Fleetwood Mac In NZ!

[Nico]

I really wish I had been at one of these shows. They sound incredible and now It's not even an option to see FM in Europe if they ever tour again- I'm doing it.

[Maccafan5000]

Originally Posted by Nico

I really wish I had been at one of these shows. They sound incredible and now It's not even an option to see FM in Europe if they ever tour again- I'm doing it.

I actually just texted my boy and told him that we need to start saving up for their next world tour. I'm also remaining optimistic that they're going to do another tour after their new album (fingers crossed).

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Stevie was giving her speach about joining Fritz- that "Bob" called her to ask her to join. Lindsey walked up to her mic and told her that it was actually Lindsey who called her. And for the next minute lindsey kept repeating that he called her. Stevie was speechless but became mortified when Linesey dug deeper and said, "I even kissed you," to which the crowd whooped in approval. It took a while for her to recover, especially after he kissed her right there.

I seriously hope SOMEONE has this on video!!!

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Oh... Stevie was giving her speach about joining Fritz- that "Bob" called her to ask her to join. Lindsey walked up to her mic and told her that it was actually Lindsey who called her. And for the next minute lindsey kept repeating that he called her. Stevie was speechless but became mortified when Linesey dug deeper and said, "I even kissed you," to which the crowd whooped in approval. It took a while for her to recover, especially after he kissed her right there.

Now, you're just being cruel. Cardiac arrest.

That's really cute about Mick's little girls too holding onto Stevie, too.

Michele

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by CADreaming

LOL! I knew he'd say he called her! That's just priceless.

Indeed. You pegged it. It sounds like he was having a lot of fun.

And knowing Stevie, just the fact that he started walking over to her mic unplanned (assuming it was unplanned) began to get her flustered. I can envision her watching the approach from the corner of her eyes.

Michele

[BTFLCHLD]

bobbleheads...looks fun.

[Edgeof27]

Funny, but the crowd appears to be quite reserved.....&, well behaved,

no one was really standing until about 1:25, then everyone starts to get up,

also, noticed that the 4 overhead curved screens above the stage were missing, (must have been too heavy for the venue to support),

btw, this version sounds great, good camera work, well done,

g.

Originally Posted by BTFLCHLD

bobbleheads...looks fun.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Indeed. You pegged it. It sounds like he was having a lot of fun.

And knowing Stevie, just the fact that he started walking over to her mic unplanned (assuming it was unplanned) began to get her flustered. I can envision her watching the approach from the corner of her eyes.

Michele

Ha! I can see that too - in fact she sorta did that in one of the earlier shows, when he began walking closer to her and she looked at him and sorta laughed while she continued to tell the story... it was the one where she said she was wrote the song "for now" and then she looked at him and said, "Right? That was what I was thinking about? NOW." Too funny...

Anyway, I digress... this version that I pray we will be able to see ... has my mind reeling with the possible scenario that played out. I mean, was she really speechless? Or did she dispute him? Did she try to say it really was Bob who called? Did she continue on with her story while Lindsey kept saying he called? What did she do/say after he kissed her? And, lastly, was she even able to finish her story and talk about their "furnitureless house" (as she has dubbed it recently)?

Hilarious also that Lindsey said he kissed her during the phone call. No wonder she was confused!

[vivfox]

Stevie Nicks praises NZ shows
By FELICITY ROSS - Taranaki Daily News
22/12/2009

Stevie Nicks reckons it was the perfect end to a year on the road.

The Fleetwood Mac singer said she was blown away by the crowd at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands during the band's two New Plymouth concerts at the weekend.

The venue, the fans and even the weather added something special to the band's last two performances of their 10-month long Unleashed tour.

Although band members declined to be interviewed in person, Nicks told the Taranaki Daily News via email the audience at the Bowl was "awesome".

"The crowd was mesmerising to me because they were so in to it and having so much fun," she said.

"Of course, that kind of crowd makes such a difference to an artist."

Indeed, her fellow band member Lindsey Buckingham agreed, citing Saturday's concert one of the top five in his entire career.

