(REVIEW) FLEETWOOD MAC - VANCOUVER

Fleetwood Mac

GM Place Vancouver May 15, 2009
Nicks brightens up sombre Fleetwood Mac show
FIONA MORROW
Globe and Mail

Things started out a little flat for Fleetwood Mac at GM Place Friday night. The band had cancelled concerts earlier in the week in both Calgary and Edmonton, due to sickness, with unconfirmed media reports suggesting it was Stevie Nicks who was suffering.

Certainly the 60-year-old singer appeared a tad fragile onstage, moving rather gingerly and avoiding the high notes on "Dreams" completely. Not that the enthusiastic crowd seemed to mind — their combined voices made sure the lyrics rang out loud and clear.

If Nicks was under-the-weather, she still brightened up proceedings — a fact made abundantly obvious whenever she headed to the wings to let Lindsey Buckingham have his songs in the spotlight. Somehow we made it through a dreary rendition of "Go Insane" from his solo album, most notable for a thunderous roar of reverb that rattled the stadium's stands. He fairly screamed an acoustic version of "Big Love," beating his guitar into submission, determined to prove he's still a rock star — V-neck and medallion notwithstanding. He positively mangled "Never Going Back Again," turning it into something a drunk uncle might embarrass himself with at a family wedding. Though she was there, Nicks couldn't help him out on that one.

Neither could the pair invoke the spirit or sound of Christine McVie when they ventured into her traditional territory briefly with "Say You Love Me."

Other McVie classics were noticeably absent, but it's hard to imagine the likes of "Songbird" or "You Make Loving Fun" without her anyway. Quite what it would have been like had Sheryl Crow been part of the combo (an early possibility when the tour was being planned) plain boggles the mind.

With a couple of costume changes during a two-hour set, Nicks showed she hasn't relinquished her hippie roots. Bedecked in scarves and fringes, she played with silver chains draped around the microphone stand. For "Gold Dust Woman" she was wrapped in a gold shawl; on "Go Your Own Way" she sported a black top hat.

There was little personal interaction between the band — perhaps to be expected given their tumultuous history — save for an obviously orchestrated lean into each other by Nicks and Buckingham at the closing bars of "Sara." For their parts, Mick Fleetwood bounced around the drums gamely, while bass player John McVie spent the night at the back of the stage in the shadows. In contrast, Buckingham, was in his element, his ego unbridled as he practically climbed into the front row, encouraging them to touch him and his guitar.

But for all the Brit guitarist's pumped-up adrenaline, the show at times felt weirdly sombre. Their best work behind them, there was an air of desperation about this presumably lucrative endeavour. In the end, Fleetwood's bonkers, blissed-out extended drum solo — complete with whoops and howls — on encore track "World Turning" was the most authentic moment of the night. And with it, he more than earned his cut.

FLEETWOOD MAC vs CHICAGO

BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Ask Billboard
May 15, 2009

Hi Gary,

I was wondering if you could help me win a bet I have with my brother. I say that Fleetwood Mac has had more hits than the band Chicago and has, thus, been more successful.

Which one of us gets to brag?

Thanks so much!

Suzanne Niceley
Florence, Kentucky


Hi Suzanne,

I notice you ask me to help you "win a bet." You don't request that I help "settle a bet." Careful, you wouldn't want your brother to be suspicious that you influenced the judge's decision ...

Since you didn't qualify "hits," or which charts to use, let's look at this from a couple of angles.

In terms of overall hit songs on the Billboard Hot 100, Chicago has collected 46, Fleetwood Mac 25. Their top 40 totals stand at 34 for Chicago and 18 for the Mac. Chicago has notched 20 top 10s, Fleetwood Mac nine. Chicago also has more No. 1s, three to one. So, as for hit singles, Chicago wins.

Now let's check each group's album sales since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991 (realizing, of course, that the acts released much of their highest-charting product in the '70s and '80s). Since the dawn of the SoundScan era, Chicago has totaled 11.9 million in album sales. Fleetwood Mac has sold 16.6 million. So, going by album sales according to Nielsen SoundScan, Fleetwood Mac wins.

A possible tie-breaker? Fleetwood Mac was enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Despite its immense success, Chicago, surprisingly, has yet to be elected.

When it comes to your bet, I'll diplomatically stand back and let you and your brother interpret the information as you see fit. Fleetwood Mac's most recent Hot 100 entry was, after all, entitled "Peacekeeper."

