Christine McVie Tour Stories

[nailatixela]

I thought we should have a thread to talk about Christine's solo tour. Did anyone here get to see her on this short tour? If you did, please do! It's not talked about very often and it would be great to hear your personal story. Anything about that night that you remember is special.

:angel:

[David]

I saw the show in Universal City on June 15. It was an older, well-dressed crowd -- some men in ties & some women in furs. People were dressed up. Several songs into the set, Mick Fleetwood crawls into a seat in the front. Cool. Apparently, Lindsey & Stevie were visiting, too, but they stayed backstage.

One of the women critics -- Connie Johnson or Kristine McKenna -- reviewed the show for the L.A. Times. Basically positive, give or take.

[michelej1]

One of the women critics -- Connie Johnson or Kristine McKenna -- reviewed the show for the L.A. Times. Basically positive, give or take.

The Connie Johnson review is here: http://bla.fleetwoodmac.net/index_vp.php?id=885&c=2

[michelej1]

[just saw this one while looking up Go Insane stuff]


The San Diego Union-Tribune,April 18, 1984 Wednesday

SECTION: ENTERTAINMENT; Pg. D-5

LENGTH: 523 words

HEADLINE: McVie has had better days

BYLINE: Mikel Toombs

BODY:


After opening the second show of her current tour Monday night with "Say You Love Me," Christine McVie declared, "I'm glad to be in San Diego."

She must have been relieved to be out of Fresno, the site of her first concert, because the sparse Fox Theater crowd of about 800 surely was not much to be encouraged about. McVie has come to expect better from her days with Fleetwood Mac. The British songstress contributed a number of memorable songs to the group's "Fleetwood Mac" and "Rumours" albums, lovingly crafted works such as "Over My Head" and "You Make Loving Fun."

Monday night she delivered those songs in her distinctively warm way, her bluesy voice giving them just the right subdued feeling. Unfortunately, one woman's subdued feeling is another woman's bore.

When she sang the title of "I'm So Excited" in her almost blas'e fashion, she somehow made it sound convincing, but on other material she wasn't so lucky. Songs such as "Got a Hold on Me" and "The Challenge," both from her current solo album, sounded pleasant enough, but neither held any challenge for either McVie or her audience.

Even more disappointing was the simplistic "Ask Anybody," which she co-authored with the once-great Steve Winwood. McVie was on safer ground with her Fleetwood Mac material, reaching as far back as "Crazy Love" (from the "Mystery to Me" album) and "Spare Me a Little" (from "Bare Trees"). She was most effective when at the piano -- although she mostly played organ -- singing heartfelt numbers such as "Your Smile" and "For You," the show-closer that found her accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. In these moments, when she was closest to her folk roots, she evoked the spirit of the late great Sandy Denny.

McVie, however, has always shied away from the ambitious material that made Denny's work with Fairport Convention and as a solo artist so often moving. Besides the uneventfulness of some of the music, the concert was also a bit lacking in the visual department.

The huge keyboard motif used as a backdrop was nice, but watching someone with considerably less flamboyance than Little Richard or Jerry Lee Lewis play the instrument wasn't exactly thrilling. (At times, it would have helped to have Stevie Nicks around to take a few twirls around the stage.) McVie's band was a solid one, achieving a strong, familiar tone.

The spotlighted musician was lead guitarist Todd Sharp, who also co-wrote many of the songs on McVie's current album.

His tastefully aggressive playing was, not surprisingly, quite similar in style to that of Mac guitar man Lindsey Buckingham. Opening for McVie was singer-guitarist Baxter Robertson.

An amiable but slick performer, Robertson had all the cliches of the medium-tempo rock genre down pat. (His lead guitarist did him one better, though, striking a picture of foolish cool in red sneakers and sunglasses-after-dark while performing solos with lounge-band intensity.) Introducing his puzzling hit "Silver Strand," Robertson did make points with his knowlege of San Diego geography -- although someone should tell him that there is no beach in Escondido. Toombs is a free-lance writer on the arts.

