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The Touring Band
VH1 Concert Review
The Setlist
The DVD
The Itinerary
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The Touring Band:
Mick Fleetwood: Drums and Percussion
John McVie: Bass Guitar
Christine McVie: Keyboards and Vocals
Stevie Nicks: Vocals
Lindsey Buckingham: Guitars and Vocals
Neale Heywood: Guitar, Backing Vocals
Brett Tuggle: Keyboards, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Lenny Castro: Percussion
Sharon Celani & Mindy Stein: Backing Vocals


Concert Review:
(Nassau Coliseum, September 23, 1997)
published on Vh1.com, September 26, 1997
(by Frank Tortorici -- who happens to be "snwriter" on The LegBoard)

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. -- Something has happened to Fleetwood Mac. The years between their tension-filled, romantic and professional dissolution have done wonders for their hearts, not to mention their libidos.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say they're in lust again.

A year ago, Fleetwood Mac would not have had to worry about saturation, or rock sexuality, for that matter. That was before "The Dance" in its many enormously successful incarnations: #1 album, #1 videocassette, and -- most conspicuously -- an endlessly repeated concert special on MTV and VH1. I'm talking ENDLESSLY! In some ways, it’s been nice to see this venerable group enjoying a degree of success after some dry years and some less than memorable incarnations, and attempts at remaking the music that once made them the biggest band in the land. But, paradoxically, the ubiquitousness of the Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac in all forms of media these days dimmed expectations a little for the actual live show.

After all, we've seen it already on TV just last week. Right? And the new album isn't really all that new -- just four new songs, padded with some of their alternate versions of their classic tunes. Well, the fourth show of the reunion tour, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, N.Y. Tuesday night, was a bit predictable, but the renewed vitality, or more specifically, erotic energy of the band that has been clearly demonstrated on TV was even more electrifying in person. First you had to get by the fact that if you saw "The Dance" special, you knew the score: powerful opening with "The Chain," Stevie Nicks takes center stage for "Dreams," Christine McVie does a ditty, etc. Oh, and most annoyingly, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham unfortunately chose to repeat his deep thoughts about this "coming together" nearly verbatim from the CD and video. Ugh. There's nothing worse than false profundity. Buckingham incorrectly introducing his new song "My Little Demon" before the band was set to play "You Make Loving Fun" was refreshing, since it prompted his first unscripted comments of the evening. But this is all beside the point. This 30-year-old band, known at its height for its various intra-group romantic entanglements, has finally found a way to convey all that submerged passion to the audience. Passion, even sex -- at a level you'd expect of a show by the Mac's fall tour competitors The Rolling Stones -- was a running theme throughout the night. These ex-lovers of the '70s are in heat about something. One can only hope it's the music. They are connecting as a band more than ever before, maybe because they've reportedly ironed out their personal differences? Buckingham in particular was coitus personified. His riveting "I'm So Afraid" early in the set left the mostly thirtysomething crowd panting in excitement. His body was writhing as if in orgasm as he soloed to ear-shattering heights. He played the very top of the neck of his guitar, manipulating it like a phallus as he moved through a series of facial contortions that would make Jagger proud. His acoustic "Big Love," performed alone, had Buckingham moaning in pain and delight as he nearly duplicated the recording's overdubbed love grunts. The audience was riveted.

Meanwhile, Buckingham's chemistry with ex-paramour Nicks was so palpable it was almost as if everyone else on stage and off was intruding. They stared intensely at each other, singing the suggestive lyrics to the Rumours-opener "Second Hand News" (... "Won't you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff..."). "Silver Springs," the current Nicks-written single, began reflectively, but culminated in Nicks screaming the words, "You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you," which were written for Buckingham, directly at him.

These two kissed and embraced quite a few times during the 2 1/2 hour set, most movingly after the romantic "Landslide," which they performed alone and which had groups of the audience also hugging and swaying together like one big corny love-in. Buckingham and Nicks seemed glued to one another. Someone please get these two a room, I thought. And the sexuality didn't stop there. Buckingham literally moaned the chorus to the Tusk-rocker "Not That Funny" (... "don't make me wait ...") and the song segued into Mick Fleetwood's pounding drum solo, if you can call it that. Continuing the sexual motif, Fleetwood left the drum kit and stood up to play his chest and lower regions (which were adorned with drum pads wired to the amps) while his trademark "balls" dangled from his groin. He's done this in concerts before, but never with such seeming erotic pleasure. It could be described as a sort of masturbation for the masses, and the crowd ate it up, so to speak.

Ironically, it was Nicks, the '70s sex-symbol goddess, who underplayed her sexuality. But her signature songs ("Rhiannon," "Gold Dust Woman" and "Gypsy") contained moments of high drama and were the clear crowd favorites. In fact, each time one of her tunes was recognized, everyone on the floor leaped to their feet. Only during her mellow new song, the autobiographical "Sweet Girl," did they remain seated. In contrast with their bandmates, Christine and John McVie, the other once loving couple, showed little emotion, choosing instead to focus on the songs. But they didn't need to do anything as "Tusk" and "Go Your Own Way," the closing numbers, turned the Coliseum into one big orgy of singalong. Then, seemingly sated, the crowd settled back for the encores, appropriately flicking on their lighters. Strangely, as the band members kissed each other and waved lovingly to the audience later that night, I was overcome by the urge to have a smoke. And I quit years ago.

The Tour Setlist:
01. The Chain
02. Dreams
03. Everywhere
04. Gold Dust Woman
05. I'm So Afraid
06. Temporary One
07. Bleed To Love Her
08. Gypsy
09. Big Love
10. Go Insane
11. Landslide
12. Say You Love Me
13. Sweet Girl
14. You Make Loving Fun
15. My Little Demon
16. Stand Back
17. Oh Daddy
18. Not That Funny
19. Rhiannon
20. *Second Hand News
21. Silver Springs
22. Tusk
23. Go Your Own Way
24. Don't Stop
25. Songbird
26. The Farmer's Daughter

* except in Hartford 9/17/97 (first show) when "Eyes Of The World" was played

The DVD:
On May 22nd & 23rd, 1997, Fleetwood Mac's MTV Special "The Dance" was filmed at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California. These are the tracks on the 90 minute "Dance" DVD of that performance.

01. The Chain
02. Dreams
03. Everywhere
04. Gold Dust Woman
05. I'm So Afraid
06. Temporary One
07. Bleed To Love Her
08. Gypsy
09. Big Love
10. Go Insane
11. Landslide
12. Say You Love Me
13. You Make Loving Fun
14. My Little Demon
15. Silver Springs
16. Over My Head
17. Rhiannon
18. Sweet Girl
19. Go Your Own Way
20. Tusk (with U.S.C. Trojan Marching Band)
21. Don't Stop (with U.S.C. Trojan Marching Band)
22. Songbird

The DVD Band:
Mick Fleetwood: Drums and Percussion
John McVie: Bass Guitar
Christine McVie: Keyboards and Vocals
Stevie Nicks: Vocals
Lindsey Buckingham: Guitars and Vocals
The Tour Itinerary:
(If you have any correction or additions to this itinerary, our fleetnotes, or to this page at all, please send them here. As always, you will receive full credit for your submission.)

Date	Venue	City (Fleetnotes are highlighted in blue)
Sept. 17, 1997	CT Meadows Amphitheatre	Hartford, CT
Sept. 19, 1997	Great Woods	Mansfield, MA
Sept. 20, 1997	Great Woods	Mansfield, MA
Sept. 23, 1997	Nassau Coliseum	Uniondale, NY
Sept. 24, 1997	Starlake Amphitheatre	Burgettstown, PA
Sept. 26, 1997	Waterfront Entertainment Center	Camden, NJ
Sept. 27, 1997	Nissan Pavillion	Bristow, VA
Sept. 30, 1997	Continental Airlines Arena	E. Rutherford, NJ
October 1, 1997	Polaris Amphitheatre	Columbus, OH
October 3, 1997	The Crown	Cincinnati, OH
October 4, 1997	Palace At Auburn Hills	Auburn Hills, MI
October 5, 1997	Deer Creek Music Center	Noblesville, IN
October 8, 1997	Target Center	Minneapolis, MN
October 9, 1997	Fargo Dome	Fargo, ND
October 11, 1997	Tacoma Dome	Tacoma, WA
October 14, 1997	Shoreline Amphitheatre	Mountainview, CA
October 15, 1997	Shoreline Amphitheatre	Mountainview, CA
October 17, 1997	Irvine Meadows	Irvine, CA
October 18, 1997	Irvine Meadows	Irvine, CA
October 19, 1997	Irvine Meadows	Irvine, CA
October 22, 1997	Desert Sky Amphitheatre	Phoenix, AZ
October 24, 1997	Hollywood Bowl	Los Angeles, CA
October 25, 1997	MGM Grand	Las Vegas, NV
October 28, 1997	Delta Center	Salt Lake City, UT
October 29, 1997	McNichols Arena	Denver, CO
October 31, 1997	Alamo Dome	San Antonio, TX
Nov. 2, 1997	The Summit	Houston, TX
Nov. 4, 1997	Starplex Amphitheatre	Dallas, TX
Nov. 6, 1997	Nashville Arena	Nashville, TN
Nov. 8, 1997	Coral Sky Amphitheatre	West Palm Beach, FL
Nov. 9, 1997	Orlando Arena	Orlando, FL
Nov. 12, 1997	Ice Palace	Tampa, FL
Nov. 14, 1997	The Pyramid	Memphis, TN
Nov. 15, 1997	Lakewood Amphitheatre	Atlanta, GA
Nov. 17, 1997	Kiel Center	St. Louis, MO
Nov. 18, 1997	Mark of the Quad Cities	Moline, IL
Nov. 20, 1997	Rosemont Horizon	Rosemont, IL
Nov. 21, 1997	Palace At Auburn Hills	Auburn Hills, MI
Nov. 23, 1997	Marine Midland Arena	Buffalo, NY
Nov. 24, 1997	Gund Arena	Cleveland, OH
Nov. 26, 1997	Pepsi Arena	Albany, NY
Nov. 27, 1997	Madison Square Garden	New York, NY
Nov. 29, 1997	Convention Hall	Atlantic City, NJ
Nov. 30, 1997	U.S. Airways Arena	Landover, MD

Sources:
Dance Pollstar Tour Data
Press Reviews/Tour memorabilia
Contributions from Dirk Faes, Steve Denison, & Chris