Monday, November 30, 2009

FLEETWOOD MAC RSPCA HUNTER SHELTER TICKET SALE TO RAISE FUNDS

Diamond tickets to Fleetwood Mac on sale to raise funds for RSPCA Hunter

RSPCA Hunter Shelter have 10 Diamond tickets available for the FLEETWOOD MAC concert, this Saturday 5 December at the Hope Estate Winery in Pokolbin, Hunter Valley NSW.

The tickets are valued at $449 (ONO) and sale proceeds will go to the RSPCA Hunter Shelter. Ticket enquiries, please contact Michelle Gagno at the RSPCA Hunter shelter on 02 4939 1555.

FLEETWOOD MAC HOPES WINERY SHOWS WILL BE BOTTLERS

MICK Fleetwood loves Australia so much he is visiting twice this Summer
Patrick Donovan
TheAge.com

Over the next two nights, his band Fleetwood Mac will perform hits such as Go your Own Way, Don't Stop, Rhiannon, Gypsy and Tusk before sell-out crowds at Rod Laver Arena.

He will return seven weeks later with the Fleetwood Mac Blues Band to play at country wineries with Boz Scaggs and the Doobie Brothers' Michael McDonald. While only one song - 1967's Oh Well - is likely to feature on both tours, he says the blues band is his way of paying homage to the originators who started the band with him 40 years ago.

''Over my career I've been called a pop star and a rock star, yet in my inner heart, I will always be part blues man,'' says Fleetwood. ''On my journey from blues to a life of rock'n'roll, I've always remembered where I started.''

This week's shows, says Fleetwood, will feature a different set list to its last tour in 2004. Recent lists lean heavily on the classic 1977 Rumours and 1979 Tusk albums, as well as solo songs from members Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.

''This tour will be different because we always usually play new songs - it's always fine and people bear with it - but this time around we don't have a new album,'' he says from his home in Maui, Hawaii. ''After 40 years of being who you are, it's cool to be less selfish. The crowds are loving it because they are emotionally connected to every single song.'' His return trip will be more of a show for blues purists.

''It will be for more of a boutique tour, but I think people will have a lot of fun playing songs like Oh Well, Albatross and Shake your Money Maker - all of the great old stuff that started Fleetwood Mac.''

Fleetwood Mac play Rod Laver Arena tonight and tomorrow. The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band play Sutton Grange Winery, Victoria, on Saturday, February 20, and Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort & Spa, Yarra Valley, on February 21.

FLEETWOOD MAC #1 IN THE UK.... SORT OF

Comedian Peter Kay and his All Star Band's "Official Children In Need Medley", which raises funds for the BBC charity of that name, leapt #18 to #1 on the UK Top Singles Chart.

Kay's single, which rose to the top in its first full week on release, is a medley of songs by the Jacksons, Fleetwood Mac, Pussycat Dolls, Chumbawumba, Take That, the Beatles and Elbow. It features the voices of numerous favorite animated children's TV characters of the last 50 years, voiced by their original actors, including "Thomas The Tank Engine" narrator Ringo Starr.

Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" is mixed in... Starts at about 1:22.


Sunday, November 29, 2009

UK TOP 75 | IRELAND TOP 100 - FLEETWOOD MAC 6 WEEKS IN

UK Top 75 Week Ending Nov 30th:
#29 Fleetwood Mac The Very Best Of

UK TOP 75 CHART RUN:
Week 1 #6 Debut
Week 2 #10
Week 3 #12
Week 4 #15
Week 5 #26
Week 6 #29

IRELAND TOP 100 Week Ending Nov 26th:
#95 Fleetwood Mac The Very Best of

IRISH TOP 100 CHART RUN:
Week 1 #32 Debut
Week 2 #14
Week 3 #27
Week 4 #36
Week 5 #69
Week 6 #95

NEW YEARS EVE WITH FLEETWOOD MAC, STEVIE NICKS & TOM PETTY

German Channel 3Sat will be showing FLEETWOOD MAC'S "Live in Boston" and STEVIE NICKS "Live in Chicago" Plus Tom Petty's 30th Anniversary Concert in Gainesville, FL which Stevie appears in, all during their airing of non-stop pop concerts on New Years Eve/Day.

