MONTREAL REVIEW (Montreal Gazette)
 

Fleetwood Mac's golden oldies are aging just fine
Bell Centre gig. Nicks, Buckingham balance and complement each other

Montreal Gazette

When Mick Fleetwood and John McVie formed Fleetwood Mac as a British blues band in 1967, they probably never envisioned that they'd be playing to adoring arena audiences, paying up to $150 per ticket, 42 years later.

And they certainly could not have foreseen, during that long-gone summer of love, that all the adulation would be directed at two Yanks they had yet to meet.

As any of the 11,000 fans at the group's Bell Centre concert last night will tell you, drummer Fleetwood is a muscular timekeeper and bassist McVie provides an unobtrusive, solid anchor of his own. But it's also clear that, at all times, virtually all the energy in the room emanates from - and comes back to - singer Stevie Nicks and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, the group's songwriters and its heart and soul.

If there was a defining moment in last night's hit-heavy show, it was when Buckingham completely took over Oh Well, a snarling 1969 rocker by original guitarist Peter Green that predates his and Nicks's presence in the band by more than five years. While Buckingham, undeniably the group's frontman, soloed away furiously, Fleetwood played the crazy-old-grandpa part for the benefit of the giant video screens.

Buckingham's prowess on his instrument simply isn't talked about often enough. Whether he's playing tasteful, economical phrases, as he did during ex-member Christine McVie's Say You Love Me, hammering out manic rock-flamenco note clusters in Big Love or fingerpicking the tasty folk-blues licks of Never Going Back Again, he's one of rock's most interesting players.

During his five-minute solo in I'm So Afraid, he made the instrument rumble, shriek and gasp, sending out shards of high-pitched squeals and hammering out repeated patterns. Unlike your average guitar god, Buckingham made no attempt to show how many different notes he could squeeze in per minute.

What makes a Fleetwood Mac show so satisfying, however, is the way Buckingham and Nicks complement and balance each other, in both their vocal blend and their approach to songwriting. For every Buckingham power-pop stomper like I Know I'm Not Wrong or Second Hand News came one of Nicks's earthier, more linear crowd-pleasers, like Gypsy or the sweetly nostalgic Landslide, which she sang in her long-familiar husky, lower register. (And, incidentally, how fantastic did she look?)

Buckingham spoke on stage of the emotional challenges that have defined the group's internal relationships over the years. But during Sara, Nicks crossed over to his side of the stage and he put his head on her shoulder.

Staged? Probably - but really, who cares? That affectionate gesture spoke of a hard-won victory that pretty much ensures that - to paraphrase the group - the chain will never be broken.

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love the review.

What a nice review. That writer knows his Mac stuff. Obviously a fan.

I like this quote:

So has Stevie ditched the burgandy dress? All the pics from the last few weeks have only shown her in black... :distress:

She doesn't change into burgundy until after "Big Love." As pathetic as it sounds, you can tell what song is being played based on the color of the rear screens. :rolleyes:. The teal seafoam green/blue background is "Monday Morning." The orange background is "I Know I'm Not Wrong." The deep blue is "The Chain," etc. Accordingly, it looks like all of these pics were taken during the first half of the show.

Ahh, gotcha. I knew she opened the show in the burgandy dress early in the tour... I didn't realize she was simply limiting her time in it now :laugh: . At least this latest black dress isn't as bad as the dreaded Italian Widow Granny dress she wore for the Say You Will tour! Still pretty blah though...

yeah, her outfits are better than SYW but not by much. We've seen all these outfits over and over :(

Actually, she has one black dress that seems to be cut exactly like the red dress. It just doesn't capture people the same way. Michele

well, I do prefer a 'sleeker' line as opposed to any color she might wear with those gathered 'rosettes' ... ugh


:sorry:

I suspect that there is so much engineering going on underneath that a sleeker line would just reveal too much of that infrastructure. :eek:

it is obvious said contraption requires a 2ft gap in stance :laugh:

Stop, you're killing me! This is some seriously funny sh*t, for sure! Ricoh

http://ci.coe.uni.edu/facstaff/zeitz...MindtheGap.jpg :lol:

Montreal Gazette, by Bernard Perusse, March 26, 2009

http://communities.canada.com/montre...vie-nicks.aspx

Not so sure about Stevie Nicks?
Comments from readers on the Fleetwood Mac show are coming in. Most are raves, but one caught my eye. Filomena made an interesting observation:

"I really enjoyed the show," she wrote. "Mick, Lindsey and John were amazing. But am I the only one who noticed how lethargic Stevie was??? Yes, she's 60, but Tina Turner is even older and rocked like you wouldn't believe in December. Yes, Stevie's voice was good, although she didn't hit those hiigh notes. And from where I was sitting, I could clearly see the monitor on stage and beside the stage with not only the lyrics scrolling up (and these were for Stevie - when she was off stage, Lindsey didn't need them) but also directing her actions - GO TO THE TENT, GET YOUR CAPE BEHIND JOHN, GET YOUR TOP HAT BEHIND JOHN, SAY GOODNIGHT - I mean, come on - what was that all about???"

From my seat, I was blissfully unaware of monitor action, but big rock tours leave nothing at all to chance now. When such ambitious concert undertakings were in their infancy, audiences cared less about perfection and more about the live experience. So if the performer flubbed a verse, missed a cue or had a few drinks and got sloppy, it was all part of the fun. Increasingly, rock audiences want more or less perfect reproductions of the songs as recorded, so monitors have become de rigueur for many boomer artists, whose memory in their 60s just ain't what it once was.

I'd also say that Stevie Nicks, even in her 20s, was not trying to be the flamboyant rocker Tina Turner was. It's a bit apples and oranges. As for Lindsey needing no prompters, what can we say? He's a wonderful, crazy force of nature.

By Bernard Perusse, March 26, 2009, Montreal Gazette

Fleetwood Mac is Definitely Back

http://communities.canada.com/montre...tely-back.aspx

I've always thought one measure of a superior show is in whether you're still thinking about it the next day. Today, I'm still replaying Fleetwood Mac's wonderful concert in my head, notably some of Lindsey Buckingham's more unhinged guitar moments (not that I can stop thinking about the beautiful and talented Stevie NIcks, either). No one can accuse this legendary group of not delivering at the Bell Centre last night. In fact, suggest that and 11,000 people who were there will kill ya. For the full review and a photo gallery by the great John Kenney, go here.

mine too...so much so that I placed within my SIG! :laugh:

It sounds like John is in an excellent position to mess with Stevie's head. She's storing all her doodads behind him. All he has to do is hide them (her cape and her top hat) and she'll be completely lost.

Michele

I say she still likes to "weed up" before the show but as a result, she forgets things easily.

he is a bit of a prankster, yes? maybe on the last show to allow for a brief meltdown.

Plenty have monitors in this way...that's what they're for afterall...now whether or not a performer relies on them, well, :shrug:

They say that some people have gotten into accidents because, regardless of the actual road conditions, they mindlessly follow the instructions coming from their GPS advice and drive off cliffs and whatnot.

Cory should test just how much Stevie relies on her monitor and put crazy stuff on there from time to time. Of course, she'd get fired, but it would be worth it.

Michele

:laugh: oh yeah...you can just about 'phone in' anything...those, without GPS, that doze into sleepmode...driving straight through stopsigns, redlights, etc...mindless. how do you think I get through my days? bwah.

what is rather sad, I took my mom to a show...ok, wait for it...glen campbell :D ...and the guy didn't move his eye from the moni...maybe a sideway flicker to the audience when he realized he was staring at the f'in thing...but that was about it...eyes were fullon back and forth across scanning the words...oh well, how old is he?

Don't you be baggin on the Wichita Lineman!!! :lol:

Isn't that unbelievable? I was like, NO WAY! What is that really saying?? That she's so nervous up there that she's that clueless as to what to do next in terms of actions. I mean I can understand the lyrics... if you do have stage fright and all that, but for the monitor to have to let you know when you go to tent, grab hat etc etc... I find that just strange! Unless Stevie really has a bad memory :shrug:

I guess the important thing is that she doesn't look at it. I don't think any of us has ever complained that she was staring at her monitor. So, it's there in case she spaces out, but she's not dependent on it.

Michele

Well, Stevie and Lindsey know Southern Nights, if he ever needs a helping hand.

Michele

the person who puts that together...what? a teletypist...just does that...you will see that on any moni...whether a concert performance, newscast, award show...etc...it is the LIVE bit everyone trips on...more than likely the director of said production shivering in the shadows...just provides an extra cushion in case someone has a 'brainfart' or whatever.

Of course, I'm no expert...all else fails...Ask Luke ;)

knockknock: hello!

Hey, what about the effects of smoking weed?

:cool: :xoxo:

curious, lots of comments on her half-closed eyes, etc. did you know that those lights they are under are f'in blinding? I will say during SYW, when I came close to those eyes I was almost frightened...the amount of shadow worn I think would just about make anyone's eyes droop. I am happy to see that nails are back to natural and the shadow doesn't appear quite as thick... me talking make-up with shackin'up... :laugh:

do you think they are on BLITZ, Gerald? High?

I know from Brett an Neal that Lindsey still smokes an occasional joint. I'm pretty sure Stevie nails her stagefright with a low high. I'm not kidding, It could also be an explanation for her slightly lackluster performances early in the show, and the the use of these autocues.

Yes, occassional...do I think they do that just prior to show?...not so sure...especially msnicks. I've been a part of some antics...ohyes...but generally on tour kept from stage/green area (e.g. blocksaway) and well before actual showtime. I would hope consideration is given for what it takes to tour...the night after night day after day of the routine (flying /makeup /dressing /showering /blabbering /puzting /mealtime /jammin to 'hiphop' :rolleyes: /performing /up into the night /hittin the snoozebutton..blah blah blah)
well...it takes a toll...one just gets f'in tired...and easily...toss a joint into that mix?...one isn't getting off the couch...just don't see it happening as much as some might tend to believe. IMO :shrug:

Yeah, that sounds reasonable. So maybe you're right. On the other hand, why shouldn't they: you don't have to smoke yourself out of the blue...

no...but when tired, given just a little...trust, you are 'out of the blue' and, hey, I'm not 'right'...ya know...just my opinion...in general...who knows. and besides...if I see dope at all as it relates to msnicks, I'd see her pulling a vapor...not stankass smoke. :shrug:

:lol:
u guys are terrible
Stevie's really a puppet and there's a lil person under all that fabric holding her and controlling her :nod:



eeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyah now that's the kinda review i like :D

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH MAMA :laugh:
that Stevie, wot the hell
this is this most ridiculous sh!t i have read thus far
does Mama have alzheimers? no...def weed :nod:

how come Lindsey can play all manical on his guitart weeded up
and Stevie's like :shocked: and slow mo'ed


:lol: and she will blame Lindsey
and there will be this full on bitch fight on stage
Stevie should be prompted to go get her stuff from behind John
meanwhile someone has moved it around back stage and Lindsey has her top hat on or something and Mick has her shawl over his head omg i would die

landslide

standback


silversprings


additional videos

I really like the way this person captured these vids and those posted previous...maybe the vantage...but I'm prettymuch hooked :)

ohwell


storms


goinsane


http://www.youtube.com/liamandnoel101

thanks so much for always posting the links here
saves me so much time wading through youtube, which i can spend HOURS doing :D

yw :)

biglove