Opening with Sara
 

Hi all. I remember reading or hearing somewhere, years before the internet, that once during I think the Tusk tour, or possibly the Mirage tour, Fleetwood Mac opened a concert with Sara. This is such an anomaly because

1. They never open with a Stevie song
2. They never change their sets lists, at least not very much
3. It was a one off, as near as I can tell.

So does anyone know if it's true? And if it is, does anyone know (and when I say "know", I mean, you read somewhere and can show the source, 'cause people here LOVE to speculate :) ) how that came about? Did Stevie win a bet or something? I just can't imagine how they would do that for just one night. And it would be a really strange song to open with anyway.

I'm sure one of you will know this. :) Thanks in advance.

Kevin

Well I am not super positive, but I am pretty sure that never happened. I have never heard of it happening on either tour. And that would be really weird if it did.

The rumor I always heard was during the Behind the Mask tour or Tango tour they opened with Sara in New Jersey. This was reported and written but I don't think its true because I have looked at set lists from NJ and listened to booklegs. Sara never was played.
Anyone?

The weird thing is that I vividly remember (as much as I can vividly remember anything :) ) seeing a set list on line, like something archived on a F Mac or SN website,, where there was some sort or exception to the main setlist. I don't know if it really happened or not, but I do remember seeing that on line somewhere many years ago.

Kevin

The Nicks Fix, the John Kinney website that used to be the old Stevie Nicks website had a page called "concert set lists" that listed ALL set lists for each Stevie Nicks or Fleetwood Mac tour. The Behind The Mask Tour set list was listed and there was a footnote at the bottom of that page that said Fleetwood Mac opened with "SARA" for one show on the tour. I think this may have been where this story came from. I have no proof and have never heard a recording of "SARA" as a concert opener, however, The Nicks Fix Website tended to be very accurate during the time it was up and running. So, it's anyone's guess. I think it would be very cool to open a show in a different way. Bruce Springsteen plays a DIFFERENT set list every night, and his fans never know what songs will be in the show. I have always wished that Fleetwood Mac or Stevie Nicks would be more spontaneous with their shows and set lists.

I found the setlist which was for the Behind the Mask Tour. See the footnote at the end. As to whether it's true or not, the next time I'm hanging with Stervie I'll just have to ask her if she remembers. :)

Behind the Mask Tour - 1990

[Behind the Mask Tourbook] (UK and US versions varied slightly)

In the Back of My Mind/The Chain
Dreams
Isn't it Midnight
Oh Well
Rhiannon
Stop Messin' Around
Save Me
Gold Dust Woman
I Loved Another Woman
Landslide
World Turning
Everywhere
Stand on the Rock
Little Lies
Stand Back
You Make Loving Fun
Go Your Own Way
Tear it Up
Don't Stop
Songbird
Alternate Set List:
Say You Love Me
The Chain
Dreams
Isn't it Midnight
Love is Dangerous
Oh Well
Rhiannon
Stop Messin' Around
Save Me
Gold Dust Woman
I Loved Another Woman
Landslide
World Turning
Everywhere
Stand on the Rock
Little Lies
Stand Back
You Make Loving Fun
Go Your Own Way
Tear it Up
Don't Stop
Songbird
Additional Goodies: At *ONE* performance in New Jersey, Stevie opened the show with what appears to have been the last "live" performance yet of "Sara".

would love it if they brought back Isn't It Midnight :nod:

I've never bought this. It was always referenced but never backed up by anyone who was there or a recording. The Mac are predictable with setlists and were so in 1990 just as they are today. No way did they just decide in one show to not open with In the Back of My Mind or Say You Love Me. In particular with a song that wasn't played any other time on that tour.

It's more likely that you WILL be hanging with Stevie someday than it is likely that:

1. Stevie will remember if it happened, and
2. You will not be so excited to be hanging with her that you won't forget to ask.

:)Michele

The FMLegacy bonus notes for the show say something similar.

http://static1.squarespace.com/stati...+Mask+1990.pdf

July 24, 1990 – East Rutherford, NJ
There is a rumour that a snippet of Stevie’s song ‘Sara’ was performed at this show. Fans have never been able to confirm whether this, in fact, did happen. Squeeze opened the show. During ‘Go Your Own Way’, Stevie tripped over the speakers.

Right on! And particularly a song that doesn't scream Show Opener! It's bogus rumour.

Its not that I did not believe Sara was done in 1990 (since it was done in Europe in 1988) but what made it hard to believe was opening a show with Sara. If it was in the middle of the set I would have no problem believing it since bands add and drop songs all the time. But opening with Sara is just odd.
It would be great for someone who was at the 1990 NJ show to chime in.

Is it possible Stevie sang a few lines from "Sara" off-the-cuff, and someone, at some point, considered this a "live performance"? i.e., when she "performed" it during the taping of Storytellers. Not really a "performance" in the traditional/official sense, but someone could have described it as such.

Where I saw her (solo) in the mid 80's, she kept teasing the crowd with Landslide. She did it about 3 times throughout the show.

hahaha, true on both accounts :)


Kevin