The Nicks Fix - Fleetwood Mac Fan Reviews

Say You Will FAN REVIEWS

7/16/03 The Arrowhead Pond Anaheim, CA

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Tony L.
The Chain (from the opening beats to the first notes from LB - magical and hairraising!! -the harmonies were great!) Dreams (simply magic again, one of my all time fave songs by ANYONE and this was a great SN performance) Eyes of the World Peacekeeper (new ones for me.... must get the new album this weekend) Second Hand News (great song, SN and LB singing to each other, def an old fave) Say You Will (great song....must get the new album before the weekend) Never Going Back Again (LB shined on this one, a definite highlight -one of many) Rhiannon (when this started their seemed to be a mass reaction all at once.... beautiful....another of my all time faves) Come (another new one? -great nonetheless) Gypsy (what can I say -AMAZING) Big Love (this, probably next to the experience of The Chain was my personal highlight of the entire show.... LB is SO UNDERRATED...there is so much emotion in this song and if you cannot feel it, even in the studio version (although, LB doing the solo live is better) I don't know what to tell ya.) Landslide (another fantastic performance, following Big Love it was a lot to take in.....) Say Goodbye (I didn't want to!) What's the World Coming To Beautiful Child (both great -as was the entire show) Gold Dust Woman (another AMAZING performance, great stage effects too, it's amazing the reaction SN gets when she does her dance) I'm So Afraid Silver Springs (great performance -heartfelt) Tusk (LB and MF went all out on this one!) Stand Back (this was a surprise! wonder if this would have been allowed if CM was there? hmmmmm) Go Your Own Way (the opening notes very reminicent of The Chain experience) World Turning (Mick's drum solo) (what can you say about MF -he's the master!) Don't Stop (Stevie's singing Christine's part) (Christine who? LOL) Goodbye Baby (I had to miss this one :( -had to be at work way to early. all in all one of the BEST shows I've seen! I wish I could see more of this tour.... I had seen SN at the AZ Heart Institute Benefit in Phoenix on 9/23/00 and was completely blown away -LB gave a stellar performance (again) and the duet of Leather & Lace with Don Henley was unbelievable.... FM rocked the Pond!!! nuff' said.

Tammy "DAWN"
WOW!! What a concert! "Simply the Best" This concert blew me away. The concert was at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim California July 16; it started about 8:45pm and ended around 11:30pm. When Fleetwood Mac came on stage everyone was just glued to the stage. I have been a long time fan and have attended several of Stevies concerts but never a FM concert. In my younger years I would pretend that I was Stevie and perform on my porch stage while my friends came and watched. One of my favorite songs to perform was Beautiful Child. That night at the Pond I got to hear it LIVE and not by me (grin). Stevie sung other favorites, Rhiannon, Gold Dust just to name a few and all excellent of course. Lindsey was just wild! He was great! He even had some of the fans up front play his guitar! Mick had lots of energy! He was talking to the crowd, asking, "Are you With Me?" while he did one of the encore solo's with is Drum vest!! This was a treat! We were all in a trance as he mesmerized us wi th is playing! Everyone just put on a powerful performance, one that I will never forget and thanks to our local radio station that aired the 2nd night on the radio at the Pond. Now I will always have the memories to listen to as well! I am very proud to be a FM Fan!

Sandra
I attended the first Anaheim show and won't go into all the same details - it's obviously an unbelievable show and the chance to witness this band live is worth the $600 I paid. have just one negative comment - but a big one! Why does the music have to be so loud -if it does - then make the microphones even louder so we can actually hear the gorgeous vocals. I'm a huge fan and love this band so much and they were definitely awesome, but I was really disappointed that the vocals were overpowered by the music. It doesn't have to be so. If a band is bad, then they have to be loud. These musicians are absolutely incredible, if it was only turned down a notch. I don't understand how in this age of technology that the guys sitting at the sound boards can't make the adjustments during the concert. Thank God Landslide was just a guitar and Stevie so we can actually the purity and beauty of her voice. They all looked great, Stevie and Lindsey are timeless. I came away really feeling the significance of this band and felt very lucky to see them live. I love their new songs and wished they had done more off the new CD. This CD really gets better each time you listen - if you don't have it yet, get it! And don't miss this concert I, too, hope they come back for more SoCal shows, I'm buying front row seats, even if my ears are numb for 72 hours!

Chris
Both nights at the Pond were wonderful, however I will have to say that Thursday 7/17 was more exciting and intense. Maybe its because my seats were on the floor about 25 rows back, or maybe because it was broadcast live to over 100 stations, and that brought out the best of the band! Eyes of the World was great! Big Love and Landslide are not only mine, but crowd favorites. Stevie dedicated Landslide to her mother whom she said was listening to the broadcast. World Turning (part of the 1st encore), and Gold Dust Woman were high points as well. Bust for me and many others- Standback was the highlight of the show. I have seen Stevie and The Mac several times - I have always walked away with smile and a sense that I have witnessed something incredible and special. This time was no exception.

Debbie
Hi Debbie here, Wednesday night at the Pond was my second Fleetwood Mac concert (the first being last Saturday at Staples) and while I didn’t think they could be any better than they were last time, the show was definitely more rockin the second time around. I had the good fortune of being able to stand with the crowd in front of the stage. I was positioned right in the center between Stevie and Lindsey. The speakers were higher in front of Stevie at the Pond then at Staples so I could only see the top half of her, if I wanted to see all of her I had to stand on my toes. I could see all of Lindsey though, which was great. They started out with "The Chain" and "Dreams," both of which were amazing. The third song "Eyes of the World," was also fabulous because the drum beat was so loud it felt like a heart beating. Stevie kept having to hold the high note for long periods of time, during that song and on the last one she held it a beat longer than her back up singers and she gave the cutest little sheepish smile afterwards like she knew it. While Lindsey was the highlight at Staples, Stevie was the highlight last night. Her "Stand Back," was the best, it had such a contagious energy, she even twirled 9 times during it (she twirled once earlier in the evening during "Gold Dust Woman"). On "Riannon" her singing was intense and her outfit was so beautiful. Her sleeves were long and flowing she looked like such the rock goddess she is. "Silver Springs" and "Landslide" were also memorable especially because of the chemistry between her and Lindsey. He even kissed on the head after "Landslide" was over. For "Say Good Bye" they looked at each other the whole time and he kissed her again after the song. Towards the end of the show during "Tusk" he chased he around with a cord in his hand then they held hands and skipped around the stage. Lindsey also put in some fantastic moments during the show, especially during "Big Love," "Come," and "I’m so Afraid." His guitar solos were so astonishing the way he’s able to play with just his fingers and so fast it was hard to keep up with watching him. Mick was also in top form, he brought down the house for "World Turning." His lively dance around the stage got raucous reactions from the crowd and he loved every minute of it. By the end of the night my feet were really hurting thanks to my high heels, but I didn't care at all, it was a small price to pay to see the greatest rock legends ever. Overall it was one hell of a night! Even better than the first thanks to Stevie!

Tom Scalese
Show was good but way too loud. When I cannot understand the words to songs I know then its too loud for me.

Curtis Cienfuegos
I just walked in the door several moments ago from the show and it was nothing short of amazing. Lindsey's guitar playing was at it's peak and Stevie voice was wonderful. John and Mick are still keeping that rhythm sections thumping. This concert was nothing less than the best. Anyone who gives it a lesser review, needs to get their ears checked out.

