fights in Reno
 

At the Reno concert last night there were some very rude members in the audience. There were several fights going on which reminded me of some of the heavy metal concerts I have attended in the past. One of the fights I did not see but according to others there was some girl in the front who did not want anyone else to get past her. So I think she decided to punch someone who attempted to pass her. There definitely was a lot of alcohol around so that probably played a part in the fights.
Anyway, I was right in front of Stevie's microphone when the band come out to play "Goodbye Baby." Stevie was clearly very angry.:mad: I have never seen her look that mad. She started to sing but then she started crying and stepped away from the microphone. She told Lindsey that she couldn't sing and he needed to sing for her. So Lindsey sang the second verse of the song. Stevie was just standing there looking very upset. She ended up singing the last verse. Lots of people in the audience were saying, "We're sorry Stevie!" I think everyone felt really badly for her:distress: The band ended the song and took their bows. The others members kind of smiled but Stevie still did not smile.
It just really sucks that some stupid people have to ruin the end of the concert for Stevie and the rest of the band and the audience. It made me all upset because Stevie was all upset. Hopefully people will continue to have a good time and act appropriately at the concerts

That really sucks :distress: It's too bad that a few people can ruin the experience for everybody, including the people performing...Poor Stevie...Hey, at least she didn't start swearing like when the audience got too roudy at the concert back in 89'!

Hmm, I was thinking, during both times the audience has gotten out of hand, it's always been right before the last song of the night...Maybe it's all the beer ingested during the concert catching up to them?

BTW, I finally made it to Senior Ledgie!

That is so terrible, and in a way, embarrassing for all of us. I totally blame the alcohol. I see no reason for so much alcohol to be served at these concerts. My mom and I went to the Greenville, SC show, and it was on a Sunday-- no alcohol can be served in South Carolina on Sundays. However, the beer was served in mass quantities at the arena. We were on the lower level, at the aisle, and I can't tell you how many times I was splashed with beer. Not to mention all the stupid drunk people we saw milling around. My mom has been to a lot of rock concerts and she's never seen so much beer served at them. I can't imagine how bad it was on the floor. Poor Stevie, that song already makes her cry anyway, but the situation up at the front must have really bothered her if she made Lindsey sing. I just hope the audience is more behaved tonight in Salt Lake City. Something tells me they will be :)

I'm not saying people shouldn't be allowed to have a good time, but damn, why would you want to be drunk at the concert anyway? Why do you need to have alcohol to have fun during this show?? You wouldn't be coherent enough to enjoy yourself or remember anything about the show! Maybe I just don't understand because I am such a die-hard, but why do people need to drink themselves to the point of acting completely crazy during a FM show? I just don't get it.

It seems like security would have removed the people.

If I am not mistaken, the 1989 incident you are talking about was when Stevie told the securuty at a TOSOTM concert (Houston?) not to fu@k with her "people" (crewe, audiene, ? ) or she was going to get pissed. The incidence you describe is the first incidence I have heard of La Nicks being angry with the audience and showing an obvious reaction. I have been to a concert where she has said stop pushing, etc., but never gotten overtly pissed of at the audience.

Wow.

I wonder if something also happened back stage that may have had nothing to do with the lousy audience but angered her even more.

Merf, I'm with you 100% on this one. I love my beer (and plenty of other mind altering substances), but when it comes to concerts, I almost always go with a clear head. Why? Exactly as you said in your post--you want to remember the music. You want to BE THERE completely. Why pay $125 friggin dollars to not experience the music fully? And why ruin the night for others (not to mention the performers)?

I'm surely no puritan, but booze at these concerts seems ridiculous to me.

I would bet they make over $150,000 per concert on alcohol concessions alone. I mean 10,000 people at $15 each is not that big of a stretch considering two beers, many have more than two, are about $20 in most venues and mixed drinks, if they have them, are also about $10 each for a thimble sized cocktail. So, given the revenue, I doubt they will ever stop selling alcohol.