It was Nicks' second time at the Bowl and the weekend's concerts exceeded the entire band's expectation.

"The fans were great, the venue was great, and the Maori welcoming ceremony after the show was truly magical," she said.

About 36,000 fans filled the Bowl to experience the veteran rockers' still amazing act over the weekend.

While Sunday's concert was a stunner and significantly drier than Saturday Nicks said the persistent rain actually added to the ambience of the atmosphere.

"The rain was very dramatic and of course, we love drama!

"So I would have to say that it certainly lent itself to romanticism."

Although the shows were the last of the tour, the band did not plan anything special to sign off the past year. Instead, they played it by ear.

"You never know what is going to happen on the last show of a tour," Nicks said.

"You can never make any plans because emotions are high and a part of you is sad because it's ending and a part of you is glad because you have been on the road for a year. So you never know what is going to happen."

And people were not disappointed. While the Fleetwood Mac concerts were generally expected to attract a more mature crowd, people of all ages turned up in droves. It was widely speculated that the tour might be their last.

During Saturday night's concert Buckingham hinted at the possibility of another tour and maybe another album.

Nicks says although the band has not discussed the next move, it is not off the cards.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment...aises-NZ-shows

[vivfox]

Concert rubbish dismays cleaners
While the weekend's two Fleetwood Mac concerts blew fans' minds nothing blew away the sea of rubbish they left behind.

It took 15 volunteers from Girl Guiding Taranaki more than four hours on Sunday and five yesterday to clean up the piles of trash concert-goers left at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands.

"It was just a sea of rubbish," said Stefny Logan, the regional co-ordinator for Girl Guiding Taranaki.

"It was bad, it was absolute chaos. It is the worst I have ever seen it and it was covering the entire ground."

Girl Guiding Taranaki also cleans up other community concerts including Womad and Ms Logan said the filth left behind from the weekend was incredibly disappointing.

"We thought members of the public would have been more on to it," she said.

The group do the messy work as part of their fundraising efforts and Ms Logan says while they are pleased to get the opportunity from the New Plymouth District Council, they did not expect such clutter from a more adult audience.

"It was really sad that people hadn't picked up after themselves, and we are not talking about young people. We are talking about a more mature audience that went."

She says the crowd at Womad definitely pays more attention to the environmental impact and follows festival policy with more care.

"Over the weekend we lost count of how many black bags of rubbish we filled because we had to start emptying them. There were hundreds."


http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-dail...mays-cleaners/

[vivfox]

New lake seats get thumbs up from front row fan

By FELICITY ROSS - Taranaki Daily News Last updated 05:00 22/12/2009


Any doubts over the new seating platform over the lake at the Bowl evaporated during its maiden voyage at the weekend.

Fleetwood Mac fan Brett Stokell was one who took advantage of the controversial new seating at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands and he reckoned he had the best seat in the house for Saturday night's concert.

The New Plymouth man paid $320 for a front-row seat which he said gave him the best view at the venue.

"For that view I would have paid much more," he said.

"As far as I am concerned the closer the better."

In fact, Mr Stokell estimated he was only about a metre away from Lindsey Buckingham, who at one point sat down on the stage and checked out the audience with a big grin on his face.

"We could certainly feel the vibe and the band made good eye contact, it was just exceptional."

While some worried being seated so close to the stage and speakers would be deafening, Mr Stokell said the sound was perfect. "There was plenty of room and I liked the little bar they had there," he said.

Mr Stokell has been to plenty of concerts in his time but he had never been in the front row.

"The closest I had been was when I saw the Rolling Stones at Western Springs in Auckland and I was in the third row.

"That's what made Fleetwood Mac so special.

"Being a metre away from Lindsey Buckingham on the guitar, he was unbelievable."

One of the biggest concerns about the platform, which seats more than 1000 people, was blocking the view of those seated further back in the Bowl.

Mr Stokell said security guards would not let those on the platform stand up and dance until towards the end of the show.

"We didn't want to impede anyone's view but by the end of the concert security couldn't stop people from standing, there was too many of us."

He said the fact they had to sit down for most of the concert didn't ruin it.