Michele
I saw the Mac at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim on Wednesday. I won’t make it to all of the California shows, but luckily I have been able to attend all in the Southern part of the state. Lindsey and Stevie gave the same speeches in Anaheim (about this being the place where they started out) as they did in Los Angeles. When Lindsey said they came out to Los Angeles to try to do something with their talent, Stevie flashed her fingers at him. I don’t know if she flashed them seven times, but the gesture caused Lindsey to mention that they came out to Los Angeles in the seventies. Stevie started in the heels, changed to Reeboks and then changed back. I don’t know if she was wearing heels during the twirls in "Stand Back" but I know she had them for "Go Your Own Way" and I can’t believe she could change shoes that fast. The back stage area of the Arrowhead Pond must have separate dressing areas, because while the guys would all exit to the side of the stage as usual, Stevie would walk to the side and then walk around to the back with a stage hand. From there, she would be transported up and down on some kind of lift. She always entered the stage hand in hand with Lindsey, but just to get to where he was, it was like she had to ascend from the bowels of the earth. As for the show itself, there were no significant changes in the performances or in their overall brilliance. I notice that Stevie mouths the words to the lead verse in "Eyes of the World" as Lindsey sings it. She used to do that with Christine’s "Say You Love Me" too. I don’t know if this means she really likes the particular tune or not, as "Eyes" wouldn’t seem to be her type of thing, but she doesn’t sing silently along with all of the songs when it’s not her part, just that one. When they are singing "Say You Will" I am always reminded of that clip showing the making of the song, where Stevie tells Lindsey that he’s going to be stuck with the hard vocals on stage, because her part is monotone. He cocks his head in disbelieving fashion when she says this and she says, "don’t you think your part is hard, because of the breathing." He says, "I think it’s VERY hard." Of course, they make it seem effortless on stage. After "Say Goodbye," I notice that Stevie is the one who says "thank you" to the audience. Lindsey just bows to her and then moves away to change guitars. We can all see Mindy and Sharon swaying in synch to the side of the stage, but I noticed that Carlos and Neale also have their own routines, for instance during "Come" they were turning away from each other and then swinging their guitars back simultaneously to the beat, smiling. I guess all of the players develop a rhythm among themselves, especially Stevie and Lindsey. With just 2 of them at front stage now, they really seem to have a stronger idea of exactly what the other is doing at all times. Everything is more choreographed now, even down to the glances. They rarely just happen to look at one another now. They always look at each other at the same time during the same part of specified songs, like during Gold Dust Women, they stare at each during the last chorus of "Did she make you cry, make you break down, shadow your illusions of love," just before Stevie starts screaming. At one point during GDW, Stevie has one Ree-boked leg on the drum podium and one on the floor, an unusual position for her. There was the traditional contact during "Landslide." During the "Dance" Lindsey would take his guitar off, for their hug, but now he keeps it on, so they can’t get very close anyway, but especially not when they stand side by side. I am jealous of you guys who saw the Atlanta show (smile)! For "Beautiful Child" Stevie dedicated the song to her friend Doug whom she said she had not seen in a long time. For "Tusk" Lindsey is tripping over his amplifier cord when he is twirling around John, so what he’s decided to do when it comes to Stevie is just disconnect the guitar altogether (which is rather like cutting the umbilical cord as far as he’s concerned). He swings the cord in Stevie’s face for a bit and then he just drops it. Other than moving backwards, Stevie doesn’t bother to circle with him much anymore. She just holds out her hand, he grabs it, and they twirl around for awhile. I know a reviewer said that the stage version of "Stand Back" misses Prince’s synthesizer. Stevie herself says that they have never been to recreate what Prince did in the studio, not even using 2 musicians. But on stage, I find Carlos’ guitar part really rousing. Stevie is listening and looking at him just before she goes off into her multiple spins. After "Go Your Own Way" (and then again following "Don’t Stop") Lindsey just lays his guitar down on the floor of the stage and walks off, instead of handing it to a roadie. He closes "Don’t Stop" by walking center stage where Stevie is. He walks around her and lays his face in her hair for a minute. Then, he holds her and strums the last notes. She stands stock still. I think she believes that if she reacts to an unexpected move of his with one of her own, it might end in a herniated disk. So, she just stands there carefully and waits him out. I can’t see her face, because her back is to my side of the audience. But after ending the song, Lindsey laughs and kisses the side of her cheek. After the encores, someone throws a straw hat onto the stage. Lindsey puts it on. It reminds me of his costume for 1982, when he’d wear a straw hat on stage (and in the "Hold Me" video) with that unshaven look. He was gorgeous then. I never saw Fleetwood Mac live prior to 1979. I was 16 and for my first date, my mother let me go see the Jacksons in concert. For my second date, I saw Fleetwood Mac. I had been too young to see them after Rumors, but I have seen old videos. I can’t find anything particularly attractive about Lindsey when he had all that hair and a mustache, but once he cut it – Wow! It became difficult to ever look at anything else. Audience members also threw flowers. Stevie accepted a bouquet from the front row herself. Mick picked one up off of the floor. Lindsey picked another bunch of flowers up and gave it to her, his hand on her back, as they waited for Mick to bid the crowd goodnight.

