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.


4 comments:

doctorjim51 said...

All the prayers and the very best to you Mick. Get back as soon as you can. The Mac ain't the Mac without you. Jim the other mick.

Becky Vinchur said...

I just got home from the concert in Lincoln. I was shocked when the concert suddenly ended due to Mick's illness. Hope y.ou are better soon, Mick!

Anonymous said...

I don't think you should say it is unlikely they will return or give refunds. They will definitely do one or the other, and I bet they return and do their full show. They are professional performers and won't leave an audience unhappy. In 1978 when Lindsey get sick in Philly the next day they were supposed to play DC and the rest of the band was there along with the audience, waiting to see if Lindsey got out of the hospital and had time to fly to DC. But when he didn't, right as the show was to begin the band told the crowd what was going on and they played the show a week later.

Anonymous said...

I would love to hear LOVE IN STORE or HOLD ME. Love those songs! Will see them Feb.11 in Des Moines, Iowa. Saw the 2013 show in DesMoines, it was AWESOME!!!

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