Jane Regan from Montreal, Canada
Wow is all I can say…well actually I am going to say a lot more. I am 51 and my sister 54 and we were so thrilled to be at a Fleetwood Mac show again after many years. It was a fabulous trip down memory lane to all my favorite songs brought me back to some great years. Stevie was unbelievable what a georgeous woman can’t believe she is 60 is that possible??? Her voice was perfect and her and Lindsay’s musically genius was so evident on the stage last night… As well as John and MicK’s talent….Got home and my voice was shot and I was tired at work today…Montreal had 2 oncores… but was it ever worth it….I felt like I was 18 again….Am going out to buy all the music I haven’t got from this amazing group and some solo stuff too. Thanks so much

Tony S. from Montreal
We saw Fleetwood Mac’s Unleashed 2009 show in Montreal on the 25th March. What made the show such a great success in my view was the intimacy that was experienced from the dialogues from Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks along with the final comments from Mick Fleetwood. It was a tour to enjoy the emotions of the past, with all it’s trials and tribulations, both for the players and the audience alike.

Incredibly powerful and extremely entertaining, especially for someone who grew up in the same era.

Thank you!

Louis
It had been 22 years since Fleetwood Mac had graced Montreal with its presence. I myself was a teenager when I saw the band performing in Montreal on October 1987, on the "Shake the cage" tour. Judging by the reaction of the 12 000 + fans who gathered at the Centre Bell tonight, I wasn't the only one who had been hoping to see the band in concert again. The crowd stood up for most of the concert's 23 songs, and the screaming was almost inhuman as the band took the stage.

The song selection for this concert was perfect. We all love getting new songs from Fleetwood Mac, but let's face it, knowing that tonight was all about the hits was a real treat. And there were a few surprises for the diehard fans as well, starting with the opening song. It was such a great surprise to get a different opener for the concert; "Monday morning" did the honours of reintroducing the band to its French Canadian fans, and each and every one of them seemed to know the song. From then on, it was amazing. Mick and John were in superb form and you can tell that these two have been playing together for over 40 years; the rhythm section they form together is impeccable, as though they were the two arms of a same body. Much can be said about Lindsey and Stevie's performance of "The Chain", but listening to Mick and John's playing on that one makes it easy to understand why these two musicians got a songwriting credit for that song.

Lindsey Buckingham demonstrated that he's hands-down the best guitar player ever, and did so on numerous occasions. We'd all heard the accoustic version of "Big love", but tonight he played it with such edge and passion that he had the whole crowd going nuts. And listening to his solo on "I'm so afraid" (a song that I otherwise find slightly boring on the album) was a rock and roll experience that nobody will forget; notes kept pouring out of his fingers and into the soul of the crowd, and he deservedly got his biggest ovation for that song. It was also interesting to get the original arrangement of his own solo song "Go insane" (although that inclusion to the set was not necessary). Another nice surprise was the inclusion of "I know I'm not wrong", probably his most interesting uptempo song from "Tusk", performed with guts and humor. And of course, "Go your own way" was as awesome as you'd expect it to be.

As for Stevie Nicks, what can be said about the First Lady of Rock and Roll that hasn't been said a million times ? Just watching her step on the stage gave me shivers. This woman has a presence that is simply mesmerizing; she is no less than Stevie Nicks, the woman with the unique voice, the unique stage presence, the unique songwriting abilities. All of her best-known Fleetwood Mac songs were included in the set, with the exception of "Seven wonders" (a song that the band really should consider playing again). Performances of "Dreams", "Gypsy" and "Rhiannon" were typically brilliant, and you could feel the crowd's palpable emotion throughout "Landslide" (which probably freatured her best vocals of the night). Her performance of "Stand back" had the entire crowd on its feet and going nuts, especially as she launched into an amazing dancing spin through the song's instrumental break. I couldn't believe my ears when she said that they were going to perform "Storms"; that song is a much beloved Stevie Nicks song among her fans, and it's one of her most beautiful compositions ever. She did the song justice, sticking to its lovely melody and delivering it with all the longing and wisdom that the song requires. "Gold dust woman" was one of the most magical stage performances of the evening; watching Stevie sing this one is almost hypnotical, and as she danced with her silver veil through the song's conclusion you could have heard a pin drop in the concert hall. That was such an iconic Stevie Nicks moment, one that could have been used to freeze her performance style forever in time, and her vocals were especially powerful.

Still, I have to say that hearing "Sara" live for the very first time is a moment I will take with me to the grave. I had seen the Mac two other times previously (in 1987 and 2003) and was heartbroke that they didn't sing that one. I am so grateful that Stevie is finally okay with performing that song again, as it is my all-time favourite song ever (not just from Stevie and Fleetwood Mac, but from any artist). The crowd went crazy when the opening chords were heard; Stevie sang it to perfection, with a nostalgic edge that all took us to a younger time in our lives. If only for that song, I am thankful that I was there.

The band also paid a tribute to Christine McVie by playing "Say you love me" (with Stevie and Lindsey each performing a verse) and of course "Don't stop", which had the crowd jumping with excitement. Of course there were many other Christine songs that they could have included (I was personnally hoping for "Little lies", one of the most brilliant songs of the 80s), but who knows, maybe someday she'll be back to perform these songs herself ! Fleetwood Mac concluded the set with Stevie's "Silver springs", which she performed with an intensity and passion that I had never seen before. She gave us her all on that song, which concluded the evening on an emotional note and left everyone wishing the concert could go on and on.

Let's just hope the band remembers how much its fans from Montreal love them, and makes this city a permanent fixture on its future tours.

Lynn D., Kathryn S. and Julie G. from Montreal, Canada
A bunch of us attended the Montreal show this week and we are still raving about how fantastic it was!

It was also very comforting - like going home after a long absence.

Stevie, we loved your outfits.

Thank you.