I do not mind the spilling so much as that can happen with any liquid or, even worse solid "food" such as nachos. I just hate when an angry drunk gets too liquored up and violence happens.

Also and interstingly, in the concerts I have been to, the worst thing is not the solely drunk people, but the pushy and perhapd drunk or high or even sober people that insist on upgrading their seats based on some nonexistent right not found on the ticket they bought. When they upgrade they have little care and no regard for standing directly in front of someone who paid to be there. I mean really! :mad:

fights in Reno
 

I'm still stunned by what happened. I don't think I've ever seen Stevie this upset before. It instantly recalled the "don't f*ck with my people" incident during the Mirror tour. She was that angry.

I just wanted to add that the police came in to escort at least two women out of the concert. They walked right passed me and yes, they did seem drunk and disoriented. The entire incident completely overwhelmed Stevie and she was actually crying in embarrassment right after screwing up that first verse.

I don't understand why fans bicker with each other at concerts. Pouring beer on people, throwing punches, cursing other fans...it's hard to believe that this is even part of our fan culture.

Daniel

Wow....how crappy is that? But..I've been really worried about incidents like this happening at the El Paso show....I mean the city itself is pretty damn skanky and well...I just don't know....I'm a little worried lol...but hopefully it will be okay....

Re: fights in Reno
 

I know, it just sickens me as well. :mad:

Damn..that is just horrible :( Why can't people control themselves? You wanna drink,fine..but don't get so drunk you start hurting people,jesus.I can understand why Stevie was so upset..she always says that she wants people to come to the shows to get away for awhile and let the music take over. I am sure she doens't appreciate some poor person coming to an FM show and getting sucker punched.That is just very very sad :(

I completely agree that alcohol is to blame. Well, mostly alcohol. You also have to be a certain type of person to take a swing at somebody whether you are drunk or not....

I disagree that this is embarrassing for all of us. This behavior has nothing to do with FM fans. It happens at most rock cocerts. Especially this new "mosh pit" thing going on. What the hell is up with that? It's a recipe for disaster. Somebody always gets hurt. Why you would go to a concert and run around in a circle with a hundred drunk strangers is a mystery to me. :distress:

susieq :wavey:

Some people have just no self control. We all know those people who can't just have one or two. The have to drink the entire damn bottle. Poor impulse control is what is to blame for these type of fights. No control over how much you drink, no control over how much of an ass you become, and no control over any anger or irritation that you might feel toward others.

I feel horribly for Stevie. That just sucks. I am so glad nothing like this happend at my concerts.

This is upsetting to even hear about, much less to witness. I feel sorry for you normal Reno fans.

As for the "mosh pit" thing, I love that they let the first row up there. It gives the rock concert such an energetic feel and Lindsey at least loves it. I hope Stevie doesn't request that they stop allowing the front row up there (I hear this has already happened at a couple shows because of security). That would just be a shame and very sad.

It will be very sad if something like this figures in to whether or not Stevie wants to tour again and figures it's not worth the trouble. :(

It's worth it to keep the first row away from the stage if that will keep FM touring, maybe even for another album. We wouldn't blame Stevie at all for demanding that.

Love,
Jo and Jensen

Hi everybody!

i'm new here ~i'm elni from the Netherlands ~ this is my first post..

i just never expected that these stupid things
would happen at a FM concert!! My god!
I can understand Stevie's reaction,
maybe something happened before,
maybe she was already in a not so good mood because of something else, and that dumb fight was just the hammer...
and especially during that song!!
But i also do understand people getting angry because of some crazy pushing and irritating fools trying to get a place and disturbung one's magical moments...
Maybe that's why Stevie got angry as well, i don't know,
i just hope that these selfish foolish people will learn to behave themselves a little more...

~~eLNi~~

I read about this on some other sites. Apparently, eyewitnesses are reporting Stevie spoke to some people on the front row and then was seen flailing her arms in apparent anger while taliking to the security guards. Also, she apparently was glaring at one person or people in the front row after the incident.

I have such a bad vibe from all of this.

Having said that, I would love to see a video of it and I think that is honest but twisted of me. I need help :laugh:

Well I can honestly say I would rather watch anything than Stevie on the verge of tears as the whole night is ruined for her ... hearing about it is depressing enough ... However in all honesty I wouldn't mind hearing Lindsey's GB eventually.

Yes, let's all just pray that this sort of skirmish isn't repeated because I think we all have a bit of a vibe about Stevie's position in the band being th most precarious these days. I'm guessing that the Stevie solo conerts aren't like that, with mostly girls? (Sorry, I'm not trying to generalise, I'm just guessing).

Welcome Elni :wavey:

Didn't someone say this was a chic fight? I've never been to Reno but wasn't there a huge biker brawl there not too long ago where some people got killed? No offense to the people of Reno or those who ride- there's always some rogue element out there. Hopefully no one was seriously hurt. As far as the alcohol, they'll never stop selling it. They make a boatload of money on it.

Video?
 

Does anyone have a video of this show?

I know this sounds terrible-- but I would really like to see this on tape. I have never seen Stevie get so upset and I think this would be a unique concert experience.

I go to concerts to enjoy the music and experience that natural high that it gives. I hate when people get up constantly to go for their beer run or to use the bathroom because the beer has to be drained. I have seen lots of that going on and a few people can definitely spoil things for the fans that are there sober and want to hear and see the band. If you want to drink~~~go to a bar!

Someone posted on Burnish that they were sitting 7th row and that the fight involved about 30 people in the front. The fight began during "Don't Stop." She said it involved most of the people in the first 5 rows. She said that there were 10 people fighting each other, and it was very bloody, and 20 people were trying to get the first 10 away from each other. This story just keeps getting worse and worse. :distress:

Are there any concert reviews out there? Maybe they would give more of an idea about what happened.

there's one on that "other" board, for those that can access it. It gives a pretty good account of what happened, from someone on the front row who was at the stage when it all happened.

http://www.mickfleetwood.com/cgi-bin...num=1059862210

:distress:

Wow... poor Stevie. This sounds awful. I'm sure it spoiled the show for so many people including the band

Pip

I have been searching on google for a review from a Reno newspaper but cannot find one. Anyone else had any luck.

BTW - there is a fan review on Nancy's (Sodacouts) site www.buckinghamnicks.net of the SLC concert the night after the Reno concert/fiasco. The fan said Stevie was all smiles. So, hopefully, Stevie and the band have gotten over this horrible event.

Nah that doesn't sound too exciting. Now what I really want to see is Lindey pulling his jacket over his head and mocking Stevie mid-song during that show right before he quit the band. Now that would rule! :D

Now that would rule. It must, however include the alleged shin kicking and CM's face slap and wine toss!!! :laugh:

Re: Video?
 

I'll second that - I want to see what happened, although I guess we wouldn't really see the fight itself, only the band's reaction. I would, howver, love to hear LB doing a verse from GB - something different from what we've already heard, you know?

BTW, according to a fan review (I think it's the one on the "other board") Mick said to the audience "you saw what happened here tonight, let's not let this happen again, be good to yourselves and to others" when he left the stage, or something to that effect.

Paula

Reno Gazette-Journal review
 

The scuffle in mentioned in the Reno Gazette-Journal . I didn't know a medical crew came in to treat people. That's what Stevie must have been staring at when she walked over to the front of the stage with the sad, look of death.

Daniel

You know, I was thinking that the majority of these wounds were facial and probably involved several crushed/broken/bruised noses. Although those on this site with medical training can say exactly, I am pretty sure when an injury happens to the nose, it swells and a seemingly life threatening and visually horrific amount of blood comes out. Then when the hand that wipes it is wiped onto the clothing, it usually looks like people are also bleeding elsewhere. Having seen a few barroom brawls in my day, I know how upsetting it can be to see this, much less the bad vibe coming from the anger/panic/sickness. I am so sorry she had to see this.