Astra 1L 11954 H 27500 3/4
All Times CET

07:45 Fleetwood Mac: Live in Boston
Fleet Center, West End Boston, USA 2004

08:45 Tom Petty: One 30th Anniversary Concert
O'Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA 2006

10:30 Stevie Nicks: Live in Chicago
WTTW Grainger Studio, Chicago, USA 2008

Friday, November 27, 2009

FLEETWOOD MAC CERTIFIED GOLD IN NEW ZEALAND

Fleetwood Mac's 2009 version of "The Very Best Of" has been certified Gold in New Zealand (7,500 units shipped) in it's second week of release.  The disc also moves up two spots this week on the Top 40 Albums Chart to #7, issue date November 23, 2009.  The 2009 version debuted at #9 November 16th out performing the debut of the 2002 edition of the same name.  The 2002 set entered the Top 50 Albums Chart at #26 on December 1, 2002 and was immediately certified Gold with a Platinum certification the following week (Chart Run below):

2002 "The Very Best Of"
DEC 1, 2002 - #26 (CERTIFIED GOLD 7,500 units)
DEC 8, 2002 - #12 (CERTIFIED PLATINUM 15,000 units)
DEC 15,2002 - #7
DEC 22,2002 - #5
JAN 19,2003 - #11
JAN 26,2003 - #10
FEB 2, 2003 - #20
FEB 9, 2003 - #32
FEB 16,2003 - #27

2009 "The Very Best Of"
NOV 16, 2009 - #9
NOV 23, 2009 - #7

This most recent chart indicates it has spent a total of 11 weeks on the Top 40/50 Chart.  That seems to be a combination of both the 2002 version and the 2009 version.

EURO TOP 200
Also in it's 4th week on the Top 200 European Albums Chart, TVBO moves down to #87 for the week ending November 20, 2009.

Monday, November 23, 2009

FLEETWOOD MAC'S "THE VERY BEST OF" CHART ROUND-UP WORLD WIDE


NEW ZEALAND: New on the Top 40 Albums Charts at #9 for the week ending November 16th.

AUSTRALIA: "The Very Best Of" dropped out of the Top 50 Albums Chart for the week ending November 23rd after re-entering last week at #49.

IRELAND: In week 6 for the week ending November 19th on the Top 100 Albums Chart the cd drops to #69 from last week's #36 place.

UK: In week 6 for the week ending November 22nd on the Top 75 Albums Chart the cd drops to #26 from last week's #15 place.

IRISH TOP 100 CHART RUN:
Week 1 #32 Debut
Week 2 #14
Week 3 #27
Week 4 #36
Week 5 #69

UK TOP 75 CHART RUN:
Week 1 #6 Debut
Week 2 #10
Week 3 #12
Week 4 #15
Week 5 #26

NEW ZEALAND TOP 40 CHART RUN:
Week 1 #9 Debut (11/16/09)
Week 2 #7 (11/23/09)

EUROPEAN TOP 200 CHART RUN:
Week 1 #39 Debut (10/30/09)
Week 2 #60 (11/06/09)
Week 3 #80 (11/13/09)
Week 4 #87 (11/20/09)

Sunday, November 22, 2009

What's Up With That? LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM ON SNL

For the second time this season on Saturday Night Live Lindsey Buckingham is portrayed by Bill Hader in the segment What Up With That?

For more appearances, hit the links below

12/4/10 - SNL here

03/4/10 - SNL here

(REVIEW) FLEETWOOD MAC GLASGOW by: BRYAN DUNCAN

Review: Fleetwood Mac @ SECC
Written by Bryan Duncan

REUNION tours have become a fashion recently, some more welcome than others, but only a band as dysfunctional as Fleetwood Mac could reunite once again, just five years after their last tour.

After a 42 year history of guitarists joining religious cults, substance abuse, radical musical shifts and inter-band affairs, it‘s amazing that they still play together. Guitarist/singer/pop maestro Lindsay Buckingham tells the Glasgow audience that the band have never really broken up, highlighting that it’s been different every time they’ve “reunited”. This runs parallel with the band’s relationships: despite divorces and break-ups, they managed to create arguably the perfect pop album, 1977’s Rumours (see this edition of the Telegraph’s Classic Album). Before breaking into the LP’s first track “Second Hand News” - one of the highlights of the night - Buckingham describes the song as “sad, angry and humourous”, written at a time where the band went through “emotional turmoil”. You could see the ghosts of the past etched on his face, as he performs alongside ex-girlfriend Stevie Nicks, and founding rhythm section John McVie and Mick Fleetwood.

Despite this, the band created an energy undermining any tension, as “Monday Morning” kicked off the gig with its radio-friendly soft-rock. Next up was “The Chain”, a classic in which McVie’s famous bass line (used as BBC’s Formula 1 theme tune) literally rumbles through the SECC, complementing Fleetwood’s thundering drums. Singer Nicks asks to “get this party started,” as “Dreams” and “Gypsy” shows her knack for writing polished pop tunes.

