5 Announced Fleetwood Mac 2009 Tour Dates

[Musicman408]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

From what I can recall from my vinyl copy of "Fleetwood Mac Live," where all of the dates/attendance of the Tusk tour are listed, they played very tiny theatres/arenas in Japan- like in the 2500-3500 seat range. I'm not sure if this is because they weren't popular enough to play sports arenas and stadiums, or whether they just liked playing to tiny packed venues (which certainly does not seem to be the case anymore!). If it is the former rather than the latter, my guess is that they just didn't find it justifiable monetarily to make the trek over there with all of their equipment and entourage for Mask and SYW.

If they played ampitheaters, I think that would be fine. Saw Stevie in Alpharetta last year and it was amazing. I totally love ampitheaters.

[Livia]

Their show is not nearly the grand production of bands like the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, KISS, etc. All FM uses are some pretty lights and a couple big screens. It could easily be scaled down to smaller venues. Whether or not their egos could be scaled down is another matter.

[David]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

From what I can recall from my vinyl copy of "Fleetwood Mac Live," where all of the dates/attendance of the Tusk tour are listed, they played very tiny theatres/arenas in Japan- like in the 2500-3500 seat range. I'm not sure if this is because they weren't popular enough to play sports arenas and stadiums, or whether they just liked playing to tiny packed venues (which certainly does not seem to be the case anymore!).

Interesting questions, although Fleetwood played the Budokan in Tokyo in 1977 & 1980, which at the time seemed to be the preeminent rock concert venue in Tokyo. Bob Dylan & Cheap Trick played it in the late 1970s (both had live albums taped there).

Maybe Japan had laws at the time that required rock concerts to be held only in mid-size theaters like Budokan instead of the larger sports arenas that were the major venues in the United States back then. Then again, maybe Japan (at the time) didn't even have any indoor sports arenas. They were built in the U.S. primarily to house basketball & ice hockey games, neither of which was big in Japan.

[skcin]

Originally Posted by David

Somebody said they should just play theaters, but I don't see the Fleetwood Mac goliathon doing that. Their whole shebang is geared to the arena or the amphitheater -- the massive venue with 10,000 or 15,000 people & dozens of crew putting up tons of stage gear. It's an enormous undertaking, & I don't see how it would be modified to "work" in a theater. It would be like trying to get the square peg into the triangular hole.

I think they should, but it's not like they would. Partially for the reasons you listed and...

Originally Posted by Livia

Their show is not nearly the grand production of bands like the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, KISS, etc. All FM uses are some pretty lights and a couple big screens. It could easily be scaled down to smaller venues. Whether or not their egos could be scaled down is another matter.

...partially for those Livia listed.

Originally Posted by Musicman408

If they played ampitheaters, I think that would be fine. Saw Stevie in Alpharetta last year and it was amazing. I totally love ampitheaters.

Amphitheaters suck. The sounds sucks, the seats suck, and most of the venues suck. IMO.

Originally Posted by David

Bob Dylan & Cheap Trick played it in the late 1970s (both had live albums taped there).

You don't say?

[Regina]

If Mick thinks the pleasure of his company at a meet and greet is worth an extra $200 tagged onto a $700 package deal, he is certainly not going to play an amphitheater.

And, IMO, he is the biggest ego of the group.

[Lori40]

Originally Posted by Livia

Their show is not nearly the grand production of bands like the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, KISS, etc. All FM uses are some pretty lights and a couple big screens. It could easily be scaled down to smaller venues. Whether or not their egos could be scaled down is another matter.

I would love to see them play smaller venues, but I don't think it would ever happen, aside from the ego problem, where would they put all of their back-up musicians and singers?

[Musicman408]

I don't get it. I saw them at the now defunct Starwood Ampitheater in 2004 for SYW, and it was an AMAZING show. They do play ampitheaters.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by David

Interesting questions, although Fleetwood played the Budokan in Tokyo in 1977 & 1980, which at the time seemed to be the preeminent rock concert venue in Tokyo. Bob Dylan & Cheap Trick played it in the late 1970s (both had live albums taped there).

