Stevie's live performance: disappointing?

[Tusk57]

That guy who wrote that concert review cannot be serious! Calling Lindsey a showboater who is too serious while performing his songs. It's not like we get to see him every other year. What is he thinking? Sounds to me like he would rather see a lounge act at a nearby fancy hotel. I for one am planning on Lindsey blasting away a nice long guitar solo anytime the mood strikes him, which I hope is on practically every song. It sure is funny how different every person's reaction is to a show. Stevie doesn't have to act her age. Mick hasn't let a few years dampen his act, thank goodness. My guess is that Stevie wants to last out the whole tour with her voice intact. I hope Lindsey's fingers do the same! I know I couldn't yell and scream for more than a few seconds before my throat is sore. I henceforth cut her some slack.

[GardenStateGirlie]

I've seen Stevie twice solo...one of those shows being front row slammed against a metal barricade at A Day In The Garden. She has matured so much in 5 short years as a performer. Her style is the same but her delivery is a little more intense. I've seen Fleetwood Mac three times so far on this tour...DC, AC, and PHL. I have to tell you that with each show as the tour progressed, they got better and better...especially Stevie. I have NEVER seen Stevie rock out as much as she did in Philadelphia. She was truly AMAZING and I was floored by her stage presence and the magnitude of her performance. Same goes for Lindsey.

As I've said before, a lot of people weren't aware of Lindsey's exceptional talent until this tour. I guess you could say that he's always walked in Stevie's shadow and now, he's performing these songs...getting standing ovations for them. Stevie and the band are allowing him to garner much overdue praise for his work. I don't know that i'd go as far to say as Stevie is stepping out of the spotlight to allow him this but she definately giving him his time. However, I don't think in doing so, anything is lacking in her performances. To me, they are still as phenomenal as ever.

I hope they hit the east coast again on the extended/second leg of the tour. I'm having withdrawls. I told my dad tonight I needed serious help. He's like, "well, you and your Fleetwood Crack"

[paleshadow]

[Originally posted by strandinthewind [
[ I do agree, however, that she should let the vocals rip through the songs.

Come on Stevie - get up on it baby


Unfortunately some of those vocals that ripped through those songs, ripped through her vocal cords years ago. Mick once said that regarding the early perfomances of "Rhiannon" that she sacrificed her instrument for her muse. It's not good on your chords to sing like that. Stevie has had doctors even tell her that. I saw the Albany show, and I thought she did a great job. She's 6 months older than my mother, and I can't imagine my mom having that kind of energy night after night.

[Sally]

First off:::

Originally posted by GardenStateGirlie
He's like, "well, you and your Fleetwood Crack"

That has to be the funniest thing I've read today---and I'm totally going to use it! Thanks, GSG!

As for Stevie---I don't have much to say that is any different from the praise there has been in this thread. Except for this: I can only hope that I look as good as her when I'm her age, and I can only wish that if I was a professional musician in a legendary band---that at 55 I sounded as awesome as she does.

[blinker12]

I appreciate all the points made by people who have come to Stevie's defense. I certainly don't expect _ or want _ her to go back to the way she was in the 1980s, coked up and out of control. Or to singing "Rhiannon" the way she did in 1975, which clearly was damaging to her vocal cords.
However, there's a difference between an *out of control* performance and an *inspired* performance. With "Gypsy," "Dreams" and "Silver Springs," I felt she was just walking through the vocals with no real passion. If those songs don't inspire her anymore, why not just drop them from the set and find stuff she'd have more fun with? Some people might miss them, but I think most people would rather see her give her all.
And "Rhiannon" is a special case. Why even do the extended ending ("Take me like the wind, take me with the sky") if she's not going to tear it up like she used to? There's no point. All it does is remind people how much she's changed. She should come up with a new arrangement or at least ditch the extended ending.
All this is not to say that I don't enjoy Stevie's live performances at all anymore. She is still one of my favorite singers, and as I said before I think her voice is sounding very strong lately. But I think she should get rid of the warhorses that no longer inspire her.

[strandinthewind]

Originally posted by paleshadow
[Originally posted by strandinthewind [
[ I do agree, however, that she should let the vocals rip through the songs.

Come on Stevie - get up on it baby


Unfortunately some of those vocals that ripped through those songs, ripped through her vocal cords years ago. Mick once said that regarding the early perfomances of "Rhiannon" that she sacrificed her instrument for her muse. It's not good on your chords to sing like that. Stevie has had doctors even tell her that. I saw the Albany show, and I thought she did a great job. She's 6 months older than my mother, and I can't imagine my mom having that kind of energy night after night.

I was not talking about singing incorrectly like she used to do. That can, and apparently did, damage her. I am talking about looking animated and properly belting from the diaphram. A good example of her somewhat current ability to do this with her "deeper" post 1980's voice would be GDW (esp. the scream) and Silver Spings (drama drama drama and not one twirl!) on The Dance video. Also the EO17 in the Storytellers video is a pretty good example. I think that she, like pretty much anyone else who has taken a voice lesson, knows how to sell it and can indeed sell it like no other - I just think she does not always do that and that is a shame to me.

NOTE AND DISCLAIMER: I realize her age, change of life, arthritis, etc. should be taken into consideration and are factors that can make one very, very prone not to want to be or prohibit one from being the "belle of the ball" every night. Also, I love La Nicks and would pay to hear her read the phone book - even if she didn't belt or twirl while reading!!!! So, please take my comments as observations and not slams to our girl who I think is on many levels "doing it the best that she can . . .AHH HAAA!!!!!

[The Tower]

I realize that this is just reposting Travis's stuff, but I have to say that it's really all GOLDEN truth.... I loved every word of it!!!

The band members had plenty of help: Stevie Nicks was shadowed by two backup singers, Mick Fleetwood was joined by a backup drummer (sometimes two) and Lindsey Buckingham had as many as three guitarists playing with him. In fact there were easily enough musicians onstage to form two Fleetwood Macs, which might be one way to justify ticket prices that reached $138.

Mr. Buckingham certainly knows how to finger-pick an enchanting guitar line, but he spent too much of the night showing off; when he got really carried away, he would slap at his instrument with both hands, like a dog trying to unwrap a Christmas present.

Most of the best moments, though, belonged to Ms. Nicks. Her voice may not have the power and reach it once did, but it still has that marvelous texture, hard in the middle and girly around the edges. During "Landslide," she let out a half-smile when she sang, "But time makes you bolder/ Even children get older/ And I'm getting older too."

And yet Ms. Nicks's act has aged remarkably well, and she is now the only member of Fleetwood Mac (besides the reliable bassist John McVie) you can watch without wincing. She sang a gentle version of "Beautiful Child," from "Tusk," and the concert ended with a hushed rendition of "Goodbye Baby," a song by Ms. Nicks from the new album.

All night you got the feeling that Mr. Buckingham was desperately trying to infuse old songs with new energy. But Ms. Nicks took a more lighthearted approach, and a more appealing one. When she sang, eyes closed and fingers wiggling, she seemed content not to rejuvenate the songs, but merely to enjoy them.

[seteca]

Originally posted by Les
Critics are funny creatures sometimes.

"All night you got the feeling that Mr. Buckingham was desperately trying to infuse old songs with new energy."

That is something to criticize? Oh well, to each his own. What do I know?

Haha, yes, perfectly said. And "funny" isn't the word I'd choose....more like "deranged" when they come out with comments like that.