Stevie Nicks @ WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
 

Wow, so close. Thanks for posting.

Hey, you were about 4 people to the left of me! I was the tall guy in the red t-shirt right in front of Stevie (maybe a little to the left).

Concert was amazing, obviously, the crowd was pretty low key so I think Stevie appreciated my overt enthusiasm! My friend and I were directly in front of Stevie and managed lots of interaction with her, lots of smiles, eye contact, blowing kisses (admittedly mainly from me, I think one at least was reciprocated!). Edge walk was amazing, I gave her a flower and she seemed to linger in our area so I managed to kiss her hand (I got very caught up in the excitement - she didn't seem to mind!) At the very end, Waddy came right over to me and gave me his finger pick then after all of the bows and thank yous Stevie came back over to me to shake my hand again!

Dave was great beforehand, he was trying his hardest to get the crowd going so after a couple of requests my friend and I were up dancing and then others followed suit. My friend (who has recently developed an infatuation with Dave) gave him a rose at the end and he signed her copy of Blackbird Diaries.

Before the concert, my friend and I had got talking to a roadie. I had my RAL vinyl on the off chance of an autograph so when we were talking to this guy I asked him (more as a joke than anything) if he could get Stevie to sign it. He told us to wait behind afterwards and he would see what he could do. So after the show we went straight to the exit (it was literally just myself and my 4 friends) and were waiting for maybe 20 minutes (unlike the previous week at Sydney when we waited until 1am) when we saw Stevie emerge and get into a minibus (!). So naturally we shouted her to make our presence known, at which point a security guy came over and advised us that she would sign us one thing each. He asked for our names, disappeared off into the minibus for 5 minutes then re-emerged with all of our items autographed with each of our names! So my RAL vinyl now reads – ‘Andy, love Stevie Nicks’ and is my most prized possession. She then drove off and gave a final wave.

Dave was apparently ‘unwell’ and so we didn’t see him at all after his own set. His absence was most apparent on Ghosts are Gone but Waddy did a great job in his place. Stevie mentioned during the show how she had never been to Wollongong before but that this could possibly be the place where she buys a house on a cliff by the sea. She did the usual ‘this isn’t a greatest hits tour’ etc and at the end thanked the crowd for ‘being gracious’ and sitting down to listen to her new songs (maybe she really did appreciate it or perhaps this was her way of acknowledging the distinct lack of activity!)

Sorry if this reads really badly, I’m still a little overwhelmed by the whole experience and to needed to get it all down! Without a doubt the best night of my life. :nod:

That read well! Great recap of the show... Sounds like you had a great time.

That's fantastic that you got your things signed. Too bad about Dave. I bet Stevie missed his energy and spark.

Michele

Great review. Thanks for sharing. Wonderful that your vinyl was signed :)

By Sarah Moss, ABC, December 6, 2011
http://www.abc.net.au/local/reviews/...06/3384845.htm

Stevie Nicks plays Wollongong

As a member of Fleetwood Mac she captivated a generation, and Stevie Nicks brought her trademark ethereal feel to Wollongong.

It was cold, windy and wet when the baby boomers fought for parking down by the beach and several blocks inland.

Many appeared to have arrived early enough to have quite a few drinks.

Surprisingly, many stayed outside drinking while Dave Stewart and his excellent band played a great set.

It was early though, they were playing a Eurythmics track when we arrived at 7:30pm.

Stevie announced at the start of her show that this concert tour was not a greatest hits show but to promote her 2010 album with Dave Stewart.

She then reassured us that there would be some hits interspersed with the new work.

The crowd was grateful.

Then, to sweeten us up, explained she'd never before visited Wollongong (which she correctly pronounced).

She praised the vista of entering from the escarpment: "Where the amazing ocean meets the mountain.

This is maybe where I find my house on the cliff".

"Yes!" we cheered, especially the Wombarra residents down in the $170 seats who probably thought more of the boost to their home prices than what sort of a neighbour Ms Nicks might really make.

A couple of new songs, the second with a video projection featuring Dave Stewart in black and young ethereal girls swirling around in swirly Nicks style dresses, cutting to images of a dark Stevie in black with very straight blonde hair.

The video background was quite distracting but reminded the crowd of Stevie's witchy persona.

In the flesh, she reminded us too of what she had been.

She wore a dark red, layered, ruched dress with tight bodice and the most amazing hair.

Long, lustrous white blond locks had the 2011 Stevie, more beautiful than the tortured perms of the 70s and teased looks of the 80s but a little incongruous 30 years on.

The band launched into Dreams and the crowd sang along.

The expensive seats came alive with the lights of iphones: were they recording or waving their lighter app in the air?

Stevie was very chatty between songs and told how watching Twilight: New Moon in Australia had inspired the new Moonlight, a Vampire's Dream.

More video projections: Stevie with an owl, girl with unicorn, sweeping staircase, Dave Stewart, and a fanged dark haired male who looked to me like a young bearded Lindsay Buckingham.

Then off she went for a costume change, reappearing in a black dress very similar to the red one but still her signature style.

She also wore a gold shawl and I realised I'd nearly forgotten about Nicks' shawl work.

Gold Dust Woman was a crowd pleaser and Stevie used her shawl as a prop, holding it up to the light.

Dancing was never her forte, she shuffles, legs apart, around the stage occasionally slowly whirling around and wielding her shawl.

The next, a tribute to soldiers and their loved ones featured an image in the background of a younger Stevie draped in the U.S. flag.

Hmmm.

A nice plug for legacy.com.au won the crowd over.

More talk from Stevie this time about knowing Edgar Allen Poe hundreds of years ago and reading him in high school, also "hundreds of years ago" she joked.

A Poe poem in a song, another song then another costume change...to a black Nicks dress with long chiffon tails from the sleeves.

Yes! Rhiannon!

That's what the crowd had come for!

Nicks swirled witchily in her chiffon sleeves.

Wollongong matrons danced and Stevie wailed.

At 15 I wanted to name my first daughter Rhiannon.

Then another chat about family and a dedication to a couple of local familes and the band gave us Landslide.

Old photos of Stevie and her family: Stevie as a kid, a teen, a young star, her parents ageing, finishing on a final picture of her father on his motorised scooter made the projections really resonate. We had all thjckened around the middle since her halcyon days.

A couple more songs and we were treated to an impressive percussion solo from the percussioist, drum solo from the drummer and then guitar solo (oh the 70s!).

After a 10 min. (I kid you not) introduction to the band members White Wing Dove really rocked, Stevie now in an ivory dress, again gathered and ruched with frills for her to wave in her left hand as she wielded her mike stand which trailed black leather straps and silver chains.

Before she departed Ms Nicks pulled her hair back and a minder grabbed her waist as she leant into the crowd shaking and clasping hands right across the front of the stage.

Wollongong felt a part of Stevie Nicks life last night.

She shared her stories and music and tried to include us with many local references.

She talked a lot and summed up her motivation for relaunching her career: she doesn't want to be a relic.

We liked her and her stories of how she rose from waitressing to travelling on Fleetwood Mac's private jet.

I noticed how some of the local ladies had made an effort in the Stevie Nicks "look" area after the show.

I spotted so many shaggy blonde dos, even crimped hair and, in McDonalds car park an exquisite handkerchief skirt in white tulle and blue fabric.

Well done girls!

Sounds like your night was spectacular!

And I loved your recap -- reading your review then reading the ABC one? You're the one who should be getting paid :thumbsup: