Stevie in Q Magazine (March, 2017)
 

10 COMMANDMENTS: STEVIE NICKS - Q Magazine, March 2017
THE FLEETWOOD MAC SINGER DELIVERS HER GOLDEN RULES FOR LIVING.

1 MAKE LIKE A BOY OR GIRL SCOUT: BE PREPARED

I’m scared, that’s what I am. Before shows, some people – me, Mick [Fleetwood, [ drummer], we get panic attacks. I have always been terribly nervous before shows. So I am so rehearsed and ready that I could be dead and stand up there and still sing the right words and do the right thing. Cocaine almost killed me. It’s better to just not do it. Eventually you’ll have to stop so start saving your money for rehab now.

2 THE DRUGS DON’T WORK, THEY JUST MAKE IT WORSE

Touring with Fleetwood Mac in the ’70s, cocaine was almost part of the daily routine. But when I talk about it now, I would never want the kids of today to think that I’m saying it was something good. Cos it really wasn’t something good. It almost destroyed my life. It almost killed me, and almost killed a lot of people I know. So if anybody thinks it’s safe now – it’s not. It’s better to just not do it. Because you will eventually have to stop, so start saving your money for rehab now. It’s so expensive.

3 LYRICISTS! WATCH YOUR CUSS WORDS

I’ve been listening to The Weeknd’s records. I play them one after the other when I’m in my bathroom getting ready to go out, or just hanging out with myself. He’s brilliant. And his voice – he could have come straight out of 1975 – he could have been like Stevie Winwood. He’s over-talented. But if I were to meet him, I would probably say: “You say over and over again words that I would prefer you didn’t say. I think they’re unnecessary. However, even though I think a lot of your songs are super-dirty, I still really like ’em! So I’ve given you a pass on that!”

4 SINGERS! WATCH YOUR SYLLABLES

I saw Adele at the Grammys [Adele had to restart a performance of George Michael’s Fastlove], and that song was a very hard song to sing for George Michael. It’s all about the syllables. I have a song on my 24 Karat Gold album, Mabel Normand, that’s exactly the same. That’s the reason we’re not doing it onstage. Because if you take a breath, you get off the beat. You’re one word too late, you can never get back on, and you’re dead in the water.

5 YOU’RE A ROCK STAR – THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A SICKIE

Onstage is the one time you can’t bemoan how you feel. Even if you have pneumonia, you have to say: “I’m leaving that in the dressing room and I’m walking out and I’m gonna be great. And when I come offstage, then I can burst into tears.”

6 WRITING TIMELESS POP OR EPIC FANTASY – EACH IS AS HARD AS THE OTHER

I love Game Of Thrones. [Author Author] George RR Martin is my age [68 ] and it blows my mind that he’s able to create this vast, interlinked world. As a songwriter I write little movies, but I can’t imagine writing even one small book. But then, probably, somebody like him would say, “I couldn’t imagine writing Landslide.”

7 DON’T FEAR THE PRODUCER

In the 24 Karat Gold show, I’m singing songs that are new old songs – the ones that should have gone on [Fleetwood Mac’s] Tusk and Tango In The Night, and on [solo albums] Bella Donna, The Wild Heart and Rock A Little. And they didn’t: not because they weren’t good enough, but because I didn’t like how they were done at the time. I didn’t like the producers’ concept, whether it was Lindsey [Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac bandmate] or Jimmy Iovine. So I pulled them. So the way the songs are recorded on 24 Karat Gold is exactly how they were done as demos.

8 LEARN FROM THE GREATS. AND TAKE FROM THE GREATS

I give Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and [Jefferson Airplane singer] Grace Slick the three nods. From Grace I got her slinky-ness. Janis was just little with a big attitude and big hair and feathers, and a drop-dead amazing voice. And Jimi was completely and utterly humble. So from those three people I got slinky, attitude and humility – and that was my stage performance.

9 RESPECT OTHER ARTISTS, WHEREVER THEY ARE ON THE BILL

Chrissie Hynde and I have been touring America together. She’s just fantastic. A lot of the people in her group say they haven’t seen her that happy in 30 years. And I love that so much. Because I never wanted Chrissie to feel like she was opening for me. I wanted her to feel that it was a complete and utter double bill. But because the tour was my idea, I got to go on last, basically.

10 BE AN EASY WRITER, AND AN EASY ROCKER

I’ve always loved Tom Petty, from Refugee to Breakdown, all thosesongs. Tom’s an easy writer – very unlike Lindsey, more like myself. When Tom goes up there onstage, he might as well be in his studio or his living room with the stereo banging.

Stevie Nicks plays BST Hyde Park on 9 July. Tickets are available now.

Than that's why she doesn't do Mabel Normand...
I love how Stevie and Chrissie Hynde talk about each other.

:lol::rolleyes:

I love her so much, but COME ON!!! Truly humble people don't tell the world they are humble. They let other people come to that conclusion.

In my opinion, the "newfound popularity" she received after 1997's "The Dance" took away the last shred of humility she had about herself and her career. I miss that quiet, shy, insecure, soft spoken girl from "Bella Donna" even up to the "Street Angel" promotional interviews.

http://i.imgur.com/m0FF2RT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/P8q51we.png

Interesting, what is the "Q's guide to Fleetwood Mac" mentioned at the right bottom?

http://i.imgur.com/P9uW6ef.jpg

lol i just can't @ how she likes game of thrones. and twilight.

Thanks Danielle, you're a treasure.

Why not ? They're great fantasy stories, especially Game of Thrones. Twilight is very much like Beauty and the Beast, as far as the main storyline goes.

Jamie

I disagree with George Michael's Fastlove being like Mabel Normand though. I'm betting that Stevie is unfamiliar with George's version as it's pretty much a regular pop song. Adele just slowed it down dramatically when she did it as a tribute.