"We just had a great time in our seats.

"I will be trying to get those seats again for the next concert at the Bowl."

Architect Terry Boon, who has had a long-time involvement with the Bowl, also gave the platform the thumbs up.

Although he was initially dubious about the design, Mr Boon took a seat on the platform on Friday and said that it was fantastic.

"I think it looks really good and I'm thrilled it worked so well at the concerts," Mr Boon said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-dail...-front-row-fan

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by CADreaming

it was the one where she said she was wrote the song "for now" and then she looked at him and said, "Right? That was what I was thinking about? NOW."

Tell me again. What did she say about the song, "for now?"

Originally Posted by CADreaming

Hilarious also that Lindsey said he kissed her during the phone call. No wonder she was confused!

Well, that remnds me of something you said about thinking that they didn't go 2 years without seeing each other. Anyway, I love them teasing each other, heaven knows.

I wish Lindsey's kids had been there because they will never see their Dad playing before such a large crowd again. At least, I wish Will was there, since he will remember it best. And that crowd was there for Fleetwood Mac.

The crowd that comes out to see The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and KC and the Sunshine Band on the same bill doesn't count!

Michele

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by vivfox

"You can never make any plans because emotions are high and a part of you is sad because it's ending and a part of you is glad because you have been on the road for a year.

Sigh. Just to see them taking that last bow. So, magical it must have been.

Michele

[michelej1]

Stuff.Co.NZ, 12-21-09

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment...-Fleetwood-Mac

Fleetwood Mac had fans in raptures at two sold out shows in New Plymouth over the weekend. Reviewer Simon Sweetman was there.

Fleetwood Mac
Where: Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth
When: Saturday, December 19

From late-60s British blues band to mid-70s American soft-rock superstars, Fleetwood Mac have evolved and endured, the sound almost taking a back seat to the soap-opera antics of the band members.

Inter-band relationships and affairs, along with drug and alcohol abuse, have, somewhat ironically, been the glue for this band, providing material for many of the classic songs.

This version of the Mac features original rhythm section John McVie (bass) and Mick Fleetwood (drums). Out front are Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, the singer-songwriters who in the mid-70s took the band to the top of the charts and helped in creating one of the greatest-selling albums of all time, Rumours.

Christine McVie declines the invites to tour the hits these days. Her songs Don't Stop and Say You Love Me were played here, however.

The band began with the lively burst of pop that is Monday Morning, the opening track from the eponymous 1975 album. The audience stood strong as the rain came in, and were treated to The Chain and Dreams, an early one-two punch.

Buckingham owned the stage, stalking with his guitar, low-slung, crouching, peeling off piercing runs of notes, squalling solos that enthralled.

If he was occasionally too intense with his between-song banter detailing the emotional connections – something lost on parts of the audience, there to drink first and listen to the six radio hits they knew – then he certainly saved face with his powerhouse solo acoustic take on Big Love, transformed from the Tango in the Night version.

By the time the set-closing anthem Go Your Own Way was ringing out, Buckingham was receiving healthy ovations for every guitar solo.

Nicks, ever the beguiling performer, manages, still, to very much become the song she is singing – to morph into a character that embodies the white witch of Rhiannon; that is the "poet in my heart" of Sara; that is the Gypsy.

Her tour-de-force moments were Gold Dust Woman and the final encore, Silver Springs. An always tender moment in a Fleetwood Mac show is when Nicks sings Landslide; the emotional journey that she and Buckingham have provided for generations of listeners and for themselves seems to be summed up in the lyric.

John McVie was the quiet rock, as ever, pushing the songs forward with his bass playing, receiving huge applause for the exploratory line that propels The Chain, the concert's first of many truly awesome moments.

And Fleetwood, a towering presence behind the kit, got to show off a touch of his possible madness as he chanted near-gibberish around a drum solo at the end of World Turning.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Tell me again. What did she say about the song, "for now?"

Here's the "like now" line I was referring to at 1:54



Another funny Gypsy story - this is where you can see him approaching her and she laughed. It was a different night - I got them confused. I have to say, she's got the time down pretty good though - the part where she actually writes the song ten years later is again at 1:54!

