Tango in The Night Tour
 

It was a long time before this tour came along. Did you all fear the Mac was done for?

If you went to the TITN tour, tell us about it here! Anything you remember about the night is great. Tell us your stories.

It's my understanding that it was a well known fact Lindsey was not touring. What did you think of the two new guys in the band? Also this is when a lot of back ups were first brought along with Fleetwood Mac. What did you think of them doing that?

This was also the first time Stevie's preformance was cocaine free...your thoughts on the change in behavior? This was the first time they brought solo songs into the set, with Stand Back and HAEWAFY.

So share your stories!

I'm in Southern California, so that's where I saw several gigs, in December (Los Angeles & San Diego). Everything seemed sort of staid to me, & bland. A few things were interesting: some old blues numbers, & a good "Buckingham Nicks" cover, plus an excellent "Blue Letter." But I wondered what happened to all the former weirdness. From Peter Green to Danny Kirwan to Bob Welch to Lindsey Buckingham, these guys were all such nifty writers & performers because of their idiosyncrasies; & here was an incarnation of the band where nobody weird was left.

Stevie Nicks might have continued to be satisfyingly weird if she hadn't cleaned up from dope earlier that year.

Still, I looked slightly forward to hearing this incarnation record something. The two tracks on the hits album the following year were pretty bad, so I adjusted my expectations accordingly. When "Mask" finally was released, I didn't even think of Fleetwood Mac any more in terms of magical weirdness. They were just a big expensive contraption of an arena band. They had become what the punks ten years earlier had accused them of being.

The first month of the tour was definitely the best, in Stevie terms. Everyone else was great the whole way through. I thought it was a great show when they were doing "Gypsy" and "Rhiannon" before they got cut in October of 87. Stevie still had a lot of fire in her. I suggest getting the Ames, IA 87 DVD, Stevie is pretty firey.

TITN Tour was the first time I had front row seats for FM or Stevie.

Oct. 30 - Boston Garden & Nov. 1 - Providence Civic Center were announced and I was thrilled, but disappointed that they weren't performing Halloween night - my dream concert: to see Stevie on Halloween night.
I had good seats for Boston; crappy for Providence.

When I was told Halloween was added, I thought people were playing an awful joke on me. My friends Sandra and I add waited out overnight at the Salem, Mass. ticketmaster - not because of the obvious Halloween connection, but because Salem is minutes from her house and we figured we'd have a better chance to be first in line waiting out there than waiting out overnight in Boston - which was always a mob scene. (Two years later, we waited out overnight in Salem and got third row for Aug. 19 and front row for Aug. 20 OSOTM shows at Great Woods.

We were first in line and got four front row tickets - for Halloween. Up until that day, I was expecting the worst. Stevie would get bronchitis and Halloween would be canceled/postponed until later. But, Halloween 1987 brought The Great Pumpkin and Stevie Nicks. That night, Mick was carried out in a coffin; Stevie wore a traditional witches hat. We brought plush-stuffed jack o' lanterns and threw them on-stage. Despite over-present security, we snuck about two dozens photos with crappy cameras.

Photo one: The best of the photos: Sandra got this one.


Photo two: Stevie's holding black & orange Halloween balloons.


These are only two posted to my photobucket acct. because Sandra resent them to me. I'll find the rest, upload and post.

I saw them once.

I remember really loving Isn't It Midnight.

Stevie seemed loud and out of synch to me and I don't even necessarily mean her singing voice. It just seemed she was bold and striking and called your attention, but not in a way that meshed with the rest of the band. It was like she took you out of what they were doing. She wasn't bad, but I just felt that she wasn't with them and if they had all been putting on the same show, it would have been a better one.

But I didn't go there saying, "I'm unbiased. I'm going to give this new line up a chance. I'm open."

I went there saying, "I've been a Fleetwood Mac fan for years now and they're never going to put on a show that I don't see. It's a badge of honor with me. So, let's get this out of the way."

So, my impressions were probably colored.

Michele

Really cool to hear all of your stories!!! This is a concert tour that doesn't get talked about a whole lot!!!

Why did the band end up dropping Rhiannon and Gypsy as the tour went along?

Depending on exactly when Stevie was put on Klonopin, I would say this shows a pretty good example of how they totally zonked her out...

I think she still would have been firey without cocaine, but then the klonopin definetly f-ed that up.
If you watch the Live DVD from the cow palace in san francisco, she might as well be asleep on stage, :lol:
And has anyone heard Everywhere from that DVD, stevie randomly sings over the top of christine "I wanna be with you" it sounds terrible...