As did Eric Clapton (his Just One Night live album is from Budokan in 1979)...and Clapton plays multiple nights there every time he tours Japan (as he will be doing next month...7 nights at Budokan; February 15, 18, 19, 24, 25, 27, & 28).

They have a new "Super Arena" in Saitama, Japan...Clapton & Jeff Beck are playing a double bill there this coming February 21st & 22nd.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Lori40

I would love to see them play smaller venues, but I don't think it would ever happen, aside from the ego problem, where would they put all of their back-up musicians and singers?

Medium to large theaters would have stages big enough for FM and all their backup people. Consider all the work/performers/set design and set changes, etc. that goes into a touring Broadway play. Logistics are not the issue here, people.

[michelej1]

They played the Chumash casino twice during the SYW tour and it had the size and aura of a high school gymnasium. It was not the Borgata or the MGM by any stretch.

They were cramped on stage. In fact, you could hardly even see the petite Jana lodged against one of the large speakers on the stage. Giggling, Sharon had to pick her up when it got to the introductions.

The sound was awful. Lindsey was very unhappy the first night -- I'm assuming because of the sound problems. But they suffered through it for the money. Doing theaters would be a step up from that.

Michele

[LukeA]

Originally Posted by Musicman408

I don't get it. I saw them at the now defunct Starwood Ampitheater in 2004 for SYW, and it was an AMAZING show. They do play ampitheaters.

They played the amphitheater a year into the tour, and a year after they played the local arena. That's the difference. They play the amphitheater when they can only hope to sell 6-8 thousand seats as opposed to 13-16 thousand at the arena.

[LukeA]

Originally Posted by michelej1

The sound was awful. Lindsey was very unhappy the first night -- I'm assuming because of the sound problems. But they suffered through it for the money. Doing theaters would be a step up from that.

He was pissy & threw a hissy fit because the audience wasn't into the show. Well, Lindsey, what did you expect when the band was offered $1M for two shows to open a casino on an Indian Reservation?

By that time, the SYW was on its last gasp anyways. It was all about making up the money they lost by canceling those handful of shed dates (Tinley Park, the other one, etc.)

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by LukeA

He was pissy & threw a hissy fit because the audience wasn't into the show.

Well, he didn't do any of that onstage. He just left abruptly after the bow and didn't linger as he did for the other shows. Actually, although there were people walking in and out of the concert between visits to the slots, I remember the audience being very much into GYOW because they were so close to the floor that Lindsey couldn't lean over the edge of the stage. He just walked into the audience and let them play his guitar, standing toe to toe with the fans and the audience loved that. But they weren't a "rock" audience. They were casual gamblers, people on walkers!

They were glad to participate in the guitar strumming, but not screaming and jumping up and down. Actually, the people in charge of the venue weren't letting people approach the stage and Stevie was whispering to Mick and Lindsey. After she did they said something about wishing people would be allowed to stand.

The second night, he was in a great mood and the sound seemed to have been overhauled. In fact, the second night I was thankful that I got to see them in such a small place, because it was so intimate. But I guess that was because the sound was better. The first night it was like listening to them through a faulty school PA system. They were introduced by Dick Clark and I really thought they had sunk to their lowest level.



Michele

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by skcin

Amphitheaters suck. The sounds sucks, the seats suck, and most of the venues suck. IMO.

The notable exception being Red Rocks of course...

[OldTimer]

Originally Posted by Regina

If Mick thinks the pleasure of his company at a meet and greet is worth an extra $200 tagged onto a $700 package deal, he is certainly not going to play an amphitheater.

And, IMO, he is the biggest ego of the group.

But I have to point out, when Mick toured with his Blues Band last fall, they were playing all small venues, and he was doing low-key meet & greet most nights, presumably for free. The tour couldn't have been about money, as they probably didn't expect to make much from it. I really had the idea Mick put the tour together just because he still loves playing the original Mac music.