is pointless, worthless or stupid, and to "get over it."

As for the gobs of people that still pay to see them, I don't get it, and have given up trying to figure it out. I don't follow what I used to call "My Band" anymore.

[On Ice]

I always considered myself a die-hard and stuck with Stevie and the band all the way back to the Rock a Little debacle through Behind the Mask and even Time up to the Dance. The Dance felt special like the flames had been rekindled only to have Christine leave and no new music for 6 frikken years. I was excited about In Your Dreams and 24 K and felt she was tapping into the artists she once was. Only to lead to this. If she's lost me, she can lose anyone because I was a total chiffon head, not anymore. I loved Buck McVie and was totally cheesed she chose to snub the last chance for one more great album. I also don't like at all how Christine has handled this- having so much fun, are you kidding me?

Curiosity keeps me checking the boards and really is more of a morning routine.

I could care less about the new line up and did not shell out thousands to see the "cover band". Stevie is nothing more than a parody of her former self, she looks ridiculous with the long hair at 71 and seems to never change her clothese, she was right when she belted "all the same" how prophetic. There are many tribute acts performing light years around the actual band now and many new artists with way more talent who deserve the attention and the $$. I really hope they pack it in and stop milking the Rumours cow from yesteryear.

[sue]

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.

I think your right , I still check what’s going on , but its become so boring reading the same, day in day out....from the usual suspects, same anger about yes, what was a despicable thing to do (the sacking of Lindsey)....but time moves on and the Ledge hasn’t ..
It’s a sparse place these days, and the usual suspects got the Ledge they deserve...
Yes we know Mick and Stevie orchestrated a bad bad bad thing...and we know in their eyes Mick and Stevie are scumbags...god they’ve told us enough times.
I’m not a great Stevie fan myself, these days but enough is enough.

[David]

Originally Posted by sue

I’m not a great Stevie fan myself, these days but enough is enough.

The energy here comes in spurts. Months might be kind of dry, and then something will happen — her hall of fame induction, a new article, a new old anthology — and the fun fights start all over again. The Ledge is like calling your old friend: in high school, you talked on the phone every day; in college, you talked every week; now you talk every couple of months (or a few times a year) because life.

Stevie is still fun to talk about, whether it’s about what she’s doing (or not doing) now or about thirty years ago. One of my favorite things to do here is contribute to a very old thread that someone revived. It was so long ago that reading old threads is like reading old email (we’ve started passing around old email at work, too).

I wish Stevie could still sing. But at least she can still be — know what I mean?

[Feather Blade]

Incidentally, is there something broken with the way the Stevie part of the forum displays? For instance, I started a thread here about Stevie's 9/11 documentary recommendation in September and it has fallen off the list, while some of the other sections of the forum still show threads available going back to January which obviously haven't had any activity for many months.

[sue]

Originally Posted by David

The energy here comes in spurts. Months might be kind of dry, and then something will happen — her hall of fame induction, a new article, a new old anthology — and the fun fights start all over again. The Ledge is like calling your old friend: in high school, you talked on the phone every day; in college, you talked every week; now you talk every couple of months (or a few times a year) because life.

Stevie is still fun to talk about, whether it’s about what she’s doing (or not doing) now or about thirty years ago. One of my favorite things to do here is contribute to a very old thread that someone revived. It was so long ago that reading old threads is like reading old email (we’ve started passing around old email at work, too).

I wish Stevie could still sing. But at least she can still be — know what I mean?

Don’t get me wrong, David, I still love all the old Stevie stuff, I still play all the old Albums..
I even like “Say you will”...one of my favourite LP’s
I’m just not that keen on the current state of Fleetwood Mac.

[pryderi]

Hopefully it picks back up when she tours again.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by AnthonyMI

No new posts. No replies nobody logged in. 20 years ago this place was a community. Now, her lack of creativity, selling out her band, and self absorption has turned everyone away. What a sad way to go out. Instead of retiring like Grace Slick or gracious and productive like Loretta Lynn, Stevie turned into a shell of her former glory.

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.

[sleepless child]

I check in every morning. Sometimes the site isn't up though. I have been a die hard Stevie/Mac fan since 1975. I have followed their lives obsessively forever. The last few years really disappointed me. Stevie not wanting to record when Chris came back was the start. The finish was what happened to Lindsey. I still can't believe I didn't see them on this tour, but I did watch the videos. I'm very disappointed in Stevie. Living in the past, on stage. I was embarrassed by her Rock n Roll hall of fame speech. She couldn't even properly thank anyone, it was all about her stories we've heard before. It's very sad really. I still follow, but now's it a habit, not really caring as much as I used too.

[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.