RP.online Frankfurt review and interview with Stevie 11/10

[Les]

This interview/review was for the first Frankfurt show on Sunday. It's from -- http://www.rp-online.de/public/newsm...ik/news/26294.

My mom used to speak German fluently, so I asked her if she could translate for us. She gave it her best shot. Thanks mom!

RP.online
November 10, 2003

Once again the magic from Fleetwood Mac

Frankfurt am Main. Age doesn't protect you from rock and roll. Fleetwood Mac began its European tour Sunday evening in the Festival Hall in Frankfurt. Classics from "Rumours" up to the current album were played.

There were all the big hits from "Dreams" to "Go Your Own Way" and the unavoidable inclusion of "Don't Stop." Yet it was no mere Golden Oldie Show that Fleetwood Mac displayed on Sunday at the downstroke of its European tour in Frankfurt am Main. Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie- only Christine McVie was missing from the legendary "Rumours" group - celebrated once again the magic of the band whose concerts, like no one else in the mainstream of rock, can turn into pure energy. They stood the not quite sold out house on its head after two and a half hours.

It was based as always on the softly crackling duets between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, which immortalized the end of their private relationship in the Pop classic "Rumours." But also on the powerful dynamic of the Fleetwood-led three part percussion section, in the unlimited world class rumbling bass of McVie, and in the occasional ecstatic breakouts on the guitar by Buckingham. And also in the new pieces from the first album from these four since "Tango in the Night," from 1987, "Say You Will." In Buckingham's "Come" he cries out why Fleetwood Mac can still do it. "Because nobody else is doing it."

After the album went public in the new year, the band at first booked a US tour with 40 concerts, related Nicks in an AP interview before the show in Frankfurt. It became 70 concerts. "In the beginning there were many in the audience who were as old as we were," said the 55-year old youngster of the band. "That in itself was a little shocking. Later, however, many young people attended." In Frankfurt the audience were in their 30s and older.

"The last real tour was 1983," explained Nicks. After the live album "The Dance," in which Christine McVie's part was so to speak inserted after the fact, no more complete tours were given. (Note: my mom said she didn't quite get this part about Christine, so she either didn't quite translate literally, or the newspaper itself is - {gasp!} - confused. ) "On account of that it is so much more astonishing that this band still has the magic. I miss Christine, she was an important member and is my friend, but finally we had to let her go. And that forced us to draw more together as a group. Lindsey and I had to fill in the songwriter gaps as well." As to whether there will be another Fleetwood Mac album, Nicks equivocated: "Perhaps."

Nicks among others contributed to the pop-folk title song "Say You Will," Buckingham, for example, hit the nerve of the current time with two political songs at the opening: "Peacekeeper" and "What's the World Coming To." Three songs which have come to stand along with the, at least in Frankfurt, requested hits "Rhiannon," "Looking Out For Love" and the ecstatic whirlwind from "Tusk."

"I think music isn't like it was in the 70s and we aren't 20 anymore," said Nicks. "That makes it all the more important to experience this magic for two and a half hours." That may well be possible because she relates better with Lindsey now. He has married, has become a father and has opened himself up to the world. "Without his family, he would have been this tortured artist living in his garage."

"The two hint at a battle scene on the stage and one gets an impression of how the fur can fly between them. But it can be different too. "I like that we can once again show tenderness on stage."

It remains only to describe the entrance of the senior member of the band to describe. The 61-year old Fleetwood storms over the stage and works over a special Westentaschen drumset with such a rhythmic dedication that no one can stay in his seat. "Mac is back," he screams. Age doesn't protect you from rock and roll.

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Here is the German text:

Noch einmal die Magie von Fleetwood Mac

Frankfurt/Main (rpo). Alter schützt nicht vor Rock'n'Roll: Fleetwood Mac starteten am Sonntagabend in der Frankfurter Festhalle ihre Europatournee. Gespielt wurden Klassiker von "Rumours" bis zum aktuellen Album.

Es gab all die großen Hits von "Dreams" über "Go Your Own Way" und der unvermeidlichen Zugabe "Don't Stop". Und doch war es keine bloße Golden-Oldie-Show, die Fleetwood Mac am Sonntag zum Auftakt ihrer Europatournee in Frankfurt am Main abzogen. Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood und John McVie - von der legendären "Rumours"-Besetzung fehlte nur Christine McVie - zelebrierten auch noch einmal die Magie der Band, in deren Konzerten wie nirgends sonst Mainstream zu Rock, zu purer Energie, werden kann. Am Ende stand die nicht ganz ausverkaufte Festhalle nach gut zweieinhalb Stunden Kopf.

Das lag an den noch immer knisternden Duetten zwischen Stevie Nicks und Lindsey Buckingham, die das Ende ihrer Privatbeziehung 1977 in den Pop-Klassiker "Rumours" verewigten. Aber auch an der wuchtigen Dynamik der von Fleetwood geleiteten dreiköpfigen Perkussionsabteilung, dem in souveräner Weltklasse brummelnden Bass von McVie und dem an der Gitarre manchmal ekstatisch ausrastenden Buckingham. Und auch an den neuen Stücken vom ersten Album dieser vier seit "Tango in the Night" von 1987, "Say You Will". In Buckinghams "Come" wird herausgeschrien, warum es Fleetwood Mac noch geben kann: "Because nobody else is doing it" ("Weil es sonst niemand macht").

Nach der Albumveröffentlichung im Frühjahr habe die Band zunächst eine US-Tournee mit 40 Konzerten gebucht, erzählt Nicks im AP-Interview vor der Show in Frankfurt. Es seien 70 geworden. "Am Anfang waren viele Leute im Publikum, die so alt waren wie wir", sagt die 55jährige Juniorin der Band. "Das war an sich schon ein wenig schockierend. Später kamen dann aber viele junge Leute hinzu." In Frankfurt war das Publikum mitteljung bis älter.

