Sunday, July 18, 2010

Entertainment: Irving Azoff: Fleetwood Mac to Tour in 2011

Irving Azoff and Michael Rapino, executive chairman and CEO (respectively) of Live Nation Entertainment recently said during an investors meeting that the ticket sales for the top 100 touring bands are down twelve percent this year. 

Rapino claims that the press has "scared about every artist" from touring in the fourth quarter of 2010.  Major acts have either cancelled dates, seen low takes on the ticket front or cancelled tours altogether.  Still, that hasn't stopped Azoff from listing several "big name" artists that will be touring in 2011.

Journey, Kenny Chesney, Neil Diamond, Van Halen and Fleetwood Mac were among the names given by Azoff as artists planning to tour in 2011.

You know, I have absolutely no problem with a band touring in support of a new project.  However, the last time Fleetwood Mac had something new to plug was 2003's Say You Will.  And, speaking as a former long-time Fleetwood Mac fan, that wasn't really anything to be that proud of.  Regardless of how bad Say You Will was, the band still had new material to promote and there were a few new songs being performed live.  Then, there was the Unhinged Unleashed tour.  That came off as little more than a money-making endeavor full of bland performances and a setlist that was even more stale than a 100-year-old butter cookie.  The band didn't even bother to create new promotional material for the Unleashed tour.  They simply re-used old Say You Will material.

What will the band be promoting this time around?  Rumours:  The 1,000th Re-ReleaseRumours of the Greatly, Greater, Greatest and Even More Great Hits of Fleetwood Mac?  Or perhaps they will be flogging the country version of Rumours that it has been rumored Stevie Nicks is in Nashville working on.  Does the world really need to hear Taylor Swift flatly singing Dreams, Carrie Underwood bellowing out Go Your Own Way or Brad Paisley checking the Gold Dust Woman for ticks?  I know Stevie loves to grandmother new female artists and she probably leaped at the chance to get to re-make Fleetwood Mac's most successful record because of getting to work with the likes of Swift and Underwood.  That still doesn't justify a country version of Rumours, in my humble opinion.

As we all know, just because something is announced doesn't mean it is set in stone when it comes to the entertainment industry.  With Dave Stewart having already made quite the issue out of working with Stevie Nicks on material for a solo project for the bedazzled beauty and Nicks returning the favor by appearing on a track on Stewart's new album it will be interesting to see how Stevie manages to fit her solo career in with another outing in the "boys club" she feels Fleetwood Mac has become.  Quite frankly, I think Stevie should put herself above the band because at this point, brand new solo material from Stevie is a much better idea than another greatest hits tour from Fleetwood Mac.

Source:  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/07/a-kinder-friendlier-live-nation-entertainment-maybe-if-the-media-stops-scaring-artists.html

1 comment:

  1. I suppose Stevie's solo record will precede a new FMac album...I look foward to more from the band. I only recently purchased "Say You Will" used online, and while the 18 songs don't add up to a new "Tusk" by a long shot, I find myself playing it literally every day. Of course, my favorite cuts are Stevie's: The title track, "Thrown Down" and her West Coast take on the aftermath of 9/11, "Illume". However, it's still a group effort, Lindsey still plays masterfully throughout, and John's bass work is flexible and melodic. I wish Mick's drumming was more up front in the mix, and I miss the crashing cymbals and pounding gallop of 1975's "Fleetwood Mac". See, that's what I want a new FM record to be: an instant classic full of braided harmonies, tight hot guitar solos and propulsive rhythm. I pray it includes the missing chemical in the mix, yes, CHRISTINE MCVIE. I feel the world needs at least ONE MORE great Fleetwood Mac album, and I hope it happens. I saw the Unleashed show at Madison Square Garden in March, 2009, and they rocked the roof even with a sub-par setlist. This only speaks to the still-existent potential of this group if they re-embrace Christine's talents, and regain the magic of who these five people are together. Given the right stars, they could make some outstanding music again. They have it in 'em, and I hope we get to hear it.

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