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By Thomas Conner
It's difficult to get excited about this go-round -- even for me, a lifelong Mac addict undeterred even by the "Time" album. The biggest news out of the tour so far is that the band is performing "Sisters of the Moon," a 33-year-old "Tusk" track.
Yawn.
The last time Fleetwood Mac toured the tambourines and scarves, in 2009, singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham told me that, even after all these years, it felt like "a proving ground." (Two years later, he reported it a "freeing experience.") But this time, even the band doesn't seem exactly juiced about their jaunt.
"We know we're going to do certain songs," namesake drummer Mick Fleetwood said in a recent online interview, "and if we don't do them, the audience will shoot us."
"We always have to play 'Dreams,' 'Rhiannon,' 'Don't Stop,' 'Tusk,' 'Big Love,' 'Landslide' and all our most famous songs," Lindsey Buckingham told Rolling Stone. "For now, I have no particular vision of what this tour is going to be."
Actually, guys, you don't have to.
In fact, I call upon all Fleetwood Mac fans to join me in declaring: Lindsey, Stevie, John, Mick -- we release you! Whatever social-setlist contract you think exists between us is officially now and forever nullified, voided, torn asunder. You are pardoned.
Please: Play whatever you want. Forgo the hits, play the misses. Play jazz, play bluegrass. Throw out the setlist altogether. Try improvising. Try failing.
Anything but this put-upon resignation to the slavish "demands" of your fans -- because, frankly, it makes us sound like jerks.
"2013 is going to be the year of Fleetwood Mac," Nicks told Rolling Stone.
Here are five ways the Fleetwood Mac crew could announce a tour that would actually make a dent in the absurdity of that statement and once again activate my salivary glands:
Get the rest at Chicago Sun Times
FLEETWOOD MAC
• 8 p.m. April 13
• United Center, 1901 W. Madison
• Tickets: $49.50-$149.50; (800) 745-3000; ticketmaster.com
63 comments:
I couldn't agree more (except for the Christine part).
This is what I've always thought everytime I've seen them since 97.
I've always wanted them to scrap the tired setlist and put together something a little less predictable and a lot more interesting.
Getting out of the arenas and into smaller theaters would be a great start. Tom Petty has been doing it for years.
And what about the new younger fans, who while appreciating the lesser known songs still wish to hear the classics live?
This author clearly has a stick up his ass and doesn't have any clue what he's talking about. Saw them 4 times and this was the best show yet...Idiot.
Whoever wrote this review should be ashamed of themselves! I have seen Fleetwood Mac several times and they NEVER disapoint. This Sun Times review is far from the truth. What a hateful thing to say... I was in Columbus last week for opening night and they were fantastic! I wish I could go to more of their shows!!
The Buckingham/Nicks venture would be ideal for the smaller venues and highly successful IMHO. Strip it down like LB did for his last solo tour and play some new and some old.
Why on earth does this website post such a disgusting article? I just was the Philadelphia and Washington DC shows, and Fleetwood Mac was fantastic at both shows. And the sold out crowds at both shows were thrilled with their performaces. Everyone wants to hear their vast array of hit songs and the band always puts in a few different songs for each tour. If you don't like it, then simply don't spend your money or write such petty crap about a truely classic band who can still rock better than most new, young bands.
I would also like to see them scrap the set list. I know I'll still love it when I go on April 28th, and I'm really looking forward to "SOTM" but a scaled down theater show would rock, and the set list could then change frequently. As for the arena tours, I get why they do it, but I think the audience would be more than okay with a serious change in songs.
This reviewer is SPOT ON - unfortunately.
There's not enough money from a smaller venue show to divide 4-ways plus pay the crew and background musicians.
Fleetwood Mac isn't a band - it's a business with massive overhead and lots of people have their hand out for their hand out.
The YouTube videos so far have been really really good - close and clear...I actually don't have the urge to run and see them based on what I have seen. The sound, as I predicted a few months ago on this site - is going to sound like the last 4 tours - and it does. It's just tired.
Gotta say I agree with Thomas on this one. I was eagerly anticipating the first videos to surface from the current tour, and when I finally did, it was all a little too deja vu for me. The excitement factor dissipated quickly. I too chalked it up to Stevie's recent appearances with Dave Grohl. We now have something to compare the Mac's all-too-predictable performances to, and Dave Grohl has raised the bar....at least for Stevie. I can even accept the fact that they're only touring for the money...not the passion of the music/art...but knowing that time is running out for them (and us) and that they're not challenging themselves as artists or us as fans...is extremely disillusioning. We KNOW they have the talent, but we can't make then use it (unless we're not willing to pay for the same ol' same ol'). I give credit to the writer of the article. I can tell he's a true fan. Sometimes it's the fans or critics who care the most who are willing to resort to tough love tactics such as boycotting a show of their favorite band...simply because they expect better from their performers, and selfishly or not so selfishly...better for themselves.
It's kinda crappy for Fleetwood Mac to blow their horns about this current tour,( BIG YAWN) with nothing new to offer, except the song 'Sisters of the Moon...who cares about one song? Stevie at her age probably won't have the energy she put into that song, she sang on stage, during the TUSK TOUR anyway!
Shame on them...they've been doing this touring on and off for sometime now with pretty much the same setlist. The only thing different is the price of the Tickets!
BORING ! BORING ! BORING !
If you dont want to go, don't. The NY show was up to the rafters so the demand is there for sure. I would love more new music but once they start with the string of hits you get drawn in quickly. And, yes, Stevie still does a great SOTM and anyone who doubts it should go just for that. Different than the clip we watched for the last 30 years of course but she still pulled if off. She was amazing. They did include two new songs and the crowd loved them. Sad Angel was wonderful and Without You was also nice. The crowd I was sitting by loved Stevie and Lindsey and would have paid to watch them recite the alphabet. They were adorable and I will go see them as long as they tour. Obviously they do know the fans still want to see them - the shows have been packed. One more thing - does being so negative 3 dates into a tour on a fans website make you happy? Pay attention to the fans - you know Chicago sold out, dont you?
I love when someone criticizes Stevie or FM and her fans turn into the flying mokeys from Oz. I have said this until I'm blue in the face: Stevie (and FM) are PUBLIC FIGURES. Just because we love everything they do doesn't mean everyone else in the world will. If you live by the sword, you must die by the sword. The only time it looks like Stevie is having a BLAST on this tour is when she does "Gold Dust Woman." She's turned that song into a fucking masterpiece. It's like watching a movie into the dredges of darkness and despair. I overlooked that song so much (after hearing it millions of times on the radio) but after seeing her do it on this tour it has resurrected my love for this tune.
The tour looks kinda "blah" so far - am happy to see "Sad Angel" though - it gives the setlist a nice little (yet much needed) bump in energy. Lindsey (more than the others) seems to really enjoy having new material to do.
Is it the greatest FM tour? HELL NO. We need Christine...let's face it. When she left she took the 20% of FM that was sweet, lighthearted, and very commercial. Without her the band just feels lopsided. Glad to see FM is back and jetting across the world in their mid-60s, but it's only downhill from here. Youth is the most fleeting thing in life and when you expect a version of FM from 1979 and you see them now, it's a bit sad. Same with Zeppelin, the Eagles, and The Heartbreakers. The great era of rock is slipping away.
Without reading whatever diatribe's going on in the comments already, I just want to make a separate remark on one point in the article: Please get over the sense of obligation to perform certain material. Tell us a new story if that's what you have for us now; damn the business people who might be pressuring you. You guys know how to say f - off pretty well and do what you wanna do, right? Lindsey?
Does it really matter if doing so means the front row seats are only 90 bucks? N, Oooo!
Also, Stevie, the real way to show us that you really appreciate us sticking around for so long would be to make this more affordable for a lot of us. Oh, Thank you so much :)
And what about the new younger fans, who while appreciating the lesser known songs still wish to hear the classics live?
The amount of young fans that FM is attracting these days are next to none. This band is old and tired and they don't even put out new music anymore. Say You Will was a commercial flop - rightly so given how truly awful it was - and so catering to the new young fans shouldn't be considered at this point.
They should be aiming to do what makes their loyal base happy. As a sometimes card holder of this group, I'm so tired of everything they do now. I don't want to hear "Dreams", "GYOW", or even "Landslide". I'm sick of these songs and sick of how they play them.
Why not try doing "Big Love" more like the record for a change? Why not toss in something from TangoITN ever?
If we must stick to the 70's... why not "Blue Letter"?... Stevie could go for "Angel"...
No...
Fleetwood Mac's set has become as dry as Stevie's solo set. And that takes some effort.
And before anyone bothers to hit the attack button and strike back with the tired cliche of "don't like it, don't go to the show" line, don't worry, I wouldn't give this band even a single cent more, not if my life depended on it. They've got plenty of it already over the last 20 years.
Why on earth does this website post such a disgusting article?
Because thankfully this site posts the truth in equal parts, not just the news from fantasy land where so many of the fans think we all live.
I've never been more disappointed in this band and Stevie than I am right now. Silencing the truth and hiding reviews that some of us agree with completely does no one any good. It's the blind devotion of the fans that results in something like "You Can't Fix This" seeing the light of day.
And why shouldn't it, right? It's awful but the fans will never says so. It's just fawning over and over with declarations of wonderment and astonishment even when the product is unbelievably sub-par. Stevie's new smug attitude that she's peddling these days comes from being told time and time again that everything is stellar, and that she IS the goddess the fans tell her she is. The recent videos of "Sister Of The Moon" prove otherwise. Did she even bother rehearse it? Shocking stuff. Yet it's "beautiful", and "stunning", and "eerie" and "spellbinding".
It's really not.
It's Stevie playing it safe and doing as little as she must. She doesn't need to put in effort anymore because she'll still get the same results either way. Fawning, bawling fans spinning about in drag outfits.
As for the touring for the money accusations... I'm sure that's the case here. Mick's getting divorced again....
As long as he can pay the bills and have a few extra bucks to stuff in his restaurant coffers, it's a good time. Screw the legacy!
I appreciate the honestly that this site is promoting by posting the negative with the positive.
You can't please everyone, ever time. They have always given me my money's worth! And I always buy the highest priced tickets and have never regretted it. If you believe these people owe you anything, you may be deluded. They make music. You buy it, see it, or not. That is as far as the relationship goes. When you start saying things about what they should or shouldn't do, you alter the experience of others. No amount of money gives you that right.
my god people, it's not 1982 anymore. These are all senior citizens on stage, in the twilight of their careers, give them a break they can still rock! Obviously people are liking the show, the concerts are in arenas and several have already (or will) SOLD OUT. sorry stevie at 65 isn't perorming up to your coked-out standards of 1982, but just be glad she is still alive and in (relatively) good voice. As for Lindsey, his talent is on par with the way it's always been: amazing.
What a sarcastic dick this writer is. No wonder why newspapers like The Chicago Sun Times and the NY Times are dying - they offer the same caliber of writing as an amateur blog.
"No amount of money gives you that right."
I don't know if I should laugh at that or just punch the screen. Got to laugh I guess. What else can you do with something so totally and unbelievably childish. Some might even call it "deluded"...
I didn't find this to be negative at all - just honest.
I've been going to FM shows since 1979 when I was a very young teenager.
There's nothing wrong with wanting a great band to step out of their comfort zone and take some chances. Fleetwood Mac can afford to take chances -- they have nothing to lose.
I would love to see a much looser, less rehearsed show. It's not fun when you know exactly what to expect. And frankly, I don't need to hear Rhiannon, Go Your Own Way and especially Don't Stop again. That's not why I go to see Fleetwood Mac. I see them for the great musicianship, the surprises and maybe the mistakes. That's what the shows were like in the 70's and early 80's. You got the sense that maybe they didn't rehearse everything - and that kept it fresh and interesting.
Oh, looks like "senior citizens" is back at it again. Making excuses for a bad show. Where's "auto tune".... You two seem to come in a pair around here.
Wow, what an amazing response! As much as i am thrilled that they are touring Thomas makes some really legit points in this review. And for the record that doesn't make me any less of a fan.
Jimmy crack corn and yeah, you got it.
@Kenneth Hughes:
Are you an author? If so, I'm surprised you didn't pay closer attention to your writing here before posting. Tsk, tsk! Accuracy and proper presentation is everything when you are wanting your argument to have credibility.
You are right about one thing: you cannot please every one, every time. It is apparent, however, that Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks can please you all the time regardless of what they do. That speaks volumes.
There is no amount of money, no amount of anything that gives YOU the right to tell someone else they may be "deluded" or to imply that they MIGHT, at some point have some kind of influence on the way someone else thinks. That is purely a hypothetical speculation on your part and it is absolutely wrong of you to reprimand someone for something that may never happen.
@anonymous
Please, enough with the "senior citizens" thing already! If you have to fire the "making old age excuses for the band" bullet then you've already lost the war. From everything you are saying, the band is still as relevant, vibrant and viable as they always have been. However, don't be mad at them if they aren't as good anymore because they are senior citizens and the old folks can struggle from time to time. Do you not see the problem with that argument?
There are people here in this very thread who agreed with this review. That should tell you something. If the band was firing on all thrusters like most of the fans insist they are, no one would be complaining. Not any reviewers and not a single fan. Fleetwood Mac is putting themselves out there as professionals that are still able to handle the job regardless of their age. If they can no longer do that, they need to grab their walkers and go back to Shady Pines where they belong.
^ Thank you Douglas lol. "Shady Pines" was a dead giveaway ;)~
Sorry to have upset you. They always please me because I see the nuances and subtle evolution of every song. I don't believe any one has the right to tell an artist what to do. They are there to entertain thousands, not just you. If you don't like that, stay home. More room in the front row for us! Backstage in 2009, I asked Mick to play SOTM next tour. And here it is. Knowing my request may have meant something to the decision made, makes my day.
Sorry again for upsetting you by my opinion. Like Fleetwood Mac, I do what I do knowing that some people will never be happy. Like Fleetwood Mac, I am who I am, regardless of the bitterness of others. Maybe, if you would like a different show, you should go on tour. I am sure thousands will find you entertaining and sell out arenas to see you!
TO "I MIGHT BE OLD" AND EVERY OTHER A**CLOWN,THE BAND NEAR AS I CAN TELL IS SELLING OUT ARENAS EVERYWHERE.THAT PRETTY MUCH MEANS THAT THIS TOUR IS AND WILL BE A HIT.OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO YOUR OPINION (NO MATTER HOW WRONG IT MAY BE). I MAKE NO EXCUSES FOR THE BAND,I HAPPEN TO APPRECIATE THEM. IF THEIR FORMULA SEEMS TO WORK PRETTY WELL,WHY WOULD THEY WANT TO MESS WITH IT FOR THE PURPOSES OF SO CALLED "ARTISTIC INTEGRITY". THAT KIND OF TINKERING WHILE MAYBE FRUITFUL TO THE ARTIST IS NOT AS APPRECIATED BY THE FANS.OTHERWISE, WHILE I LOVE LINDSEY AND HAVE SEEN HIM SOLO MANY TIMES HE WOULD BE SELLING OUT MUCH BIGGER VENUES!!!LIKE I SAY MOST PEOPLE THAT PUT BIG MONEY FOR GOOD SEATS KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND STILL PAY FOR IT,I HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.THIS DOES NOT MAKE US WRONG OR ANYTHING, IT JUST MEANS WE DON'T SEE THINGS THE SAME AS YOU.FINALLY JUST BECAUSE YOU AND OTHERS SEEM TO AGREE WITH AN OBVIOUS AGENDA DRIVEN PREVIEW NOT (REVIEW),THE ONLY SOMETHING IT TELLS ME IS THAT YOU MUST BE IN THE MINORITY OF THE CURRENT FAN BASE. BECAUSE I AND THOUSANDS OF OTHERS ARE WILLING TO FORK OVER BIG BUCKS FOR TICKETS, AND THE PEOPLE GOING SO FAR SEEM TO BE ENJOYING THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE REALLY WELL!!!
P.S. THE CAPS WERE ON PURPOSE, OH AND IF YOUR AN AUTHOR YOU MUST HAVE CO-WROTE WITH THIS (PREVIEWER) THE BOOK TITLED (HOW TO BE A D-BAG FOR DUMMIES)!!!
No amount of money gives you the right to alter the experiences of others. Time to grasp reality: You either buy it, or not. You go see it, or not. Those are your options. Sorry, but that is how it works. They owe you nothing. That's not childish, it is common sense.
I felt like the author of the article really loves Fleetwood Mac. He knew his stuff and he believes that they are capable of being more than a Souvenir-of-the-Seventies bacd and he's urging them to be the creative force he knows they should be.
Wouldn't most of us fans like to see a fresher set list or even a rotating one? Some spontaneity? I love Fleetwood Mac and I believe in their talent. That doesn't always mean blind praise. It's okay to hope for greatness.
Amazing that a great band can play their hearts out for two and a half hours on stage every night for decades and there are still a bunch of winers who cry like babies for more. grow up!
While the author of this article may be right in some aspects, how many fans would be happy to attend a concert and not hear the classics? I, myself would be very disappointed. I have been to every FM concert in the past 40 years and never get tired of hearing them. It has been a dream of mine to sit in the front row and this year my dream will finally come true. So excited to see them in Detroit!
While the author of this article may be right in certain aspects, how many fans would truly be happy if they did not play their classics? I, for one would be very disappointed. I have seen every concert in the Detroit area for the past 35 years and for the first time will be able to experience them from the front row. My 29 yr old son will be joining me and he is just as excited!
I agree with the atricle! I go back to 75 as a fleetwood mac fan and I wont even go see them the last few years because its the same show! if they were doing a show for there fan's they would do different songs or at the very least rotate the song list from night to night like van morrison bruce springsteen etc to throw in different songs, why cant they do seven wonders, or i dont want to know from rumours? why not do some newer songs like thrown down every body find out etc, the only reason they dont is because there lazy and dont want to rehearse its easier to just go out and walk through the set list, they could do this set i there sleep at this point and it shows, all this crap about doing it for the fan's is bull, the fan's have said for years please do different songs like thats alright, love minus zero , steal your heart away would kill live with stevie and lindsey even if they did twisted it would be different but they wont because that takes effort which there not willing to put in, hell stevie wont even write new songs or record anymore claiming she cant make money that every steals the music these day which really tells us a lot about what stevie thinks of her fans , if fleetwood mac really cared about the fans they would listen to them but as the set list shows they dont.
The writer of this article has his head up his a**. Saw them at the Verizon Center Tuesday night and they were simply AWESOME. The audience was singing along with every tune, Lindsay Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood were on fire, and Stevie was -- Stevie. And that's always a good thing. They all appeared to be having an extremely good time and DC LOVES Fleetwood Mac. So there. Take your nasty review and stick it.
Well, I've never seen them live (I am only 25) so I am so glad they are doing the classics and the hit songs that I want to hear. If they didn't do "The Chain, Go Your Own Way, Landslide, Gold Dust Woman, Dreams, etc..." I would be really disappointed. There are some songs no matter how many times I listen to them I never tire of hearing them. I can't wait to see them for the first time!! :)
Uhm... last time I checked Stevie just released album in 2011 and has said that she is writing new songs. I'm confused...
To the person WHO ENJOYS THE CAPS...
No one read what you posted, dear. Instead, everyone just thinks you're a child. I hope someone throws your toys back in that pram for you very soon.
Amazing that a great band can play their hearts out for two and a half hours on stage every night for decades and there are still a bunch of winers who cry like babies for more. grow up!
Actually we're crying for less. Less recycling. And you spelled "whiners" wrong.
@Kenneth... Everything you say is total nonsense. I can't believe an actual human would come out with something so totally bonkers as to tell people they're not allowed to rant/complain about what they would like to see in the setlist. But the truth is, you're only getting your chiffon panties in a bunch because you don't like the negativity - so many of the Stevie tribe can't deal with it. Reality is your kryptonite after all.
By your own rules, even leaving a show and commenting in the positive shouldn't be allowed. It might "alter the experience" of others, right? And that's against the Stevie code.
Banging on about how wonderful the shows are is no different than any other poster saying how bad the shows are. So give it up and leave others to say what they want.
Side note:
Your level of self-importance is staggering.
But since you wanted us all to know that you're a backstage suck-up/super-fan who believes himself to be influential enough to get the setlist altered just because you said so... tell Mick Fleetwood to stop milking Fleetwood Mac for cash. Tell him we don't want to hear the same tired garbage. Tell him to tell Stevie she's not up to it anymore and sounds terrible and looks out of it 99% of the time. And tell him if they (the band) have nothing to promote, then they should stay home and do needlepoint. And it's probably a good idea to tell him to not waste time listening to fans backstage either. They have no idea what they're talking about.
@Maggie
Uhm... last time I checked Stevie just released album in 2011 and has said that she is writing new songs. I'm confused...
Why? What are you confused about?
Kenneth...
Can you not see the irony/hypocrisy in telling the other posters they they can't discuss what they would like in the set, but then telling us all that you told Mick Fleetwood what you wanted to see in the set?
If you think that what you told him impacted the show, then you're the only one that altered anything for anyone. Now we've got this terrible rendition of SOTM that sucks to deal with.
That's down to you. Thanks for nothing.
Kenneth, I think you are missing the point of what I said to you.
You insist: "No amount of money gives you the right to alter the experiences of others." If you have read through this thread, you'll know that, as I've stated before, you are making a hypothetical assumption that someone expressing their opinion will alter the experiences of others. Mr. I-Type-In-All-Caps-Because-I-Think-That-Proves-My-Point is proof of that fact. There is nothing in the world anyone could say that would alter his experience in any way. Mr. Caps' mind is firmly made up and nothing will change that. What makes you think someone expressing their opinion, when it differs from yours, will cause anyone to change how they feel? You are assuming this and telling someone they have no right to express their opinion because you THINK something YOU don't want to happen MIGHT happen. You are doing exactly what you are telling other posters here not to do.
You have the right to your opinion and, unlike someone else in this thread, I firmly believe you have that right. Unlike someone else, I fully understand there is NO SUCH THING as a wrong opinion. An opinion is a belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof (get that Mr. Caps?). That is why it is called an "opinion" and not a "fact". It doesn't matter how much Mr. Caps tells me or anyone else here how stupid we are, or how much you tell someone here they don't have the right to say what they feel, you cannot PROVE that what YOU are saying is 100% true. You have an opinion about the band as do I and as others do. Sometimes we all might agree. Sometimes, we all might disagree. What sets us all apart is how we deal with it. When we start throwing out childish names and insults that does nothing but prove ones lack of desire to expand their mind. When we listen to each other, take what someone else has to say into consideration, whether we agree or not or allow it to affect what we think or not, that's when we show what kind of people we are. No one else has to change their mind because someone else thinks differently from them and no one who thinks for themselves will allow that to happen “just because”.
I don't know about you, Kenneth (and even you, Mr. Caps) but I'd much rather be part of a fan base that can accept and respect everyone regardless of what they think. That can understand not everyone is going to like the same song, vocals, set lists, outfits or stage background. I want to be part of a fan base where everyone loves different things about the same band because that means that band and their music means something different, something special to each and every one of us. I don't want my good memories to be your good memories. You don't want your highlights to be my highlights.
And you know what, Mr. Caps? YOU are the one who is dead wrong when you come out to personally attack me and others here who have dared express their opinion. That is my right. Ethel, Brenda, Kenneth and Robert are allowed to do that. You are allowed to do that. NONE of us are wrong. However, when you tell me I am wrong for how I think or believe, you've stepped over a line. You didn't even read what I said that closely because you made a speculation about me that has nothing to do with me personally. You read what you wanted to read then spit out the venom.
I truly hope this wonderful blog continues to let fans express their opinions (both positive and negative) because after spending time at The Ledge, The Legacy board and the now-defunct Seven Wonders, I find it refreshing that people can come here and say what they really feel without fear of reprisals by other members. I just hope that you, Mr. Caps, are man enough to understand that all the name calling and insults in the world doesn't automatically make your opinion mine. Throw your daggers, it won't do you any good.
So after reading this review and posting an anonymous comment yesterday I've been thinking about it all day and still can't decide which side I agree with more. I have just now come to the decision that I totally agree with the criticisms in this review AND people's negative comments in response to it. Bottom line is that I love this band, always have and always will and will most likely pay to see them every time they tour until they finally stop. Yes in my dreams I would hand my personal setlist to Mick and say "play that" but that's totally unrealistic so I accept whatever they choose to do simply because they can. As far as my expectations for the show goes, I do admit I have some but bottom line is I'm at the show because the music is so connected to my life and memories that it feels like home. I can bitch and complain to my heart's content but it's not going to change anything so why bother? Life is just too short. BTW is this blog becoming The Ledge for a new generation like someone said? I sure hope so.
And the moral of the story, and life is -- people disagree. Be one with it.
I brought that up for a good reason: if you want something, ask. I see no use in making demands on an artist. I see no use in going to forums and being negative and bitter. The types of people who make negative comments are those that would never have the opportunity to positively effect the situation. All they know is negativity and that is sad. Sure, everyone has the right to their opinion. However, if you fail to express it positively, you are counterproductive and jilted.
Kenneth, your words resonate TRUTH! God bless you.
Kenneth - Thank you. I really am looking forward to seeing them for the first time! I am now financially able to and it will be an exciting time when June 10th rolls around! :)
@Kenneth
The point of opinions are not that they should be entirely positive. They're not always and don't have to be productive either. They're just thoughts that people have leaning one way or another. Nothing more. You are not as smart as you think you are if you're telling others not to voice their opinions how they wish.
In fact you're not smart at all.
What you are however, is one of the silence-brigade who will not hear negativity because you live in the SN/FM clouds where everything is wonderful and bright, with unicorns and gypsy beads.
