REVIEW: Bluesy is Fleetwood Mac Live in Antwerpen, Belgium

(Translated Review)

Bluesy Fleetwood Mac was at its best

Standaard.be

Nineteen years after their previous Belgian Fleetwood Mac concert is still alive enough, though we heard nothing new in the Sportpaleis and Stevie Nicks has lost some allure.

"The Unleashed tour has only one goal," said singer Lindsey Buckingham. "There is no new album promotional needs, so we brought our favorite songs"

No problem. The band kicked off with "Monday Morning", one of those songs that jittery Buckingham the band in 1975 gave a whole new impetus. Immediately "The Chain" was also well behind: a muscular, energetic version that reminded us of this band in 1977 made a great record on the thin line between love and hate ".

Fleetwood Mac in the year 2009 has four of the five members from the golden seventies. Christine McVie is no longer, because fear of flying. In its place we got three backing vocalists and a keyboardist. Sometime back someone was still playing guitar and Mick Fleetwood Sat back, almost invisible, someone along to drumming.

That was enough to forge a powerful sound, which in Stevie Nicks 'Dreams' just had to finish. Nicks, the most obvious victim of the drugs used by the band, still falls short of the high notes anymore. It was endearing to hear what she sang her songs in minor thereby said it reinforced the melancholy, but it sounded more tired than enthusiasm.

The star of the evening was Lindsey Buckingham, who at sixty patent looks great and the audience repeatedly brought into raptures with his guitar solos, his energetic vocals or just a oerschreeuw between. His solo spot in 'Big Love' Sat good, especially after he had verklapt us that "meditation on alienation" had grown to a song about "the importance of the power of change '. Voilà!

The group played at all in all a sober, but tastefully decorated stage, which mainly gave the message that this is unadulterated live music should go. The video screens showed details of the guitar and the concentrated faces of Mick Fleetwood, even 62, but also of Stevie Nicks, her facial expression did not really experience.

So the concert went up and down, with explosive pieces of Buckingham and Nicks sleepy passages. That her vocal chords finally got warmed up in "Gold Dust Woman" that raw guitar work aegis of one of the highlights unexpectedly grew. And there was still 'Oh well' back, the only song from the first Mac-incarnation of the band with Peter Green, and an effortless topper.

Conclusion: the FM-rock that Fleetwood Mac fame gedeit definitely on the radio and in the living room, but the group has live blues more energy. Buckingham's "Never Going Back Again" was a real heart cry because that song has brought so fragile and vulnerable, and the long guitar solo in "I'm afraid so" clearly touched a chord with the audience already quite quiet.

At the end everyone was still right for a disco-driven "Stand back", a solo album of Nick, a dutiful "Go your own way ', and - that was long ago - a real drum solo in" World Turning " . And "Do not stop, of course.

Nice concert, quite. As for dessert the notice of Buckingham that no new album. Fans can hope.

REVIEW: FLEETWOOD MAC - ANTWERPEN, SPORTPALEIS OCT 14, 2009

(TRANSLATED REVIEW)

Fleetwood Mac niet vies van nostalgie
Het Belang van Limburg

ANTWERP - Long live the music crisis! You buy no more CDs, and artists must be the farmer to earn a penny. So finally reached last night Fleetwood Mac again our region for a concert in the Antwerp Sportpaleis. The strong holders of yesteryear - Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham, John McVie and Stevie Nicks - are still part of the strong performance of "cash machine" that finally Europe calling again. Christine McVie is no longer, and thus pulls the cart Stevie only female voice alone. That probably explains the fact that the group already during the U.S. leg of the tour songs 'Everywhere', 'Little Lies' and 'Seven Wonders' deleted. The originals sparkled for a large part by the polyphonic singing woman.

Classics Hits "Go Your Own Way ',' Do not Stop ',' Dreams ',' Rhiannon ',' Tusk 'and' Sara of The Chain" are on the setlist. Fleetwood Mac has its own classics: over half of successful album Rumors passes in review, in versions that have no chance of complacency, though sometimes it wins power of elegance. This rock and roll hall of fame members are pretty much the royalty of pop music, which can be heard. These unusual voice of the possessed guitar Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham play of the main building blocks in this retro circle. Whether this means the end of Fleetwood Mac or calls for a new album? That should tell the future. But this nostalgic evening of traditional music fans can continue to cherish.

