Melbourne Concert Review - "The Australian"

LiquidBlue5000 · #1 02-19-2006, 01:06 PM

Hi all.. i posted this on Seven Wonders earlier today, but I see no one posted it here yet, so here it is... it's a review of Stevie's Melbourne show from "The Australian"...

Nicks keeps dragging her heart around
by Martin Jones
February 20, 2006

THE sight of a woman approaching 60, crowned with voluminous blonde hair and a crimson-feathered velvet top hat, draped in lace and sequins and wearing boots with 5cm-thick soles, twirling, arms outstretched like a bat caught in a slow-motion twister, would be bizarre to some. But not to fans of Stevie Nicks.

From the moment the diminutive singer appeared from her black velvet side-of-stage dressing room (to which she would retreat frequently throughout the night to switch between layers of lace and velvet), the near-capacity crowd howled its adoration.

Neither Mick Fleetwood nor Lindsey Buckingham could pull off such a show on his own.

It might by unfair, but the comparison is inevitable: almost exactly two years ago, Nicks was standing on the same stage (wearing almost exactly the same outfits), fronting Fleetwood Mac.

This evening she returned with her own 11-piece band. Oh, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Fleetwood Mac songs featured prominently in the Nicks set. Some of them twice. Her Outside the Rain segued into Dreams to open the show. And then again to close the show.

Apparently, the sound engineers hadn't recorded the first rendition. Yes, a Stevie Nicks Live with the MSO CD is evidently imminent.

It was immediately apparent that Nicks's band, despite their obvious skills, didn't have the personality and charisma of Mac. Instead of Mick's curious rumbling and thumping from the drumkit, we had machine-like precision. And guitarist Waddy Watchel didn't raise a sweat, plastering proficiently predictable riffs all over everything.

What about the orchestra? It was often superfluous, completely drowned out by the band on many songs and taking no part at all in others.

But at its best, the collaboration was stirring; an orchestral prelude to Rhiannon and an arrangement on the rarely performed Beautiful Child were both memorable, and the mix will sound far better on record than it did in the cavernous arena.

Though the stage was populated by scores of musicians, Nicks and her inimitable vibrato triumphantly bore the responsibility for the success of the show.

Some of the older songs were modified to accommodate the singer's depleted range, but whether powering through stompers such as Stop Draggin' My Heart Around, Stand Back and Led Zeppelin's Rock and Roll, or embracing tender torch songs such as the finale, Beauty and the Beast, Nicks performed with a conviction that would have made Mick and Lindsey proud.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...001562,00.html

amber · #2 02-19-2006, 01:34 PM

Thank you.

Rickypt · #3 02-19-2006, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiquidBlue5000

Nicks performed with a conviction that would have made Mick and Lindsey proud.

What a strange thing to say. I highly doubt Stevie is worried about making a couple of men proud of her.

Thanks for posting! Lucky fans, getting to see OTR twice!

MacMan · #4 02-19-2006, 01:48 PM

Quote:

THE sight of a woman approaching 60, crowned with voluminous blonde hair and a crimson-feathered velvet top hat, draped in lace and sequins and wearing boots with 5cm-thick soles, twirling, arms outstretched like a bat caught in a slow-motion twister, would be bizarre to some. But not to fans of Stevie Nicks.

That's a cool line! Nice review.

One thing nobody has mentioned is - did you see any camera guys around... Cameras swooping from the sky, anything like that. When the reviewer said "recorded for a live cd" it stuck me, I don't recall anyone mentioning any camera people.

Phoenix · #5 02-19-2006, 06:16 PM

[QUOTE=LiquidBlue5000]
THE sight of a woman approaching 60, crowned with voluminous blonde hair and a crimson-feathered velvet top hat, draped in lace and sequins and wearing boots with 5cm-thick soles, twirling, arms outstretched like a bat caught in a slow-motion twister, would be bizarre to some. But not to fans of Stevie Nicks.

AAAHHHHH..........., So true.

Thanks for posting, nice to see ya around liquidblue!

DashingDan · #6 02-20-2006, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacMan

That's a cool line! Nice review.

One thing nobody has mentioned is - did you see any camera guys around... Cameras swooping from the sky, anything like that. When the reviewer said "recorded for a live cd" it stuck me, I don't recall anyone mentioning any camera people.

THANK YOU! No one has mentioned the cameras. I don't think there's a dvd in the future. Rats... A new cd will have to do.

MacMan · #7 02-20-2006, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DashingDan

THANK YOU! No one has mentioned the cameras. I don't think there's a dvd in the future. Rats... A new cd will have to do.

Apparently Stella from over yonder (who was there) confirmed the camera people... so it's still looks like a dvd at this point.

AliceLover · #8 02-20-2006, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacMan

Apparently Stella from over yonder (who was there) confirmed the camera people... so it's still looks like a dvd at this point.

Peter I love the BTM thing....even though thats when she looked terrible at the end of the tour...i still love it!

DavidMn · #9 02-20-2006, 07:21 PM

Overall not too bad I review I'd say