Derwent Entertainment Ctr (Glenorchy)
 

The Mercury
http://www.themercury.com.au/article...755_music.html

Stevie Nicks still has it

CRAIG HOGGETT | December 11, 2011 12.00am


AGE has done little to diminish the popularity and raw musical power of rock and roll royal Stevie Nicks.

Thousands of Tasmanians flocked to the Derwent Entertainment Centre last night to see the 63-year-old former Fleetwood Mac member perform her In Your Dreams tour.

Support acts Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame and Brian McFadden kept the packed house of almost 4000 fans warmed up before Nicks took to the stage for a performance lasting nearly two hours.

Were you there? How did you rate the show?

Last night marked the end of Nicks's Australian tour, having played 10 shows in the past month.

To mark the end of the tour, Stewart was invited to share the stage with Nicks for a specialsend-off combiningboth bands.

Fleetwood Mac fans, old and new, were kept happy as Nicks rolled through a selection of the band's hits many of which she penned in the 1970s.

The retrospective was a nostalgic reminder to older fans and cemented her status as one of the all-time greats.

The show also featured songs from her latest, and seventh, solo album released 30 years after her acclaimed 1981 record Bella Donna.

Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album Rumours charged back in to the Australian charts at No. 2 this year after being featured on hit TV show Glee.

Fans were undeterred by tickets that ranged from $145 to $165.

I'm surprised that no one has commented on this performance as yet since I'm quite certain I glimpsed an enclave of Ledgies in attendance, but perhaps I was mistaken...

Anyway, I was privileged to have witnessed the final night of the Australian tour and it was truly wonderful. I won't bore you with a review as such since everybody would be aware of the setlist by now, but Stevie truly was on fire. I was at the Sydney show on November 29 and whilst that was a great concert, the Hobart performance was blistering.

I skipped Brian MacFadden's support slot (just as I did in Sydney) so can't comment on how awful that would have been, but Dave Stewart was in fine form throughout his set. There was no evidence of his illness from earlier in the week and he was much stronger vocally than he had been less than a fortnight ago.

Stevie entered the stage to thunderous applause and this reception didn't desist for the entire evening. This was her first visit to Tasmania and the response from the crowd was not lost on her. She apologised for not having come sooner and promised to return in the future. I think this fact, coupled with the knowledge that this was the last night of the tour, galvanised Stevie into pulling out all stops and really delivering on all accounts - she simply was magnificent from beginning to end.

As a long-term fan, I am acutely aware of her shortcomings from time to time and have on occasion, cringed at listless performances and missed notes. In other words, as much as I adore her, I don't view her through rose-coloured lenses and will admit to a lacklustre effort on her part if warranted. However, I am pleased to report that she exceeded all my expectations in Hobart and made me tingle from head to hoof - she was truly sublime.

Stevie spoke of her joy for this year's tour, but also mentioned that whilst most of the band were sad that it had now come to an end, others were wanting it to end, due to exhaustion and possibly homesickness. That said, it was evident that everyone on stage was quite emotional, particularly towards the end of the night. After "Love Is", Stevie and band were joined onstage by Dave's band as well as Brian MacFadden and members of Australian group The Panics for a final bow. The warmth generated between these people seemed sincere and heartfelt. All in all, the night was a truly memorable experience.

PS I had been fortunate enough to obtain fantastic seats in Sydney but managed to get right up to the edge of the stage in Hobart, directly in front of Stevie for the entire performance. Observing her that close-up for the whole duration of her performance was absolutely mesmerising, not to mention touching her hand, stroking her boots and peeking up her skirt as she stepped forward!! I just wanted to kiss those cute little calves of hers. ;)

Also, I noticed a roadie turn his video camera in the direction of the crowd as everyone left the stage and wondered if this could be for inclusion in the upcoming documentary? I didn't notice this occurring in Sydney but for all I know, it could have happened at other shows.

thanks for the review Phil. I travelled down from Melbourne for the show :woohoo:

also worth mentioning is that Stevie flew "doll shop Margaret" down for the show, and she appeared on stage with Stevie at the end as well.

the crew were also playing tricks on either other. Brian McFadden was given a shorter-than-usual stool to sit on; then Brian and 2 of Dave's singers dragged Stevie's vocal coach off stage after L&L; then, one of the highlights of the night, the crew sent someone out dressed in a Tasmanian Tiger costume to meet Stevie for the Edge Walk, lol. Stevie didn't seem too surprised, so maybe she was in on it.

the only downside was that security were absolutely rabid in shutting down photos (and the spoken announcement preceding the show didn't actually get played for this show either!), stopping people from even taken their camera out (generally other venues would let you grab a photo or two as long as it wasn't continuous). Despite this I snuck in a few videos that I'll put on youtube when I can :shhh:

Thanks for both reviews, I look forward to seeing your footage from Stevies farewell concert in Tassie:thumbsup:.. Unfortunately due to the camera police there are only a few short clips from this awesome tour, such a shame!!! Well im so happy that i got see Stevie in Brissy, i hope she stays true to her word that she WILL be back..:thumbsup:

I was hoping it was a Tasmanian Devil costume!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Tunes.svg.png
Still, it sounds like a hilarious situation!

Sounds like it was an awesome show, and it's a pity about the video policy. Ironically, Waddy's official site has posted practically the entire Wiltern show via audience videos posted on YouTube. Clearly he has no problem with videos!

Moonlight in Hobart:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5QJWlcO9ZM

barely worth it, but hopefully slightly better than nothing.

Thanks for posting, :thumbsup: that was great, got any more??

just the end of Stand Back and concert intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-JfwU02AsQ

and Dreams intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAJ4OpZWtKA

I really wanted the final 2011 farewell, but security was a real bit*h :(

lol, I thought it was a kangaroo suit at first, until I saw the stripes down the back.
I hope someone grabbed a photo.

Listen up cactus jack, Stevie nicks singing moonlight in red is ALWAYS worth it!:blob2::blob1: thank you very much for this!