The rest of the band is in pretty top form though:thumbsup:
Imo, i wish lindsey hadn't left at that stage, but Vito and Burnette did an alright job of filling in.
As for the albums they did, the greatest hits tracks and Behind the mask, they're catchy and commercial, But their is none of that (excuse the pun)

Fleetwood Magic...

Were any of the dates officially announced and/or put on sale prior to when Lindsey bailed in early August? Considering the fact that opening night was September 30, along with some pretty big dates capacity/market wise early on (like Alpine Valley on October 3), I'm betting that at least some dates were put on sale early-mid August.

The sad truth. I always consider the TITN tour the official ending of the glory years. Some songs on TITN are awesome to me, though, and I would have loved to see them live ("Isn't It Midnight" especially but also "Big Love" and even "Family Man" to a degree).

This was actually my very first FM concert. I saw them at the Cow Palace in San Francisco and was totally blown away!!! I'd seen FM on TV before but had never seen them live and couldn't wait for the show. I'll admit I was apprehensive about what Rick and Billy would sound like instead of Lindsey, but went with an open mind. And I am very, very, very glad I did. It was a great show, Rick and Billy totally rocked in my opinion, and Mick totally blew me away with his solo on "World Turning". It was that night that I decided I wanted to learn to play the drums.

I totally loved "Isn't It Midnight" live. It was awesome! I also loved Rick bringing back (even if just a small number) of original FM songs from the PG days. That really helped round out the show for me. At minimum it paid tribute to where the band had come from. If you watch the TITN video (recorded over the 2 nights in SF), you can see Mick really getting into "I Loved Another Woman" with Rick in the lead. To me, it almost looks as though Mick is mentally in some smokey London club in 1968 backing up PG instead of in SF in '87.

Anyway, I honestly really enjoyed the Vito/Burnette era, as short as it was. It was just a shame that it didn't last longer than it did.

I saw them on Oct. 30th at the Boston Garden. It was my first time seeing FM and Stevie live. I don't remember if we already bought the tickets. I think they at least announced the date because I do remember panicking when they had a TV press conference to announce Lindsey left the band, and at the same time they announced Rick and Billy would fill in on the tour.

It was such an exciting time back then. MTV still showed videos and had VJ's and they would announce when the world premiere of the videos would be. I would be planted in front of the tube getting goosebumps when the world premier logo came on before seeing the Tango videos for the first time! Those were the days!

Ahoy' Rotterdam (Holland), June 15 1988
 

Well, it's my first Mac-tour. In 1988 they played two nights in the Rotterdam Ahoy' (same venue als they will play in october). I only knew TITN (because it peaked in Holland) and I knew the hitsingles as GOYW, You make loving fun (from a compilation-album) and I knew Stevie's Stand Back (because I had taped the Wild Heart from my uncle), so many songs were new to me...but I did not bother...It was just great to experience a rock-concert like that...

I'm not sure if the concert-video was out then, I knew I had taped it on VHS from TV that year, but cannot remember if it was before or after the show. I knew somehow that Billy and Rick were in the band, probably cause the live-video for Isn't Midnight was heavily played on MTV and Music Box.

Alas, it was a memorable night. The Dutch soccer team played against England on the (later won) European Championship in Germany and everywhere in the venue people had radios to miss nothing of the game. The Adventurers where opening for them (and they were from England). We won the game and the atmosphere was exited.

I went alone, was 18 years old and it was my first big concert, I had a seat on the side and had some argument about my seat (he or I didn't take a right look at the seatnumbers, cannot remember).

Alas the show was great, lot's of songs I knew and also lot's of songs I didn't knew...I had lot's of fun and thought these people were real rock-dinosaurs (Well Stevie was only 40 years old in 1988 and I'm almost 40 now...). Billy did congratulated us with winning the game that night and I thought that was great!

The next day (I believe) I got the Rumours-album and whitin a year I had all their albums Stevie's solo albums...and got hooked...

Started heavily tapetrading (before the days of the www) and got this show Mac played in the Ahoy and almost greyed out the tape (if you know what I mean). I do have a digital copy on my iPod nowadays..

Saw Stevie in 1989 (also in the Ahoy'), Mac in Utrecht in August 1990, Mac in Leiden (Time-line up) in late 1994 and then finally Mac in Oberhausen (Germany) again in 2004...was many many times very pissed that she/they only toured the US and I'm thrilled to see them again (twice) next month...

