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FLEETWOOD MAC - LONDON
WEMBLEY ARENA
OCTOBER 30th AND NOVEMBER 6th
October 30th
November 6th
Sunday, November 08, 2009
REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac Live in Birmingham UK
FLEETWOOD MAC - BIRMINGHAM November 3, 2009
Words by Zak Edwards
Photography by Bianca Barrett
Words by Zak Edwards
Photography by Bianca Barrett
It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to photograph and review a super group whose various incantations have spanned the course of 5 decades, but that’s exactly what we were offered on Tuesday night as Fleetwood Mac graced the stage of the NIA. Were we excited? Erm… an understatement!
The Rumours line up – comprising of Mac ever presents and band name contributors Mick Fleetwood and John Mcvie, together with the musically talented Lindsey Buckingham and the irrepressibly beautiful Stevie Nicks made their way to the stage much to the jubilation and adulation of the buoyant crowd. Unfortunately the only omission from the line up was keyboard player come vocalist Christine McVie. This was a little disappointing as it meant that certain crowd pleasers such as “Songbird” and “Oh Daddy” would be left out of the set.
The crowd, the majority of whom were in the similar age bracket as the Mac, were initially a little restless after their car parking fiasco and the fact that Fleetwood’s were 30 minutes late on stage, but these minimal mutterings soon turned to cheers and whoops of joy as the gang kicked off with ‘Monday Morning’ . This initial jubilation turned to near pandemonium as one of their classics was unleashed, with the tumultuous driving baseline of “The Chain”. To say the crowd loved it is somewhat of an understatement. It was one of the highlights they had been waiting for. Result.
It has to be said that Nicks and Buckingham are consummate front “(wo) men”. Admittedly it took Stevie’s voice a while to warm up – she failed to reach the high notes in “Dreams”, but once she got in her stride, it was the same haunting vocals and unique inimitable style that we’ve become accustomed to. Interspersed amongst the songs were pertinent musings by the front two. “We’re here to have fun” announced the female singer, and judging by the crowd’s reaction so were they.
The band then ploughed their way through 2 hours of vintage Mac, belting out hit after hit from their chart topping albums “Fleetwood Mac” and “Rumours” right through to “Tango in the Night”, tugging on the heart strings with tunes like the haunting “Rhiannon” and then drawing gasps of amazement due to the guitar playing excellence of Buckingham with his solo version of “Big Love”.
What becomes apparent whilst watching the Rumours line up is the tangible amount of chemistry, love and tension between the members of the band. It would be remiss of me to go through their colourful history, but needless to say it adds to the band dynamic and overall performance. Fleetwood Mac aren’t just a band, they are a family. Nowhere was this more apparent than when Nicks, gave her ex husband Buckingham a heartfelt hug centre stage, the emotion was palpable.
For me the only disappointment was the lack of pre-Buckingham/Nicks Fleetwood Mac. By the very nature of the lineup Peter Green tunes were always going to be in the minority but it would have nice to throw in some of the more popular hits from such an important period in the bands history. The only exception to this was “Oh Well” adapted for Buckingham’s style, but very much a Peter Green classic. The crowd lapped it up and in doing so displayed their love of everything pre 1970.
I have to say it was a truly memorable gig, and as talks of a new album are in the offing, it may not be too long before they are donning the stage once more.
Source: Gig Junkies.
The Rumours line up – comprising of Mac ever presents and band name contributors Mick Fleetwood and John Mcvie, together with the musically talented Lindsey Buckingham and the irrepressibly beautiful Stevie Nicks made their way to the stage much to the jubilation and adulation of the buoyant crowd. Unfortunately the only omission from the line up was keyboard player come vocalist Christine McVie. This was a little disappointing as it meant that certain crowd pleasers such as “Songbird” and “Oh Daddy” would be left out of the set.
The crowd, the majority of whom were in the similar age bracket as the Mac, were initially a little restless after their car parking fiasco and the fact that Fleetwood’s were 30 minutes late on stage, but these minimal mutterings soon turned to cheers and whoops of joy as the gang kicked off with ‘Monday Morning’ . This initial jubilation turned to near pandemonium as one of their classics was unleashed, with the tumultuous driving baseline of “The Chain”. To say the crowd loved it is somewhat of an understatement. It was one of the highlights they had been waiting for. Result.