Their flawless nature does not match the intense nature of the band, but the acoustic numbers dig a lot deeper with “Big Love”, a personal song by Buckingham which he states “describes the person I was back in 1987”.

With a wave of jaw-dropping guitar picking washing over his raw but impassioned vocals, it cements his status as one of rock’s most underrated guitarists. A mellower version of “Never Going Back Again” follows a melodic “Landslide” sung delicately by Nicks. It shows how their songs float between light and dark, and how deep lyrics lie behind the pop exterior.

Some dismiss them for being middle-of-the road, but songs like “Gold Dust Woman”, show a level of music transcending their soft-rock persona. Ten minute guitar solos and raw blues rock dominated the latter half of the concert, on songs like “I’m So Afraid” and “Oh Well” - the latter a song hand-picked from the Peter Green era. Buckingham’s inner guitar god was again unleashed to the crowd.

An epic “World Turning” featured an ambitious drum solo from Mick Fleetwood, and at moments like this you forgot what you came to see; perfect pop-rock or grass-roots blues.

As the night drew on eager fans left their seats and became a collective in front of the stage, showing that Fleetwood Mac still have a spark in their live performances with songs like “Go Your Own Way”, despite burning out through the years. Of this classic Rumours line-up, Christine McVie was the only absent member, deciding to take retirement over touring. This didn’t diminish the set, but Rumours favourites like “Songbird” would be impossible to replicate without her.

With or without McVie, the Mac certainly sounded like they were back. Buckingham cheekily hinted at a new studio effort, as he declared for this tour “we haven’t made an album for this…yet”.

As Nicks and Buckingham embraced near the end, it seemed as though a sombre cloud was hanging over the stage. Their history is so complicated it makes the uplifting closer “Don’t Stop” deliciously ironic. Granted, there is still a tension, but as the ever enthusiastic Mick Fleetwood signs off the gig by asking the crowd to look after one another in “this crazy world we live in”, it stands as testament to this legendary band’s enduring, albeit rocky, relationship. This is how a reunion should be.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

REAL DRAMA, REAL CATFIGHTS, REAL CHAOS... FLEETWOOD MAC IN THE 70'S

Fleetwood Mac's story is more than Rumours
EADT24

I CAN’T speak for what showbiz reporting was like in the 1970s and 80s but Fleetwood Mac must have been a gift to entertainment hacks the world over.

These days it’s all about whether Cheryl Cole is wearing her wedding ring or not or the latest adventures of Katie Price and her cross-dressing cage-fighting boyfriend.

Crashingly dull, in fact.

If you want real drama, real catfights, real chaos, then do some reading up on Fleetwood Mac. Better still, watch the documentary that’s floating about on the BBC’s iPlayer.

Like me, you might have thought of the band as plodding pop-rock dinosaurs. Which they undoubtedly are – the footage of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie in their sunshine villas sporting flat caps has them banged to rights on that front – but you can’t deny their “backstory” is incredible. Sensational. Almost unbelievable.

You might think it’s strange that a band is named after its drummer and bass player, or find it intriguing that the blues-rock of Albatross and the shiny pop sheen of Everywhere are actually by the same group. But that’s nothing, believe me.

For those who aren’t familiar with the tales and the travails of the Anglo-American rock giants, here’s my top 10 highlights of the Fleetwood Mac story:

1. Lead guitarist, singer and songwriter Peter Green – responsible for bringing the band to prominence and its early hits – struggles with mental illness and “never comes back” after first trying acid. He quits the band in 1970 after they don’t agree with his plans to give all their money away to charity.

2. Rhythm guitarist Jeremy Spencer goes missing in 1971 after popping out “to get a magazine”. When they find him after several days searching, he has joined a religious cult.

3. After slide guitarist Danny Kirwan is fired after developing an alcohol problem and some increasingly erratic behaviour, his replacement Bob Weston embarks on an affair with Fleetwood’s then wife, Jenny Boyd. He’s fired as well.

4. In the wake of Kirwan’s departure, the band cancel their tour. However, their manager, Clifford Davis, claiming he owns the rights to the name Fleetwood Mac, takes a fake version of the band out on the road instead, sparking a legal battle.

5. The band hire new guitarist Lyndsey Buckingham who insists his girlfriend and musical partner, the singer Stevie Nicks, joins as well. (In fact, this might be the answer to keeping Oasis going post-Noel. Has anyone got Roxette’s number?).

6. Buckingham and Nicks’ relationship hits the rocks, leading them to write vicious and accusatory songs about each other, notably Nicks’ Dreams and Buckingham’s Go Your Own Way. Incredibly, they dutifully perform backing vocals on each others’ tunes.

7. They eventually split up – as do McVie and his wife Christine, the keyboard player – but the band rumbles on.

8. Nicks has an illicit affair with Fleetwood, who then shacks up with Nicks’ best friend. The band still goes on.

9. During the making of Tusk, the follow-up to their biggest selling album, Rumours, Buckingham wants to go in an experimental direction: the rest of the band recall him lying on the floor, his cheek to the ground, wailing into a microphone.

10. After the band hit the paydirt again with 1987’s pop behemoth Tango In The Night, Buckingham refuses to go out on tour and quits. When he announces his decision, Nicks physically attacks him.

What else? Well.., alcoholism, drug addition, rehab, bankruptcy, half a dozen extra members, splits, reunions. I probably could go on.

It puts a handful of Sugababes line-up changes into perspective, doesn’t it? I really do wonder how much of this stuff actually got reported back in the newspapers the day. Hardly any of it, I would guess.

And the most incredible thing? Fleetwood Mac are still going; and the classic line-up too, minus Christine McVie, who retired from performing a few years ago. They played a run of dates in the UK earlier this month, in fact. They’re in their 60s now, all still alive, still performing those old songs from Albatross to Everywhere, still sitting on a tour bus together.

Whatever do they find to talk about?

VOLUNTEERS TO WELCOME FLEETWOOD MAC FANS IN NZ

Visitors to get wonderful welcome
Taranaki Daily News

Fleetwood Mac fans wondering where to go at New Plymouth airport next month will have the good ladies of the Bell Block-Puketapu Lions to help them out.

And if all goes well, the ladies will be on hand again to welcome rugby fans to the city's three 2011 rugby World Cup games.

The New Plymouth District Council is organising 200 volunteers to help the city cope with the expected 25,000 visitors for the December 19 and 20 Fleetwood Mac concerts at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac Live in Dublin at the O2

Fleetwood Mac (live in the O2, Dublin)

Review Snapshot: A band that has been on the go for over 40 years, albeit with changes in personnel along the way. While the band may be deteriorating, the music stands the test of time, even without the absent Christine McVie.

The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10

Full Review:
Opening with 'Monday Morning' from the pre-Rumours days, it was 'The Chain' and 'Dreams' that got the O2 Arena in a frenzy from the start. "Dublin, you're beautiful, why don't we get this party started" shouted Nicks, before Buckingham and Nicks took it in turns to sing, giving us 'I Know I'm Not Wrong', 'Gypsy', 'Go Insane' and 'Rhiannon' in the early part of the show.

Nicks spoke about forming a band in 1965, "a hard rock San Francisco Band" she proclaimed. "We learnt our trade supporting Jimi Hendrix and Janice Joplin. We want to put our experience back into a song, back to the gypsies that we were" was how she introduced the aforementioned Gypsy.

Lindsey then told us about the recording of Rumours "it's not a bad little album" he joked, going on to tell us about all the friction in the band at that time and how they all poured their hearts out into the songs. "Fleetwood Mac has had a very complicated history but we said we'd have fun”. He goes on to say that "seen as we don't have a new album to promote yet, let's do all the songs we love and I hope you like them too. This is the first song we recorded for Rumours" was his intro to the brilliant 'Second Hand News'. He gave it his all on 'Tusk' shouting and chanting his way all over the stage, before taking a short breather while Nicks delivered 'Sara', after which she gave Buckingham a big hug as they embraced.

Introducing 'Big Love' Lindsey explained that "this was the first single from Tango In The Night, and it was an important song for me as it described the person I was at that time, when it was written in 1987" he said profoundly.

Nicks returned, wearing a red dress and said "this song is dedicated to you [the fans], because everyone needs a song like this” before delivering 'Landslide' with just Lindsey on acoustic guitar. If that performance was brilliant, Buckingham exceeded it on 'Never Goin Back Again' with a slowed down version of the Rumours classic on acoustic guitar and dominant vocals.

Stevie discussed the rehearsals for the tour adding "when we met up on January 5th this year, to start rehearsing for this tour we wanted to do a song that we hadn't performed before. We like to call this I Have Always Been a Storm" she added, while Mick came to the front of the stage to perform the percussion accompaniment.

'Say You Love Me' and 'Gold Dust Woman' were next, with Stevie now wearing a gold coloured shawl and single black glove for the latter, while Lindsey stayed behind the scenes on this one. 'Oh Well' was truly fantastic. The sound in the o2 Arena was brilliant for the concert, but it shone through on this number as the three lads gave it everything.

Another elaborate guitar solo from Buckingham followed on 'I'm So Afraid', while Nicks (now wearing a white shawl and black dress) done her infamous dance during 'Stand Back' and they closed with 'Go Your Own Way'. The encore comprised of 'World Turning' which put Mick Fleetwood in the spotlight for 10 minutes, and they finished the night with 'Don't Stop' which got everybody on their feet.

You couldn't fault this performance on any level, but this is the Lindsey Buckingham band, and the rest are really only here for the ride. Without him they are nothing, and while Mick and John might share the bands name, it's Buckingham's Palace.

Monday, November 16, 2009

CHART UPDATES: UK AND AUSTRALIA - FLEETWOOD MAC "The Very Best Of"

Chart Update: UK & Australia
Fleetwood Mac's "The Very Best Of"
Issue Date: November 16, 2009

  • AUSTRALIA TOP 50 ALBUMS: #49 - Re-entry
  • UK TOP 75 ALBUMS: #15 - Drop of 3 places


Sunday, November 15, 2009

MICK FLEETWOOD (FLEETWOOD MAC) BLUE AGAIN DVD RELEASE DATE JAN 12, 2010

Mick Fleetwood, Blue Again
DVD Coming January 12, 2010
429 Records are confirming that Mick Fleetwood's DVD "Blue Again" will be released on January 12, 2010.  No other details available. I'm assuming this is the St. Louis show that the audio disc released earlier this year is from, but there was a London show filmed for DVD - so it's possible that it's from that show.

Timed perfectly to coincide with their February/March, 2010 tour dates in Australia and New Zealand with Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs.

Australia - 2010
February 20: Sutton Grange Winery
February 21: Balgownie Estate Vineyard, Yarra Valley
February 26: WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
February 27: Riverstage, Brisbane
Tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster and Ticketek

New Zealand - 2010
March 3: Westpac Arena, Christchurch
March 5: Vector Arena, Auckland
March 6: Pettigrew Green Arena, Napier
Tickets on sale Thursday, November 26th Ticketmaster and Ticketek

BLANKET BAN LIFTED AT BOWL...

Blankets are fine, but forget the picnics.
By JARED SMITH - Taranaki Daily News

Organisers of next month's Fleetwood Mac are assuring concertgoers they don't want them to freeze in the TSB Bowl of Brooklands.

Alarm bells began ringing last week after a district council update in the North Taranaki Midweek suggested blankets would be banned from the Bowl.

Bowl manager Adrienne Kensington was quoted as saying that the 17,000 fans who attended on December 19 and 20 should not bring blankets with them.

"People who bring in blankets won't be able to use them for very long because of the crowd size, so we urge people to leave them at home," she said.

Mrs Kensington said her office had received calls from concerned ticket holders worried about keeping warm if it was a cold Taranaki weekend.

In fact, the explanation was that people could not expect to fan out picnic fashion because of the sheer crowd numbers.

Rather than a ban on blankets, it was merely a warning of what to expect. "It was just a suggestion that they do that. It is more or less to inform them they won't be able to spread out," said Mrs Kensington.

"We are going to be packed and people are going to stand up and dance.

"We're not saying, `Don't bring blankets at all'. It's just not a spread."

Beach chairs and large picnic hampers
would not be allowed
and anyone entering the Bowl with them would be asked to return them to their cars, or leave them in the area provided at the gate.

Signs would be put up around the racecourse area informing arrivals of the rules.

Mrs Kensington said similar restrictions were in place in the Bowl during the Elton John concert in 2007, attended by 14,500 people.

Each Fleetwood Mac concert would have another 2500 in the crowd, plus the 1100 on the special seating over the lake.

"The fences are right back, for room to be freed up."

There would be a ban on bringing alcohol
into the Bowl for the concerts.

Mrs Kensington also said no commercial
food would be allowed
because there was a contract with catering company Eurest.

Simple snack food in a backpack was all right, but carrying 10 pizza boxes was not.

First Security would handle the entry points and crowd control on the concert nights.

There would be no parking on Kaimata,
Somerset and Cornwall streets
to accommodate those walking in and out.

Mrs Kensington said more information on conditions of entry to the concerts would be released on websites and advertised in the Taranaki Daily News closer to the concert dates.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

IRISH TOP ALBUMS CHART RUN - FLEETWOOD MAC VERY BEST OF

For the week ending November 12th:  Fleetwood Mac's "The Very Best Of" drops 9 places on the Irish Top Albums chart to #36.