GoldDustOrphan--Thank you so much for your account!!! I loved reading it! If I had a time machine and could go back and see any Stevie/FM show, it would have to be the Halloween Night 1987 show for sure. It must have been magical there that night. Seeing a Stevie/FM on Halloween is something of my dreams, so thanks so much for telling us about it. And thanks for the pictures too. I especially love the one with the baloons! Would love to see more when you get a chance.

The post-production on the TITN VHS/DVD was a bit much. From remixing to re-recorded vocals (and Stevie's studio shot close-ups), made the show seem somewhat chilly and detached. I enjoyed the video at the time, but their live performances where so much more charismatic and energetic than the video.

I agree, Stevie's overdubs on Everywhere were awkward, but it sounded less severe live. (I thought her harmonic "wells" during the chorus of Isn't it Midnight enhanced the song.) She's Stepford Stevie in the video - very controlled and mannered - but she was much more spontaneous and spirited during the performances I saw.

I wish the video had the entire show, because I feel the abbreviated set list is somewhat lethargic.

I agree. From this thread it almost seems like the band wasn't quite as bad as some would make you believe. If only I was around back in those days!!! I know they played Freedom Hall that year, so I soooooo would have been there!!!

We used to sing "Freedom Isn't Free" in grade school. We'd sing it usually before our Friday morning assembly started.

Freedom isn't free
Freedom isn't free
You gotta pay the price
You gotta sacrifice
For your liberty

Do you remember that song, Ethan?

.......no:shrug:

Firstly I had no idea that these where overdubs..., i knew that the close up's were re filmed and pasted on as on the red rocks dvd.

I agree with you on isn't it midnight as well, possibly the stand out of the whole dvd imo. and stevie does enhance it with the wells.

I also like the kind of haunting echoey sound of dreams and gold dust woman, but Seven Wonders sounds more like a country song to me on this dvd.
It's way too slow...

I totally get what you mean about abbreviatted set lists on dvd's, it's thoroughly annoying... can you imagine the red rocks dvd with i can't wait and the wild rhiannon she did on that tour.

And what about the filmed White winged dove performance from LA in 1981, it would have been awesome to have blue lamp and how still my love on that video/dvd....

Why do they do it to us!!!!

Right on sister.

Then "The Dance" the final Mac Tour.

One year later, the "Buckingham Nicks" Tour.

Last, Lindsey's "Under The Skin" Tour.

And that's all she wrote

Red Rocks DVD with ICW would have been absolute perfection!!! Just sayin'

Not if it was overdubbed with in your face totally fake studio redone video like the rest of that crappy video.:)

I loved reading all the stories...thanks for sharing! I wish I could have been there to see a TITN concert live.... especially on Halloween!! :nod: But I was only about 6 at that time... too bad there is no time travel machines. :(

P.S. There are! Haven't you been watching the ABC television show LOST?

:lol::lol: I love that show!

Wasn't it called 'Shake The Cage' tour?
 

I saw this tour in Philadelphia, to my knowledge, it wasn't ever called the 'Tango In The Night' tour; it was called 'Shake The Cage Tour' and that was the logo/title of the t-shirt I bought at the concert (with penguins on it).
I remember it was a good show, and my friend Alec with me that night kept remarking of Stevie 'she has enormous t*ts, just look at them, I never noticed that before! They're enorrrrmous!!" We've covered the implants issue years ago on The Ledge, but I'm of the opinion that Stevie's implants were done or redone around this time, and you saw evidence of it on this tour and especially on the insert photo/sleeve of the Fleetwood Mac 'Greates-t*ts" green album. (Photo of Stevie on the floor)
I missed Lindsey but was really there to see Stevie. Christine and Rick and Billy were fine. The arena was packed. But without Lindsey, yes, a dynamic was missing in the band. "Seven Wonders" and "Isn't It Midnight" were the highlights for me that night, sometime, I believe, in early 1988, though it may have been in late '87.

What's GOS and Unleashed?? Coasting? Or is it like watching Senator Kennedy get buried in the dark? The sun has already set, people... :shrug:

Milktastic picture. That might have been the first picture of Stevie I ever saw, too, since my parents had the greatest hits CD.

Good point - yes it was called the Shake the Cage tour. We seem to mostly call it the TITN tour now on these forums though, but that was the name for the tour.

Wasn't that the song from Team America? :lol:

I'm not familiar with this picture... hahaha

Here's one more photo from Oct. 31, 1987 at the Boston Garden. This one from backstage....

This was my first Fleetwood Mac experience. I saw them at the Meadowlands. Although I was very disappionted that Lindsey was not on this tour, I was pleasantly surprised at how well Rick, and Billy seemed to blend with the band both musically and socially. I was unfamiliar with both of them until this point, they had their parts down and didn't come across as full of themselves. If anything they gave off the vibe of being honored to be a part of it, and that is what I found appealing. Stevie's vocals rocked, she seemed strong and confident, everyone just seemed to be enjoying themselves, the crowd was very receptive and let the band know it. Totally awesome experience.

For those of you who went, did you know ahead of time that Lindsey wasn't in the band??

I honestly don't remember.lol, I know that's pretty bad right?

To answer the recent question posted, yes, I knew that LB had left the band and Billy Burnette and Rick Vito had joined well before I bought my concert tickets. It had been well publicized, there were full page photo ads of the new lineup in the concert ads in the Sunday newspapers, and there had been media coverage (magazines and MTV) about Lindsey leaving and it being a bitter split. I think LB being gone was one reason the tour was called 'Shake The Cage' so as not to misrepresent the tour as the same lineup on the 'Tango In The Night' album, though, of course, the tour was done to promote 'Tango'.
I don't think many fans of the band were unaware that LB was gone. Stevie had been quite vocal about the split , a nationally published article in US Magazine later became expanded in a book I have but need to find (ha!) and will later quote from, the paraphrased (here) quote of Stevie's was "IF Lindsey dares to hold up this band when we are ready to tour and need to tour, he will be very quickly shown that the band will go on without him, he can be replaced, Fleetwood Mac has always been about change"- and when the article was published, the Rick and Billy 'in' and LB 'out' tickets were on sale. It seemed fast, at the time, to me. So, I think it was widely known Lindsey had split.

I also just 'flashed' on there being quite a psychological similarity to the tour titles of 'Shake The Cage' and the current 'Unleashed'... almost like touring is a confining prison? Poor little animals being put up on display for the amusement of the zoo-goers :) Watch out, they're unleashed now!!!
Please do not feed the Stevies :)

I saw them in LA (David? Were we at the same show? Your description doesn't even come close to the experience I had!).

I thought it was the best Fleetwood Mac show I'd seen in over a decade.

Loved the song choices.

The set was unf***ingbelievable!! The stretch bolded below is probably the best 5 song stretch during any concert I've ever seen; not just FMac, but BY ANY ARTIST!!

Say You Love Me
The Chain
Dreams
Isn't it Midnight
Oh Well
Seven Wonders
Rattlesnake Shake
Over My Head
Gold Dust Woman
Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You
I Loved Another Woman/Brown Eyes
Don't Let Me Down Again
World Turning
Little Lies
Stand Back
You Make Loving Fun
Don't Stop
Blue Letter
encores:
Go Your Own Way
Songbird

I saw them at the Forum. I had just moved to California in May. I saw them in December. I don't remember if I went to the first or second night.

I knew Lindsey was no longer in the band. If he had been in the band, I would have gone to both shows and would have hit Vegas and San Diego too.

I didn't think much of the show, thought Stevie was out of synch with the rest of the band most of the time. Found her jarring. But I do remember being very impressed with "Isn't it Midnight." Say You Love Me was also a highlight, but that one didn't surprise me. Midnight did.

Michele

As far as the video of the shows in SF are concerned, I would echo other comments about the production thereof. Waaaaayyyyy too many close-ups of Stevie, not that she wasn't beautiful then as now, but come on!!

The video also did not do the entire show justice. It was only about an hour long, the actual show being much longer, the coverage of Mick's solo was edited very poorly and didn't do that justice either. I think it was generally just poorly edited.

I did like the fact that during that era, Rick and Billy didn't jump in over the top of John's bass solo in "The Chain". It's the man's only real time where he gets any solo attention, and Lindsey always seems to jump in on top of it.

the whole video is garbage. It's shot like one long music video, which I suppose was the artistic direction and style at that time. What gets me is the slow motion effects...Why? Stevie was already in slow motion by that time, why slow her down even more? And she's looking into the camera most of the time. It's very distracting. The video completely sucked the energy and dynamic out of the live shows.