Importance of Stevie versus Lindsey

[g. fish]

To the casual fan, Stevie Nicks personifies the band. She is the face of the Fleetwood Mac "brand". Accordingly, she is the one that attracts the casual fan to Fleetwood Mac concerts.

The casual fan comes to see Stevie. But they leave the venue talking about Lindsey Buckingham and his incredible talent and stage presence.

We as hard core fans know that Lindsey is the creative genius behind the band. And yes, his guitar work is absolutely brilliant. But at this stage of the game, his stage presence is probably his most important contribution...especially since creating new material is no longer a priority to the other members.

With all due respect, Stevie and Christine are showing their age. Lindsey props them up with his high level of energy and charisma.

Neil Finn seems like a nice enough guy. And from what I understand, he is brilliant on a creative front. But I don't think he has the stage presence to captivate and energize audiences. It's especially tough taking the reins and sharing a leadership role when you're the new kid on the block.

And I understand that Mike Campbell is a great guitarist. Again, does he energize the audience like Lindsey??? Time will tell. My bet says no.

Mick and company should have learned their lesson in 1987 with the addition of Billy Burnett and Rick Vito. Both were talented in their own right. But even with new material, they never achieved a status beyond karaoke.

My wife and I have seen Fleetwood Mac 11 times. In addition, we've seen solo shows by Lindsey (6x), Stevie (2x) and Buckingham McVie (1x). Combined, that's 20 concerts in all. For me, the final chapter has been written for the band Fleetwood Mac. Sadly, they have squandered their legacy and lost their legitimacy. At this point, with their advancing age, I don't believe there's time to recover the Rumours lineup.

I do, however, look forward to new material and future LB and/or Buckvie shows.