Fireflies

[RockawayBlind]

Originally Posted by WatchChain

While there are many other underperformed songs that I'd like to see in a Fleetwood Mac set other than "Fireflies", YOU HAVE MADE AN EXCELLENT POINT. I have been saying the same thing for years. "STAND BACK" has no place in a Fleetwood Mac show. It's nowhere near one of Stevie's best songs. The cheesy 80's synthesizers make it sound dated and the song has not withstood the test of time. REMOVE IT FROM THE FLEETWOOD MAC SET LIST NOW. At a FM show, I always use "Stand Back" as the point for a short trip to the restroom and to REFILL my alcoholic beverage.

The reason it sounds outdated at this point owes more to a lack of imagination than anything else. It could be rearranged to reflect a more contemporary sound. Think about how Lindsey rearranged Everywhere for The Dance. To me, it sounded better than the original.

However, the point may be moot. In hearing HAIM and several other newer bands, I notice 80s-type synthesizer tracks are coming back.

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by markolas

Am I the only one who just doesn't think "Fireflies" is a very good song?

Originally Posted by elle

no, you are not.

I've always thought it sounded a bit like filler, to be honest. However, I do like the sentiments the song is conveying, though. This tour would seem like a very appropriate time to resurrect the song, with the 5th firefly returning & John's ailing health.

Regarding it replacing Stand Back in the set... I just don't know. I get the contention that a solo song should not be in the Mac set, and fully agree with that assertion. That being said, Stand Back is one of the few songs left in the setlist that is really high energy, and gets people to their feet. If I had my way, Fireflies would replace something tired, like Landslide... or Rhiannon, which is just plain awful these days. However, neither of these will happen. And I don't really want Fireflies to replace Gold Dust Woman, Dreams, or Gypsy... so I'm not sure where it would find a home.

[KarmaContestant]

I agree that Stand Back needs to be dropped. If Fleetwood Mac needs songs with more energy, then they should have been recording them in years past. Fleetwood Mac's rendition of Stand Back are horrible anyway, and sound nothing like the song on The Wild Heart.

Everybody Finds Out and Second Hand News have loads of energy - if they need energy, there are other choices. Running Through The Garden. Big Love (album version). Seven Wonders. Love Is Dangerous. Save Me.

I'd love Fireflies to be back in the set.

[pattyfan]

I guess it all depends on how you look at it. If you want to please the masses, then Stand Back is in. Probably most casual fans don't know or even distinguish between Stevie's solo song and Fleetwood Mac songs. I personally never liked the live version of Stand Back very much. Also, I know when I go to a Fleetwood Mac show that I am only going to get 6-8 Stevie songs, so I sure in the heck do NOT want one of them to be Stand Back. I personally love Fireflies and think that it would be such an appropriate song for this tour.

My two cents.

Kevin

[KenshiMaster16]

They need to go back to the way they used to perform Stand Back if it's going to stay in the set (The Dance tour or SYW tour) as the SYW version of the song is hands down the best they've ever done it with The Dance version a close second. The album version of the song is so incredibly dated now that I can't even listen to it anymore without cringing and I actually fully consider it a Mac song now.

I agree that they could replace it with something along the lines of Running Through The Garden or Everybody Finds Out but most casual concert goers don't know those tunes and in the world of rock radio, Stand Back is more universally known to people and will thus stay in the Mac set until the band is done. It's pretty much just fact at this point and I know a lot of people hate acknowledging it. However, Fireflies (imo) was never that strong of a song. Always felt a bit B-Side-ish to me.

[SteveMacD]

Nah. The Rick Vito version was the best.

[paleshadow]

Originally Posted by michelej1

But Go Insane hasn't been in the setlist in awhile anyway.

Michele

Oh, my bad. I haven't been to a Mac or Stevie show in a few years, shows what I know. Now if they still played it, my argument against it vs. Stand Back would be that at least Stand Back is a band effort. Lindsey even sings on it. Go Insane was just him and his guitar.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by paleshadow

Oh, my bad. I haven't been to a Mac or Stevie show in a few years, shows what I know. Now if they still played it, my argument against it vs. Stand Back would be that at least Stand Back is a band effort. Lindsey even sings on it. Go Insane was just him and his guitar.

Lindsey doesn't sing on Stand Back. He is mouthing the words, which is what you see on camera, but he's not at his mic actually singing. He's just gesturing, pantomiming for the audience and is not audible.

But yes, he's on stage for Stand Back.

Michele

[sanders8323]

Originally Posted by paleshadow

Oh, my bad. I haven't been to a Mac or Stevie show in a few years, shows what I know. Now if they still played it, my argument against it vs. Stand Back would be that at least Stand Back is a band effort. Lindsey even sings on it. Go Insane was just him and his guitar.

They actually did Go Insane as an ensemble piece on the Unleashed tour in 2009.