The Nicks Fix - Fleetwood Mac Fan Reviews

Say You Will FAN REVIEWS

3/6/04 Sydney Entertainment Centre Sydney, Australia

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Chris
I had the opportunity to bounce into Sydney to see the March 6 show. The sound quality from the entire band was really superb. It was really great to hear Taku on the Taiko drum. Anyone who has never seen a Taiko drum preformance by a group of Taiko drummers should do so. Lindsey's performance on "I'm So Afraid" was great both aurally and visually. Definitely a performance worth seeing and hearing (and from a position right in front of stage mounted speaker a performance that was easy to see, hear, and appreciate). On the return flight to the U.S. there was a slight delay (about an hour and 15 minutes) due to a problem with a cargo door. I learned that the band had a more significant delay for apparently the same reason only 24 hours earlier. While I was waiting in Los Angeles for a re-booked flight to Chicago, Stevie and her assistant (?) Shelley walked in to the waiting area. Realizing that the opportunity to meet artists comes along less often than getting seats in the first five rows of a concert I walked over and said hello. Stevie was very friendly and kind. She said she was flying to Chicago to work on editing the songs recorded at the show in Boston in September. I asked Stevie what the plans were for possible future albums either with the band or solo. She said that the band had 32 additional shows planned for North America in May and June and has been constantly working since February 2002. Stevie also said she had not decided on what future projects she was going to do. I got the impression that some time off after the North American shows may be the first order of business. I spaced out asking Stevie for her autograph but, I would imagine enough people do that anyway. Meeting Stevie and getting to talk her was a really wonderful coincidence seeing as I was actually supposed to be on a flight two hours earlier into Chicago. Email etiquette would say that I should forward this to everyone mentioned. Since I don't have the necessary information to do that I hope that saying thank you to everyone suffices.

Donna
BRILLIANT................there's not much more you can say!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a privilege and honour to have been in the audience........................we've waited a long time for this and it was worth it (+ more)!!! Hopefully the Mac will be back in Sydney real soon!!!!!!!!!

Marion
I had the pleasure of attending the second Sydney concert, March 6. A wonderful show. Stevie sure can sing and was clearly the audience favourite. The highlights for me were Say Goodbye, really moving, Stand Back and Go Your Own Way. The audience was roaring their appreciation before most songs had finished. We all wanted more, more and much more. Stevie & Lindsey's voices intertwine wonderfully, it is hard to tell where one starts and the other finishes especially on Peacekeeper so it was disappointing that early in the show the weight of the bass and drums obscured the subtlety of those harmonies. I'd like more of Stevie & Lindsey singing with just his accompaniment. I'd love to see them again. Don't stop guys and thank you.

Retta
We saw Fleetwood Mac last night (Sat 6 March 2004) in Sydney.....what can I say that hasn't been said? I never realised how talented Lindsay Buckingham was on the guitar. The man not only sings beautifully, he can play a mean guitar!!!! Mick was a comic and awesome on the drums, John seemed to shy away from the limelight, and Stevie was an absolute angel. Has the romance between Stevie and Lindsay been rekindled? FM - Please come back again soon!

Melissa
What an amazing night. I was just blown away by the whole band. They were on stage for well over 2 hours - almost 3. I have loved Fleetwood Mac since the 70s and this was a dream come true to see them perform live. They gave 200% of themselves the whole time. Stevie is just sensational. Her vocals were spot on and what an incredible voice. I have always loved her music, including her solo work. Lyndsey was awesome too. His guitar work is just magical to watch and he gives so much of himself, almost to the point of exhaustion. Then there is Mick - the mainstay of Fleetwood Mac, an amazingly talented drum player and huge personality to match - those eyes are amazing! You can't forget John McVie either. He may be quieter but his bass playing is just fantastic and drives the Fleetwood Mac sound. Yes, we miss Christine but I thought the band is managing beatifully still without her. The chemistry that flows between Stevie and Lyndsey is evident on stage and makes for that extra magic. It was fantastic that the band included Australia in their tour. You made my night. I am still on a high days later!!!! THE MAC IS BACK!!

