Montreal Gazette, by Bernard Perusse, March 26, 2009
http://communities.canada.com/montre...vie-nicks.aspx
Not so sure about Stevie Nicks?
Comments from readers on the Fleetwood Mac show are coming in. Most are raves, but one caught my eye. Filomena made an interesting observation:
"I really enjoyed the show," she wrote. "Mick, Lindsey and John were amazing. But am I the only one who noticed how lethargic Stevie was??? Yes, she's 60, but Tina Turner is even older and rocked like you wouldn't believe in December. Yes, Stevie's voice was good, although she didn't hit those hiigh notes. And from where I was sitting, I could clearly see the monitor on stage and beside the stage with not only the lyrics scrolling up (and these were for Stevie - when she was off stage, Lindsey didn't need them) but also directing her actions - GO TO THE TENT, GET YOUR CAPE BEHIND JOHN, GET YOUR TOP HAT BEHIND JOHN, SAY GOODNIGHT - I mean, come on - what was that all about???"
From my seat, I was blissfully unaware of monitor action, but big rock tours leave nothing at all to chance now. When such ambitious concert undertakings were in their infancy, audiences cared less about perfection and more about the live experience. So if the performer flubbed a verse, missed a cue or had a few drinks and got sloppy, it was all part of the fun. Increasingly, rock audiences want more or less perfect reproductions of the songs as recorded, so monitors have become de rigueur for many boomer artists, whose memory in their 60s just ain't what it once was.
I'd also say that Stevie Nicks, even in her 20s, was not trying to be the flamboyant rocker Tina Turner was. It's a bit apples and oranges. As for Lindsey needing no prompters, what can we say? He's a wonderful, crazy force of nature.