What's the nicest thing FM ever did for the fans?

[Shuvani]

Originally posted by strandinthewind
Ah Ha - I was like WTF Its time for a martini and an Ambien in no specific order!!!

Or, as Dorothy Parker once said:
"I like to have a martini, two at the very most. Three I'm under the table, four I'm under my host."

Hee Hee!

[FiercestCalmSea]

Well,ok...here is my take on it..what has FM done for their fans? In my humble opinion,i think the music they put out is enough..the fact that they are still touring is awesome to me.I am 22 years old..so i was born in their heyday and missed them in their so-called "prime"..they could have stopped doing this years ago..but they didn't...and i get to see them now...and i am totally grateful for that.I know this is a positive thread..and i don't want to put a negative spin on it...but i don't really think that just because they are famous they are more obligated to do good deeds..the things you do for people should not be a byproduct of your status..you should want to connect with others regardless...i think FM has done that to an extent..they aren't aloof upon their throne of Rock n' Roll royalty so to speak..they aren't exactly going out of their way to meet fans i suppose...but really,like someone said,they have to use some caution cause of the all the weirdos out there.Anyway,that is just my two cents

[WindingRoad]

Some of you need a reality check really bad...imo

Stevie did cocaine for US? What? Stevie did cocaine for herself. That's how she chose to handle the difficulties in her life.

The band "toiling through blood, sweat and tears is enough? Again, What? Their "toil" was their lives. The lives they chose, the decisions they made. The goal of their "toil" was to make a record to make money. It had nothing to do with their fans. And why is their toil more meanigful or valuable than the toil all of us deal with every day?

I'm not saying they should give free concerts and do benefits and stuff. But they are public figures, and if they want to remain so, they need to pay attention to their public.

I used to belong to Reba MacEntire's fan club. The cost was minimal and meet and greet was free! To eveybody. All you had to do was show your membership card at the concert. Reba had plenty of security with her and was well protected from stalkers.

I love this band, BUT, they are indeed on their Rock N Roll Royalty throne.

Just my opinion. Flame away if you like.

susieq

[gldstwmn]

This is weird but true. In regards to Reba, in order to move her around without being seen by everyone they had a specially made road case that she would just hop into and they would move her from point a to point b.

[darklinensuit]

Originally posted by gldstwmn
This is weird but true. In regards to Reba, in order to move her around without being seen by everyone they had a specially made road case that she would just hop into and they would move her from point a to point b.

Oh, this is begging for a separate thread: What would Stevie have in her specially designed road case? (Can you say a Yorkie, some Janis beads, a piano, a stack of journals, a Sulamith painting, a book of poetry, and some burning incense to clog up the air holes?)

- Jake

[seeknpeace]

Originally posted by WindingRoad
Some of you need a reality check really bad...imo

Stevie did cocaine for US? What? Stevie did cocaine for herself. That's how she chose to handle the difficulties in her life.

The band "toiling through blood, sweat and tears is enough? Again, What? Their "toil" was their lives. The lives they chose, the decisions they made. The goal of their "toil" was to make a record to make money. It had nothing to do with their fans. And why is their toil more meanigful or valuable than the toil all of us deal with every day?

I'm not saying they should give free concerts and do benefits and stuff. But they are public figures, and if they want to remain so, they need to pay attention to their public.

I used to belong to Reba MacEntire's fan club. The cost was minimal and meet and greet was free! To eveybody. All you had to do was show your membership card at the concert. Reba had plenty of security with her and was well protected from stalkers.

I love this band, BUT, they are indeed on their Rock N Roll Royalty throne.

Just my opinion. Flame away if you like.

susieq

Bravo and well said in my opinion Susie Q...not sure why they are revered as they are. I love the music, but, I see the people, and they have not lived a life worth emulating at all. It made for great music, but, I agree with most of what you said.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally posted by WindingRoad
Some of you need a reality check really bad...imo

Stevie did cocaine for US? What? Stevie did cocaine for herself. That's how she chose to handle the difficulties in her life.

The band "toiling through blood, sweat and tears is enough? Again, What? Their "toil" was their lives. The lives they chose, the decisions they made. The goal of their "toil" was to make a record to make money. It had nothing to do with their fans. And why is their toil more meanigful or valuable than the toil all of us deal with every day?

Hmm, well, since I made the comments you addressed, I might as well take a stab at responding.

First, I think it's twisting my words a bit, to write that I said Stevie did cocaine for us.
As I thought I made clear, Stevie is totally responsible for decisions she's made... however, I can't imagine there having been a need to do cocaine, if it weren't for the need to have the energy for live performances, and photo-shoots, and recording sessions, and video-shoots, and interview sessions, etc., etc.

And let's face it... who do you do all that crap for?
The Fans.
If Stevie didn't tour, and do videos, etc., who would've cried and whined the most?
The Fans.

We're a demanding lot, and I think Stevie, in particular, did a damn good job of trying to please everyone.
And yes, it was HER career, and HER livelyhood... but just as we work hard to please our bosses in order to continue earning a living, entertainers work hard to please their fans.