Matthew Ritchard
Tonight I had the privilege of seeing Fleetwood Mac perform in Sydney again for the first time in 14 years. Quite simply, they put on a most extraordinary performance that rocked the Sydney Entertainment Centre! I really felt that I was in the presence of a legendary band at the top of its game. I was quite nervous and excited with anticipation for my only second ever Stevie/Fleetwood Mac performance, and the first with Lindsey Buckingham in the band. Waiting outside in the foyer I saw numerous ladies of various ages in their Stevie-esque attire, and I even saw one guy in black cape and platform boots! Inside, as the house lights dimmed to the sound of crickets over the PA, the crowd went literally wild with anticipation, everyone here was clearly relishing the return of The Mac. Stevie looked beautiful, resplendent in all black, with a black scarf choker high around her neck, beneath which lay a crescent moon. She seemed to have an almost iridescent silver eyeshadow on, with her golden hair long and straight. She’s still got it! Tonight’s setlist was as for the other shows, although I think "Gypsy" was after "Come". Highlights of tonight’s performance – well ofcourse just seeing Stevie and The Mac again is a highlight - but a number of things stood out that deserve a special mention. First of all, the band gave a consummately professional performance, but you never had the feeling that they were just going through the motions. The whole performance was characterised by an energetic dynamism, a feeling that anything could happen at any moment. It felt so much edgier than "The Dance". The audience also deserves a special mention. Right from the start the sense of anticipation was palpable, and there was a great warmth and support for the band from the audience. There were constant call outs at the start up and between songs of "We love you Stevie!", "Go Lindsey!", "Go for it Mick!" and "Go The Mac!". The band clearly fed off this energy and as Stevie said at the end: "We’ll miss you Sydney – we really will!" Something that doesn’t often get mentioned, but which makes up a huge part of the concert experience was that the sound quality and technical side of things was brilliant. No distortion at all; there was nuance and subtlety, you could hear every breath; light and shade, and explosive power as well – in Stevie’s vocals, in Lindsey’s guitar, and in Mick’s drumming, all with absolute clarity. An absolute highlight of tonight’s set was "Rhiannon". When the opening power chords rang out (no piano intro) it was like a bolt of electricity went through the crowd at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Stevie really went for it on her vocals on this song and from this point onwards – truly awesome to hear and see. I especially loved her goggle eyes to the crowd on certain lyrics (maybe she got this off Mick!). Gypsy was great too, and Stevie looked especially sexy during this one with blood red fingernails revealed to match her red shawl. Also, she had by this time the top few buttons of her top rather raunchily undone!! Stevie dedicated Landslide to the audience for supporting the band all this time and finished by saying, "So this is always for you". The way she sang "So…" right before the guitar solo was so sweet and delicate. The audience was so into this song that in the pause right before the end the crowd went wild such that Stevie had to wait (and laughed at having to do so) before she could actually finish the song! At the end someone in the crowd yelled out: "Dixie who???" Having heard that Stevie was performing "Beautiful Child" on this tour I wondered if a live version 25 years on could live up to the original album version. But I should not have wondered, for the performance by the entire band of this song was brilliant and Stevie’s vocals equalled those on "Tusk". In fact, I felt like I was in a Tusk recording session. A real highlight! Something that simply blew me away was Stevie’s vocal harmonies on Lindsey’s "Say Goodbye". She harmonized with him in a delicate upper register I’d imagine as high and sweet as anything she sang in the 1970s. Stevie’s ability to control her magnificent voice is amazing. There was a long bongo drum session to showcase the talents of Taku Hirano, whose parents & family were in the audience tonight. I assumed that this would segue into a Lindsey song, but no the familiar synth sounds of the opening to "Stand Back" enter the mix. This is a rocked-up version with techno/retro sounding synths that had the crowd up and dancing. Stevie clearly is having a great time during this one with chopping hand movements "Standing in a line…" The energy from this one flowed into "Go Your Own Way" which the crowd loved. Lindsey does another great solo at the end, letting the crowd strum his guitar and even pat his head! I haven’t really mentioned Lindsey, but I never realized that he was such a showman. His guitar work tonight was really the stuff of legend. In all these are but a few highlights of a truly great performance by a truly great band. I felt privileged to have been there and wish to thank the band for coming to Sydney to perform. Thanks Stevie, Lindsey, Mick & John – you were AWESOME!! Do come back SOON!!!

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