Thursday, January 29, 2015

REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac Live in Providence, RI January 28, 2015


Fleetwood Mac celebrates its songbird’s return
by Andy Smith
Providence Journal

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — “She makes us all complete,” said Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood.

He was referring to singer and keyboard player Christine McVie, back with the band after a 16-year absence. Her return brings the band back to its most successful lineup, the one that sold a zillion copies of “Rumours” back in 1977.

McVie doesn’t have the mystic gypsy-witch appeal of Stevie Nicks, nor the guitar prowess of Lindsey Buckingham, but her presence solidifies the band — and she’s written some of the most appealing songs in their catalog.

Fans at the band’s show at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center Wednesday night looking for prime-time Fleetwood Mac got their wish, with a two-and-half hour show that included big chunks of “Rumours” and its predecessor, 1975′s “Fleetwood Mac.”

The three singers, McVie, Buckingham and Nicks, ranged across the front of the stage, with the rhythm section of Fleetwood and bassist John McVie just behind. At the back of the stage were some reinforcements — an additional guitarist, keyboard player and three backup singers.

As a wise man once said, we get by with a little help from our friends, and the augmented Fleetwood Mac mostly sounded good Wednesday. The exception was the drums, which were mixed too loud, particularly early in the show, and nearly drowned out the singing on numbers such as “Second Hand News.”

The show opened with a potent string of hits: “The Chain,” “You Make Loving Fun” “Dreams,” “Second Hand News,” and Nicks’ signature “Rhiannon.”

Band members were in a talkative mood, heaping praises upon McVie. They had come to Providence from New York, which has been spared the brunt of the snowstorm, but thanked the packed audience at the Dunk for coming out after the storm.

Buckingham took center stage on a rocking “I Know I’m Not Wrong” “Tusk” and “Big Love,” the latter a showcase for his solo acoustic guitar playing.

The band offered some interesting new takes on familiar songs.

For “Never Going Back Again,” Buckingham and Nicks sang very quietly, sometimes just above a whisper. There was an extended version of “Gold Dust Woman,” with Nicks donning a glittering gold shawl over her black outfit. The song faded to a ghostly echo as Nicks turned her back to the audience and stretched the shawl out like an angel’s wings.

Not that familiarity is a bad thing. “Go Your Own Way,” once it revved up, it had the crowd dancing and singing along, while Nicks shook her tambourine festooned with streamers and Buckingham leaned his guitar over the front row.

For their encore, the band did “World Turning,” with a drum solo from Fleetwood while he exhorted the audience (“Give it up!) through his headset mike. I have a “Just say no” policy towards drum solos, but many in the audience seemed to like it.

“Don’t Stop” might be over-played by now, but it had the audience singing along anyway.
The last word — or at least the last song — fittingly went to McVie, who did “Songbird” solo until she was finally joined by Buckingham at the finish.

VIDEO | PHOTOS: Fleetwood Mac Live in Uniondale, NY January 25, 2015

Fleetwood Mac Live - Uniondale, NY
Nassau Coliseum - January 25, 2015



TUSK
SILVER SPRINGS
SO AFRAID
GOLD DUST WOMAN

Fleetwood Mac Live in New York City and Uniondale, NY
Photos by Paul Searing
View Gallery

VIDEO: Fleetwood Mac Live in Atlantic City, NY - January 24, 2015

Fleetwood Mac Live - Atlantic City, NJ
Boardwalk Hall - January 24, 2015



SECOND HAND NEWS

GYPSY
LITTLE LIES
SAY YOU LOVE ME

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

#ICYMI Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks gives Rolling Stone a private performance of one of her last album's stand-outs

Watch Stevie Nicks Perform a Serene, Solo 'Blue Water'

Rolling Stone's most recent cover story is a long, intimate look into the life of Stevie Nicks. While the issue was coming together, the Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter sat behind a piano and played a handful of songs for our cameras. Above, watch her perform "Blue Water," a meditative track that from last year's 24 Karat Gold: Songs From the Vault. Lady Antebellum provide harmonies on the record, but here Nicks goes completely solo.

More at: Rolling Stone


STEVIE NICKS "24 KARAT GOLD - SONGS FROM THE VAULT"
Out Now! Order from Stevienicksofficial.com

Monday, January 26, 2015

Fleetwood Mac's Wednesday show in Providence, RI may be pushed to Thursday


Due to the blizzard warning and state of emergency issued by Gov. Gina Raimondo, the Providence Journal is reporting that -- "Fleetwood Mac: Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks and crew are scheduled to play at the Dunk on Wednesday night. Their stage crew traveled to Providence Monday and the performers are due to drive from New York City to Rhode Island Wednesday but if the state of emergency isn’t lifted by early Wednesday, the concert will be pushed to Thursday."

Source: Providence Journal

So depending on the severity of the storm and whether or not travel is allowed on the roads, the Fleetwood Mac show scheduled for Wednesday, may be pushed to Thursday.  Please check with the Dunkin' Donut Centre before heading out on Wednesday.  They will likely post updates to their facebook page as well.

Update: 4:00PM ET January 27th - The show is still scheduled as planned.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Review | Photos | Video: Fleetwood Mac Live in NYC January 22, 2015

Fleetwood Mac Live in New York City
Madison Square Garden
January 22, 2015

Photos by Jason Sheldon
View Gallery at Live Nation on Facebook








































AS V CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF OUR 2015 MUSIC ISSUE, ONE OF THE INDUSTRY’S MOST LEGENDARY BANDS TAKES THE STAGE IN NEW YORK CITY. BELOW, V BRING YOU A FIRST HAND ACCOUNT OF FLEETWOOD MAC'S TOUCHING SHOW, WHICH  WAS JAM-PACKED WITH EMOTION, A WHOLE LOT OF SHAWL-TWIRLING, AND OVER FORTY YEARS OF ROCK-AND-ROLL MEMORIES.