Jamie

I just don't like Game of Thrones in general, too much gratuitous sexual violence. I can get why she likes Twilight though, the whole mythical toxic relationship thing is right up her alley but it's like horrible writing lol.

Somehow I doubt George R.R. Martin is worried about not being able to write a Landslide. On the other hand, he's eternally frustrating to fans in that instead of finishing the last two books in the Song of Ice and Fire; he devotes so much time to blogging about politics and football, pushing the latest event at his art house theater and his gallery and attending every Con and awards ceremony that comes down the pipe, so it would be par for the course if he was distracting himself by trying desperately to write a song worthy of Stevie Nick's talents. :lol:

Personally I find Twilight much more disturbing and unhealthy than Game of Thrones.

Couldn't agree more, except that I no longer love her - I used to but not anymore. I don't even recognise the person she has become.

A friend who used to follow Stevie and the Mac back in their heyday recently came across some of her interviews and sincerely asked me "what happened to her?" They were genuinely shocked at her arrogance and opinionated ways.

I too am disenchanted by who she has become .

I am with those who are turned off by her current attitude .Like Michelle stated on here since she has gotten older her worst personality traits have become the dominant ones.I will always listen to her music though .It just meant so much to me during my turbulent youth.Whether I will ever go see her perform again is another question.

I still listen to her music. I still am listening to Bella Donna and Wild Heart remasters.
But I'm so turned off by her personality. ego paloooza..

I love the version of Are You Mine are on the WH remaster. It's so much better than the others. I think it doesn't sound quite as country and her voice is so gorgeous on it.

Me too! I think it's one of the most beautiful things she has ever recorded!

Stevie likes The Weeknd. That's amazing! I love him too but I wouldn't expect someone who's nearly 70 to like his music.

Mariah Carey Likes The Weeknd too if I remember well.
Stevie for a person of her age is pretty in touch with today's music, she also likes and listens to Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Beyonce, Adele, Vanessa Carlton and other people that I don't know. She knows more about nowadays music than me.

Don't you think, that this happens to some people as they get older....
Not every older person, but a lot do become very self opinionated.....
I am not making excuses. But as my eldest sister approached her 70's
she was very bossy, very, I am right all the time and demanded to be listened to just because she was getting older. And as she got to 80 she became even worse!!!

I loved her to bits but just like Stevie, she could be hard work.

I'm probably going to be run off the forum for saying this, but it's not just older artists who become a bit opinionated. It seems to happen to older fans too. And I don't mean just this forum. I see it all over the place for artists who have a typically older audience.

I totally agree.

Haha me too. The funny thing is I'm like their target age demographic but I couldnt tell you any of the top 40 hits right now. Besides Stevie and the Mac, I only listen to other classic rock artists and some 80s-90s country.

I think the political climate has something to do with it too. A lot of people are scared, angry, fired up. This in turn comes out in other subjects that have nothing to do with politics.
That also could explain why there are some people here who seem to jump on and twist every little thing she says into arrogant or egotistical. The Rumours board is the worst at this. A lot of downright mean people, using the "just expressing my opinion" and "that's what the board is for" cards. I know a lot of people who have left this site because of it. That's a shame.

Jamie

In theory I'm in their target age demographic too but the truth is that I'm secretly an old woman that sips tea and pets cats, so no The Weeknd or Ariana Grande for me.

i'm not a tween or a young adult nor am i nostalgic and only listen to the music of " my time " ( i'm not dead yet ) but I am still able to find plenty of new artist to listen to or see in concert, and enjoy the new music my old favorites make , ...the top 40 cookie cutter " singers' just don't have talent
and sadly it is created for you to like , it's nothing new it's been like that for a while

from 2016
http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/w...ounds_the_same


from 2015
https://mic.com/articles/107896/scie...ame#.uWGWOfIKM

from 2012 http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/...t-8368714.html

Agreed. There's plenty out there that is interesting, but the charts is not to place to look.

Recent discoveries for me include Benjamin Francis Leftwich. His guitar playing is more traditional and his melodies simpler, but I could imagine many FM fans particularly Lindsey fans enjoying BFL's music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE2YKq_093U

I also think that "The 1975" is a great band with great songs, though they couldn't sound less FM like if they tried. Similarly: Lorde.

i still see or hear that and think it's a disgustingly sweet , over priced drink from Starbucks:blob1:

Wow, a confident, ambitious and assertive lady who is comfortable being seen AND heard... Gross!:rolleyes:

It would be so cool if Stevie did another radio show, like the one a few years back to promote 24KG. From Haim to The Weeknd, she really has her finger on the pulse of up and coming good music! I'd love to hear her opinion on Lemonade... It's such a journey of an album, and right up Stevie's alley in premise.

Ariana Grande can actually sing very beautifully, but I think her producers mix too much crap over the top of it. IMO, with her voice she could be up there with Adele or even Whitney. YouTube "I Have Nothing " by Ariana Grande with David Foster, live. She sits on his piano and belts it out effortlessly.

As far as new-ish bands go, I love A Silent Film. Big Data is good too (both alternative genre).

Yes!! just yes!!

[Similarly: Lorde]

Interestingly, Lorde is a big Fleetwood Mac fan....she wrote a lovely Instagram message about how she was blown away by the Auckland On with the Show concert in 2015

Actually I meant more that I'm very much a creature of habit despite my age and I rarely change my tastes, when I find something that I like I pretty much stick to it and never come back nor search actively for more. Also I tend to be more fascinated from the vintage than the modern.
However the musical scene in my country is a little different than in America, for example there's the invasion of Italian white rap. But even I sometimes find enjoyment in the present artist, for example I'm liking this new Czech singer: