When Stevie Nicks Gave Her First Concert Since Tom Petty’s Death

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Stevie Nicks acknowledging the fans during “Edge of Seventeen,” at Perth Arena, November 2, 2017

Stevie Nicks had spent much of the past 12 months on her “24 Karat Gold” tour, with support by a rejuvenated Pretenders. The arena tour began October 25, 2016 with North American dates that continued through the end of the year, and then resumed on Feb. 23, 2017, with more than two dozen additional U.S. dates. Later that year, on Aug. 9, Nicks announced that she and Chrissie Hynde would bring the tour to Australia in November. In between, in July, Nicks performed with her Fleetwood Mac bandmates for two special stadium concerts known as Classic West and Classic East.

Before that first Australia date, however, Nicks was hit with a profound sense of loss when her close friend, Tom Petty, died on Oct. 2. One month later, on Nov. 2, 2017, Nicks took to the stage for the first time since his death.

Over the years, Nicks has recounted how “Edge of Seventeen,” from her blockbuster 1981 solo debut, Bella Donna, came about. She had been talking to Jane Petty, his wife at the time, and misunderstood her explaining how the couple first met. “At the age of seventeen” in Jane’s southern accent became “at the edge of seventeen.”

Watch Nicks perform an extended version of the song on Nov. 2

On that same album, Petty and Nicks recorded a duet written by Petty and his Heartbreakers bandmate Mike Campbell. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” was the album’s first single and reached #3 on the Hot 100. (That same year, she teamed with Petty on “Insider” for the Heartbreakers’ Hard Promises album. They recorded another song, “I Will Run to You,” for her follow-up solo effort, 1983’s Wild Heart.)

Nicks and Petty share a hug after performing “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” at London’s Hyde Park, July 9, 2017

Nicks and Petty performed onstage together many times. The last such occasion was on July 9, 2017, at London’s Hyde Park.

At the Nov. 2 concert at Perth Arena in Perth, Australia, Nicks returned to the stage for a 18-song set, comprised mostly of her own solo material. She also performed several of her signature Fleetwood Mac songs (“Landslide” and “Gypsy,” among them) and even sang “Crying in the Night” from her long ago album with Lindsey Buckingham.

On this night, Nicks’ singing partner for her famous duet with Petty was Chrissie Hynde.

Watch Nicks and Hynde sing “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”

Watch Nicks and her band perform “Stand Back”

In their recap of the concert, the Australian website SBS quoted Nicks has saying to the crowd: “You got me through this so I feel I can go on and finish (the tour). So I thank you… Tom Petty thanks you.”

Watch the show closer, “Landslide”

Stevie Nicks, Perth Arena, Perth, Australia, November 2, 2017 Setlist

Gold and Braid
If Anyone Falls
Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around
Belle Fleur
Gypsy
Wild Heart
Bella Donna
Enchanted
New Orleans
Starshine
Moonlight (A Vampire’s Dream)
Stand Back
Crying in the Night
If You Were My Love
Gold Dust Woman
Edge of Seventeen

Encore
Rhiannon
Landslide

Watch Pretenders perform their biggest U.S. hit, 1982’s “Back in the Chain Gang,” in their opening set