Photos Carl Scheffel
Review: William Defebaugh


“We’re a band that has had our fair share of ups and downs… But I think what makes us who we are is that we have persevered,” said rock legend Lindsey Buckingham to a packed arena at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

With the return of Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mack's On With The Show tour marks the first time the entire band has played together in 16 years, making it an emotional affair. Each of the group's four other members—Buckingham, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and of course, Stevie Nicks—pay tribute to their “Songbird” at various points throughout the show in their own touching ways. 

Watching five incredibly talented individuals who have suffered loss and heartbreak, who have broken up and gotten back together more times than anyone can count, won countless awards and sold millions of records, stand on stage together again after so many years feels powerful in and of itself. Nicks even thanks the audience for her return, saying—in very Stevie Nicks fashion—that she knows it was the fans that willed her back to the stage.

It is this degree of history—a muddled mixture of fact, rumor, and myth—that gives each song an added layer of emotional significance. Despite their tumultuous history, when Nicks comes out to sing “Landslide,” she bows to Buckingham as he performs his brilliantly executed guitar solo. Even with such a small gesture, the audience can’t help but be moved.

The band cycles through their incredible compendium of hits—“The Chain,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop,”—that have earned it icon status. Even the more straightforward and upbeat hits feel somehow more sentimental. The expression on Buckingham's face and the emotion in his voice as he sings “Never Going Back Again,” stirs an unexpectedly awestruck reaction in the audience.

Perhaps one of the most touching moments is when Nicks introduces “Gypsy,” and explains that the song conjures one of her most poignant memories of the band’s early days: she was in San Francisco vintage store The Velvet Underground, looking at the same four people with whom she shares the stage, and she knew that they were then—and always would be—Fleetwood Mac. 


SILVER SPRINGS
LITTLE LIES
GO YOUR OWN WAY
EVERYWHERE
SEVEN WONDERS

Stevie Nicks interview... This week's Maclean's Magazine (Canada)

‘I lived that song many times’: In conversation with Stevie Nicks

Elio Iannacci


Stevie Nicks talks with Elio Iannacci on a recent cameo, a Fleetwood Mac reunion and a new solo album decades in the making.

Q (Elio Iannacci): Your album 24 Karat Gold took more than 30 years to make. Has there been some sort of cathartic release now that the demos are re-recorded?

A (Stevie Nicks): I haven’t gotten to enjoy it at all. Rehearsal for the Fleetwood Mac tour started the sixth of August, and we made 24 Karat Gold in three five-day weeks in Nashville, and then came back to my house in Los Angeles and did three more five-day weeks.

Q: Rather than have a current photo of yourself taken for the album cover, why did you choose to use a photograph from the ’70s?

A: It takes away the conceptual thing of finding a photographer that you like, that’s going to shoot you right, that’s going to get a picture where you don’t look 9,000 years old. I have all these old Polaroids smashed together in shoeboxes. I pulled out one [photo] and said, “This is the cover; it’s a golden picture. That’s solved.”

Q: Who took them?

A: I took all of them. In those days, Polaroids came with a little [self-shooting] plug that had a button on the end of it. So I can be sitting here and build my set around this couch if I wanted to. I’d usually put flowers or found a lamp to put a shawl over and then start shooting.

Q: Would you consider them your version of selfies?

A: It’s not a selfie at all. It’s a self-portrait. I did most of those Polaroids on the road. I’d read something by Horst, the photographer. He said, “Don’t take a lot of pictures. Pretend like you have no film.” With phone cameras, you take millions of shots. This was carefully planned. An exhibit of them already showed in L.A. and Art Basel in Miami. I’ve made a lot of money.

Q: You’ve also sketched quite a bit. Are there plans to exhibit your drawings?

A: Yes, at some point. Strangely enough, I’ve been drawing all afternoon. I’ve just been working on a drawing I drew in 2007 when Mick [Fleetwood]‘s little girl [Ruby]—who has a twin [sister, Tessa]—almost drowned. I started with a drawing of [Tessa], who felt responsible. Then I drew another girl next to her and she became like the fairy queen. I called it the Fairy Guardians. I sketch the faces upside down because it’s like drawing from the left side of the brain or the right side of the brain. I never took an art lesson in my life.

Q: A song on 24 Karat Gold called Belle Fleur—originally from your debut disc—mines the memories of people you called “canyon ladies.” Joni Mitchell defined these women as people who were domestic and in traditional relationships in her song Ladies of the Canyon. Is there a connection?

A: This song wasn’t about that. Belle Fleur was about not being able to have a relationship because you were a rock ’n’ roll star. Those women are me, [my sister] Lori … and friends I had from 1975 to 1978. The [lyric] “When you come to the door of the long black car”—that’s the limousine that’s coming to take you away. Then your boyfriend is standing on the porch waving at you, like, “When are you going to be back?” And you’re like, “I don’t know, maybe three months?” But then we would add shows to a tour and I could end up not being back for six months. It was difficult for the men in my life. I lived that song so many times.

Q: The songs also implies there is a joy to that kind of unbridled freedom.

A: The [experience] causes you to become one with the road. I’m comparing it to the witches in the mountains. That’s just my metaphor with the [lyric] “Mountain women live in the canyon / dancing all night long.” That’s just us coming back from shows and taking Polaroids all night long.

Q: Many of your songs have been able to foresee your own future.