Q&A WITH LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM

Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac
SFGate.com
Aidin Vaziri
Friday, May 15, 2009

The mercurial forces behind Fleetwood Mac - John McVie, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham - are back on the road, once again without Christine McVie. And for the first time in a long time, the band doesn't have any new material to promote, so the Unleashed Tour is made up of two hours of fan favorites. We asked the group's 59-year-old guitarist - and a recent father of three - Buckingham how he felt about that. Fleetwood Mac plays Wednesday at Oakland's Oracle Arena and Thursday at San Jose's HP Pavilion.

Q: There was some talk last year that Sheryl Crow was going to take over Christine McVie's position in the band. Did you block that?

A: No, I didn't block it. One of the things that made this go so smoothly is that I've been really unparticular about my opinions. I did not think that was a good idea. One, she was going to come in for a period of time and it spoke to me like something that had come from the top down, like a marketing idea. The other thing is that it struck me as a bit loungey to have someone else come in and do Christine's songs. She went and shot herself in the foot anyway.

Q: How's that?

A: She somehow announced she was going to join Fleetwood Mac. We had talked about it, but it had not been decided. So that became a red flag for the band. At the end of the day, it wasn't the right thing to do. So that was it. I was actually quite happy it turned out that way. We're much better working with the four core people.

Q: Besides, the last thing you need is another ego in this band.

A: That's right. Stevie and I are still working on our dynamic, which, believe it or not, is still evolving.

Q: Does doing a greatest-hits tour make you a nostalgia act?

A: This resting-on-our-laurels tour? We have a body of work that will transcend that label, I think. Had we gone in to make a new album first, it would have felt more in line with the things I value. Oddly enough, having not done that, it put us in the position of going into rehearsals completely anxiety-free, as opposed to having the residue of making the album to deal with. The actual experience of doing the tour has been quite thrilling. I have no explanation for that. It's kind of like a point you get to as a band, and for a moment you can rest and say, "This is what's happened, and it's pretty f- good."

Q: Having three children probably puts the band dramas in perspective.

A: It's certainly put a balance on everything. It's made it easier to enjoy what I'm doing now. It probably helped that I did a couple of solo albums and got some touring out of the way. You hit a point where a lot of things that you thought would push your buttons don't really push your buttons anymore. That's why this tour is going so smoothly. Nothing has really been bothering me.

Q: How much do you think your robust chest hair had to do with Fleetwood Mac selling those 100 million albums?

A: Wow. I would say none. The whole band, or just me?

Q: Specifically you, since I don't remember Stevie or Christine having much chest hair.

A: John has got a good tuft on there. I would hope very little. That's the first time I was asked that. It could have been something I missed. {sbox}

FLEETWOOD MAC VANCOUVER SHOW IS A GO!

LiveNation: Fleetwood Mac show in Vancouver is a 'go'

Despite cancellations in Calgary and Edmonton due to illness

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - LiveNation says despite cancellations in Calgary and Edmonton, Fleetwood Mac will be taking the stage at GM Place tomorrow night for their sold-out show.

The band cancelled shows this week in Alberta after an un-named band member became sick. But LiveNation says everything is scheduled to go as planned. The sold-out concert starts at 8 p.m..

FIESTY STEVIE NICKS!

Stevie Nicks blasts Lindsay, Britney
The Fleetwood Mac icon has harsh words for certain younger ‘messy’ and ‘dippy’ singers
Mcleans Magazine

If anyone has the right to give advice to the Britney Spearses and Lindsay Lohans of the world, it’s Stevie Nicks. In her more-than-30-year career as a solo singer and as one of the lead vocalists of the rock group Fleetwood Mac, the 61-year-old icon has paved the way for women in the music industry. And she has the war wounds to prove it. From battles with drug addiction to notorious love affairs, her life is tailor-made for a Hollywood film. Which is probably why Lindsay Lohan keeps telling reporters about her burning desire to play Nicks in a yet-to-be-made Fleetwood Mac biopic. This has Nicks a little concerned. Via phone from a presidential suite in New York City, she repeats the words “over my dead body” when the mention of a Lindsay-as-Stevie movie comes up. “That girl is the antithesis of everything that I don’t want for younger girls to be. I don’t want anyone as messy as her messing with my history.”