[michelej1]

San Diego Union Tribune, March 4, 1984

HEADLINE: Christine McVie still rides Fleetwood style

BYLINE: George Varga, Free-lance writer

BODY:


CHRISTINE MCVIE, Christine McVie, Warner Bros. Records. Christine McVie's bittersweet ballads and lightly buoyant rockers are marked by a gentle lyricism and quiet strength that provide Fleetwood Mac with many of its most appealing qualities.

On her first solo outing since joining the group in 1970, the British-born musician barely deviates from her by now patented approach, and while "Christine McVie" is a warm, engaging album, it doesn't tell us anything about its maker that we didn't already know. Accordingly, most of the seven songs that McVie wrote for this record could easily be placed in the midst of any recent Fleetwood Mac album without attracting much attention.

Still, if "Christine McVie" rings with the sound of deja vu, it is not without its pleasures, and McVie is an accomplished tunesmith with a knack for producing compelling, if not especially daring, music. "Love Will Show Us How," the record's sprightly opening track, is the most uptempo selection presented, and any differences between it and McVie's work with Fleetwood Mac are so slight as to be virtually undetectable. More intriguing are the R&B-tinged "One In a Million," on which she energetically trades vocals with Steve Winwood, and another Winwood-McVie collaboration, "Ask Anybody," wherein her sonorous singing recalls that of Joni Mitchell.

Apparently, McVie does best when she has a musician with abilities commensurate with her own to serve as a foil to her.

It is for this reason that the two numbers featuring Winwood stand out from the album's other, more homogenized offerings. Elsewhere, the blonde vocalist-keyboardist glides easily through several restrained rockers, reaching her emotional peak on "The Smile I Live For," a tender, evocative love song that ranks with her best work.

The instrumental accompaniment by McVie's supporting musicians is predictably polished, and the presence of Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham on six cuts adds further to the record's air of familiarity. Hopefully, McVie will assume a broader, more daring approach next time around, although -- in lieu of a new Fleetwood Mac album -- "Christine McVie" is virtually assured of success. o o o SWEET RETURN, Freddie Hubbard, Atlantic Records. Few jazz trumpeters have soared as high or plunged as low as Freddie Hubbard.

A world-class musician with impeccable technique and a remarkably broad range, Hubbard's recorded work over the last decade has been at best erratic, ranging from stunning mainstream outings to stultifying funk and fusion sessions. With "Sweet Return," the veteran hornman has produced his most consistent album in years, and the results are uniformly splendid.

Spurred on by the inspired backing afforded him by pianist Joanne Brackeen, saxist-flutist Lew Tabackin, drummer Roy Haynes and former Bill Evans Trio bassist Eddie Gomez, Hubbard plays with rousing conviction and immaculate precision on each of the record's six selections. His rhapsodic reading of Erroll Garner's "Misty" is delivered with notable passion and freshness, while his slow-burning solo on "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" simply sizzles with intensity.

Equally noteworthy is pianist Brackeen's dexterous workout on "Heidi-B," Tabackin's raucous, Sonny Rollins-like tenor saxophone solo on "Calypso Fred" and -- throughout -- the consistently lithe ensemble work by Haynes and Gomez, both of whom traverse their instruments with grace, agility and a keen sense of harmonic and rhythmic sophistication. Indeed, by meeting Hubbard as musical equals rather than as subservient accompanists, Brackeen, Tabackin, Gomez and Haynes have helped the trumpeter to deliver his finest album since 1978's "Super Blue." Exuberantly performed, "Sweet Return" should appeal to anyone who likes his jazz delivered with flair and finesse. o o o TWO-FACED, Frieda Parton, Bearsville Records. Were it not for the fact that Frieda Parton's voice sounds as if it has been unalterably damaged by the accidental ingestion of some toxic poison or another, it might be possible to listen to her debut album for more than a few moments at a time.

Unfortunately, Parton offers her listeners almost no respite from her unceasingly irritating wailing, and her hopelessly mangled delivery is notable only for its sheer lack of musicality. Behind her, Parton's four-piece band dredges up nearly every hard rock cliche ever concocted, and while songs like "Soldiers of the Night" are clearly modeled after Pat Benatar, the results more readily suggest someone who has just swallowed her tongue. On the unfortunately titled "The Chosen One," Parton calms down long enough to demonstrate that she is capable of producing a song without lapsing into a hysterical display of histrionics.