ANTWERPEN - Leve de muziekcrisis! U koopt geen cd’s meer, en dan moéten artiesten wel de boer op om een cent te verdienen. Zo bereikte gisteravond Fleetwood Mac eindelijk nog eens onze contreien voor een concert in het Antwerpse Sportpaleis. De sterkhouders van weleer – Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham, John McVie en Stevie Nicks – maken nog altijd deel uit van de goed draaiende ‘cash machine’ die nu eindelijk nog eens Europa aandoet. Christine McVie is er niet meer bij, en dus trekt Stevie de kar als enige vrouwenstem alleen. Dat verklaart wellicht het feit dat de groep al tijdens de Amerikaanse poot van deze tournee songs ‘Everywhere’, ‘Little Lies’ en ‘Seven Wonders’ schrapte. De originelen sprankelden voor een groot stuk door de meerstemmige vrouwenzang.

Klassiekers Hits ‘Go Your Own Way’, ‘Don’t Stop’, ‘Dreams’, ‘Rhiannon’, ‘Tusk’ en ‘Sara of The Chain’ staan wel op de setlist. Fleetwood Mac kent zijn eigen klassiekers: ruim de helft van succesalbum Rumours passeert de revue, in versies die gezapigheid geen kans laten, al wint energie het soms wel van elegantie. Deze rock and roll hall of fame-leden zijn zo’n beetje de royalty van de popmuziek, en dat laat zich horen. Die ongewone stem van Nicks en het bezeten gitaarspel van Lindsey Buckingham zijn de belangrijkste bouwstenen in dit retrorondje. Of dit het einde betekent van FLeetwood Mac of de aanloop naar een nieuw album? Dat moet de toekomst uitwijzen. Maar dit nostalgische avondje ambachtelijke popmuziek kunnen de fans blijven koesteren.

ONVOLTOOID VERLEDEN TIJD: FLEETWOOD MAC

ONVOLTOOID VERLEDEN TIJD: FLEETWOOD MAC
Tekst: Guido de Greef
Kindamuzik

Voor het eerst in vijftien jaar speelt Fleedwood Mac in Nederland. In tussentijd is er niet eens zo gek veel veranderd, zeker gezien de woelige jaren zeventig en tachtig die eraan voorafgingen.

Vooral de anekdotes rond de totstandkoming van de albums Rumours en Tusk zijn legendarisch. Eind jaren zeventig belichaamde geen enkele andere band het adagium van 'seks & drugs & rock 'n roll' in nog grotere mate. Terwijl de muziek van het vijftal indertijd tamelijk onschuldig klonk, zat het venijn in de teksten die handelen over het vreemdgaan van alle bandleden en de drugsverslavingen van bijna alle bandleden. Als Rumours wordt opgenomen liggen de bergen coke onder het mengpaneel van de studio. Mick Fleetwood schat jaren later dat hij voor zo'n acht miljoen dollar heeft opgesnoven. Dat hij in 1984 bankroet gaat is een bijzonder knappe prestatie, als je je realiseert dat Rumours één van de best verkochte albums aller tijden is en 31 weken bovenaan de Amerikaanse albumlijsten stond. Naast deze financiële instabiliteit zijn ook de relaties tussen Lindsey Buckingham en Stevie Nicks aan de ene kant en Christine Perfect-McVie en John McVie niet bestand tegen alle 'rumoer'.

Full article

[In english, this article is basically a rundown of the bands history from Rumours through to today]

(PHOTOS) FLEETWOOD MAC - SPORTPALEIS, ANTWERPEN (CUTTING EDGE)

Fleetwood Mac, Sportpaleis Antwerpen (14-10-2009)

Photos by: Dirk Janssens

Cutting Edge(click link for more)

(PHOTOS) FLEETWOOD MAC - ANTWERP, BELGIUM

FLEETWOOD MAC - ANTWERP, BELGIUM

OCTOBER 14, 2009

PHOTOS BY: Jakke16 (click for full versions)

(PHOTOS) FLEETWOOD MAC - SPORTPALEIS

Photographer: Jens Baert

Artist: Fleetwood Mac

Location: Sportpaleis

Wannabes.be

FLEETWOOD MAC (LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM) SPOTTED IN ANTWERP TODAY

Lindsey Buckingham and his wife Kristen were spotted today in Antwerp, Belgium.

Link to pics

Diehards flying in from the US and Britain, on what is likely Fleetwood Mac's final concerts ever

(Rather presumptuous of Taranaki Daily News to assume that the last two shows of Fleetwood Mac in New Zealand will be their last...Ever!)

Taranaki Daily News

December's two Fleetwood Mac concerts will bring a $7.5 million bonanza to the Taranaki economy.

The figure comes from a recently-published forecast from Venture Taranaki, which says more than 36,000 fans are expected pass through the gates of the TSB Bowl of Brooklands within a 24-hour period – with more than 25,000 of them from out of the region.

Among those fans will be diehards flying in from the United States and Britain, intent on attending what is likely to be Fleetwood Mac's final concerts ever.

The New Plymouth District Council and VT are forecasting that these visitors will contribute the $7.5 million to the local economy.

This means each visitor will spend roughly $300 each during his or her time here.

The same forecast looks at the value of three rugby World Cup games in New Plymouth in 2011 and estimates those games will bring $5.2 million in visitor money to the economy.

The council's manager of business events Garry Sharpe-Young says the sheer magnitude of the concerts and their guests have prompted several local agencies to form a steering committee to manage the large amount of out-of-towners to the region.

Agencies include the council, VT, Taranaki Chamber of Commerce and the police.

"We have discovered many of the people coming in have never been to New Plymouth before and we want to encourage them to see more of it than just go to the concert and leave," Mr Sharpe-Young said.

"We are also encouraging businesses to stay open during that weekend because the economic impact is just huge. It will be $7.5m plus."

At the REM concert at the Bowl in 2005 Easter licensing laws ruined the party for thousands of fans who hit downtown New Plymouth after the band's concert. Strict liquor licensing laws forced bars to close early, with many bar owners feeling they missed out on the fun.

But this time around, with more than twice the crowd likely to hit the town after Fleetwood Mac, local business owners are being encouraged to stay open to cater to the masses.

About 100 people are coming from the US and the United Kingdom, many of them have been following the international group's world tour, which is said to be its last.

"It's a huge opportunity for us to alter people's perception of New Plymouth in a positive way," Mr Sharpe-Young said.

"You could definitively say this is the biggest concert to hit New Plymouth in the last 40 years."

Tickets for Fleetwood Mac's concert on December 19 sold out within minutes when they went on sale last month.

The second concert for December 20 is almost sold out, with only general admission tickets available.

In order to cope with the region's extra guests, volunteer co-ordinator for the steering committee, Moira Irving, says organisers need about 200 volunteers to help with various tasks around the city.

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"We want volunteers on the walkway and greeting people at the airport, we want them at the park, we just want people to feel sort of overwhelmed at the amazing weekend," Ms Irving said.

"We will have people handing out information and showing them what restaurants will be open, places they might want to go and visit through and make sure it's a whole Taranaki visit, it's not rushing into the concert and then shooting through."

Anyone wanting to become a volunteer should contact Ms Irving at the New Plymouth District Council.

But the region better get used to being overrun by out-of-towners as Mr Sharpe-Young says he intends to bring in a major international act every year.

"There are a few possibilities for early 2010 and more for 2011 and 2012.

"We want to bring in another contemporary act like we did with Jack Johnson."

WHERE THE FANS ARE FROM

Auckland: 7000

Wellington: 8000

Waikato: 2500

Manawatu: 2000

Bay of Plenty: 2000

South Island: 2000

West Coast: 32

Taranaki: 10,000

American and UK: 100

FLEETWOOD MAC HAVE AN OPENING ACT FOR SELECT AUSTRALIAN DATES

The Herald Sun is reporting that "The Versus" a newly signed group to Warners will be the supporting act for Fleetwood Mac in Australia at Rod Laver Arena on December 1 and 2

Herald Sun

KILLING Heidi siblings Ella and Jesse Hooper are set for a comeback to the charts.

The hit-making pair's new band, the Verses, has just signed with Warner Music.

The deal has also helped the band secure the coveted slot supporting Fleetwood Mac on its December tour of Australia.

Unlike Killing Heidi, the Verses have a country-tinged southern rock sound.

Aside from Ella's occasional appearances on Spicks and Specks, the Hoopers have kept a low profile since the end of Killing Heidi, to concentrate on their songwriting.

Now 26, Ella was 17 when Killing Heidi topped the charts in 2000, becoming the hottest band in the land.

The Verses have built a loyal following through residencies at the Toff in Town in Melbourne.

"We're country kids - we like things to go at a nice, slow pace - and we gave ourselves time: time to write, time to get inspired, time to try different things musically," Ella said.

"We were taking a holiday from the three-minute pop song, although funnily enough we've found ourselves coming back to that."

The first taste of the Verses will come with an EP released next month.

Curious listeners can download their new single Forever More free from theverses.com.au as of Monday.

The band will support Fleetwood Mac at Rod Laver Arena on December 1 and 2.

LINKS TO PHOTOS OF FLEETWOOD MAC IN GERMANY

Fleetwood Mac - Oberhausen, Germany 12.10.09

Facebook Photos by: Stephanie Eshuis(link)

Fleetwood Mac - Oberhausen, Germany 12.10.09

Oberhausen Virtual Nights(link)