Melbourne

[SisterNightroad]

Review: Stevie Nicks and The Pretenders

MUSIC
STEVIE NICKS AND THE PRETENDERS ★★★
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
November 16

Some things are simply better left unsaid, or in the case or rock stars, said by somebody else.

Stevie Nicks has other ideas and her 24 Karat Gold Tour with special guests The Pretenders plays heavily on stories about the writing and recording of her solo material away from Fleetwood Mac, her vintage $3000 shawl, her first car and countless other tidbits from the 1970s, '80s and onwards.

Nicks' first car, an old Toyota that belonged to her grandmother, is significant because it represents her shift away from anonymity to being swept up in the world of rock 'n' roll excess, where the biggest of the big stars are ferried around in limousines, whatever time of the day or night.

These countless stories, including her collaboration with the late Tom Petty on the hit song Stop Draggin' My Heart Around, another far briefer collaboration with Prince and her penchant for playing grand pianos, took up a lot of time. In between these yarns were the songs, including Fleetwood Mac's Gypsy and Rhiannon, Gold Dust Woman and Edge of Seventeen, all delivered with Nicks' distinctive and still reliable voice.

Prior to Nicks and her band, including guitarist Waddy Wachtel, coming on stage it was The Pretenders with Chrissie Hynde out front who belted out a quality hour-long set of favourites, which had the crowd singing along and pumping the odd fist or two in the air.

Hynde congratulated Melbourne for its part in the successful "Yes" vote in the same-sex marriage campaign, but maybe went a bit far when she asked a couple near the front of the stage if they planned to now get married. Too personal, came the reply, and Hynde refocused her attention on the band's hits, including I'll Stand By You, Back on the Chain Gang, Don't Get Me Wrong and perhaps their biggest hit, Brass In Pocket.

Four decades after forming in Britain with the American-born Hynde and English drummer Martin Chambers, those two original members are now joined by a couple of flashy young guns on guitar and bass duties, but collectively they produce the goods.

Hynde returned to the stage during Nicks' set to sing Petty's original lines on Stop Draggin' My Heart Around. It was emotional stuff, coming just weeks since Petty died. On this night there were many times Nicks went down memory lane, but it's a place her fans were happy to be.



http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/...0171117-gznd94