Well, that remnds me of something you said about thinking that they didn't go 2 years without seeing each other. Anyway, I love them teasing each other, heaven knows.

Exactly...I just can't imagine living 2 blocks away from the "gorgeous", "darling" (her words) neighbor boy that plays guitar and sings and not seeing him for two years. I'm thinking Stevie, being the extrovert she is, was over there knocking on Mrs. Buckingham's door asking her how to bake cookies just so she could catch a glimpse of Lindsey and persuade him to um, work on some more harmony parts....

Totally love their impromptu interaction - or their Burns/Allen act. They are so funny! They play verbal tennis very well.

I wish Lindsey's kids had been there because they will never see their Dad playing before such a large crowd again. At least, I wish Will was there, since he will remember it best. And that crowd was there for Fleetwood Mac.

Michele

Whoever posted the review did say there were "various" kids, moms and crew so I still think LB's kids could have been there. They are probably out of school for the winter break. I agree, it would be an awesome thing for them to see.

On a different note - why was this concert so huge in NZ? Is the Mac really still that big there?? Have I missed something?

[vivfox]

Tuesday, December 22, 2009
They're on!

Over the weekend, we went to New Plymouth and watched Fleetwood Mac in concert.

I must admit to being just a little worried when I arranged everything a few months ago even down to being anxious about travelling around the country and leaving the girls at home.

Our hero childcare person came in the form of Claudia, she has nannied for us in the past from when the girls were in pre school and I was working until she went to university. Whenever she comes home for the holidays she always contacts us to ask about visiting the girls and so she was the first person I cantacted to ask to babysit whilst we were away.
I get the usual 'wobbles' and always get concerned about what will happen if we are involved in an accident whilst we are away. What will happen to the girls? Anyhow for once, I had to bury such thoughts and carry on.
I discovered on the day of booking the concert tickets that it is a logistical nightmare then arranging, accomodation and transport. The flights were going to cost $1,300 for both of us and that is if they had been available! I landed lucky with accomodation and found a motel which was within 15mins walking distance from the venue with just one studio available hurriedly I booked it.
We travelled on the 6.25am ferry to Wellington and then drove for 5hrs to New Plymouth. We were shattered when we arrived but thankfully we had a couple of hours before we had to go to the event so we had an afternoon nap.
I was chomping at the bit to get to the venue and Chris calmly explained that even though the gates opened at 6pm we didn't need to be there at that time, (did I mention I had never been to a concert before?). I managed to hold myself back for at least an extra 15mins and we arrived in our seats at 6.30pm. From that point onwards we never left our seats, we didn't drink anything because that meant we may have to visit the toilet mid performance! I wish those around us could have followed the same rule. They were up, down walking down the row of people making everyone stand up for them far too frequently just to come back with another 4 cans of beer or for the 5th glass of wine. I felt like asking, "Did you actually come to watch and listen to Fleetwood Mac or did you come to drink wine and beer?"

Anyhow the warm up band from Lyttleton did a great job, but I fail to recall their name which will be frustrating for the band themselves. I am just grateful they won't read this blog!

Then the inevitable happened Fleetwood Mac arrived on stage. I sat mesmerised through the whole performance. Stevie Nicks was amazing, and regardless of the lack of class of the reporter for the local paper who claimed her voice was not quite the same as it used to be demonstrated, she is like a very fine wine which matures and becomes more rounded at time goes by. Lindsay Buckingham was a god with the guitar. His rendition of "Big Love" with only his guitar, no other instruments on stage and to feel the emotion he poured into the song was breathtaking.

I was desperate a number of times to jump out of my seat, but we were surrounded by an obvious middle class 40 somethings who could afford the tickets and who demonstrated a reserved appreciation for the music that is until three songs from the end. It was at this point everyone seemed to be on their feet clapping, singing and dancing their hearts out!

I left the venue hoarse and with a sore throat. It was fantastic to hear a band which were better live than anything I have ever heard on CD.

We had a ball!

http://midwifeblogger.blogspot.com/2009/12/they-on.html