Chart Run:
IRISH TOP ALBUMS CHART:
Week 1 #32 Debut
Week 2 #14
Week 3 #27
Week 4 #36

Thursday, November 12, 2009

PHOTOS: Fleetwood Mac Live in London at Wembley Arena Oct 30, 2009

FLEETWOOD MAC WEMBLEY ARENA
LONDON OCTOBER 30th (Night 1)
Photos by: Karen D Birch 







BILLBOARD: HOT TOURS: FLEETWOOD MAC

Hot Tours: Fleetwood Mac
Billboard

Totals from the European leg of its Unleashed Tour place Fleetwood Mac on the Hot Tours list with grosses topping $13 million from ten venues. Top-grosser is a two-show run at Wembley Arena (Oct. 30-31) with 22,209 in attendance and ticket sales at $2.5 million. After the U.K. trek, the tour will continue in December with dates in Australia and New Zealand.

#4 FLEETWOOD MAC

Gross: $13,124,830
Dates: Oct. 8-Nov. 3
Total Attendance: 124,021 (130,343)
- Parken Stadion, Copenhagen (1/0)
- Ericsson Globe, Stockholm (1/0)
- Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium (1/0)
- Ahoy, Rotterdam (1/1)
- Le Zenith, Paris (1/1)
- Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre, Glasgow, U.K. (1/1)
- Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester, U.K. (1/0)
- Wembley Arena, London (2/0)
- Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, U.K. (1/0)
- National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, U.K. (1/1)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

FLEETWOOD MAC 2009 BOXSCORES UPDATED INCLUDES EURO SHOWS

BILLBOARD BOXSCORES UPDATED
INCLUDES MOST EUROPEAN DATES
Received most of the numbers for the European shows today... 4 shows showing sold out, but I'm missing both Germany dates, both Ireland dates and the last London show... Maybe next week. Click to enlarge.

FLEETWOOD MAC DRUMMER MICK FLEETWOOD AT LAX BY TMZ... HE JUST GO OVER SWINE FLU

Sick Mick -- Fleetwood Drummer Had Swine Flu

And now the biggest story about Fleetwood Mac since they reunited in 1997: Mick Fleetwood just had the dreaded pig virus, A.K.A. swine flu.

We got the infection-free legend yesterday at LAX -- who said he was down with the sickness just 10 days ago.

Though symptoms include fever, diarrhea and vomiting, Mick says it "wasn't too bad."



REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac "The Most Stable of Units is Nothing Short of Phenomenal - Manchester

Sounds Write - Fleetwood Mac
The Westmorland Gazette
By Anthony Loman

WHEN Fleetwood Mac guitarist, singer and principal songwriter Lindsey Buckingham told the audience at Manchester’s M.E.N arena that, “This band have a complex and convoluted emotional history and it has not always been easy”, the comment was undoubtedly one of the understatements of the century.

For if the forty year plus rollercoaster life and times of the supergroup were ever to be dramatised, it would certainly make for the most compelling viewing with its tales of marital splits, inter-band affairs, acrimonious bust-ups, casual bed-hopping, copious amounts of drug taking/life-threatening addictions, alcohol abuse, mental illness, therapy and rehab, flirtations with religious cults and all this whilst simultaneously managing to create some of the finest and biggest selling albums of all-time.

The fact that Fleetwood Mac in 2009 are now, seemingly, the most stable of units is nothing short of a phenomenon and a testament to their individual and collective survival instincts. Messrs Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie (Christine McVie quit the band in ’98, opting for a quiet life these days down in Kent) have long since cleaned up their acts and settled their personal differences and, on the current ‘Unleashed’ world tour which rolled up in Manchester last week for a sell-out show, they convincingly demonstrated that their performance levels are as high now as any point previously in their lengthy career.

In the early 1970’s, Fleetwood Mac were a British blues/rock group whose moderately successful career up to that juncture had been seriously derailed by the departure(due largely to one too many bad acid ‘trips’) of founder member, legendary guitarist Peter Green. The group continued to splutter along for a while until the pivotal moment when an American duo, Buckingham and Nicks, joined the band. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were lovers as well as performers and came very much as a package, with Buckingham, having been identified as a replacement for Green(after a succession of other players had not worked out), refusing to join Mac unless his partner came ‘on board’ too. The introduction of the duo in 1975, who had previously been bit-part players on the West Coast music scene, struggling to eke out a living, succeeded in adding a radio-friendly sheen to Fleetwood Mac’s blue/rock roots, turning around their fortunes in the process and completely revitalising the group’s career. The now new look Anglo-American Fleetwood Mac embarked on a glorious period of unbroken musical success throughout the remainder of the 1970’s/early 80’s but the new chapter in the group’s history also heralded the start of those well-documented problems that very nearly destroyed the band.

The 2009 ‘Unleashed’ tour has a real celebratory triumph over adversity feel to it and the crowd-pleasing tone of the evening was set in place from the very moment Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham walked out on stage hand in hand to thunderous squeals of delight. And in truth, the two and a half hour show that followed did very much belong to the duo who were undeniably the main focal point with their great on-stage dynamic.