A: The real premonition songs were I Never Promised You a Rose Garden and After the Glitter Fades, which starts with the line “I never thought I’d make it here in Hollywood.” They were poems I wrote before I joined Fleetwood Mac. The lyrics are so telling: “Now I have a big house with pillars standing tall all around / I’ve got a garden with roses dangling down to the ground / and I’ve got money, men to love me / and acres of land / I’ve got all these things / I’ve got all these things but a small gold band on my finger on my left hand.” I think that’s probably the most astute premonition I ever had.

Q: A lyric from the song I Don’t Care from 24 Karat Gold reveals your disdain for getting a proposal with a diamond ring. At what point did you know that you couldn’t get married?

A: Right away! In the beginning of my relationship with Lindsey, I realized that being in a relationship with a very powerful, controlling man probably wouldn’t work out for me in the future as an artist. Something in my little songwriter’s heart said, “This is what I’m always going to do. I’m going to do that whether I’m with Lindsey or whether I go and find another guitar player to play music for me and we go play at Chuck’s Steak House.”

Q: Were you ever close to having a husband?

A: If I look back over all the men in my life, there’s the first category: those are the great loves. They didn’t understand. Even if they were in the business, they were jealous and they were resentful and had a hard time with my life and they didn’t like all my friends. They didn’t like the fact that the witches of the canyon were around all the time. The next category were men who really liked me, guys who trusted me—they were not the least bit resentful of what I did when I was on tour. They would say, “Bye, keep in touch, have a good time, be great on stage and maybe I’ll fly out and see you some weekend,” but we didn’t connect in other ways because my life, my career, just got bigger.

Q: They couldn’t keep up?

A: Guess what: I had two full-on careers going! [My solo record] Bella Donna took three months to [record]—which was not very long. When it was put out, it went to No. 1. I did a very short six-week tour for it and then went straight back to Fleetwood Mac. My [close] friend Robin had leukemia and was dying all the way through the making of Bella Donna.

Q: Yet so many of 24 Karat Gold’s songs are not about affairs but of what you call “the great loves.”

A: Those are the glory songs. I couldn’t write that album today. None of those songs were written after a one-night stand because there weren’t very many of those in my life. Those are all about relationships that lasted. All my relationships lasted.

Q: 24 Karat Gold could easily have a Part 2 or 3 because of the number of demos you have. What would you include on it?

A: I think that this is one of the best records I’ve ever made. So I can’t just let this record go. When the Fleetwood Mac tour is over, I might go straight back to Nashville and record eight or nine songs, and Warner Brothers can take it and repackage the album. I have another 10 demos. There’s a song that’s called City of Hope that I love that needs to go out because that’s [the name of the California-based hospital] Robin was in. I spent a lot of time driving through the big sign that says “City of Hope” when there was no hope. With a bottle of brandy and a gram of cocaine, thinking, “Please God, don’t let her die.”

Q: You also have a song about JFK. Is it on your list of possibilities to record for the second volume of 24 Karat Gold?

A: I’ll probably do that, too. It’s called The Kennedys. That was about a strange dream I had about meeting the Kennedy men, at a cocktail party benefit in the Hamptons. I went in to play the piano and sing [for the party] and Martin Luther King walked me down the hallway. It has this amazing part that I just think would fit with the world right now: “Please God, show them the way. Please God, on this day. Spirits all gather round. Peace will come if you really want it. Peace will come if you fight harder. I think we’re just in time to save it.” I’m ready for Jack Kennedy’s dreams. I’m ready for there to be somebody leading the country that somehow puts some kind of a respect and  charisma into things … basically the same thing that Clinton had.

Q: When I interviewed Cher last year, she said was 100 per cent behind Hillary Clinton becoming the next U.S. president.

A: Well I am, too. Hillary is experienced. Bill Clinton will tell you that he was in college with her and she was so much more motivated than he was. She’s the one. When I first met her with her [daughter] Chelsea, it was such a moment. She’s funny and she’s really nice. You don’t think that when you meet her but she is really sweet.

Q: Why is she the best choice?

A: She’s so damn smart. As far as the Republicans go—and my parents were both Republicans—there is no rising star. If you think of the great Republican presidents, there is no that guy. There is no John Kennedy rising in the Republican world. There is no Ronald Reagan. In the Democratic world, there is no that guy either. There is Hillary. Period. She’s my around age, and I’m 66 and a half years old. I hope that she doesn’t go like [whispers]: “I just can’t do it,” because she has a daughter, a granddaughter and a life and Bill. You have to forget about your life and determinedly and totally throw yourself into being the leader of this country.

Q: You know something about being determined. You’ve had to fight for many of your songs to get recorded. Which song would you identify as being the toughest one to release?

A: The battle of Silver Springs was pretty bad. [Fleetwood Mac] took that off [Fleetwood Mac’s 11th studio album, Rumors] and they didn’t even ask me. They replaced it with I Don’t Want to Know—which was a good song, but it was short. They took Silver Springs off because they thought it was too long on the record and there was no way to cut it down. I was told in the parking lot after it had already been done.

Q: You must have felt avenged when it finally hit the charts 20 years later.

A: I had given that song to my mother so it was kind of a bummer, because it ended up being kind of a dead gift. What was great was that when we went back together to do [a live album, 1996’s The Dance] it was the single. My mom ended up getting a $50,000 cheque two months after The Dance went out. To my mother, it had been a million-dollar cheque.

Q: Regarding the Fleetwood Mac tour, does it get any easier to share a stage with an ex who is singing about a soured relationship you had decades ago?

A: I just try to sink back into it and that’s not the hard part for me. The hard part for me is how physically difficult the three-hour set is. I walk off stage and I get into the hallways, and the first thing that comes out of my mouth is “This is too much for me!” It’s too hard, it’s too long, this set should only be an hour and a half long—we are all over 65! This is 40 shows! I feel like my bones are breaking.

