Remembrances of 1982 - The Mirage era

[PenguinHead]

I've seen the Mirage concert video countless times. I even have the original video cassette. But every time I stumble on it on YouTube, I'm compelled to watch it, though I always lament the missing numbers. I'd love to hear any stories or thought from other Ledgies who saw them on that tour.

Entering the eighties, Fleetwood Mac was a very transitional state. One year prior to the release of Mirage, both Stevie and Lindsey released their debut solo albums. Lindsey proclaimed that his album was better than hers, but Stevie's commercial success overshadowed his more esoteric record. Having established herself as a viable solo artist, independent of the band, Stevie must have gone into the Mirage sessions with the wind under her sails and larger ego. It was just a mere three years between Tusk and Mirage, but back then it was like lifetime. In the media, Mirage was celebrated as a band reunion.

I attended my first Fleetwood Mac show on this relatively short tour. Buying tickets for shows in that seemingly prehistoric time before the internet was an arduous ordeal. Tickets were usually sold at record/media stores; they were spit out of some sort of a printer. So to have the best chance of getting preferred seating, you had to show up at the store around midnight/or early before daylight, line up/camp out until the store opened. It was sort of social scene, as die-hard fans mingled among each other. Some brought provisions: blankets, food, drinks and boomboxes.

There's a stark contrast in the show arena experience between then and now. Corporate and commercial influences were not so dominant. The atmosphere was looser. There was very little promotional advertising bombardment, and a sparse amount of merchandise. Since smoking was allowed, it was easier to get away with smoking pot. Technology was low tech, so there were no large video screens, minimal stage productions, no audience members more preoccupied with capturing the show on their phone than being in the moment of it.

The appeal of the Mirage tour is that it was the last time the band performed without any support players -- no extra singers, musicians or technical flourishes. They featured only a few songs from the album - Love in Store, Hold Me, Eyes of the World, Gypsy. Welcome selections would have been Wish You Were Here, Can't Go Back, Only Over You, Oh Diane, Straight Back and That's Alright. The video featured epic performances of Not That Funny. The Chain, Gypsy and Sisters of the Moon.

I think Lindsey's performance of Not That Funny is the best live version ever! It showcases his quirky nature so unusual and quirky. With that long performance combined with I'm So Afraid, Stevie had a lot of off stage time to rest or snort coke. Notably, she did stayon stage for You Make Loving Fun, yet she didn't contribute any background vocals or discernible tambourine parts. She just served as a visual counterpoint, oddly moving around, using her tambourine more as a prop than as an instrument. It's really a disservice to fans that this historic video has never been restored and released for their fans. On the reasonable assumption that they filmed the whole show, I hope the the rest of of footage remains intact so the entire concert can be reassembled.