Fleetwood Mac don’t presently have any new album to promote, their last one being 2003’s ‘Say You Will’, though they did hint during the show that there could well be one in the offing, news that was met with great audience excitement. The set list of the current show is drawn largely from the group’s trilogy of 1970’s albums, the self-titled ‘Fleetwood Mac’, the 25 million plus selling ‘Rumours’ and ‘Tusk’, records which marked the band’s halcyon days. “This time we said, ‘let’s just go out and have fun’”, Buckingham told the crowd when explaining the show’s rationale and content and so, what was subsequently served up amounted to a veritable Fleetwood Mac musical feast for fans with great big dollops of classic songs such as ‘The Chain’, Dreams’, ‘Rhiannon’, ‘Gold Dust Woman’, ‘Gypsy’, ‘Oh Well’ – a solitary doff of the hat to the Peter Green Mac era, ‘Never Going Back Again’ and ‘Second Hand News’, which Buckingham introduced, with another reference to their ‘crazy’ years, by saying, “This next song, if memory serves, and these days it often doesn’t serve, due to living one’s life a certain way for a number of years, was the first song written for the Rumours album.”

Buckingham himself is, physically, remarkably well preserved these days and with his boyish, skinny frame, still thick though greying mop of tousled hair, makes a mockery of his sixty years. As for his guitar playing, it is nothing short of dazzling and if anyone present had any doubts beforehand about him deserving to be ranked right up there alongside the greats, they would surely have left the building utterly convinced that he is indeed, a bona fide guitar maestro. He plays his instrument with a manic intensity, at times a picture of almost demonic intent and his spine-tingling solo performance on acoustic guitar for ‘Big Love’ (from the ‘Tango In Night’ album) was something very special to behold, with his breakneck speed of hands building to an awesome finger-shredding climax. Elsewhere, he turned in immense solos on ‘Tusk’ and ‘Go Your Own Way’, shamelessly playing up to the crowd with his whoops and stomping of feet as well as his frequent forays to the very edge of the stage where, on bended knee while soloing, he allowed fans to run their eager fingers all along his guitar fretboard. He still sings great too, possessing a natural flair for harmonising and he does all this, whilst visibly drenched right through in sweat from the second song in yet never once bothering to remove his short black leather jacket in a great display of ultimate rock star ‘cool’.

Miss Stevie Nicks, the perfect onstage foil for Buckingham, still sports her career ‘uniform’ of cropped style riding jacket complete with floaty shawl, billowing skirt, suede platform boots and (occasional)Victorian top hat whilst her mic stand and tambourine are draped with trademark sheer scarves and long ribbons. At sixty-one, despite her years of hard living having clearly taken their toll on her looks and her once svelte figure certainly a little more rounded these days, Nicks remains effortlessly sexy and the epitome of Californian hippy/mystical chic. Her vocals however are her greatest seduction tool, as smoky and ethereal as ever and although she now noticeably avoids notes in the higher register, her dulcet tones still cast quite a spell.

There’s some lovely Buckingham/Nicks coming togethers’ during the show that are played out for maximum effect and which the audience readily lap up. A stunning Nicks rendition of ‘Landslide’ sees her alone on stage with her former paramour accompanying on acoustic guitar and, at the conclusion of ‘Sara’, the pair warmly embrace and hug, sway momentarily in each others arms with a resting of heads on shoulders and there’s a tender kiss from Buckingham to the back of Nicks’ hair. It’s all a little too stage managed but it’s a poignant moment nonetheless and elicits the intended crowd cheers.

As something of a backdrop to the Buckingham and Nick’s floor show, there’s the two ageing gents and somewhat unsung heroes of the group, bassist John McVie (64) and drummer Mick Fleetwood (62), driving things along at a frenetic pace as one of the tightest rhythm sections in the business. McVie, typically motionless and doing his best to avoid eye contact with all, hiding under his flat cap, could easily pass for a grizzled farmer that had just parked his tractor at the back and ambled on stage whilst the towering 6ft 6in Fleetwood, with his grey/white hair slicked back in a short ponytail, wild, wide-eyed gaze, white shirt and black waistcoat and, with those omni-present, what appear to be, pair of oversized clackers dangling from his waist, looks for all his worth as though he has come straight out of the pages of an old English medieval novel. And when he gets his big moment under the spotlight during a fairly lengthy drum solo towards the show’s end, he goes into full-on frenzy mode, battering the hell out of his monstrous kit as he barks out some incomprehensible words to the crowd and generally exhibiting characteristics of a deranged madman. The all-absorbing and enthralling concert reaches a real peak with everyone coaxed to their feet for the big crowd sing-a-long anthems that are ‘Go Your Own Way’ and the rousing encore of ‘Don’t Stop’. It leaves the audience on an exhilarating high and the final utterance from the stage of “We’ll see you next time” is a promise all present surely hope Fleetwood Mac will keep.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

(VIDEO) FLEETWOOD MAC IN EDMONTON.... FINALLY!!!! JUNE 24th

It only took over 4 months... Finally the first two full length tracks from the final North American show June 24th in Edmonton, Canada (before Fleetwood Mac took the summer off) - have appeared on Youtube.

"Dreams" and "Rhiannon".... Stevie sounds great. Thanks to Misscherrypunk for popping these up on Youtube


REVIEW: ITALIAN STYLE... FLEETWOOD MAC IN LONDON 6/11/09

WEMBLEY ARENA: THE MAC ARE BACK
Musicaware
Ho litigato in silenzio con mr B di fronte a tutti e mi girano. Lentamente però mi girano.
Lentamente, come la ruota di un vespino 50 degli anni 50. Insomma come una ruota che gira piano, una ruota come quelle panoramiche che lentamente ti fanno vedere tutto lo skyline della città. A Londra c’è una ruota così, la London Wheel. Vado a Londra. Se non si è capito…

La velocità con cui mi girano aiuta anche il taxi che mi porta a Linate facciamo un po’ più in fretta.
Solita attesa per Her Clearness e con la mitica compagnia arancione ci imbarchiamo per Gatwick, Londra, Inghilterra, ed oggi per me Londra significa Fleetwood Mac.

Ci fiondiamo subito ad un tipico 4 stelle inglese rivestito internamente di moquette affianco al nuovo stadio di Wembley e alla Wembley Arena. I nostri suoneranno li.

(PHOTOS) FLEETWOOD MAC -LONDON Photos by: Nick Hardy 6/11/09

FLEETWOOD MAC - LONDON
WEMBLEY ARENA 6/11/09
Photos sent in by: Nick Hardy

Nick had the ultimate position - leaning on the stage directly in front of Stevie during Fleetwood Mac's last show in London... At one point during "Gypsy" Stevie singled Nick out pointing to him with her outstretched arm, staring at him singing "And it all comes down to you"... What an experience!

Thank you Nick for sending in your photos!











Monday, November 09, 2009

INTERVIEW WITH MICK AND LINDSEY OF FLEETWOOD MAC BBC RADIO 2


Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham
both interviewed earlier today on The Radcliffe & Maconie show "The Chain"

The show doesn't appear to be up on their site just yet to re-listen to.

Lindsey, when asked if he missed Christine on the road, said that it's got some good and some bad and that obviously as someone who is soulful, very kind and enthusiastic, they miss that - and that as an element of the 5 that had a great deal to do with their success and with their chemistry they do... but change is what Fleetwood Mac has been known for and that as much as there is a missed element there sometimes, more emotionally then musically, it has opened up other possibilities certainly for him on stage when you divide the material evenly between him and Stevie it gives him more of an opportunity to express himself...

Both Lindsey and Mick are both keen to work on putting out new material... and that hopefully they will and maybe they will get into doing that next year... Mick describes having to tread a little carefully when it comes to Stevie as she is the lady of our band and works very hard as they all do. At a well placed moment EARLY in the new year the subject will be brought up. Because they are on the road it's tiring, fun, but tiring, and talking new album while slogging around isn't such a good time to bring it up.

(PHOTOS) FLEETWOOD MAC, LONDON - WEMBLEY ARENA 30/10/09

Photos sent in by Marcus Clackson
FLEETWOOD MAC - LONDON
WEMBLEY ARENA OCTOBER 30

Marcus and his girlfriend Cathy along with Cathy's sister Jennifer experienced Fleetwood Mac in London on October 30th and had a blast! From the pictures they had an awesome vantage point to the stage... It didn't quite start out that way. Their seats were initially a few blocks back - but they saw some people milling around up front by the stage and decided to walk down thinking they would be turned away - but it didn't happen. Just as they made it up front the band arrived on stage. Needless to say the two girls were in shock. It's been a lifelong dream to see the band play.  And the added bonus was they all got to strum Lindsey's guitar!!

Marcus took some shots with his iphone... He wished he had a better camera... and by the look of some of his work on his site, Marcus Clackson Photography, I do too... But at the end of the day, I love all the photos taken of the band, whether amateur or professional - there's always something redeeming and interesting within each... Photos capture a moment in time that otherwise would be lost or forgotten. So thank you Marcus for taking the pictures and for sending them in.