I can guarantee you I've been running after this band much longer than you, and I've come in contact with your tribe before.
Say nothing.
Feel nothing.
Do nothing.
Upset nothing.
No opinions.
No complaints.
No truth.
Just devotion and blind worship.
THAT is who you are. That is not a fan.
Kenneth, you gave me a good chuckle this morning. Thank you!
Dear, we need to have a talk here. You apparently want to present yourself as someone who is a master of the English language and can use it to effectively convince others of your superiority and intelligence.
Just between you and me, that works so much better when you actually know what the words you are using mean.
You said: "Sure, everyone has the right to their opinion. However, if you fail to express it positively, you are counterproductive and jilted."
The word "jilted" means to "deceive or drop a lover suddenly or callously". Please tell me how my expression of my opinion that Fleetwood Mac is not putting on the best shows they have ever done on this tour causes the end of the relationship suddenly and callously with my significant other.
I believe the word you might have been looking for was "stilted" which means 'pompous, stiff, lofty, formal.
"Sure, everyone has the right to their opinion. However, if you fail to express it positively, you are counterproductive and STILTED." See how much better that works? I'm surprised an author didn't know that. Honey, put your thesaurus away and just use the words you are comfortable with. Just because something looks and sounds impressive and appears to be something the "big boys" might say, doesn't mean you should use it. You can get in trouble that way.
Kenneth, you said: "I just left that concert and it was AMAZING! And there is nothing any negative Nancy can say, or do, to change that."
Thank you so very much for saying the exact same thing I told you in my last post. You, by your own words, now agree that me expressing my opinion cannot alter your experience. What I said apparently didn't ruin the show for you. So, now that you are admitting your previous argument holds no water, how will you choose to continue supporting your "no amount of money gives you the right to alter someone's experience" routine?
@Anonymous:
"Kenneth, your words resonate TRUTH! God bless you."
Well, they might resonate truth if he actually knew what they meant and used them correctly! :)
Oh, is this site putting the gag on comments now too? Silencing those who don't subscribe to sugar?
If you love the band and callously drop them, you define jilted.
Kenneth,
I suppose you're one of those who doesn't take a piss break during Mick's bongo garbage? You sound like the type of person who would enjoy watching an old man making a fool of himself. You're pretty good at doing that yourself.
As for the "jilted" debate, you're just wrong on that one. You used the word wrong and have been called out on it. Making up your own definition and meaning for the word doesn't help your case. It only makes you look more pathetic. If that's possible. I feel embarrassed for you.
I've not commented on this post before now, but I have to say that while some of the comments above are harsh, people shouldn't be shut-up because they're negative. If people have issues, this is a safe place to voice them - or should be - and people like Kenneth, telling others they can't, is disgusting.
Anyone so pompous to declare themselves "influential" and "wonderful" should be disregarded outright anyway.
2 Years ago, I had to have spinal surgery. For what ever reason, I developed a spinal fluid leak. For over a month, I was in a hospital bed, unable to walk. I played World Turning to continously remind myself to, "get my feet back on the ground." I did extensive Physical Therapy and worked very hard on being able to, when the chance arose, see the man whose bongo solo inspired me to walk and live again. So, call me what you like. Poke fun at the words I choose. At the end of the day, that man inspired me to get my life back. So, screw your negativity, it means nothing to me. Fleetwood Mac and there music, however boring it may seem to you, means the world to me. I will say no more because all you know is negativity. My life is more important than going on any further with you.
Look, Kenneth, no one is telling you that you can't be a massive super fan, the biggest fan that ever lived on planet earth. What those above ARE telling you is that you can't tell others what to think. What to say. What to wish for in the setlist. It's as simple as that. You don't like it, but you are the problem here.
If we all want to complain - we will.
If we want to say Stevie isn't singing well - we will.
If we want to say the hotdog stand at the gig is selling discount dogs that taste like horse meat - we will.
That's the point of everything.
You've been acting like the thought-police, telling everyone that if we have a negative opinion, we shouldn't voice it. That's not realistic and not how the human race operates.
I think this tour is atrocious. It sounds bad. The set is a snooze. SOTM has been ruined. Stevie looks totally bored and uninterested, and isn't really putting in much effort. That's just what I think. You think the opposite. And that's alright, too. But for you to say that I, and those others who have complained before me, don't have the right to say what we think is why you've taken such a beating around here.
