I adore Stevie, my father being a huge Fleetwood Mac fan, I grew up with their music and was fixated with her, from a very young age, 6 or so I suppose. When you love someone and their music so much, they become almost untouchable and seeing them live is almost impossible as they will never live up to the hype...it's easier to just listen to their music from the comfort of your home. This is how I feel about Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks, I have never bothered to see them and also am not a fan of Newcastle Entertainment Centre (The Shed!). And let's face it, Stevie has shoved so much Coke up her nose, she should not be able to sing. So I am unsure what possessed me to go to this, but luckily I am beside myself with excitement about it...still...
Dave Stewart was the support act, he had collaborated with her and produced her new album, which I have and love. We arrived as he started, and he was good. Better than I thought, not a great singer, but he had that rock n roll presence which made up for his voice. He also had a cracking band and amazing back up singers. One divine sister gave us some stunning renditions of some Eurythmics' songs.
Then after a short break it began... her entrance was pure rock arrival! Lights shining, band playing, audience pulsating with anticipation. Stand Back was playing and she rose in the centre of the stage, backlit beautifully, and began to sing. At that moment I breathed a sigh of relief, not only did she sound good, she was pure entertainment in the best possible way.
The set was amazing, although she did tell us it would be. What I loved more than the music, was she liked to talk in between songs, and talk the right kind of talk. I have been to lots of concerts and some performers just don't get the banter right, in fact not many can do it at all. And that's ok, you are there for the music, however, when someone gets it right is adds a something altogether different to the show and pushes it into a whole other dimension...this is what Stevie Nicks did!
So, after Stand Back, she spoke, she was thrilled to be here and singing her songs, especially those on her new album. She explained it would not be a greatest hits tour, almost a warning, for those only wanting hits (eg not real fans...yeah I know, I get snobby about this kinda stuff!) I took this to mean she would do a lot from her new album and was happy with that, it's a great album. She then said she had mixed together a good set, that she was good at that making songs fit and mix...at first I thought it was a little cocky, but she was bloody right...it was a perfect set. There were a lot of songs I would have loved to hear, but I think she picked what works best for her and her voice at this time in her life...which by the way is 64!!!!! That also is fine by me, nothing worse than hearing a favourite butcher their own songs!
So the set list is as follows:
Stand back
Secret love
Dreams
Moonlight
Gold dust woman
Soldier's angel
Annabel Lee
For what its worth
Rhiannon
Landslide
Ghosts are gone
Leather and lace
Encore: Edge of 17
Love is
Basically a hit and then a new song and so on. She explained each song as if a mother releasing one of her children out to strangers, why she wrote it, what it meant to her and so on...touching, stunning, loving stories...a true performer. She is rather eccentric and witchy of course, and that is part of the charm.
She looked good and had 3 costume changes, the lighting was perfect and the set/back videos amazing. It all just worked so well. And then there was the band, and what a band, they were tight and fabulous! They had all performed with her for years. Her guitarist since she was 17!!! The back up singers the same two girls I used to admire on her record covers as a teen - wishing I was one of them. The 'newer' members had performed with her since the early 90s. To me this is a sign of a decent person, you just do not hang around with someone for that long if they are awful, especially in the music industry. She had this charm and honesty that struck a chord with me, and I imagine the audience. She loved what she was doing, she loved those doing it with her, loved those who helped her along the way, and loved us for coming to listen to her.
She said she thought she would never release another album, and that she would live out her existence doing the odd tour with Fleetwood Mac whenever Mick called her up and invited her. She also said felt she was irrelevant today in the music industry and would never write again, but she did and with the help of Dave Stewart - if you have not heard her new album and love her mid 80s solo stuff give it a listen it is excellent. I am so glad she did and that I went.
I know I am writing more about her and what she said than the music...I will get to that. But it was what struck me the most - her performance and that does not just include the singing. Not all musicians are great performers - well they might perform their music well, but something personal is often missing, some only let it out every so often. But Stevie had this duel role going - She sung and performed her music professionally and beautifully, as if she was at the top of her game, not a dud note, not a missed step...perfection AND she gave us her soul, she was humble...to do one or the other is great, but to combine the two seamlessly as she did was utter brilliance. And she meant every thing she said, every note she sung...I guessed this was not a one night thing either.
About 2 weeks after the show I caught an interview she did for Art Nation and she talked about performing and who she was influenced by. Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin! She said Janis was the perfect performer, big attitude, sure of herself, really went for it on stage. Yet Jimi had no attitude, was totally humble and surrounded by humility. She tried to have a combination of the two, but it had to come from within her - that is exactly what I have been clumsily trying to explain!
Stevie sung more Fleetwood Mac songs than her solo stuff, and that is ok. She sung ballads perfectly and rocked out the big ones. She was at one with her band, and they took over from her for the 2 short periods she left the stage to change costumes. An amazing pianist and funky percussionist each took turns and they were entertaining as well. Landslide (possibly covered to death of late!) and Love is were simple, haunting and beautiful. Edge of 17 rocked, even though it is probably my least favourite song - again been done to death in recent years. She spoke about writing with Lindsay and I got the feeling she has never gotten over him, it sounded bittersweet. She also spoke with love about her 'sister' Christine, that made me smile - you want to know they are still friends after all this time.
My highlights were Gold Dust Woman and Leather and Lace. After a lengthy introduction, with amazing gold leaf styled dust falling on the screen at the back of her set, she arrived back on stage dressed in Red. Gold Dust Woman is a favourite and it was gobsmackingly good, gave me goosbumps. Later she talked about a duet she had not sung that much, cause she cannot drag Don Henley around with her, but her vocal coach had a great voice and he had been doing Don's part...I think I actually squealed (and I know I shed a tear), as she sung Leather and Lace - my vinyl copy had to be replaced I played it so much as a kid...yeah a bit sappy, but I dunno, there was something fabulous about hearing her sing it that night, many (many!!) years later.
We left on a high that night, a month later I still cannot believe how lucky I was...lucky to go and lucky that she was that good...although that would appear not to be luck at all...just lots of hard work and a good heart from an amazing woman.
I did take some pictures, we had great seats, but they are from my phone, so not so great...but still a reminder of this gorgeous Bella Donna.
Dave Stewart
Stevie in red - great backdrop
Gold Dust Woman
Stevie in white
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment