Fleetwood Mac-Mick Fleetwood does not play alone

[worldrecordplayer]

I've been meaning to post this for a couple of weeks now.  Fleetwood Mac were in Boston a couple of weeks ago and a buddy picked up a pair of good seats cheap on the day of, so I went with him.  We were sitting in Club Section 109, above Lodge 22, which is about one section out in front of the stage on the Buckingham side.  We were high enough that we could see the entire stage setup and everything behind the amps. Throughout the show there was a crew member guy behind Buckingham's stack of amps to the side of the drum riser who was clearly playing drum pads along with Mick Fleetwood on many songs.  So many of the songs where the drums are really pounding, it was not Fleetwood alone.  There was even one song where I noticed on the screen he was playing with brushes, yet the drums were pounding.  This guy was hidden from view from the majority of the crowd.  When Fleetwood introduced the band near the end of the show, this guy was not introduced.  This may go on more frequently than I'm aware of, but I thought it was bogus.   

[calvino]

Blondie Chaplin plays (or at least use to) guitar quite a bit off stage with the Stones. Chaplin is introduced as a singer and does sometimes play on stage with his guitar, but at times when he is playing guitar, he is off stage, or behind the piano riser. I am not a big fan of this type of set up, either.

[Shug]

U2 does the same shit, they have the guitar tech Dallas Schoo playing lots of rhythm parts underneath the stage in his little guitar tech cave. I don't like it, but I'd prefer not to look behind the curtain, as shallow as that may seem.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

For me, that's a good enough reason to not see any of these guys. Reminds me of Milli Vanilli or something.

Then again, the shitty way Fleetwood Mac treated Bob Welch was enough to make me decide I will never see them. Just my own feeling. They will be here in town soon, but I'm not going unless someone miraculously gives me a ticket.

[worldrecordplayer]

I've never heard of or seen this before.  As I said, I think it's bogus.  Bullshit.  I'm not a huge Mac fan (one of the main reasons I went is that it now frees me up to see Los Lobos at JazzFest on Saturday since they are playing at the same time), but Mick Fleetwood's drumming (along with Buckingham's guitar) was always one of the draws. 

 

I can't believe how bogus I think this is.  Have a freaking second drummer on stage.  This is lip synching bullshit

 

Mr. Heartbreak, I'm not aware of the Bob Welch story.  Did they just toss him to the side of the road for Buckingham and Nicks?  Bare Trees was always a favorite.

[Lammycat]

Never heard of this either. I don't understand why they don't just bring the hidden member (heh) out in the forefront. Load of horseshit.

[lamradio]

There is no logic in having drum pads played along with acoustic drums.  They must be used for other sound effects etc.  If they wanted the drums to really pound, they could just put pads or triggers directly on Mick's drums.  Unless he just can't play anymore and must have someone playing along with him to fill in the missed beats, but I doubt that is the case.  

 

I have heard of drummers playing along with metronomes (very common actually), and guitar techs pressing pedals for the guitarists, but I'm finding it hard to believe that Mick Fleetwood actually has a guy that covertly plays the drum beats along with him.  Like I said, must be other sound effects, misc percussion hits, etc.  

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Mr. Heartbreak, I'm not aware of the Bob Welch story.  Did they just toss him to the side of the road for Buckingham and Nicks?  Bare Trees was always a favorite.

No, it was the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction exclusion, for which Bob Welch blamed the remaining Fleetwood Mac members...probably right up until his suicide.

If he was right, it's incredibly shameful; if he was wrong, I can't see why they didn't rectify the omission.

http://blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2012/06/rock_and_roll_hall_of_fame_snu.html

[worldrecordplayer]

There is no logic in having drum pads played along with acoustic drums.  They must be used for other sound effects etc.  If they wanted the drums to really pound, they could just put pads or triggers directly on Mick's drums.  Unless he just can't play anymore and must have someone playing along with him to fill in the missed beats, but I doubt that is the case.  

 

I have heard of drummers playing along with metronomes (very common actually), and guitar techs pressing pedals for the guitarists, but I'm finding it hard to believe that Mick Fleetwood actually has a guy that covertly plays the drum beats along with him.  Like I said, must be other sound effects, misc percussion hits, etc.  

I watched the guy pretty closely as best as I could see.  When he played, he had a drumstick in each hand and at least one cymbal, and he was playing along with the band.  Whatever it was that he was hitting with those drumsticks was blocked from my view.  But as I said, there was one song where the drum beat was pounding pretty good, and when they showed Mick on the screen he was playing with brushes.  Draw your own conclusions, but it was clear to me that the drumming was being augmented by some hidden tech and the vast majority in the crowd had no ability to know that Mick wasn't responsible for all of the drum sounds that were being heard.  Bogus.

[Analogman]

I've read there was a time when Judas Priest did the same thing. Also, back in the day, bands such as Aerosmith had keyboard players mostly hidden off to the side of the stage.

 

The worst to me is singers not really singing (live).

[Lammycat]

Full-on air guitar "bands" are next. 

[suites]

I saw FM a few years ago and they had that guy then as well...This is what I saw on a listing of who the touring band is now.

 

The Band:

 

Mick Fleetwood – drums, percussion

John McVie – bass

Lindsey Buckingham – guitar, vocals

Stevie Nicks – vocals, tambourine

 

Sharon Celoni - backing vocals

Lori Nicks - backing vocals

Brett Tuggle - keyboards, guitar, backing vocals

Neale Heywood - guitar, backing vocals

 

Many drummers use a click track anyway...including Neil Peart and Larry Mullen.

 

Don Henley basically stopped playing drums like 20 years ago.

 

Jeez, Roger Waters lip synced like crazy over the past few years.

 

Backing tracks have been a part of of tons of bands show forever.

 

Try not to think so much and just enjoy the show...if you like the act.....at least that is my thoughts....I notice but it only takes away a little enjoyment. When you hear Silver Springs live it is a great moment.

[worldrecordplayer]

Full-on air guitar "bands" are next. 

Too funny!!! 

[Guest Jules]

Stones have been doing this for years. Probably decades. They don't even hide it that much. I have no issue with it. It's a performance. A show. These older bands aren't what they used to be. Deal with it or don't go.

 

The worst to me is singers not really singing (live).

Completely separate issue.

[worldrecordplayer]

Stones have been doing this for years. Probably decades. They don't even hide it that much. I have no issue with it. It's a performance. A show. These older bands aren't what they used to be. Deal with it or don't go.

 

Completely separate issue.

Really, there's a hidden backstage guitar player and drummer for the Stones? I definitely have an issue with it, and I don't see any substantive difference between hidden backstage musicians and a singer not singing live.

[indy81]

Really, there's a hidden backstage guitar player and drummer for the Stones? I definitely have an issue with it, and I don't see any substantive difference between hidden backstage musicians and a singer not singing live.

 

For me, there's a big difference between having an onstage performer mime to someone backstage and using backstage supporting musicians to fill out the live sound.  If the guys on stage are playing their parts and their music is supplemented by a rhythm guitarist or keyboard player it's not a big deal to me.  Same with backing tapes and samples - some bands need them more than others.  And who cares if they're backstage?  You really need to see a guitar tech strumming along onstage?  It's more "honest", but it's also distracting.  Hell, even Wilco had Mike Jorgensen in the shadowy back of the stage doing samples in '02.

[mountain bed]

I saw FM a few years ago and they had that guy then as well...This is what I saw on a listing of who the touring band is now.

 

The Band:

 

Mick Fleetwood – drums, percussion

John McVie – bass

Lindsey Buckingham – guitar, vocals

Stevie Nicks – vocals, tambourine

 

Sharon Celoni - backing vocals

Lori Nicks - backing vocals

Brett Tuggle - keyboards, guitar, backing vocals

Neale Heywood - guitar, backing vocals

 

Many drummers use a click track anyway...including Neil Peart and Larry Mullen.

 

Don Henley basically stopped playing drums like 20 years ago.

 

Jeez, Roger Waters lip synced like crazy over the past few years.

 

Backing tracks have been a part of of tons of bands show forever.

 

Try not to think so much and just enjoy the show...if you like the act.....at least that is my thoughts....I notice but it only takes away a little enjoyment. When you hear Silver Springs live it is a great moment.

This. Triggers and samples are just part of the deal for many bands now. All in the name of 'professionalism', I guess. At least to my knowledge the Dead, the Allmans and others who like to stretch things out live (including the great Crazy Horse) refrain from these shenanigans. God bless 'em.

[jff]

Geddy Lee manages to play keyboards with his feet while singing and playing bass.

 

If Mick Fleetwood can't simplty play drums on mid-tempo soft rock tunes he should throw in the towel.

[DewieCox]

I don't mind the offstage augmenting, but I'd definitely prefer the performer be on stage to get his due.

 

From years of reading guitar magazines, I was always shocked at how many guitarist would have their techs do their switching for them. I'd say most would have the major changes done offstage and have a smaller board out front that they could mess around with if they chose, along with the wah. I can kinda understand it with a setup like The Edge, but very few have sytems as complex as his, and I think he's trying to get as close to the studio sound as possible.

 

Not sure how I feel about another person playing backup. On one hand I'd rather see a band in their classic form, on the other I want good sounding performances. It does feel like a copout, but I'd probably feel different on a case to case basis.

 

Lip syncing is whack, though I can see why certain people do it. The best solution to keep from it is changing the key of the song. But just as many people will bitch about that,which I'll never understand, if it's done well.

 

 

I've only ever heard of Neil Peart using a click track where it's necessary, like when samples come into play.

[jff]

 

 

 

I've only ever heard of Neil Peart using a click track where it's necessary, like when samples come into play.

 

I don't really know what Neil Peart does, but their concerts are among the most visually oriented shows you could ever see.   Synching up all their videos, lasers, etc., without some control over the tempo of the music would be almost impossible.

[Guest Jules]

Really, there's a hidden backstage guitar player and drummer for the Stones?

 

Guitar, yes.

[suites]

Guitar, yes.

Calling BS on this. Show me the proof. Keef and woody plus the have keys and horns. Never heard of another guitar. Who is it?

[tinnitus photography]

Full-on air guitar "bands" are next. 

 

how about 'out of thin air' rappers? oh, that's been done.

[Bosco]

This. Triggers and samples are just part of the deal for many bands now. All in the name of 'professionalism', I guess. At least to my knowledge the Dead, the Allmans and others who like to stretch things out live (including the great Crazy Horse) refrain from these shenanigans. God bless 'em.

 

Hold on there, The Dead had a whole segment in later years that fell between Drums and Space, Mickey would be done with his little thing and there would be a few minutes where it was essentially Bob Bralove (midi engineer, back stage) and Dan Healy and later John Cutler (FOH) generating all the sounds you heard until Jerry came out.  With Crazy Horse there are times when Larry Cragg (Neil's guitar tech) is on the side of the stage playing around on piano or something.

 

Point being, it happens, it's just the way it is.

[Guest Jules]

Calling BS on this. Show me the proof. Keef and woody plus the have keys and horns. Never heard of another guitar. Who is it?

 

I don't know. I saw it myself last time they played the United Center.