Just allow others their say, even if you don't like it, and there won't be any problems.
I am not, nor do I have a problem. Like the Buddha said, people who are attached to their suffering will never understand the way of true happiness. You send out negativity, you will receive it in return. Again, I am sorry you are attached to your love of being negative. I wish I could help you understand. Again, like the Buddha said, the way of true happiness can only be shared between the enlightened ones. Meaning, until you understand that your negativity does affect you and others, you will never know true happiness; or understand it. Simple as that. In my experience, it is always the negative ones that are and have the problems.
Peace out :-)
Kenneth, you're a ridiculous human being.
Those attacking Kenneth are not of the light, quite simply. They love making themselves and others miserable. It doesn't work on Kenneth. Nor me!
And who are you? No one cares, love.
Kenneth, for someone who apparently follows the teachings of Buddha, you are awfully quick to tell others what they should and shouldn't do and to point out what you see as their flaws and shortcomings. You are awfully quick to condemn. Do you actually think your behavior is helping to enlighten anyone? You are sending out negativity, that is why you are receiving it in return. Simple as that.
I'm very sorry to hear of your injury and kudos to you for all the hard work you did to get back on your feet. You know who you really need to be thanking for getting back to the good place you are now? Look in the mirror, buddy. I don't care what song you listen to or what message it has, if you don't want to get beyond what is holding you down, you won't. I don't care how large or small the mountain you have to climb. If you don't want to do it, it won't get done. Simple as that.
I'm sure you know Mick Fleetwood didn't have a single thing to do with the writing or message behind "World Turning". Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham wrote that song. The only thing Mick Fleetwood does is play drums and act like an ass during the song on stage. That's it. Mick Fleetwood's greed has been a running joke in the FM fan community for years now. I've been in the FM/SN fan community for a very, very long time now and I don't know of anyone (apart from you, that is) who hasn't made the jokes and would actually rally to Mick's defense against his detractors. Fans, in my experience, don't worship Mick the way you do so much as they just tolerate him. He's the necessary evil we all have to put up with to get who we are really there to see: Stevie and Lindsey. Simple as that.
I have a question for you and I'd really like an answer. An honest one and not something crafted to try to suit your argument, please. You are telling everyone here who has a negative opinion (and, admit it, those are the only people you and Buddha are singling out, right?) that if they express those negative opinions they will have an effect on the experiences of others so they shouldn't say anything. My question to you is this: are you at all worried that your getting on here and telling everyone your opinions and how you think could never have an impact upon the experiences of someone else? Have you ever considered that your grandiose opinions here might oversell this band and the shows to someone? If that person doesn't see the same brilliance you do, they will be disappointed. That isn't affecting the experiences of someone else?
And just so you know, Kenneth, I know the way of true happiness. Buddha doesn't give it to me. Fleetwood Mac, and especially Mick Fleetwood, doesn't give it to me. Who I love gives it to me. My family gives it to me. Who I am gives it to me. Because I am allowed to be the person I am gives it to me. What I surround myself with gives it to me. You cannot be taught true happiness. It cannot be handed to you just because you think you have achieved a certain level of enlightenment or are "of the light".
If you want to live in your little "enlightened" world where you see only what you want to see and that brings you true happiness, more power to you, I say. Me? I prefer to live in a world where I have a mind that is open enough to see and consider everything. The good and the bad; the negative and the positive because every single bit of that is what makes life, well, life. Without negative, you cannot have positive. You want to know what the difference is between people like you and people like me and all of the other posters here who have expressed something negative because it's how we really feel? We are brave enough to see the things that you are too afraid to see. You're welcome. Simple as that.
Don't bother with the god bothers. They're all in the dark.
Those attacking Kenneth are not of the light, quite simply. They love making themselves and others miserable. It doesn't work on Kenneth. Nor me!
Not in "the light"?...
Not sure about the lights, but you've definitely been sitting too close to the microwave again. What a load of rubbish!
And Kenneth, you don't need to use an Anonymous account to stir-up support for yourself. We know it's you.
This will be my first time seeing them live (I'm 27 and somewhat late to the FM party) and cannot wait for the European tour. For me it's not so much about what they play as it's about the live concert because I know they'll deliver the good regardless of what songs they'll play.
Perhaps if they do back to back tours the next 15 years and play the same songs, I'll feel the same as some of the other folks here, but until then I'm just glad I finally get to see them live (fully discovered them only 2 years ago!) :)
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