“Stevie is running the show,” tour keyboardist says in interview
 

http://www.startribune.com/twin-citi...c/497968671/#1
Twin Cities keyboardist 'having a ball' touring with Fleetwood Mac
Ricky Peterson joins Fleetwood Mac in St. Paul on Monday.
By Jon Bream Star Tribune OCTOBER 18, 2018 — 5:55PM

He hasn’t ridden on the private jet yet. But Twin Cities keyboardist Ricky Peterson is on quite a ride playing with Fleetwood Mac.

His first gig with the band was for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in September. Then came the iHeart Radio Festival. Now there’s the 50-city tour, arriving Monday in St. Paul.

“This is wonderful, man,” he said recently from his room at Chicago’s posh Ritz-Carlton hotel overlooking Lake Michigan. “The band has never sounded better. I’m having a ball.”


Peterson is just three weeks into the six-month tour where he plays behind Stevie Nicks, complements keyboardist Christine McVie and marvels at Mike Campbell’s guitar playing.

First, an explanation of how Peterson got the gig. He’s played keys for Nicks’ solo tours since 2007. He also happened to know drummer Mick Fleetwood from vacations in Hawaii, where the veteran British rocker lives and operates a blues bar. Peterson got the call when Fleetwood Mac’s longtime sideman keyboardist left the band and started touring with guitarist Lindsey Buckingham.

“I didn’t have to audition for this gig,” said Peterson proudly. “They invited me to come and hang. I love it. I sort of grew up on this music.”

Fleetwood Mac

When: 8 p.m. Mon.

Where: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul.

Tickets: $69.50 and up; ticketmaster.com.

He’d jammed before with Fleetwood at the drummer’s blues club in Maui. Plus, he had Nicks’ endorsement.

Peterson was essential enough that when Fleetwood and ex-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers member Campbell auditioned singers in Hawaii, Peterson was involved. He won’t name names as to who tried out, but Neil Finn of Crowded House got the gig. That makes Finn and Campbell official members of Fleetwood Mac, while Peterson is a handsomely paid hired hand.

Two months of rehearsals

The keyboardist’s next assignment was to learn 38 songs before convening for rehearsal in Los Angeles on Aug. 1. The group practiced five days a week for about four or five hours daily until Sept. 28.

“I didn’t think it would take that long to get it all down, but it actually does, because there’s so much involved,” Peterson observed. “It’s a lot of music, and [learning] the beginnings and endings of songs.”

Who’s in charge? Buckingham used to be. He sued Fleetwood Mac two weeks ago over his dismissal. The band disputes his claims.

“Stevie is running the show,” Peterson said. “But they discuss it. No one is yelling at each other. It’s very, very diplomatic. And the principals are involved. Ultimately, I think Stevie and Mick are the final decisionmakers.”

Personnel drama from the start

There was a Fleetwood Mac long before Buckingham and Nicks came on the scene. The blues-rock band was founded in England in 1967. Personnel changes were a hallmark of the band until the lineup stabilized, and the music soared with the addition in 1975 of Buckingham and Nicks, who were a couple then.

The album “Fleetwood Mac” became a blockbuster, followed in ’77 by the even bigger “Rumours.” One of the bestselling albums of all time, it discussed the various romantic soap operas in the band. Hit albums, including 1979’s “Tusk” and 1982’s “Mirage,” and sold-out tours kept coming. So did bumps in the road.

Nicks and Buckingham launched solo careers and took brief leaves from the band at different times in the ’80s and ’90s. McVie, the third singer, retired in 1998 but returned to the fold four years ago.

With Fleetwood Mac planning to play only three shows a week on this tour, Buckingham wanted to be able to squeeze in solo concerts between Mac dates. The band not only said “no” but decided to proceed without him. The soap opera continues.

Peterson has no access to those feuds and lawyerly negotiations.

“I didn’t hear any heavy feedback from the principals, but nobody’s really talking about it,” he said. “Everybody’s happy and it sounds like it. Everybody’s having a good time onstage.”

Oldies plus a Petty hit

Peterson was there when the band whittled the set list down to 26 tunes for the tour. “That’s why it took two months,” he said.

There is a Tom Petty classic as well as hits Finn sang with Crowded House and Split Enz plus Fleetwood Mac oldies, including “Oh Well,” that predate Buckingham and Nicks.

Peterson gets solos during “Black Magic Woman,” one of the band’s oldies, and “Rhiannon,” one of Nicks’ biggest songs with Fleetwood Mac. And he does background vocals.

Keyboard parts are carefully worked out so Peterson doesn’t overshadow McVie.

“She’s the main keyboard player,” he said. “This is a sideman job. She’s very accommodating. She’s such a sweetheart. This is not a play-a-lot-of-notes gig. This is more of a listening-and-feel gig to figure out where everybody is going with the music. My job is to make them sound as good as they can.”

Peterson has no complaints about traveling by bus while the principals of Fleetwood Mac — and their assistants, spouses/significant others and dogs — journey by jet. Actually two jets. The keyboardist does get to roll in one of the many limousines used to transport the band to and from the hotel and arena.

Peterson, 60, knows the bus routine from his days playing with Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer and Nicks. He’s also toured for three decades with jazz saxophonist David Sanborn as well as recording with a host of stars, including Prince, George Benson, Mavis Staples, Steve Miller, Ben Sidran, Al Jarreau and Les McCann. Peterson has released four solo albums in the United States, with a new one issued in Germany this year.

But playing with Fleetwood Mac is “just a fun hang. There is no animosity. No attitudes. Everybody has their happy-camper vibe on. It’s just a great rock band.”

To avoid taxing Nicks’ voice, Fleetwood Mac never plays two nights in a row. Thus, Peterson gets plenty of free time. He’ll visit tourist sights and hit the gym. Then he mentioned the steak dinners he’s had with other sidemen in the band.

Peterson may not be a rock star, but he’s living in a rock star world, private jet notwithstanding.

Yes, she is running the show. So what!

Somebody has to do it :-)

Nice article though.

Ouch!
So its not Christine playing the solo during Black Magic Woman. Although she does a good job pretending its her. I miss her playing :(

Of course Stevie is in charge. Her rules when to tour. Her rules who's in the band. Her rules what songs to play. Her rules on the Petty tribute.

Well, let's look at this logically: John doesn't give a crap about what they play, he probably has even less interest than the new guys in what they play. Christine also seems, hmmm, how to say this, perhaps little emotionally invested in the set list as well. This is obvious to me by several comments she's made in the past. Clearly, Neil and Mike put in their requests, and so did Mick, but yeah, I have no doubt that Stevie was the one behind most of this set list or in charge- someone has to be, and it was never going to be John, Christine, Neil, or Mike. My only surprise about this is that anyone is surprised about this LOL!

Wonderful. The band has chosen the least musically qualified person to rule the band. No wonder she hated Lindsey enough to kick him out--of course he would not have allowed her to get her way. What other band in its right mind would allow a person whose musical knowledge extends to plonk plonk plonk on a piano to become its musical director? With Mike fortuitously becoming available she saw her chance and took it.

This is not a band I want to see or whose music I want to listen to. Thank goodness for Lindsey's Solo Anthology.

It proves everything. She can dictate how many nights a week they play but when Lindsey wants to delay the tour two months he gets fired. See? She fired him to get her buddy mike in the band. He can’t sing so they needed Neil. She’s a total freaking jerk and the whole thing makes me sick. She makes me sick.

I don't think the interview said Stevie was the musical director.

I wonder what songs didn't make the setlist?

Do YOU understand that Fleetwood Mac used to be a BAND? With THREE songwriters all pretty much equally contributing?????? And that it's now no longer a band?

And that your beloved queen ended that for us???? That it's now the $tevie Nick$ show? Can't you see that?

The old goat should have just left, and stayed solo. But old Dick needs her, for a bigger paycheck for his loser ass.

The Man Who Said Too Much
 

Ricky Peterson answers the door to his hotel room on the day after this article drops. Karen is standing there, flanked by two hired goons from.
"Oh, hi Karen."
"Hi Ricky. We need to talk."
The smile fades from Ricky's face.

I agree that it makes perfect sense that Stevie took charge here. When Mick is in charge, he has enough leadership ability to scout someone to be the next leader. Lindsey has long been the leader and I’m also not surprised that Stevie is the new leader.

I'm going to say something that is not going to be very popular around here. I will get lots of hate for sure, I expect that as this board has become all about hate.
I still love Fleetwood Mac. I still love Stevie, there I said it. I love the band and the years of music. I thought this was a place to go to share our love for the music and how it impacts our lives.
Every page I go to is the same over and over and over, how we hate the band and Stevie, week after week month after month. I get it, Stevie did the unpardonable sin, you think she should die and be sent to hell to rot etc.
But enough is enough already. Seems lots of people have left and no longer post. This has become the hate board. I thought this was supposed to be a place for FANS of the band to hang out. If you no longer like Fleetwood Mac or certain members, or can no longer listen to or buy their music maybe your not a fan anymore, you should start your own web page for haters of everything Fleetwood Mac and Stevie and move along, and not destroy this board for the rest of the people who would like to be here.
Can we move on, please?

And I thought people had the right of free speech. So we dislike what the band did to Lindsey and to itself, we should just shut up and leave? Well! If the mods and admin want to kick me out fine, I am hereby formally submitting my request to be removed as a member.

Stevie Nicks is going to burn in Hell. There. I've said THAT.

AMEN.

We're allowed to our opinions, and if you don't like it, go away yourself.

I hope the Old Goat burns in Hell. F*CK her. There. I've said THAT.

Not against free speech, but many posts are bordering on, trying to find the right word...hate speech, bullying, and even wishing to bring personal harm and death to others. This goes on and on month after month. You wouldn't or I hope you wouldn't ever say some of these things to a persons face. I guess some people hide behind social media to say things that should never be said.

There is plenty of love on The Ledge and more Ledgie's feeling the love than the hate. It's just that the hate is more vicious since Lindsey was canned.You gotta look past that negativity and simply enjoy yourself and contribute more positive posts. Haterz gonna hate and will continue to do so because they know it annoys and it makes them feel good to release the pent up frustrations they unfortunately feel on an everyday basis. Then try to imagine the sorry people who have to deal with these haterz in a real life setting. We can just close the page and we're done with 'em.

Thanks vivfox.

"I'm not the boss." Lol What a load of crock. Everything this woman spouts out lately is a blatant lie.

"I'm not the boss" aka I AM the boss and I call the shots.

"Records don't sell" aka Lindsey wants a record so screw him.

I love this woman's career and contribution to the band as much as the loyalists but enough is enough. Time to call a spade a spade.

This is no different than equating dislike for Donald Trump with dislike for America, and telling people to "move on" to another country if they don't like him. The reason why people are upset is BECAUSE they like Fleetwood Mac, and BECAUSE they are fans. The band means a lot to people. Telling people to "move on" after what happened is laughable. Just because you don't care or understand, and are fine with just whoever being thrown on a stage and being called "Fleetwood Mac" doesn't mean that it's so easy for EVERYONE to "get over it." Why is this so difficult to grasp?

Fan is short for "fanatic."

It’s repulsive and mind boggling that people are so obsessed that they spend hours per day posting the same vicious posts. I think it’s a lot of misplaced anger - some men here clearly feel they have been burned by women.

agreed. :)

When Mick is in charge? Don't get it twisted. Mick is always in charge.

Same here.

And there's a bit of a spit in Lindsey's eye to this whole article- "Stevie's in charge and now everyone feels they can contribute and there's no arguing".

I don't for a minute think there wasn't a lot of actual fighting and shouting and nasty arguing in the band, especially between Stevie and Lindsey.
What I find curious though is what some people, especially Stevie diehards, consider "fighting".

Like the whole DR doc scene, where Stevie and Karen double team Lindsey to pressure him into signing a contract that would commit him to having Chris Lord-Alge mix his songs when, as Lindsey rightly reminds them, that was NOT where they were at in the process. All they were asking Chris to do was mix ONE of Lindsey's songs so they could all evaluate whether they liked his direction and THEN if they did they'd do contracts and all that. That was a genuine heated discussion and difference of opinion about what was the next step. Lindsey did NOT yell, he stuck to his position, and then he called his manager and yes, totally made a snarky passive-aggressive remark about them blaming him for the contract issue. It was STEVIE who then raised her voice and started making loud comments about everything while he was on the phone, and then pestered him as he left the room which he did in order to not have the conversation in front of cameras and their voices got louder because they were talking and walking away from each other. Frankly his irritation honestly seemed pointed a lot towards Karen because it was a classic Stevie move to bring someone else along with her to be "bad cop" and do her dirty work for her. The two of them were trying to manipulate him to use the guy Stevie wanted and he wasn't going to be pushed as it wasn't what they agreed.

Yet they will INSIST that it was Lindsey 'being all mean' to her.

Or god forbid, as her producer on SYW, him pointing out the lyrics to her (which he has done throughout their entire careers) and her refusing to accept that he was giving her constructive advice. She was spring loaded to reject anything he said, in part because in the past he has indeed been really sh^tty about how he critiqued her work, and for that I don't blame her. But since her solo work she's had this increasing sense that everything she writes is divine and cannot be changed.

I work in a creative field and people get passionate about their ideas and discussions about projects get passionate. That's how creativity works, and as long as it doesn't get personal you have to deal with it. The problem in FM is that forever the work discussions devolved into personal attacks, which they are BOTH guilty of doing. It get not wanting to deal with THAT aspect of it. But she seems to want totally the kind of smooth sailing which only comes when you are NOT generating new ideas and working them out but instead are just going out doing a pre packaged show of oldies. I think he swallowed that for the live shows thinking he could get the payback in doing new stuff in the studio, but she refused. For that reason I actually think him parting company is a good thing for him. But again rather than having a rational, adult, business discussion about it, she just dug in and then got sneaky. And that's unforgivable, to me. ymmv.

Nope not moving on as convienent as it would be for you. Stevie Nicks and what she has done is despicable. Hell my 20 year old neice who IDOLIZED her is pissed at her. Sorry but she and FM deserve this.

Unless you're a Saudi Arabian journalist living America... Free speech is a concept related most to the American Constitution. It was even defined by our Supreme Court. ;) Other places not so much...

What if Hell doesn't exist?

Oh there are definitely some Proud ones around here. :shocked:

Well I have seen the trend of people on the internets adopting a wait and see attitude on this whole FM meshugas. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people write that there must definitely be more to it than Lindsey smirking. Common sense prevails.

Misogyny and sexism live on almost almost 50 years after the Feminist Movement made its indelible mark on this country. It's how Sh!tler got elected. White males were pissed off because what they believed was their privilege had been "stolen" from them by women and minorities. Now poor Lindsey Buckingham has been fired for smirking and it must be a woman's fault.

Well if she's getting her information from you I imagine she would be.

Well, to wait and see would include not jumping to conclusions about Lindsey's role too. But we all know you're not waiting, you've already made up your mind that it's all Lindsey's fault.

Nope she lives 3000 miles away and texted ME. “I’m so pissed at her”. I had nothing to do with it and she doesn’t even know about this board.

I'm a feminist, and have been for probably longer than you've been alive.

And that sentence and the connection you are trying to make with the first part of your statement (with which I agree) is just ridiculous.

Selective reading will give you the message you want. Some of the most vociferous voices against Stevie on here are equally brutal against Mick. What name should we label them for that? Are they racists against Brits?? Sizists against tall people??

Yes M$ck sucks just as much. Money grubbing wh$re.

Mick is by far the worst offender in the band given how he's handled himself over the years, especially in the name of "business".

It's just Stevie's actions now that are in the limelight because we know now through direct and indirect sources that this was her doing and, probably by the sounds of it, unjustified. Doing terrible things in the past doesn't justify being vilified years later, especially if you've made amends or tried to. Do I honestly think Lindsey is still the drugged out abusive person he used to be? No, just like I don't think Mick Fleetwood is a coked, sketchy individual who'll screw over anybody for a quick buck anymore.

But to ignore a person's bad behavior because the other person 'did some bad stuff' is senseless and irresponsible and partly the reason they are behaving like this in the first place, because no one calls them out on it. And that goes for anybody in the band, not just Stevie or Mick.

I doubt it. :lol:

I can certainly see it. Most of us do. And have the right to speak out about it as long as we want to. It is OUR band, that was hijacked by a short sighted, selfish egotist.

So my positive would be that Lindsey will likely be happier and more fulfilled in his solo career now.

Majority rules! Hah! Stevie rules. This article is just more proof of that and makes it even more credible that it was she alone getting Lindsey fired.

You mean the one who’s sold 30 million albums as a solo artist and is about to be the first woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for the second time? While I’m not a huge Stevie fan, she clearly knows what she’s doing.

Running the show isn’t the same as being musical director. I doubt they have anyone acting as a designated musical director.

I’m positive Stevie wishes Mike hadn’t become available.

30 million albums :shrug: to be generous I'd give her half that amount for North America but she has never had Fleetwood Mac's international appeal .Except for Australia and New Zealand(not exactly the most populous areas) she has not had sustained mainstream popularity anywhere else as solo artist . Last I knew she has not been inducted yet.

I don't. And no, I don't think you're a twenty something.:sorry:

Well, he already said "it was all Stevie", and she didn't deny it. Case closed.