Coming as it does, though, at the record's conclusion, it's unlikely that most listeners will get that far. Varga is a free-lance writer.

[Villavic]

Is 1984 the only solo tour she did? Actually I thought she never went solo on tour since she actually didn't like to travel, or so I read that was the reason to leave the band in 1997.

In fact it was a short road. Is there any video in the web? Would love to see Hold me


Date Venue City
April 16, 1984 Fox Theatre .
April 28, 1984 Civic Auditorium Omaha, NE
April 29, 1984 Iowa Civic Center Des Moines, IA
April 30, 1984 Uptown Civic Center Kansas City, MO
May 4, 1984 Milwaukee Performing Arts Center Milwaukee, WI
May 11, 1984 The Stanley Theater Pittsburgh, PA
May 13, 1984 Orpheum Theatre Boston, MA
May 14, 1984 Beacon Theatre New York, NY
May 18, 1984 Six Flags Great Adventure Jackson, NJ
May 19, 1984 Tower Theatre Philadelphia, PA
May 31, 1984 Sunrise Theatre Ft. Lauderdale, FL
. Agora Theatre Cleveland, OH
. . Chicago, IL
June 3, 1984 King's Dominion Amusement Park Doswell, VA
June 9, 1984 The Music Hall Houston, TX
June 11, 1984 The Majestic Theatre San Antonio, TX
June 15, 1984 Universal Amphitheatre Los Angeles, CA

The Tour Setlist:
1. Say You Love Me
2. Love Will Show Us How
3. The Challenge
4. So Excited
5. Just Crazy Love
6. Spare Me A Little Of Your Love
7. The Smile I Live For
8. Ask Anybody
9. Keeping Secrets
10. Guitar Bug(Todd Sharp performed this song while Christine took a break. He co-wrote it with Billy Burnette.)
11. I'm The One
12. One In A Million
13. Hold Me
14. Got A Hold On Me
15. Over My Head
16. You Make Loving Fun
17. Too Much Is Not Enough
18. Don't Stop
19. Songbird

http://www.fmlegacy.com/concertscmv.html

[nicepace]

<snip>

... singing heartfelt numbers such as "Your Smile" and "For You," the show-closer that found her accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. In these moments, when she was closest to her folk roots, she evoked the spirit of the late great Sandy Denny.

"For You"? What song is that? And folk roots? What folk roots? A reviewer who is so poorly informed that they don't know the name of "Songbird" and they don't know Christine has BLUES roots (not folk!) is not to be trusted.

[holidayroad]

"For You"? What song is that? And folk roots? What folk roots? A reviewer who is so poorly informed that they don't know the name of "Songbird" and they don't know Christine has BLUES roots (not folk!) is not to be trusted.

Maybe they thought Songbird was called For You, since those are the first words.

[chiliD]

[ -- singing heartfelt numbers such as "Your Smile" and "For You," the show-closer that found her accompanied only by an acoustic guitar.

Nice research there...

"The Smile I Live For" & "Songbird" wouldn't have been too hard to find by about a 2 second Google or Bing search.

Maybe they thought Songbird was called For You, since those are the first words.

Still...no excuse for not doing the research.

[aleuzzi]

Nice research there...

"The Smile I Live For" & "Songbird" wouldn't have been too hard to find by about a 2 second Google or Bing search.



Still...no excuse for not doing the research.

To be fair, the article was written in 1984. Back then "Google" was something babies warbled while learning to speak.

But yes, poor research.

I also don't think Sandy Denny's music was particularly adventurous. I mean, I love it and she was wonderful but she was pretty much a traditional folk/pop artist. Am I missing something?

[PenguinHead]

She was most effective when at the piano -- although she mostly played organ -- singing heartfelt numbers such as "Your Smile" and "For You," the show-closer that found her accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. In these moments, when she was closest to her folk roots, she evoked the spirit of the late great Sandy Denny.

Wow, the reviewer referenced Songbird as "For You." How could he make such an ignorant, egregious error on one her most famous songs?

[WatchChain]

I attended one of the last shows of this tour at The Majestic Theater in San Antonio, Texas on June 11, 1984. At the time, this huge Fleetwood Mac fan had just turned 14 years old. My friends and I were the youngest people in the crowd, and looked like we would fit in more at a Go Go's or Simple Minds concert.

In the unimaginable age before the internet, I purchased our tickets at the JCPenney Ticketmaster outlet about three days after they went on sale. I guess the tickets were not in high demand, because I still managed to get FRONT ROW seats at the 2,500 seat capacity theater. I was thrilled, as I had never sat in the front row at a MAC concert. I had seen the band just two years before on the MIRAGE tour and sat in the upper reaches of the auditorium. Being not old enough to drive, my friend’s mother dropped us off at the theater.

Chris and her sassy band opened with "Say You Love Me", though I certainly missed hearing Stevie chime in harmony vocals for the chorus. My friends and I were screaming in the front row like 15-year-olds at a Beatles concert in this small theater. Chris wasn't sure how to take it! Nonetheless, she played through the set without missing a beat. I remember the crowd being comatose, most people just sat in their seats with polite applause. The real cheering did not start until near the end of the set when more Fleetwood Mac tunes appeared. When Chris introduced “Just Crazy Love”, I went nuts! I had always wanted to hear this “Mystery to Me” number performed live. With a backing band that included George Hawkins, Steve Ferrone, future Mac member Billy Burnett and future husband Eddy Quintela, Chris rocked the house!!
After the show, the sedated crowd left quietly. We purchased a Christine McVie Tour T Shirt (which I still have, although it doesn’t fit my 44 year old body), and waited outside for Christine to exit the back of the theater. Sure as rain, after about 20 minutes, the band exited the back door and made their way to a large passenger van as we shouted her name! Chris brushed by my arm as she walked hand in hand with her main squeeze, Eddy. Her face was half smiling, half asking “What the hell is this?” Faster than you can say, “gotta get my feet back on the ground”, the songbird and her band were racing off. She smiled, waved politely out the window, and took off in the night just like a white winged dove……..oh, sorry, wrong lady.

[BLY]

June 3, 1984 King's Dominion Amusement Park Doswell, VA

[aleuzzi]

I attended one of the last shows of this tour at The Majestic Theater in San Antonio, Texas on June 11, 1984. At the time, this huge Fleetwood Mac fan had just turned 14 years old. My friends and I were the youngest people in the crowd, and looked like we would fit in more at a Go Go's or Simple Minds concert.

In the unimaginable age before the internet, I purchased our tickets at the JCPenney Ticketmaster outlet about three days after they went on sale. I guess the tickets were not in high demand, because I still managed to get FRONT ROW seats at the 2,500 seat capacity theater. I was thrilled, as I had never sat in the front row at a MAC concert. I had seen the band just two years before on the MIRAGE tour and sat in the upper reaches of the auditorium. Being not old enough to drive, my friend’s mother dropped us off at the theater.

Chris and her sassy band opened with "Say You Love Me", though I certainly missed hearing Stevie chime in harmony vocals for the chorus. My friends and I were screaming in the front row like 15-year-olds at a Beatles concert in this small theater. Chris wasn't sure how to take it! Nonetheless, she played through the set without missing a beat. I remember the crowd being comatose, most people just sat in their seats with polite applause. The real cheering did not start until near the end of the set when more Fleetwood Mac tunes appeared. When Chris introduced “Just Crazy Love”, I went nuts! I had always wanted to hear this “Mystery to Me” number performed live. With a backing band that included George Hawkins, Steve Ferrone, future Mac member Billy Burnett and future husband Eddy Quintela, Chris rocked the house!!
After the show, the sedated crowd left quietly. We purchased a Christine McVie Tour T Shirt (which I still have, although it doesn’t fit my 44 year old body), and waited outside for Christine to exit the back of the theater. Sure as rain, after about 20 minutes, the band exited the back door and made their way to a large passenger van as we shouted her name! Chris brushed by my arm as she walked hand in hand with her main squeeze, Eddy. Her face was half smiling, half asking “What the hell is this?” Faster than you can say, “gotta get my feet back on the ground”, the songbird and her band were racing off. She smiled, waved politely out the window, and took off in the night just like a white winged dove……..oh, sorry, wrong lady.


Glad you and your friends were there to remind her that she appeals to younger folks, too. I was also 14 in 1984 and a lot of my friends laughed at me for loving her.

I imagine the touring experience had to be a bit of a difficult pill to swallow: she did everything she'd always done, but was no longer lauded for it. In the context of FM, she was given high praise for years and years. On her own, without the others who spark so well off her, she was deemed bland and safe. The reviewers weren't entirely wrong (I thought the album, even at the time, was too close to slick, easy-listening polish) but there was enough to like on the album and in the live show (at least the video taped one I saw) to deserve higher praise than she got.

For what it's worth, a good deal of her ITM songs would have made livelier concert fare. Can you imagine Liar, Forgiveness, Anything is Possible, and Friend on stage?

[PenguinHead]

Christine is great at what she does, but she is not a headliner act on her own. I never attended any shows on her solo tour, but I did buy the video that was released after. It was good, but the show clearly lacked the elements/energy to rouse a crowd. Her demeanor is understated, and so counter-intuitive to someone like Stevie, or any front-line performer with a type A personality who thrives on the attention.

The reviews of her shows confirm that. She's just not that kind of performer. Thankfully, the Fleetwood Mac dynamic provided the best context in which her best attributes could shine. Her talents are more subtle.

In The Meantime has some great songs, with a little more meat on them. But I wasn't surprised that she didn't tour the album. ('Friend" could/should have been a Fleetwood Mac song!)

I can't wait to see what she has to offer on the new album, with Lindsey collaborating so closely with her. She seems very inspired by reuniting with her musical family. Having lived such a sedate life in the England countryside, this must be a very exciting and stimulating time for her to be back in the fray, making music again.

[FM77]

I saw her on this tour and loved the show.

[Macfan4life]

I saw Chris when I was 14 in 1984. Will post an entire review tomorrow. Stay tuned. It was one of the best concerts in my life.

[Macfan4life]

I am "so excited" to have joined this board and to share my Christine solo tour experience. I loved reading the other stories from you guys from Christine's solo 1984 tour.

But before we get to the concert, here is a little background on me. I fell in love with Fleetwood Mac when their Mirage tour came on HBO in February 1983. I loved the way they looked and sounded. I had just turned 13 and this would be the band I would idolize for many many years with posters, pictures, and articles all over my bedroom wall. It was frustrating to be a Mac fan during this time because there would not be new Mac music for over 5 years and to see all members (Lindsey) live for another 15 years. But it also was an extremely exciting time too because the band members started cranking out solo projects. Stevie's Stand Back was released in the spring of 1983. Stevie Nicks and Joe Walsh was my first concert in June 1983 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. Later that year I saw AC/DC with Fastway at the same venue (November 1983).

In February 1984 I was out celebrating my 14th birthday. My parents treated me and my friends for a night out for pizza at a pizza place at a shopping plaza. After the party we all walked down to Hills Department Store and I was in the record department (CDs were not that popular yet). Sure enough Christine's solo album had just been released and Got a Hold on Me was creeping on the charts. True story: I was holding the album and reading the back cover when the stereos in the record section were tuned to WDVE, Pittsburgh's rock station. Sure enough they announced they were going to play a track off Christine's latest album "One in a Million." One in a Million is a great rock song with heavy percussion and slick guitar work. I was blown away and went to get my mom to tell her the album is what I wanted for my birthday.

