FLEETWOOD MAC - 40 MORE SHOWS

Nicks of the North
Is there a Canadian home in the Fleetwood Mac singer's future?
By JANE STEVENSON, SUN MEDIA

Stevie Nicks -- future Canadian resident?

Don't laugh, the 60-year-old singer just returned from performing Fleetwood Mac shows in Montreal and Toronto and really likes it up north.

And there's still three Western Canadian dates in May.

"It was fantastic because we actually got to be in Canada for a while instead of just flying in and out," said Nicks, down the line from New York City to chat up her new solo releases, the Live in Chicago DVD and The Soundstage Sessions CD, released Tuesday.

"I really like Canada, and I think it's really friendly and we laugh because we think it's more romantic than the United States. I'm sorry, United States, because I'm from here but we see more people walking around holding hands there, we see more of an intimate relationship going on there than the hustle and bustle of the United States. Of course, I love my country, but it's kind of like I think, 'Gee, you know when I'm done with all this maybe I'll just get a really cool penthouse apartment somewhere in Canada.' "

Just 17 shows into the Fleetwood Mac -- Greatest Hits Unleashed Tour (and 40 to go) Nicks says she's enjoying herself.

But Nicks says performing as a solo act, as she does on both her new live CD/DVD, taking on covers like Dave Matthews' Crash Into Me, inviting singer-pianist Vanessa Carlton to join her on stage and telling an incredible story about writing Dreams in Sly Stone's black velvet studio in Sausalito, Calif., is quite different than being part of the group.

"When I'm in my own band, I'm really talkative, I really try to tell stories, I really try to relate to the audience and I become more who I really am," said Nicks.

"When I'm in Fleetwood Mac I become that more mysterious, quieter creature.

'DO A TAP DANCE?'

"And that's always been since the very beginning. People have said to me, 'Well, you know you could get out there a little bit more since Lindsey (Fleetwood Mac guitarist Buckingham) is running around the stage like a crazy whirling dervish.' And I'm going, 'But I don't do that.' What am I supposed to do? Do a tap dance? Or cartwheels? Or jump down in the splits? What should I do to keep up with Lindsey? So I don't try."

Nicks, meanwhile, said her bum knees and hip have improved due to some serious workouts on something called A Power Plate, developed by the Russians for astronauts.

She actually fell on stage during a solo performance at Casino Rama in 2007.

"It's kind of this vibrating plate and you stand on it and you just do little yoga positions and it's all of 14 minutes. But I've been doing this every other day for a year and I have really fixed my knees and my hip and I'm in pretty darn good shape. We took it with us on the road. It's this big ass machine and we built a big case for it and we roll it in and we use it."

That doesn't mean her signature high-heeled suede boots aren't a pain to put on every night.

"It is a very big pain because I don't wear heels in my regular life," said Nicks. "So putting on the platforms again to walk around for two hours and 20 minutes -- well, it's horrible. From the time you put them on to when you take them off is about three hours. I may be donning my Canadian black fur suede wedge boots in the future because I'm ju

st about ready to throw all those boots out on the street because they're killing me. They're taking my mind off my singing because my feet hurt so bad."

Nicks said she may even revert to the platform tennis shoes she wore on previous Fleetwood Mac tours.

"You know what? They worked. And I wore the velvet leg warmers that covered up half of them and I mean I thought it was really important to the fans to wear the boots. But now I'm starting to think, 'You know what? So I'll wear boots for the first four songs and then they get to see them. And then I'll put them back on at the end.' "