"Die letzte richtige Tour war 1983", erklärt Nicks. Das Live-Album "The Dance" danach sei mit Christine McVie sozusagen nachträglich eingespielt worden, eine volle Tour sei das nicht mehr gewesen. "Es ist deshalb umso erstaunlicher, dass diese Band noch immer diese Magie hat. Ich vermisse Christine, sie war ein wichtiges Mitglied und ist meine Freundin, aber letztlich mussten wir sie gehen lassen. Und das hat uns gezwungen, noch mehr als Band zusammenzurücken. Lindsey und ich mussten außerdem die Songwriter-Lücke füllen." Ob es ein weiteres Fleetwood-Mac-Album geben wird? Nicks weicht aus: "Vielleicht."

Nicks steuerte neben anderen den poppig-folkigen Titelsong "Say You Will" bei, Buckingham zum Beispiel zwei politische Songs, die bei Veröffentlichung genau den Nerv der Zeit trafen: "Peacekeeper" und "Whats the World Coming To". Drei Songs, die neben den ebenfalls in Frankfurt gebotenen Hits "Rhiannon", "Looking Out For Love" und dem ekstatischen Wirbel von "Tusk" bestanden haben.

"Ich meine, die Musik ist nicht mehr wie in den 70ern und wir sind keine 20 mehr", sagt Nicks. "Umso wichtiger ist es, diese Magie wieder zu beleben, für wenigstens zweieinhalb Stunden." Zurzeit sei das gut möglich, weil sie besser mit Lindsey auskomme. Der habe geheiratet, sei Vater geworden und habe sich der Welt geöffnet. "Ohne Familie wäre er dieser gequälte Künstler geblieben, der in seiner Garage lebt."

Eine Kampfszene deuten die beiden auf der Bühne an, und man bekommt schon eine Ahnung davon, wie zwischen ihnen die Fetzen fliegen können. Aber es geht auch anders: "Ich mag es, dass wir auf der Bühne (wieder) Zärtlichkeit zeigen können."

Bleibt noch der große Auftritt des Band-Seniors zu beschreiben. Der 61-jährige Fleetwood tobte bei einer Zugabe über die Bühne und bearbeitete dabei ein spezielles Westentaschen-Drumset mit einer rhythmischen Hingabe, dass es niemand mehr auf den Sitzen hielt. "Mac is back!" schrie er hinaus. Alter schützt nicht vor Rock 'n' Roll.

[stefan]

JAHNKE: Das war das dritte Konzert in der Color-Line-Arena, da haben wir einen Deal gemacht. Wir haben mit 5000 Leuten gerechnet, und die hatten wir dann auch. Das war der so genannte Härtetest, denn es gibt zurzeit keine Band, die mehr Energie versprüht als die Foo Fighters bei entsprechender Lautstärke. Wir wollten die Halle ausprobieren und hatten deshalb Sonderbedingungen. Einen Einführungspreis sozusagen, mit dem auch die Band einverstanden war. Sonst kann man tatsächlich mit 5000 Besuchern nicht klarkommen. Nehmen wir Fleetwood Mac: Die kommen nicht nach Hamburg. Da hätte man eine Riesengarantie zahlen müssen - und ich seh einfach keine 12 000 Fans.


http://www.abendblatt.de/daten/2003/10/16/218920.html

This is a quote and the link to an interview in the "Hamburger Abendblatt" with a concert manager from Hamburg calles Jahnke. The city has the new "Colorline Arena with a capacity of 12000 people instead of the old Sportsarena with 7000 people. According to Jahnke that leads to a huge guarantee bill for the artists performing there, which only then amortizes/redeems, if the arena is nearly sold out. Fleetwood Mac for example he says wouldn't come to Hamburg. "We had to pay a huge guarantee and I don't see 12000 fans to come there"...

Kiel instead of Hamburg was an odd choice- now we know why it was chosen I guess.

[stefan]

By the way, can anyone tell me what is the problem with Lindseys age? In nearly every review a different age is mentioned. 56, 55, is it a kind of guessing game? Isn`t he an October 1949 child? Or is this questionable like MFleetwoods age, that differs from 56 to 61 (and the latter seems more likely)

[Tango]

Thank you both for taking the time to get it out to us here at The Penguin!

[GardenStateGirlie]

Thank you Les! (and Les's mom)

[seteca]

Big thanks to you and ur mom for translating that!

And yea...Mick's age does seem to change from article to article....!

[gldstwmn]

"Perhaps" there will be another album? WTH?

[sodascouts]

Originally posted by gldstwmn
"Perhaps" there will be another album? WTH?

Better than "HELL NO!" lol

Thanks, Les and Les' Mom!

[Lisa]

LOL! Thanks mom!

-Lisa

[Emmeline]

Thanks for the review! I was there in person and it was truly amazing. It was the first FM concert for me so that made it even more special! And of course the fact that we were front row!!! Just in front of Lindsey, and I made eye contact a few times with him, and get this...*gasp* He threw his sweaty towel to my friend!! We cut it in half so we both could have a piece, lol! All in all, a fabulous show and an unforgettable night!!! We then took the night train to Berlin to see the next concert, what an adventure! Great show that one too (had second row on Stevie's side) but not as special as the first one for me.

~Emma~

[golddust]

~~~Thanks for taking the time to translate the review/int. Glad to see that Stevie is still enjoying herself on stage. I love the 'show tenderness' comment.~~~

[StandBack]

Great Review.
Thanks for posting and translating for us.