Q: On tour, you thank American Horror Story for giving your song Seven Wonders a new life. Was appearing on the show an easy thing to do?

A: It could have been corny . . . but I thought it was just awesome. We really did just make a music video with me singing parts of Seven Wonders and Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You. I must have sung it [for the series’ star, Jessica Lange] 20 times because they had to film it from every possible vantage point. Jessica Lange is not an easy girl to get to know, but after singing to her for 10 hours, I think we made a connection. Afterward, I wrote her a long letter. In the scenes [we shared], she helped me by doing her part perfect every time.

Q: What would you say has been the most emotional moment you’ve experienced while being on tour with the band?

A: When I finish [performing] Silver Springs [with Lindsey Buckingham], Christine [McVie, Fleetwood Mac’s keyboardist and vocalist] waits for me and takes my hand. We walk off and we never let go of each other until we get to our tent. In that 30 seconds, it’s like my heart just comes out of my body.

Q: Do you feel that putting your solo work and art on hold for Fleetwood Mac has been worth it?

A: You get to a point in your life where some things have got to go if anything else new is going to come in. Then you face the fact that the Fleetwood Mac tickets sold out in three weeks for 80 shows. I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. I don’t want the audiences to be disappointed. I want everybody to be happy. I want the people in Fleetwood Mac to be happy. I do adore being back with Christine. She’s had a 16-year rest [McVie took a 16-year touring hiatus from the band]. She’s like ready to rock. I had forgotten how wonderful that was. I had forgotten how close we were.


My condolences to Mick Fleetwood and family on the passing of Mick's Mother

Richard Dashut (Rumours Co-Producer/Engineer) posted to his Truth and Consequences Tumblr blog today his personal message of condolence following the confirmation that Mick's mother has passed away.

Mick with his Mother
Photo: Annabel Mehran
RIP Bridget Maureen Fleetwood (Biddy)

"I’m sorry to report that I have just received personal confirmation from Mick Fleetwood, that his Mother, Bridget Maureen Fleetwood, has passed away at the age of 98 1/2. If you want to know the origins to the character of Fleetwood Mac, you need look no further than Mick’s Mum for that answer. From all of the Punters on this blog and myself at the head of that list, we salute the life of one of the most extraordinary women to ever walk the face of this planet. This is not Biddy’s world anymore, but heaven has a new Mum and we still have Fleetwood Mac! Biddy, may you rest in the eternal peace of death, you have earned in life and I shall carry your memory in my back pocket, for the rest of my days."



So sorry Mick!

I don't know if this will affect the next few shows or not. I'll keep you posted if an official statement is made or if any shows are postponed.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Stevie Nicks '24 Karat Gold' Photo Exhibit runs at Morrison Hotel Gallery NYC

Morrison Hotel Gallery continues to exclusively represent and exhibit the 
stunning collection of hand-signed, fine art photography by
STEVIE NICKS
With Fleetwood Mac's popular tour coming back to the New York area beginning tonight, it's your chance to see and purchase these beautiful photographs.

We are making available a selection of photographs from our exclusive exhibition of Stevie Nicks' 24 Karat Gold, which debuted in New York City to large crowds in October 2014. Stop by our SoHo gallery @ 116 Prince Street, 2nd Floor, to view Stevie's limited edition photographs. 


STEVIE NICKS "24 KARAT GOLD - SONGS FROM THE VAULT"
Out Now! Order from Stevienicksofficial.com

Stevie Nicks Outtake Photos from January, 2015 Rolling Stone Magazine

Photographer Peggy Sirota has been posting outtake shots of Stevie on her Instagram page. These are outtakes from the latest edition of Rolling Stone Magazine where Stevie is featured on the cover with a nine page editorial inside. If you haven't picked it up.. Better get on it.  The latest photo she posted is beautiful. Notice Stevie's wearing the knee length boots which you rarely see her wear anymore.



 

STEVIE NICKS "24 KARAT GOLD - SONGS FROM THE VAULT"
Out Now! Order from Stevienicksofficial.com

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Review: Fleetwood Mac Grand Rapids, MI Jan 20, 2015

Photo: Chris Clark
VIEW MORE PHOTOS
Fleetwood Mac stirs up old emotions for strong Van Andel Arena show
By John Serba
mlive.com

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The anguished interpersonal drama in Fleetwood Mac is long dead, but something that informed the songs and still defines the band. Judging from its performance at Van Andel Arena Tuesday night, the group’s driving force is now something resembling joy.

Playing in front of a sold-out crowd, a happy and reflective Fleetwood Mac were joined by keyboardist and singer Christine McVie, who’s participating in the group’s latest tour after an absence dating back to 1998. So consider the reunion of the band’s five core members another lingering dysfunction conquered, and celebrated early in the show. Opening number “The Chain” showcased the strong vocal harmonies of singer Stevie Nicks, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and McVie, who was then spotlighted for “You Make Loving Fun.” It was a grand re-introduction for McVie.

Taking the microphone later in the show, Buckingham discussed how Fleetwood Mac’s notorious ups and downs are key to its essence; he referred to a time when the band was swayed by the false idea that a certain lifestyle was necessary to create rock ‘n’ roll – a thinly veiled reference to his long-disintegrated relationship with Nicks, and the band’s past drug use. His subsequent solo rendering of “Big Love” swayed any accusations of insincerity, featuring an impassioned vocal and intricate, aggressive finger-picked guitar work.

The number was immediately followed by sentimental classic song “Landslide,” featuring only Nicks - gorgeous of voice - and Buckingham. As she sustained a note near the conclusion, she stretched her hand out to Buckingham’s and smiled with sad eyes. They then played “Never Going Back Again,” and as the song ended, she stood with her back to the audience as the guitarist hugged her sweetly.