I don't think anyone (especially me) is disputing the fact that this IS their career of choice, and that decisions they make are solely their own... but I most definitely feel that many (though certainly not all) sacrifices were made in order to keep the fans happy over the years.

But someone will always think they should have done more... that's just the nature of the beast.

Personally, I love this band's music, and I own all of their albums... but it's always been my choice whether or not I buy what they're selling, so I don't feel they owe me a single thing.

That's just the way I see it. If no one agrees with me, that's fine.

[dissention]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
As I thought I made clear, Stevie is totally responsible for decisions she's made... however, I can't imagine there having been a need to do cocaine, if it weren't for the need to have the energy for live performances, and photo-shoots, and recording sessions, and video-shoots, and interview sessions, etc., etc.

And let's face it... who do you do all that crap for?
The Fans.
If Stevie didn't tour, and do videos, etc., who would've cried and whined the most?
The Fans.

I completely respect your opinion, but to say that she did all that stuff for the fans is ridiculous. She did photo shoots, interviews, videos, and music for her fans? C'mon now. She did shoots, videos, and interviews to sell her product. She made the music to please herself. Now, I think in some small way she put music out for fans to enjoy, but it most certainly isn't a main reason. AND, there is NO "need" to do drugs to have the energy to do what she did. There are loads of artists who had just as much on their plates and never sniffed anything up their nose.

However, I do agree that Stevie, NOT the Mac, tours for the fans. That is evident.

[strandinthewind]

Originally posted by dissention
. . . AND, there is NO "need" to do drugs to have the energy to do what she did. There are loads of artists who had just as much on their plates and never sniffed anything up their nose.

I agree now, but that was the 70's In fact I know of no artist of FM scale or a little lower that did not use lots of drugs in the 70's. I appears to me it is not so much that way anymore. So, I take all of the drug stuff in stride and remember the time period, etc.

Also, I think it is possible that they do what they do for both themselves and the fans. It kind of reminds me of a somewhat silly debate I had to do one time in school about selfish people can be good. I used Mother Teresa (sp?) as an example. I argued she was "selfish" in a good way in that she loved her work so much, she was in reality doing it to please herself. I think somewhat the same applies to Stevie and perhaps the Mac.

[David]

Originally posted by flyfirefly
They are only musicians, the are not saints or Gods and they give you music--they don't owe anyone anything. What does it matter what they've given you? Isn't the music enough?

Well, they don't actually give me their music.

I have to buy it.

[David]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
And let's face it... who do you do all that crap for?
The Fans.
If Stevie didn't tour, and do videos, etc., who would've cried and whined the most?
The Fans.

Can't you look at this equally validly from the public's perspective? If 18 million fans didn't purchase "Rumours," who would've cried & whined the most? The band.

We're a demanding lot, and I think Stevie, in particular, did a damn good job of trying to please everyone.
And yes, it was HER career, and HER livelyhood... but just as we work hard to please our bosses in order to continue earning a living, entertainers work hard to please their fans.

But you didn't finish the rest of your sentence. "Just as we work hard to please our bosses in order to continue earning a living, entertainers work hard to please their fans" ... in order to continue earning a living!

Some other people in this thread said that Fleetwood Mac makes music & CDs for me. That puts a loony, simplistic spin on what is really a very complex interrelationship between the published musician & the consumer. When I buy the new CD by Fleetwood Mac, am I doing it for them? It's a business transaction, a marketplace event. Both sides happen to benefit: Fleetwood Mac makes a good living & enjoys the emotional benefits of adulation & connection; the consumers get to pop a CD in the car CD player or have a great time at a live show. It's Fleetwood Mac's living; it's our recreation, our hobby, even in some cases our emotional healing. It's symbiotic. But it ain't one literally giving something to the other. If John McVie paid this month's bills for me, that's giving me something. If he washed & waxed my kitchen floor, that's giving me something. But he & his bandmates don't give me their music. I buy it.

[gldstwmn]

Originally posted by strandinthewind
I agree now, but that was the 70's In fact I know of no artist of FM scale or a little lower that did not use lots of drugs in the 70's. I appears to me it is not so much that way anymore. So, I take all of the drug stuff in stride and remember the time period, etc.

Yes but does anyone really "remember" the 70's, especially that period from about late 1976 to about the mid 80's?

[gldstwmn]

Originally posted by strandinthewind


Also, I think it is possible that they do what they do for both themselves and the fans. It kind of reminds me of a somewhat silly debate I had to do one time in school about selfish people can be good. I used Mother Teresa (sp?) as an example. I argued she was "selfish" in a good way in that she loved her work so much, she was in reality doing it to please herself. I think somewhat the same applies to Stevie and perhaps the Mac.

I think that's an excellent point. And just to add something further to it, if I may? Mother Teresa did her work becasue I believe she had a "calling" to do it and I believe it's the same thing with Stevie and her writing.

[Lily]

Well said, Johnny Stew. I totally agree.

[wondergirl9847]

Ted Nugent and Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) SAY they never did drugs and they don't drink (probably heavily they mean)....of course, Ted had his share of groupies, but not EVERY rock star is a coke sniffer/drunk.

Hehe.