I looked at the Gazette yesterday and their lead entertainment story was about Vince Neil being charged in the alleged beating of a prostitute at the Bunny Ranch because she didn't want to have sex with him.:rolleyes:
The show must have ended too late to make their deadline.

Oh how awful....and really sad!

I'm sure glad nothing like this happened at my two shows....the crowd was pretty pleasant for the most part.....fun, very into it, and nice.

I feel so bad for the band, especially Stevie, seeing how emotional and fragile she's always been.

Well, on to better days, I hope. I'm sure the band has enjoyed better crowds and more peaceful experiences!!!!

Stephanie :wavey:

Stevie is really sensitive, at the TISL tour in Hartford in 2001, i was in about the 9th row on the floor, and during 'Edge of 17' people started climbing over the seats to rush to the stage for her traditional handshaking/gift receiving- Stevie got a very panicked look on her face which remained through most of the song and she said 'Don't push' several times to a group cramming themselves near the stage. When the song finished, she said "I dont want anyone to say 'I went to see Stevie Nicks. And i got hurt' ( in a very no-nonsense, sensible, logical voice that made the offenders stop what they were doing). But while she was singing, the displeasure in her eyes at what she was seeing was very very obvious. I stayed put in Row 9 and watched her watching the crush, and i saw something register in her eyes that seemed to say 'its time to stop doing the 'edge of 17 handshakes'....

well..
 

I can't say I blame Stevie for getting upset.. as people have gotten hurt at many rock concerts.. I remember being at a Bob Seger show and seeing a guy with his head bashed in being taken out on a stretcher.. fans get too drunk and spoil it for others... and some fans are just plain rude. I've been to many a Stevie solo shows, and although most of us are great, i've met some very unpleasant fans who seem to want Stevie all for themselves..and then the drunk ones..they always seem to find me and sit right next to me..

... Stevie was front and center during the Reno show and could see what was going on, and she didn't like it.. I can see why she would get upset at the security guard, since it is their job to keep concert goers in line.. or at least I would think so..

.. listen to the Wild Heart Oklahoma City bootleg, and you can hear the fans pushing and screaming, obviously a few getting hurt.. Stevie walked off stage and refused to come back until things settled down.. she doesn't want to see people get her.. and the band was so tight that night, that they seemed to be feeding off the music..they even broke down the front of the stage. Imagine if the stage had collapsed. What a disaster.. Stevie's scolding of the crowd and refusal to perform until things settled down were appropriate in making sure people didn't continue to get hurt... good for her.

and about the alcohol at shows. I myself enjoy a cold beer or two in a hot arena during the concert.. but I don't enjoy drunken fans like the ones next to me at the D.C. show who were so f*cked up, that it was distracting me and I had to remind the woman next to me that I paid my money to hear Fleetwood Mac, now her slurred words.

lindsey should have told them off

Re: fights in Reno
 

yeah, let's pay over $100 to get embarrassingly drunk and get escorted out of a concert. (Insert sarcasm here) Money well spent in my opinion! I hate to say this because I'm a female, but aren't girl drunks just the worst? I mean, they get all pushy and fearless and start slugging grown men! I say this because it happened to my husband at the show in Dallas, some drunk idiot was trying to push her way past us as we were walking up the steps to leave the arena and just punched him in the back! I mean what do they think, just because they're drunk and female noone is going to retaliate? Of course my husband just said a few choice words to her and ignored the punch but there are plenty of people out there who would've "sobered her up" a little. People need to take responsibility for their actions, alcohol or no alcohol.

Or when Joe Walsh scolded the crowd in OKC in '83!

Correction. Having caused... ;)

Sorry, I didn't explain that well. What I'm talking about is nothing at all like Stevie allowing people near the stage. This is ALL the people on the floor of the venue running around in a circle. In addition to the fights, people can get trampled.

I'm not sure "mosh pit" is the correct term. Maybe somebody younger could explain it to you. It wouldn't happen at a classic rock concert. It would be one of the newer bands, like Good Charlotte or something.

susieq :wavey: