November 19, 2011, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne.
On Saturday November 19, 2011 Stevie Nicks kicked off her In Your Dreams Australian tour in Melbourne. The audience was a sea of ponchos, but the rainy weather failed to dampen the anticipation and excitement of those at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
Brian McFadden was the opening act, performing acoustic versions of a number of his hit songs. He also threw in his rendition of Adele’s “Someone Like You” and went back to his boy band roots (Bryan was formerly a member of Westlife), belting out NSYNC’s “This I Promise You”.
Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics was Stevie’s main support act, and also one of the people heavily involved in producing her new album. A gifted guitarist, his band of colourful characters made for an entertaining precursor to the main event.
There was only a short wait for the crew to get the stage ready for Stevie. She came out all guns blazing, belting out “Stand Back” like only she could, followed by “Secret Love”, the first single off her new album In Your Dreams.
Stevie made it clear that this was not a Greatest Hits tour, but a tour to promote the new album. While she threw in some Fleetwood Mac classics like “Rhiannon” and “Dreams” and several of her solo hits, it was hearing her new songs live which made this concert all the more special.
Along with every song she performed came the story of where she got the inspiration to write them. It was actually two years ago (almost to the day) that Stevie was in Melbourne, touring with Fleetwood Mac. She went to see one of the Twilight movies at the cinema, and, oddly enough, that was what prompted her to write “Moonlight (A Vampire’s Dream)” and begin working on a new record.
“Soldier’s Angel”, a song from her new album, was an emotional moment of the night. Stevie told a story of how in 2005 she went to visit a military hospital to speak with the injured soldiers. She arrived there as a rock star without a care in the world, and left with a heavy heart after hearing all their stories.
As she was leaving, an emergency medivac arrived. There were doctors, nurses, stretchers and wounded soldiers everywhere. She wrote the song “Soldier’s Angel” as a tribute to those who have fought, and lost their lives, in the war in the Middle East.
The highlight of the night was Stevie and her voice coach performing “Leather and Lace”, once a song that was never included in her sets due to it being a duet. Their voices complimented each other nicely, and it made for a beautiful rendition of the Stevie Nicks and Don Henley original.
With the love Stevie Nicks has shown for Australia, there is no doubt that she will be back to tour again soon.
4 out of 5.
Originally published on this website – http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/News+%26+Features/Reviews/ViewPage.action?&repositoryName=&siteNodeId=515&CurrentFolderID=1930&ItemID=15714&BackToFolderID=1930
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Stacie Mayer 