MacNuggets

[vivfox]

World Cup racing in the early 1980’s was not on today’s more regular schedule. Alpine racing came to the U.S. in the spring. Nick Badami set out to change that, convincing Serge Lang, the father of the White Circus, and the FIS the season should begin in November and, naturally, in Park City. It was Craig who persuaded his father and the FIS that the event should be bigger than just racing. It was to be a show with entertainment, bands, art shows, etc.
And so “America’s Opening” began. Yes, there were ski races, but the Opening was much bigger than racing. Stars like Barbara Mandrell and Fleetwood Mac performed between the first and second runs in front of 12,000 to 15,000 people. Racers were paid in “Badami Bullion” — real gold. Nick Badami once told me that heating the outdoor stage for Fleetwood Mac was “the most expensive thing I ever did,” explaining that the band’s contract required the outdoor stage be 72 to 75 degrees. “It wasn’t the band which was expensive, it was the heating bill," he recalled, laughing.

http://www.skiracing.com/index.php?o...=6584&Itemid=2

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by vivfox

Nick Badami once told me that heating the outdoor stage for Fleetwood Mac was “the most expensive thing I ever did,” explaining that the band’s contract required the outdoor stage be 72 to 75 degrees. “It wasn’t the band which was expensive, it was the heating bill," he recalled, laughing.[/B]

http://www.skiracing.com/index.php?o...=6584&Itemid=2

You know we laugh about self-indulgent riders, but I don't think this is one of them. I once saw Christine performing with those gloves with holes through the tips on. They were all visibly cold (with vapor coming from their mouths) and it looked like it was a very uncomfortable night for them all. I know movement and hot lights warm them up a bit, but they can't perform their best when its frigid. Plus, they open themselves up to throat ailments, which could put a wrench in a whole tour schedule.

So, I'd say that wasn't too unreasonable a demand.

Michele

[vivfox]

Google News Alert for: christine mcvie

Plan to build town museum
expressandstar.com - Wolverhampton,England,UK
“But how many realise that Christine McVie, of Fleetwood Mac, whose hit Songbird is world renowned, used to play in Shatterford Village Hall with Stan Webb ...
See all stories on this topic


Google Blogs Alert for: christine mcvie

Cool new CD reissues
By Howard Cohen
... fighting with wife Karen Lamm at the time; the two divorced and he would wind up in a tumultuous but musically inspiring relationship with Christine McVie while cutting Bambu) and a eulogy for a fallen friend (Farewell My Friend). ...

[michelej1]

Here's an excerpt from an article on reunited bands, from the El Paso Times:

http://www.elpasotimes.com/living/ci_9579356

He [the editor or Pollstar] believes fans "are able to see through" a band that isn't a reasonable facsimile of the one fans know and love. He cited a club tour by Mick Fleetwood and John McVie under the name of their longtime band, Fleetwood Mac. It created "a real concern as to whether they had diminished the name," Bongiovanni said. A subsequent reunion tour with fabled front musicians Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham enjoyed "over-the-top success, so the public saw through that" club tour.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Here's an excerpt from an article on reunited bands, from the El Paso Times:

http://www.elpasotimes.com/living/ci_9579356

He [the editor or Pollstar] believes fans "are able to see through" a band that isn't a reasonable facsimile of the one fans know and love. He cited a club tour by Mick Fleetwood and John McVie under the name of their longtime band, Fleetwood Mac. It created "a real concern as to whether they had diminished the name," Bongiovanni said. A subsequent reunion tour with fabled front musicians Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham enjoyed "over-the-top success, so the public saw through that" club tour.

I love it when editors show themselves to be idiots.

The argument seems to be that because the band played a club tour, it somehow diminished the good name of Fleetwood Mac (as if Stevie and Lindsey were having success). Here's the problem with that line of reasoning: Any tour billed as Fleetwood Mac that does not have any singers from the "Rumours" band would just play clubs, be it the "Time" band or a hypothetical reunion of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. I highly doubt they would judge the latter as harshly because of the venues they were playing.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

I love it when editors show themselves to be idiots.

The argument seems to be that because the band played a club tour, it somehow diminished the good name of Fleetwood Mac (as if Stevie and Lindsey were having success). Here's the problem with that line of reasoning: Any tour billed as Fleetwood Mac that does not have any singers from the "Rumours" band would just play clubs, be it the "Time" band or a hypothetical reunion of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. I highly doubt they would judge the latter as harshly because of the venues they were playing.

Well, depending on the quality of the clubs you're playing, you probably wouldn't be judged as harshly either, if the club is known for the quality of the talent it attracts, its acoustics, etc.

Also, if you're alone on the bill or playing with a string of other crippled acts makes a difference. Yeah, the "club" wasn't the problem. It was just an abbreviated way of describing a collection of factors that the writer perceived as negative.

Michele

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Well, depending on the quality of the clubs you're playing, you probably wouldn't be judged as harshly either, if the club is known for the quality of the talent it attracts, its acoustics, etc.

Also, if you're alone on the bill or playing with a string of other crippled acts makes a difference. Yeah, the "club" wasn't the problem. It was just an abbreviated way of describing a collection of factors that the writer perceived as negative.

I understand what you're saying, but it's still not a neat comparison with Fleetwood Mac (compared to Styx or Journey), given that it already had three or four distinct periods by that time. Mick and John were the only originals still in the band by 1971.

Which isn't to say the band didn't screw up. The played it right when they opened for Crosby, Stills, & Nash. That's a very good fit. They may have only done one or two new songs a set, but that was okay since the album hadn't been released, yet. The REO/Benetar tour was a disaster. They would have been better off, IMO, headlining a medium-size club tour and focusing on newer material than have anything to do with this tour. But, they wouldn't have made as much on a club tour, and may have lost money. The only saving grace is that the album still hadn't been released.

OTOH, I find it odd that when people talk about this period, they always mention Stevie and Lindsey not being in the band, but never mention that they were bombing as solo acts themesleves. Lindsey was either an opening act or was playing small to medium sized clubs. Stevie was playing the larger venues, at about 25% capacity. So, how beneficial would they have been? The problem in 1995 is that people didn't care about Fleetwood Mac or the people who had been in the band (save for Peter Green, who went from being rumored to have died, to being rumored to have been preparing for his own comeback). It took a joint effort from Time Warner and Viacom to get people back into the Mac.