A few months later I discovered that Christine McVie was coming to Pittsburgh. I was so excited. But for some reason I could not convince my parents to go. My friends were definitely not Mac fans and were into the metal scene that was huge at that time. So what was I going to do? I did not work or drive so how was I going to go to the concert? I had a plan to win tickets. Magic 97 was an adult contemporary station in Pittsburgh and they were giving away tons of tickets with the album. They also were giving away 2 backstage passes from all those who won tickets. I listened to the radio constantly waiting for a Mac song to play. There were no cell phones in those days so I would have to run from my bedroom to the phone to call the station. Rhianon came on the radio and I called the station. I got through and was number 2 or 3 but you needed to be lucky number 7. I called back and it was busy. Then I called back and won and was lucky number 7. I could not believe it. I remember recording the announcement on the radio when they mentioned my name winning. But my good fortune was not over yet. I cleverly discovered that the radio station had a routine when they played Fleetwood Mac songs. It was something like 50 minutes past the hour every 2 hours. So sure enough I kept trying to win more tickets. But even as a 14 year old I knew maybe it would not be cool or they would disqualify me for winning again. So my plan was giving my friend's name and address. Sure enough I won 2 more tickets and another album and had then sent to my friend's house. So now I could take 2 friends and my dad took us to the show.

Chris's solo album from 1984 is one of the best albums of the 1980's. It holds up so well unlike so many other albums from the 80's. There are no fake drums or programmed music. They are quality written and recorded songs. Chris always has the talent for creating catchy tunes. The Pittsburgh Press gave it a positive but mixed review. While they liked the album they took issue with the lack of "musical muscle." They said the songs are not wimpy but with music legends like Eric Clapton, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Windwood, and Mick Fleetwood, some of the songs should have been stronger. I just remember being very angry with the reviewer for those stupid comments.

Now on with the show:
Friday, May 11, 1984, Pittsburgh Stanley Theater. In the 70's and early 80's Billboard magazine rated the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh the #1 place for acoustics and to see a rock concert. The place was very elegant and historic plus it had the best acoustics for concerts. The build up for the show was incredible. Christine' Got A Hold on Me had just peaked and fell off the charts and Love Will Show Us How was just released and creeping on the charts. Chris was getting lots of airplay and her concert commercials seemed to be on every radio station "Its going to be a hot night in the Steel City with Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie (then play snippets of all the hits) with special guest Baxter Robinson Band. The Baxter Robinson Band had a rock hit Silver Strand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjNWyhe6y-8

How exciting to go to downtown Pittsburgh on a Friday night (since it was not a school night). I remember we saw Christine's tour bus about a block from the theater. It was a beautiful painted bus and was named "The Challenge" painted on the side. The Challenge was also the name of John McVie's boat.

I don't know the capacity of the Stanley Theater but the theater was not full. In fact there was a huge gap of empty seats from the people in front and those of us who won tickets near the back. Me and my friends moved down to the empty seats after Baxter Robinson did his show. Very good rock band and they were a perfect opener.