The legacy Nicks is so protective of is still going strong. This spring she has been busy promoting her latest two projects—a DVD called Live In Chicago and a live CD titled The Soundstage Sessions—as well as reconnecting on stage with Fleetwood Mac on its current greatest-hits North American tour. Packed with five remaining Canadian concert dates, the tour has Nicks performing more than 50 shows, many of which are sold out. Which explains why Hollywood execs have been banging on her door. “Most of them,” she says, “want to focus on when I first joined the band and the three fun, crazy years after that. Quite frankly, I don’t blame them—they were a roller-coaster ride!”

To clarify, Nicks is talking about when she and her then-lover, guitarist-vocalist Lindsey Buckingham, became members of Fleetwood Mac in 1975 (joining drummer Mick Fleetwood, vocalist Christine McVie and bassist John McVie). Shortly after the group’s first album together, Nicks experienced the side effects of being in a band with three Top 20 singles. “I was a waitress and Lindsey was a telemarketer back then,” Nicks recalls. “By the end of the summer, we were millionaires. It transformed our lives completely. Then Rumours happened and everything went berserk.”

Nicks is referring to Fleetwood Mac’s hit 1977 disc, which sold more than 30 million copies. According to Nicks, the title of the disc was prophetic on many levels. “I fell in love with Mick [Fleetwood] at the end of the Rumours tour in 1978 while I was still on rocky ground with Lindsey. Fortunately Mick and I ended it for the sake of the band. Around that time, people began saying that I was performing witchcraft—which I never did—and that the band had orgies—which we never had.”

On top of the widely reported false accusations, Nicks had to deal with a growing substance abuse problem. The miracle of it all was that she was still able to write songs (chart toppers Edge of Seventeen, Stand Back and Landslide) while maintaining a sense of mystery about herself. That secrecy is something Nicks feels is missing in the pop stars of today. She points to Britney Spears as a prime example of a singer who has overexposed herself beyond repair. “For her, it’s all about TMI: too much information. She needs to stop sharing. Period. After that toxic reality series she did, I decided I will never buy another one of her CDs because now I know how dippy she is.” When Nicks hears that Spears cursed about wardrobe malfunctions while performing on stage during her recent tour, her voice begins to thunder. “You do not tell the audience about your stupid-ass problems,” she says. “You will never, ever see a sweat drop start to fly off of my face—even if my heel is broken. I’ll do the song heel-less. People paid good money for you to take away their problems and inspire them.”

Other than her beef with Britney, Nicks has a record of embracing the newer divas on the block. “The fact that Etta James got so angry about Beyoncé singing At Last at President Obama’s first dance is tragic. C’mon Etta, just let Beyoncé sing it—she’s the new thing. [James] is still selling concert tickets so she should move over for a moment.” And with that, Nicks pipes down, takes a breath and begins to reflect. “In music history, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Elvis were all called the kings of rock and managed to be quite amicable to each other. They even did shows together! There is no reason why us women can’t do the same. Besides, I don’t want to be known as a queen of rock. When you start having to tell people that you are the queen, you’re done.”

FLEETWOOD MAC SAID IT WILL MAKE UP FOR CANCELLATION

There's a silver lining for Black Cloud Polly: Fleetwood Mac says it'll make up for cancellation with 'unforgettable concert'

By ANDREW HANON

Edmonton Sun

Black Cloud Polly finally found a silver lining.

Polly, a.k.a. Pauline Doucette, earned her nickname in her hometown of Summerside, P.E.I., where her rotten luck is legendary.

But that all changed yesterday when her lifelong idols, Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac, sent her a personal message through Sun Media, promising her "an unforgettable concert experience."

This week's trip to Edmonton to see Fleetwood Mac perform at Rexall Place last night was supposed to give her a break from all the hardship she's endured in her life.

Instead, it seemed like the hardship followed her.

The concert she had been waiting her entire life to see was postponed due to an illness in the band.

"She was just crushed," said best friend Shannon Doyle, who moved to Edmonton three years ago and got her the tickets. "She'd worked so hard to save the money for plane fare."

Doucette, 45, said she's been a huge fan since she was seven years old, but has never had the opportunity to see Nicks perform live.

But when Sun Media contacted Fleetwood Mac's spokesmen yesterday to tell them Doucette's story, they passed the word on to the artists.

Last night the band issued a brief statement:

"Fleetwood Mac's heart goes out to Pauline Doucette and her unfortunate circumstance. We are taking steps to accommodate her needs for an unforgettable concert experience at a future date on the 'Unleashed' tour."

Spokesman Eve Samuels said the exact details have yet to be worked out, and she couldn't say anything more last night.

Doucette melted into joyous tears after hearing the news that her idols had taken an interest in her, uttering, "thank you. Oh my god. That's amazing."

Doucette, a single mom trying to get by on a disability pension, spent four months collecting nickels, dimes and quarters to pay for her airfare to Edmonton.

But after hearing news of the postponement, she lamented, "I don't know if I'm going to have enough time to save change for the plane ticket again."

Doyle, who has known Doucette for 12 years, said everyone in Summerside knows what a big Fleetwood Mac fan she is - and how plagued she is by misfortune.

"Whenever I left the island, she'd ask me to look for Fleetwood Mac stuff - T-shirts, hats, anything I could find," he said with a chuckle.

Her rabid fandom is a happy distraction from a hard life.

Eight years ago she slipped into a mysterious coma for two weeks. It turned out to be encephalitis, the same disease depicted in the Robin Williams/Robert De Niro film Awakenings.

"When I finally started to come around," she recalled, "I didn't know how to do anything, so I had to learn everything again. I was in a wheelchair for six months and had to get a speech therapist to talk again."

Then, just as she was ready to resume her life, Doucette was in a car accident that left her with a brain injury and short-term memory loss, leaving her unable to work.

Doyle said bad luck just seems to follow her.

"Summerside is a quiet, laid-back place with almost no crime," he said. "But if some car gets randomly vandalized, you can bet it'll be hers."

But Doucette doesn't want to be considered a "pity case." When times get tough, she turns to her favourite musician for comfort.

"First time I ever heard her sing, it was so inspiring to me," Doucette said. "I don't know, something about her just inspires me. That's the only way to explain it. I live for Stevie Nicks."

Her daughter Jessica bought her a black, bejewelled rosary because it looked like something Nicks would wear.

"I had it with me on the flight," Doucette said, laughing. "I know some people think that I'm silly. It's even on my Facebook profile that my lifelong dream has been to see Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks especially."

$25 FLEETWOOD MAC TIX - OAKLAND, CA 5/20/09

Practically A Give-Away!

$25 -- Last Chance: Fleetwood Mac in Oakland

ORACLE Arena in Oakland - Wednesday, May 20 at 8PM 

A new set of 50% OFF tickets to Fleetwood Mac's "Unleashed: Hits Tour 2009" 

in Oakland has just been released.

Legendary personalities Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham 

play all their greatest hits live at ORACLE Arena. 

The following seating level is available for the May 20 show only:

$25 (reg. $49.50) ... Upper Level Seats

Click here for tickets and more information. When ready to purchase, select "Find Tickets." Enter the code LANDSLIDE in the box marked "Travelzoo Ticket Offer" and use the drop-down menu to select the number of seats you would like.

FLEETWOOD MAC VANCOUVER 5/15/09

Had correspondence with Live Nation in BC today - so far the Vancouver show this Friday is still on.

REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac Live in Kansas City - A NIGHT FULL OF MUSICAL NOSTALGIA

The Unleashed Tour Comes to Kansas City
Written by L Much
Photos by BARRY BRECHEISEN

LuminoMagazine

I remember the summer of the Rumors album when the seminal album dominated radio. The album turned the once blues band led by Peter Green into pop superstars. The “Classic line-up” (minus Christie McVie) is back on the road for the first time without any new material selling out arenas and delivering their greatest hits.

Opening up with “Monday Morning,” “The Chain” and “Dreams,” the band set the theme for a night full of musical nostalgia that had the packed audience satisfied, smiling, and on their feet singing along. The Unleashed tour has proved that there is still great interest in a band that’s set list consists of mostly songs that were released from the mid to late seventies. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks are now front and center taking turns singing about their fractured history as lovers and band mates. Much has been said that the touring version of Fleetwood Mac these days is nothing more then the Lindsey & Stevie show. Perhaps, however isn’t that part of what has made Fleetwood Mac such a success? A band that some how managed to not implode while they dished out their stories of pain and loss to the world was part of the genius that made them. Without their rollercoaster of breakups, lovers and misery, the classic songs from the 1975 album Fleetwood Mac and 1977’s Rumors would never exist and most likely either would this tour. Fleetwood Mac has proven misery does love company and fans through the years have soaked it all up. Now without the added talent of Christine McVie, who has since retired from touring, we have only Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to take us on their musical journey. McVie is certainly missed on this tour and equally has a catalog of Fleetwood Mac hits. However two out of three aren’t bad and The Unleashed tour has proven they have plenty of songs between the two of them to go around.

One thing that has never changed through the years with Fleetwood Mac is the solid rhythm section of both John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. Who could imagine them not being there in the shadows helping the band to keep time? Buckingham tonight proved he may be one of the most under-rated guitarists of our time. Twice in the evening he stole the show with his amazing guitar picking skills. First time was during the Tango in the Night’s tune "Big Love." Buckingham’s stripped down acoustic guitar version proved to be mesmerizing and at times technically impossible – does that man have more then 5 fingers on each hand? Later in the evening for the extended solo of “I'm So Afraid,” Buckingham delivered some of the most beautiful noise that I’ve ever heard as he dominated the stage with a scorching solo that left the audience both exhausted and begging for more.

Some of the musical highlights were equally delivered by the incomparable Stevie Nicks. Nicks may have benefited by McVie’s absence, allowing her to showcase songs from both her Mac days and solo career. Although Nicks doesn’t twirl around the stage with as much agility as the old days, her take on “Rhiannon,” “Gold Dust Woman” and “Stand Back” proved she could still deliver nice live renditions of these timeless classics.

Christine McVie may have been absent physically from the night but that didn’t mean the show didn’t feel her presence. You could feel her influences with songs like “The Chain” and “Don’t Stop.” Stevie and Lindsey even took on her song “Say You Love Me” by sharing lead vocals with mix-results. It’s hard not wanting to hear the sheer eloquence of McVie‘s vocals that have always shined in the classic 1975 tune.

Call them a nostalgic act, call them what you like but Fleetwood Mac has a catalog of hits that would make any band today envious. Fleetwood Mac has always been a band that feeds under duress and these days all of the internal politics seem to have been healed through the years. Time will tell if the band will venture back into the studios for another album. Perhaps without any inter conflicts the band has lost their artistic edge. Regardless, Fleetwood Mac has delivered a wealth of material that has proven to be timeless.

Singer's illness postpones Fleetwood Mac

Singer's illness postpones Fleetwood Mac concert in Calgary

CBC.ca

Fleetwood Mac cancelled its Tuesday night concert in Calgary due to undisclosed illness.

The legendary rockers are currently on their "Unleashed" greatest hits North American tour and were scheduled to play a sold-out show at the Pengrowth Saddledome at 8 p.m.

Word leaked out about the cancellation on Tuesday afternoon when crews and staff were sent home from setting up for the band's performance. There are reports the cancellation is due to singer Stevie Nicks is being sick.

"A rescheduled date will be announced soon. Tickets that were purchased for the Pengrowth Saddledome show will be honoured at the rescheduled date. Refunds will be available at original point of purchase," said a notice from Ticketmaster posted on its website just four hours before the concert's slated start time.

Fan Marguerite Suchet flew into Calgary on Tuesday morning from Regina to attend the concert with her daughter.

"I'm disappointed, but I understand," she said. "If it's due to illness, what can you do?"

Suchet, who has never seen the band live, said she'd likely not attend the rescheduled Calgary concert but she remains a fan.

"I enjoy them. I like their music. Reminds me of my youth," she said.

Fleetwood Mac, who formed in 1967, are scheduled to play Edmonton's Rexall Place on Wednesday and Vancouver's GM Place on Friday. There were no notices on the Ticketmaster website indicating changes to those shows.

The band scrapped a show in North Carolina on April 26 due to scheduling conflicts.

Edmonton Journal
Calgary Sun

Fleetwood Mac postpones concert
Montreal Gazette

Fleetwood Mac has postponed tonight’s show at Pengrowth Saddledome due to the illness of an unspecified member of the band.

According to a press release from tour promoter Live Nation, the rescheduled date will be announced soon. Tickets that were purchased for tonight’s concert will be honoured for the newly rescheduled date. As well, refunds will be given at the point of purchase.

Despite reports that some shows on the classic rock band’s tour weren’t selling as expected, Libby Raines, spokesperson for Pengrowth Saddledome, said that tonight’s show was “virtually sold out.”