Sure, maybe such drama can be a little corny in light of the infamous Fleetwood Mac soap opera, but it seemed warm, genuine and inclusive, the audience understanding the group’s complex dynamic.

Of course, that’s smack in the realm of expectation for a Fleetwood Mac live performance this deep into the 21st century. Same goes for the set list - 24 songs, you know all of them - and the production, which featured a towering high-definition screen.

Despite her mystical aura having faded over the decades, Nicks was still in vintage form - silk scarves and a tambourine, fringe for days, high heels you can see from the moon. And her voice was still as husky as it is sweet, slow like smoldering honey during “Dreams,” “Gypsy” and “Silver Springs.” During “Gold Dust Woman,” she held her head in her hands and shuffled from one end of the stage to another, as if possessed by the musical psychedelia behind her, then curtsied deeply at song’s conclusion.

Where Nicks’ voice and Buckingham’s guitar gave the group its flamboyance and star power, McVie’s strong vocal work, along with drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie, were its musical foundation. “World Turning” featured Fleetwood playing a pointless drum solo, too long by half; at least he showed no signs of the stomach flu that derailed the band’s Saturday concert in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Last September, another boomer favorite, the Eagles, played on the same stage to the same generation of audience (both of whom can swallow an expensive ticket – Fleetwood seats topped out at $180, and that’s before the ripoff secondary market jacks up the prices). Where the Eagles were nearly perfect in performance but ultimately antiseptic, Fleetwood Mac was occasionally rough around the edges – a sloppy run through “Go Your Own Way” closed the main set – and mixed loud and a little distorted, a reminder that this is a rock ‘n’ roll band still capable of stirring up a little drama on stage.

Monday, January 19, 2015

7 things you need to know about the 'On with the Show' tour



GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Fleetwood Mac, one of the most volatile groups in rock history, is back on the road with its classic lineup.

For the first time since 1998, when the group was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, singer/keyboardist Christine McVie is touring with singer Stevie Nicks, drummer Mick Fleetwood, guitarist Lindsay Buckingham and bassist John McVie. Oddly, it was less the group's infamous in-fighting - between she and ex-husband John, and the very public battles between ex-lovers Nicks and Buckingham - and more her fear of flying that prompted her retirement.

That's great news for fans of of Fleetwood Mac's signature 1977 album "Rumors," one of the biggest-selling albums ever in the United States - 20 million copies, double-diamond status, something only nine records have achieved. More tracks from that album are being featured on the current "On with the Show" tour, which is among the key things you should know about the band's current jaunt:

1. The return of McVie is big. As recently as 2012, Nicks wasn’t hopeful McVie would return, telling Rolling Stone, “there's no more a chance of that happening than an asteroid hitting the earth. She is done. You know when you look in somebody's face and you can just tell? She doesn't want to do it anymore.”

Obviously, that changed, and we didn’t have to be obliterated by a rock from outer space to get there. McVie, 71, overcame her phobia, joined the band on stage in 2013, and agreed to participate in the “On With the Show” tour. Earlier this month, Nicks told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, “When we went on the road, I realized what an amazing friend she’d been of mine that I had lost…I never want her to ever go out of my life again, and that has nothing to do with music and everything to do with her and I as friends.”

2. It'll be McVie's first Grand Rapids performance with the band since 1971. She was absent for Fleetwood Mac's previous local show, a 2003 date at Van Andel Arena, which drew 12,000. (Nicks has been to town since, co-headlining the arena with Don Henley in 2005, for 6,000 fans.) Prior to that, the band, then featuring McVie, hadn't stopped by since a 1971 gig at the Grand Valley Armory, replacing an AWOL Deep Purple. If you say you were there, there's a good chance you're lying.

3. The second tour leg is now in full swing. The first leg of "On with the Show" kicked off in Minneapolis in Sept., 2014, and wrapped in Tampa. Grand Rapids is the third date of the second leg, which will stretch to Europe and conclude with a pair of Dublin gigs in July.

4. Ticket prices are high. That should come as no surprise to anyone – they top out at $179.50 (because $180 is apparently 50 cents too much), with “platinum seats” ranging from $275 to $450. That kind of dough hasn't dissuaded anyone, considering the Van Andel show is close to selling out. Compare that basic-ticket cost to fellow fogies- er, classic-rock act the Eagles, whose 2014 Van Andel Arena date topped out at $149.50. Fleetwood Mac's 2003 show cost up to $127, a noticable increase over the 1971 concert, which cost $3.

5. The new set list. With McVie back on stage, songs with three-part harmonies – e.g., “Rumors” track “You Make Loving Fun” – returned to the set. Expect a show just like those on the 2014 tour leg, with 24 songs, counting a healthy chunk of “Rumors”; it stretches to roughly three hours.

6. The reviews are good. There's no shortage of praise for McVie's return - the Tampa Bay Times said a Dec., 2014 show was better than Fleetwood Mac's previous, McVie-less performances, saying "The lightness and sweetness that McVie brought to the table counterbalanced – perhaps even enhanced – the rest of Fleetwood Mac’s hit-loaded set." Of a Denver performance, the Huff Post gushed, "the stunning show was... blessed with the valuable missing piece of the puzzle that turns an already priceless picture into a beautiful work of pop art."

7. This may be the end. Buckingham said as much during a recent interview with PBS talk-show host Tavis Smiley. A new album, to be the band's first since 2003's "Say You Will," is in the works - long in the works, but still in the works - and won't be completed until the tour is over. If you believe this claim - and who can blame you if you don't, considering how difficult it is for the likes of Cher, the Eagles, Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, KISS and other acts to retire - then this may be the last Grand Rapids show ever for Fleetwood Mac.

Source: MLive

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Drummer who inspired Stevie Nicks "For What It's Worth" has passed away

Dallas Taylor, former drummer for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young passed away Sunday at the age of 66.

Dallas was best known for his work with CSNY between 1969 and 1973. After parting ways with CSNY and leaving music all together he became a drug and alcohol interventionist in Los Angeles after having his own substance abuse problems.

His wife Patti Mcgovern-Taylor confirmed the news via a post on Facebook.

1990 Entertainment Tonight Profile:

In 1993 when Stevie Nicks admitted herself to the Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital in Venice Beach for her addiction to Klonopin, where it took her 47 days to detox from the drug, Dallas Taylor was there with her the whole time. - The Telegraph (2007)

In the "In Your Dreams" promo footage and "In Your Dreams" documentary Stevie talks about "the drummer" that saved her life while fresh out of rehab and on a tour bus for the first time during the Street Angel Tour in 1994. (advance the video to the 1:09 mark).

So this weekend definitely hasn't been the best weekend in Stevie's world with Mick being ill and now with Dallas' passing.  

Official Statement from Fleetwood Mac regarding last night's show


"Last night's Fleetwood Mac show in Lincoln, Nebraska ended a few songs early when the band's founder and drummer Mick Fleetwood became ill with the stomach flu. At this time, the band is still scheduled to perform in Grand Rapids, MI on Tuesday."

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Fleetwood Mac ends Lincoln concert early due to band member illness

Fleetwood Mac had to call its set early.

Drummer and founding member Mick Fleetwood came down with an unexplained illness, and the band played as much as it could before members called it a night.

"Mick is really sick. We don't know exactly what to do," Stevie Nicks said, adding that he suddenly became ill and was throwing up.

The band, set to play more than two hours, called off eight of its songs and finished the show with "Go Your Own Way" and "Songbird" almost an hour early.

"We will come back," Nicks said. You'll get one and a half full-on shows. We will come back. We're so sorry."

"It's really unfortunate," added Lindsey Buckingham. "We're really sorry, guys."

Souce: Omaha.com

The band played up to Never Going Back Again, and Steve, Mick's drum technician filled in on Go Your Own Way. Then the show was over.  See setlist below and what was left out.

Mick was ill the night before in Saint Paul as well and I understand the Meet and Greet was also cancelled.  Didn't think it was this severe.

Get well Mick!!


Here's how the setlist played out

The Chain
You Make Loving Fun
Dreams
Second Hand News
Rhiannon
Everywhere
I Know I'm Not Wrong
Tusk
Sisters of the Moon
Say You Love Me
Seven Wonders
Big Love
Landslide
Never Going Back Again
Over My Head 
Gypsy 
Little Lies 
Gold Dust Woman 
I'm So Afraid 

Go Your Own Way (with Steve, Micks Drum Tech)

Encore:
World Turning 
Don't Stop 
Silver Springs 

Encore 2:

Songbird


Mick Fleetwood illness cuts Fleetwood Mac concert short
By L. Kent Wolgamott
Lincoln Journal Star

Midway through Fleetwood Mac’s Pinnacle Bank Arena concert Saturday night, drummer Mick Fleetwood suddenly became ill.

“Mick is really sick,” Stevie Nicks told the crowd, adding that Fleetwood was backstage throwing up. “We feel terrible, but we can’t really make him play. Give us a minute, and we’ll figure out what to do.”

That turned out to be playing two more songs.

A drum tech named Steve took over Fleetwood’s kit for “Go Your Own Way,” which is usually the song the band plays before two encores.

Then, after a short break, Christine McVie returned to the stage at a grand piano, playing and singing “Songbird” accompanied by guitarist Lindsey Buckingham.

“Poor old Mick is really sick,” McVie said. “I sing this for him and for all of you.”

“Songbird” has been the final song on the band’s “On With the Show” tour, usually capping a 2½ hour show. Saturday’s truncated set ran just over 90 minutes.

“In all of our 40 years, this has never happened,” Nicks said.

Prior to the abrupt ending, Fleetwood Mac had pumped out 14 songs, all familiar to the 14,000-plus that packed the arena Saturday -- and sounded and looked good doing it.

Saturday's show was the second of 2015 for Fleetwood Mac and the 41st of 80 total dates on the "On With the Show" tour. That meant a fresh Mac, but one already tightened by 41 previous shows. And it is a complete band, thanks to the return of McVie, who came back to the group last year after a 16-year absence.

Her songs, "You Make Loving Fun,” “Everywhere” and “Say You Love Me" were highlights simply because they hadn't been heard live for years.

And she can still sing -- as can Nicks and Buckingham. Some of the songs have been dropped in key. But that didn't change the fact that the Mac -- now in their mid-60s to early 70s -- remains a fine band.

Perhaps evidence of how quickly Fleetwood’s illness hit him, I twice noted his solid drumming in my notes and the tightness of his work with bassist John McVie.

The show began with “The Chain,” “You Make Loving Fun” and “Dreams,” the song of the night that features Nicks, the biggest star in the Mac constellation. She, of course, connected with “Rhiannon,” doing one of her shawl dances while effectively delivering the witchy lyrics with her rough, seductive vocals.

The University of Nebraska marching band didn't turn up for "Tusk.” But Fleetwood Mac still rumbled and roared with Christine McVie strapping on an accordion to add to the crowd-pleasing stomp.

"Tusk" and its follow-up, "Sisters of the Moon," were among the loudest songs of a show that, while far from ear-splitting, was louder than I anticipated -- a good thing.

A good percentage of Saturday's crowd would have been little kids or, in Buckingham's words "not even born yet" during Fleetwood Mac's mid-'70s heyday.

"We're pulling in all ages. I love it. We must have done something right," Buckingham said before doing "Big Love" solo, demonstrating he's a wicked guitarist on a hollow-body electric.

He then switched to acoustic and was joined by Nicks for a touching version of "Landslide" that she dedicated to one of her best friends, Lisa, who she said is from "this amazing city" and must be hurting. "Lisa, all the people in this room are sending you love, every one of them," she said at the song”s end.

Buckingham then did a solo version of “Never Going Back” using the acoustic. Then came Nicks’ announcement of Fleetwood’s illness.

During her announcement, she said that Fleetwood Mac would return and do a show and a half, but that is unlikely, as are refunds for the shortened concert.


Reviews: Fleetwood Mac return to the Twin Cities January 16, 2015

Fleetwood Mac reprises familiar flair at Xcel Energy Center
by: Jon Bream
Star Tribune

Review: Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham injected their usual emotional energy at Xcel Energy Center in opening the second leg of the band's reunion tour.

Pink did it. So did Bruno Mars.

Last year, they both came back to the Twin Cities for the second time on the same tour and they were noticeably better the second time around.

Fleetwood Mac returned to the Twin Cities on Friday for a second time in four months and they didn’t do it. They weren’t better. But they were noticeably different even though they played the exact same set list at the Xcel Energy Center as they had at Target Center in September.

The Minneapolis show was all about the return of singer/keyboardist Christine McVie after a 16-year retirement. That concert, the first on the On with the Show Tour, was about giddy excitement, a rush of adrenaline and a warm, fuzzy feeling that this fractured family was somehow whole again. It was an evening of the democratic, polite, respectful Fleetwood Mac.

Continue to the full review with photos at Star Tribune


In Twin Cities encore, Fleetwood Mac is more relaxed, in sync
By Ross Raihala
Twincities.com

The full "Rumours"-era lineup of Fleetwood Mac returned to the Twin Cities on Friday night for a triumphant, wildly entertaining performance at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 15,000 grinning, cheering fans.

Christine McVie, who retired in 1998 after the first "Rumours" reunion, rejoined the group last year. After spending time in the studio with Lindsey Buckingham for some songwriting and recording sessions (Stevie Nicks was busy promoting her solo album), the band hit the road for a tour that kicked off Sept. 30 at Minneapolis' Target Center.

How much has the show changed in 3 1/2 months? Not at all, judging by the set list. The group played the same two dozen songs and even indulged in some of the same stage banter.

Beneath the surface, though, the evening radiated with a looser, more casual vibe. Back in September, the band played with nervous energy, flubbing some early numbers and echoing the same "I can't believe I'm seeing this" vibe as the audience.

But the 39 concerts that followed, and several weeks off for the holidays, left us with a more polished, in-sync version of the band.

Continue to the full review at Twin Cities

BIG LOVE
GOLD DUST WOMAN

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Fleetwood Mac return to Lincoln for the first time in more than 30 years - Saturday

Fleetwood Mac back in full force
By L. Kent Wolgamott
Lincoln Journal Star

On Saturday, Fleetwood Mac will return to Lincoln for the first time in more than 30 years, bringing its full “Rumours”-era lineup to Pinnacle Bank Arena for a career-spanning nearly three-hour show.

That lineup -- singer Stevie Nicks, keyboardist Christine McVie, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood -- initially came together in 1974.

Before that, Fleetwood Mac was a very different band.

Formed in 1967 by guitarist Peter Green and named after former John Mayall bandmates Fleetwood and John McVie, Fleetwood Mac Mach One was a noted outfit in the British blues revival of the late '60s/early '70s.

Photos: Ted Kirk
VIEW GALLERY
After Green left the group and it passed through several lineup changes, Fleetwood, the McVies and then-guitarist Bob Welch relocated to Los Angeles. When Welch left the band, Buckingham was recruited to replace him. He insisted on bringing along his musical partner and girlfriend, Stevie Nicks. They joined Fleetwood Mac on New Year’s Eve 1974.

The next year saw the release of the album “Fleetwood Mac,” which triggered the band’s rise to the stardom that has endured since.

'Rumours'
In 1977, Fleetwood Mac released its 11th album, but just its second with its new lineup. Primarily written by Nicks, Buckingham and Christine McVie, the album chronicled the breakups of the two band couples with songs that were transformed into enduring pop anthems.

“Rumours” includes “Say You Love Me,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop,” “You Make Loving Fun,” all of them hits. It sold millions out of the box, turning Fleetwood Mac into an arena-filling band. It continued to sell strongly, eventually becoming one of the top-selling albums of all time.

As of 2009, “Rumours” had sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. It is one of four albums to receive the Recording Industry Association of America’s “Diamond” award, recognizing sales of 20 million copies in the U.S.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

WOW! Stevie Nicks is on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine! "A Rock Goddess Looks Back"

Okay... This is pretty amazing... Not only that Stevie's on the next cover of Rolling Stone magazine.. but this picture!  Beautiful!!
 
Stevie Nicks Looks Back: Inside Rolling Stone's New Issue
The rock goddess appears solo on our cover for the first time since 1981 and performs an exclusive acoustic "Gypsy"

Visit Rollingstone.com to read an excerpt from the magazine.  Stevie's feature in the magazine is 9 pages long so make sure you head on out and grab a copy.


 
 


Stevie's last solo cover of Rolling Stone was way back in 1981.  In total with Fleetwood Mac including this cover, this makes it her 6th cover. Congrats Stevie!



STEVIE NICKS "24 KARAT GOLD - SONGS FROM THE VAULT"
Out Now! Order from Stevienicksofficial.com

STEVIE NICKS ON FLEETWOOD MAC BANDMATE LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM

'WE DISAGREE ON JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING'
by Jon Bream
Star Tribune

Stevie Nicks is thrilled to be on tour again with Fleetwood Mac and singer/keyboardist Christine McVie. But she sounds daunted by the band’s schedule, which brings them back to the Twin Cities this week.

