On a particularly special twilight at Botanic Park, Stevie Nicks and The Pretenders showed that old school classic rock and pop can still sound fantastic and is just as relevant as it always was. With legions of fans leaving their seats to dance away to their favourite hits, this was an evening that will live in the hearts of many.
Talented blues and soul locals Zyke, featuring Adelaide scene identity Billy Bob Rankine was a wise choice as opening act. A safe bet for an audience skewed on the older side, a good slice of Adelaide’s best live musicians converged on the huge stage, as Zyke to keep the restless masses entertained as they took their seats and sorted out their food and wine options.
Gracefully ageing American rock icon Chrissie Hynde may be sixty six years young, but she still carries the aura of a rockstar. With plenty of swagger and a backing band of musicians dressed on point with matching slicked back haircuts and black button shirts, the act looked and sounded all rock and roll. The guitarist and drummer rocked out particularly hard, while the keyboard player looked like he was styled in the mould of Elton John 30 years ago. The Pretenders have gone through so many line up changes, it’s clear they revolve around one person. Not all of the songs had the hooks of the big few, but when the hits came, Hynde’s voice soared above the band and it all came together perfectly. Back on the Chain Gang sounded fantastic with its signature guitar hook, I’ll Stand By You was heavy, emotional and filled the space, but it was Brass In Pocket that got the best response particularly female audience members who rushed to the front to sing along.
Steve Nicks has a presence that can be categorised as warm, open, genuine and downright zany, with an almost whimsical childlike nature that can only be credibly maintained through living the life of a timeless music icon. In a performance that included a huge amount of storytelling about the genesis of famous Fleetwood Mac songs and her career and a fundamentally brilliant live performance by her incredible band, this concert was one of the best by any act, of any generation, in Adelaide this year. The live band was comprised of a rocking lead guitarist, steady rhythm guitarist, a pianist, synth player, epic sounding drummer, two backing vocalists providing gorgeous harmonies and a bassist. With Nicks’ flowing perfectly honed vocals over the top, the nine piece band sounded huge with a complete lush sound that rivals any live performance I’ve seen.
To add to the live song, the big colourful visuals on the screen behind only enhanced the magical, enchanting atmosphere created. Nicks danced and twirled on stage, as if in a trance and her various costume changes won over her largely female audience base. Fleetwood Mac signature track Gypsy sounded flawless live with the hypnotic keyboard riff ringing out through the park and the warm backing harmonies filling out the song.
Nicks and Fleetwood Mac had so many beautifully arranged songs and melodies, it’s almost sad that we have so little of it these days. Dreams had a luscious live sound, while Rhiannon had an epic element to it with the custom animated visuals. Landslide was an especially touching way to end the night, but it was her solo hit, Edge of Seventeen which really got the crowd revved into a crescendo. Nicks revealed how sad she was about the recent death of Tom Petty and regaled the crowd with her recollections of Prince. Her open communication with fans took the entire up another level and with the flawless performance by the live band, tonight was truly a special night to remember, perhaps even for years.
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