Dave B.
First let's get the negatives out of the way. For $150.00 per ticket it is disrespectful to make fans wait 35 minutes to start. The Pond needs to improve it's sound system. Christine is missed most during "Silver Springs" a song designed for the Mac's unique three part harmony. That said, the current edition of FM is comprised of 3 amazing musicians and a mesmerizing chanteuse who demands attention while on stage. I have seen Hendrix, Page, Townsend and Frampton live. Lindsey is in that class. His power and energy are unparralled. He seems really excited about this tour and is obviously at peace with his art. John is perhaps the most unrecognized supertalent in rock. With the death of John Entwhistle, McVie has no peer. And his partner in crime, The Mick, gets better with age. He is the literal and symbolic backbone of the band. Stevie continues to sound great. "Landslide" seemed more meaningful this time around and she has a perfect sense of what her fans need from her and she delivers with gusto. "Stand Back" is the perfect concert song and when follwed by "Go Your Own Way" it's surprising the audience doesn't collectively morph into Rock and Roll Heaven. Although perhaps not "better" than "The Dance" tour or either of Stevie's last solo tours, this one is awesome in it's own right. Thanks for the compliment, Stevie, but it is you and the Mac who ROCK!

Salena Quinn
The group was amazing; Stevie was just as enchanting and magical as ever and Lindsey's voice was as smooth as silk. This was the best concert I have ever been to, the experience was so intense and special. The group has such powerful chemistry and it is clearly evident when they perform. I have never been a fanatic, groupie-type, however, there is just something about Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac that keeps me coming back for more. When Stevie sang Stand Back, I could not take my eyes off of her; she was so intense and the instrumental aspect of the song was so powerful that I felt enveloped by the music. The most memorable part of the evening was when Stevie sang Say You Will; that song is special in every way. The lyrics are beautiful and so meaningful and it was performed with such grace and feeling. Landslide was performed beautifully as well and it was during this song that the bond between Lindsey and Stevie was most obvious; Stevie stood behind Lindsey with her hands on his shoulders leaning against him while he played guitar. That made me smile because I understand how special it is to have such a strong bond with another person, I could relate to the two of them. It was very touching and I enjoy watching Stevie and Lindsey interact during performances. Thank you for a great show Stevie, Lindsey, Mick, John and the rest of the band members.

Christine Martin
Definitely the WOW factor here! I just can't believe how much energy these guys have AND how much they give to their fans! They never stop and we are the beneficiaries and I'm so glad that we are. My life wouldn't be the same without them. My favorite's of the night were: Stevie's - Stand Back, Landslide, Gypsy, Beautiful Child------Stevie is so stunning. Her voice was really strong last night, I mean she was "dead on" with her notes. The girl went high and the girl went low. Very strong! Her music and song writing is unmatchable. They broke the mold after they made her because there's no one else like her. Once again, we (the fan's) are so lucky to be here to share this moment now.............. Lindsey's - I'm So Afraid, Say Goodbye, Never Goin' Back Again, What's the World Coming To. -----Lindsey is a genius with his music and his playing, a master! We are so lucky. I get so lost and caught up in his playing, it gives me goose bumps. I have to hold my head in between my hands in awe watching him play. I just shake my head in amazement................... Mick's - Drum solo. That has to require such an unbelievable amount of strength on so many levels. Physically, emotionally and mentally. And to think he does that every show!!!! He loves to look like the madman and the audience ate it up! Of course, John was as always his quiet, confident, relaxed, masterful self. He gets overlooked but don't underestimate this man. He's the quiet genius of bass guitar. He's got quick, long fingers and great rhythm that keeps the whole band going. I'd say he's the alphabet of the band, meaning, without him you wouldn't be able to get the thing going and keep it going. All four of these people are undoubtedly blessed with various talents and they meld together to make great music and AGAIN I say, we're the lucky ones!!!!

Brenda
Last night we saw The Mac at the Pond. It was the most amazing concert I've seen in a long time. We danced the entire 2.5 hours. Lindsey's guitar solos were unbelievable. He has got to be one of the best guitar players of all time. Highlights were Come, Go Your Own Way and I'm Affraid just to name a few. Stevie was as beautiful as ever. Her singing on Beautiful Child, Stand Back, Rhiannon, Silver Springs, and Gold Dust Woman were amazing. Her duet with Lindsey on Landslide brought out so much emotion. It was so nice to see the band having so much fun and interacting so well with each other. This was my husband's first Fleetwood Mac concert and he rated it as a 10!

Charlotte
The Mac is back baby and we were eating it up! The most incredible night of my entire life...I didn't want it to ever end. And I couldn't believe Stevie sang Beautiful Child and Stand Back...my ultimate favorites!! What an incredible experience. I will never forget it.

more reviews coming......

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