Stevie Nicks sounds exhilarated and exhausted.

She’s thrilled to be on tour again with Fleetwood Mac and singer/keyboardist Christine McVie, who has rejoined after a 16-year retirement. But she sounds daunted by the band’s schedule: 40 shows last fall, and now 40 more North American concerts, 20-some gigs in Europe and then possibly a tour of Australia.

“That is four shows a week, three hours a show. We are all over 65. That was a very difficult tour,” said Nicks, whose band launched its On With the Show Tour in Minneapolis in September, and returns Friday to kick off the second leg of the tour at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center.

“It’s not like you the watcher aren’t going to think, ‘They are great and they are strong and they are athletic.’ But we hobble back to our rooms after the show is over and hot water bottles are being filled and everyone is going, ‘I don’t think I’ll make it to the end of the week.’ ”

Continue to the full interview at Star Tribune

STEVIE NICKS "24 KARAT GOLD - SONGS FROM THE VAULT"
Out Now! Order from Stevienicksofficial.com

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Stevie Nicks, spills her carryall for Us

US Magazine January 19, 2015
What's In My Bag? Better safe than sorry! Stevie Nicks, 66, spills her carryall for Us

The Fleetwood Mac songstress is ready to go her own way. "I feel that if the plane goes down or I'm stuck on an island, all I'll have is my purse," quips Nicks, whose eighth solo studio album, 24 Karat Gold: Songs From the Vault, is out now. "So I always have any medicines I might need - and a Haim CD, just in case." The music legend lets Us peek inside her Hayden-Harnett satchel.

If It Ain't Broke . . .
"I'm super-old-school. I have a red Nokia flip phone for emergencies. I call it the 'fire phone.' Otherwise, I'll only talk on the phone if I'm near a landline and really have the time."

Naturally Smooth
"(Bandmate Christine McVie) gave me a tin of Surfer's Salve from Maui. It's great for your lips and cuticles. I also use a lysine balm, which helps undo damage from really drying lipsticks."

Freshen Up
"I have about 10 packs of 5 gum, the React flavor. I chew it whenever I come off stage for a break."

Picture Perfect
"Nothing compares to the old Polaroids, but I always have my Canon digital camera. It's scratched to death!"

Tough as Nails
"The best thing in the world is Poshe's topcoat polish. If you use it as both a base and topper, your manicure will last three weeks!"


STEVIE NICKS "24 KARAT GOLD - SONGS FROM THE VAULT"
Out Now! Order from Stevienicksofficial.com

Lindsey Buckingham Live at Largo at The Coronet January 12, 2015


Lindsey performed a short set last night at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles. "Shut Us Down", "Never going Back Again" and "Big Love". Setlist courtesy of Majestic Inc..


Photos: (left) Majestic Inc. (right) Amy Condit 

Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham to join Judd Apatow and Friends Benefit in LA 1/12

A Benefit for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services An Evening with Judd Apatow & Friends (Lindsey Buckingham, & Many More!)


Monday, January 12, 2015
Largo at the Coronet
366 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Doors: 7:00 pm / Show: 8:30 pm

Tickets:
$40.00 - $100.00
**SOLD OUT**

For more information and to buy tickets visit the Largo website

Monday, January 12, 2015

Christine McVie "the chain of the band will never be broken. Not by me, anyways. Not again by me"

Play On
BY RACHEL SYME
The New Yorker - January 19, 2015 issue
Christine McVie Illustration by Tom Bachtell

By the time Christine McVie arrived at the Morrison Hotel Gallery, in SoHo, she had been up for sixteen hours and was dying to remove her false eyelashes. “They’re so heavy,” she said, as she tilted her head onto her clasped hands for the benefit of her manager, who had promised her an early exit. McVie, who had recently decided to reunite with her old bandmates in Fleetwood Mac for a tour, was in a makeshift V.I.P. room in back. Out in the gallery, a throng of Fleetwood Mac fans were looking at an exhibition of Polaroid self-portraits taken by the band’s Stevie Nicks. (“These are, like, the original selfies,” one woman, dressed in witchy layers, in homage to Nicks and McVie, said.)

“I’m only here for Stevie,” McVie said. At seventy-one, she was dressed like an off-duty rock star: narrow jeans, pointy boots, a gauzy scarf. Shaggy blond bangs nearly covered her eyes. “Everyone thinks this is quite the glamorous life, but it’s axe-grinding. Like this opening—I was dreading it. I’m so tired, I’m barely human. And I thought there might be old pictures of me, God forbid.” (There weren’t.) She scooped up a small white Maltese named Rodney, the property of Nicks’s manager. “Oh, I miss my pups,” she said, burying her face in the fluff.

Thursday, January 08, 2015

BIG Stevie Nicks Surprises Coming Next Week!

Mysterious post on Liz Rosenberg's Instagram today... The caption below the photo in the post indicates there are surprises coming next week from Stevie (surprises as in multiple surprises)!

In the photo she's obviously playing piano and playing solo - and it's in a studio setting with what looks like an audience.  She likely taped something... but for what?? Hmmm... Guess we'll have to wait until more info is revealed.  Exciting!!

Fleetwood Mac kick off their 2015 tour next Friday in St. Paul, MN.


"Next week is a BIG @stevienicksofficial week!!! 
Look out for surprises coming your way!"

Photo: lizrosenbergpr on Instagram


STEVIE NICKS "24 KARAT GOLD - SONGS FROM THE VAULT"
Out Now! Order from Stevienicksofficial.com

Monday, January 05, 2015