Finally the lights go out again and Chris and her band take the stage. If you have seen any Mac shows it is common for Chris to yell out or say hello even before the first song plays. Chris shouts "All right Detroit." Detroit? We are in Pittsburgh. Someone must have told her the correction because she immediately said Pittsburgh. She opened with Say You Love Me playing in front of giant piano keys that wound up the wall of the back of the stage that went to the ceiling. Pretty cool simple effects. Her band was awesome. Although you did miss hearing Stevie's voice during the chorus of Say You Love Me. After the first song Chris apologized again for flubbing the city. She then went into her current single Love Will Show Us How. Chris pretty much played almost every song from her new album. I loved the special echo effects they used on Chris's mic during The Smile I Live For. Chris got out from behind her keyboards and took center stage to sing standing at the mic for a few songs. She did One In A Million and I'm The One at center mic while her boyfriend at the time Eddy Quintela was on keyboards. Chris mixed up Mac classics like Just Crazy love with modern Mac hits like Hold Me with her new stuff like Got A Hold on Me. The best part of the concert was near the end since everyone could come down out of their seats and be close to the stage in the pit. You could see Chris's expression she was happy and smiled. The band also seem to play off our energy. She played Don't Stop and even came back for her Mac encore Songbird. Someone threw one of their Christine McVie tour shirts on stage and it landed on her piano. She picked it up and said "thanks, this is just my size."
It was an amazing show. The crisp heavy drum beats in the theater with wonderful guitar player Todd Sharpe and Chris on vocals. It was probably the best concert I have seen in my life and I have been to lots of concerts.
I could not believe how sparsely attended the concert was. I am guessing maybe 250 people. I could not understand who would not want to hear Mac's songbird play the classics. Her solo songs were also on the radio getting heavy airplay. But as a huge Mac fan it was such a treat to get so close to the stage and get eye contact with Chris and her band. I remember my friend waving at Eddy Quintela while he was playing keyboards and he winked hello at us. It really was a hot night in the Steel City and something I will never forget.
At the end of 1984 the Pittsburgh Press did a "best of" concerts that came to Pittsburgh that year. 1984 was a HUGE year for music and all the big bands came to Pittsburgh. Van Halen, Culture Club, Bruce Springstein, The Cars, etc. The Press mentioned Chris's solo concert as an honorable mention. I was so happy to see her show acknowledged as one of the best that year because very few came to see it and enjoy it.
It is a memory I cherish forever and realize how lucky I was to see Chris solo in concert. Her tour was so brief and shows cancelled. This is the time she lent Mick Fleetwood $50,000 to cover Mick's monthly expenses when he was just about to declare bankruptcy (from Mick's book). I doubt her shows were making money since she had to pay opening acts, her band, and the hotel and travel costs. So realizing this I am blessed to have experienced such a wonderful concert. My only regret is that I did not get a T-shirt. She did not have a tour book. But had jackets and very cool concert shirts.
So glad for this forum for me to share this experience with the world.

[michelej1]

^Thank you so much for your story. I loved the details you gave us and can just imagine being in a concert seeing Christine alone, standing at the mic singing.

I did not see her show. I was spending a lot of money on other concerts that year and I have long regretted that choice not to make the effort to see her.

Michele

[HomerMcvie]

^Thank you so much for your story. I loved the details you gave us and can just imagine being in a concert seeing Christine alone, standing at the mic singing.

I did not see her show. I was spending a lot of money on other concerts that year and I have long regretted that choice not to make the effort to see her.

Michele

^^^Me too!!!! I usually skip over really long posts(no offense), but I hung on every word! Thank you so much!

It really disheartening that the goat is the ONLY FM solo member that really can sell a venue. I guess there's no accounting for taste!:angel:

[go6car]

Wow, what memories -- from the whole Mac/Stevie on HBO in the early 80s, to still having the Christine long-sleeved tee shirt with the keyboard graphics on it. Sounds just like me! (Don't worry, mine doesn't fit either, LOL).

Saw that tour at the Tower in Philly. My dear friend and I were the youngest by far. We brought roses to hand to Christine (ended up throwing on stage), moved to the front row pretty early in the show, laughed when Todd made silly faces at us during the whole show, and just had a blast! It was a great set!

Hung out after the show waiting for my parents to arrive to drive us home and got a nice hello and wave from Christine as she was leaving in her limo. Then, I saw my Dad (walking the dog, no less), waving us over to hop back into the mammoth station wagon. Those were the days! :D

[Dodfather]

Not true. They would have sell-out tours in other territories if they bothered. classic example: Lindsey had a sell-out UK tour booked a couple of years ago and we all know what happened there. He won't sell out in the UK again if he tries - not after letting the audience down so very, very badly.




It really disheartening that the goat is the ONLY FM solo member that really can sell a venue. I guess there's no accounting for taste!:angel:

[Macfan4life]

Not true. They would have sell-out tours in other territories if they bothered. classic example: Lindsey had a sell-out UK tour booked a couple of years ago and we all know what happened there. He won't sell out in the UK again if he tries - not after letting the audience down so very, very badly.
I think what Homer said was Stevie can always fill a venue. Even with commercial success the other band members could never come close to Stevie's solo success especially in the tour department. Stevie has packed arenas all over North America and Australia. Mick, Lindsey, and Christine have played much smaller venues and is a tiny fraction of Stevie's solo success.

I repeat. Christine's solo concert in 1984 was one of the best concerts I attended.