It has to be said that Nicks and Buckingham are consummate front “(wo) men”. Admittedly it took Stevie’s voice a while to warm up – she failed to reach the high notes in “Dreams”, but once she got in her stride, it was the same haunting vocals and unique inimitable style that we’ve become accustomed to. Interspersed amongst the songs were pertinent musings by the front two. “We’re here to have fun” announced the female singer, and judging by the crowd’s reaction so were they.
The band then ploughed their way through 2 hours of vintage Mac, belting out hit after hit from their chart topping albums “Fleetwood Mac” and “Rumours” right through to “Tango in the Night”, tugging on the heart strings with tunes like the haunting “Rhiannon” and then drawing gasps of amazement due to the guitar playing excellence of Buckingham with his solo version of “Big Love”.
What becomes apparent whilst watching the Rumours line up is the tangible amount of chemistry, love and tension between the members of the band. It would be remiss of me to go through their colourful history, but needless to say it adds to the band dynamic and overall performance. Fleetwood Mac aren’t just a band, they are a family. Nowhere was this more apparent than when Nicks, gave her ex husband Buckingham a heartfelt hug centre stage, the emotion was palpable.
For me the only disappointment was the lack of pre-Buckingham/Nicks Fleetwood Mac. By the very nature of the lineup Peter Green tunes were always going to be in the minority but it would have nice to throw in some of the more popular hits from such an important period in the bands history. The only exception to this was “Oh Well” adapted for Buckingham’s style, but very much a Peter Green classic. The crowd lapped it up and in doing so displayed their love of everything pre 1970.
I have to say it was a truly memorable gig, and as talks of a new album are in the offing, it may not be too long before they are donning the stage once more.
Source: Gig Junkies.
UK TOP 75 ALBUMS.... FLEETWOOD MAC DROPS 2 SPOTS TO #12
UK Top 75 Albums - Week of 9th November 2009
#12 THE VERY BEST OF FLEETWOOD MAC REPRISE
- 3 weeks on chart:
# 6 Debut Week 1
#10 Week 2
#12 Week 3
Ireland Top 75 Albums - Week ending 5th November 2009
#27 THE VERY BEST OF FLEETWOOD MAC REPRISE
- 3 weeks on chart:
#32 Debut Week 1
#14 Week 2
#27 Week 3
European Top 200 - Week ending 6th November 2009
#60 THE VERY BEST OF FLEETWOOD MAC REPRISE
- 2 weeks on chart:
#39 Debut Week 1
#60 Week 2
Australian Top 50 - Week of 9th November 2009
- After re-entering the top 50 last week at #37 - the 2002 edition of Fleetwood Mac's Very Best Of drops out of the top 50.
VIDEO & PHOTOS: Fleetwood Mac Live in London October 30, 2009 - Night #1
FLEETWOOD MAC OCTOBER 30, 2009
WEMBLEY ARENA - LONDON
Photos by: Anna Bell (Gallery)
A cool set of fan photos from the London show - front row...
Thank you to Anna Bell for sending me the link to her Silver Springs Video and photos...
Nice job! Love them!
Nice job! Love them!
REVIEW: FLEETWOOD MAC - BIRMINGHAM "Arguably Rock's Most Dysfunctional Band"
REVIEW:
FLEETWOOD MAC - BIRMINGHAM, UK
NOVEMBER 3, 2009
By: Paul Cole
Sunday Mercury
FLEETWOOD MAC - BIRMINGHAM, UK
NOVEMBER 3, 2009
By: Paul Cole
Sunday Mercury
JUST as many 60-something musicians are looking forward to retiring to their country piles with nothing but the memories and royalties to keep them company, Fleetwood Mac have dusted off their tambourines, trimmed their facial hair and reunited for another tour.
With no new album on the horizon, arguably rock’s most dysfunctional band took to the stage at the NIA for a two-and-a-half hour powerhouse performance packed with anthems from their extensive back catalogue.
Brushing aside the band’s past personal problems with a sweep of her fringed shawl, Stevie Nicks stepped on stage alongside namesake drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie and all-round guitar hero Lindsey Buckingham, who ran around the stage with the energy of a teenager.
Buckingham’s impassioned playing on songs such as Big Love proved a hit with the bloke standing next to me, who slapped on his air guitar at the first strains of opener Monday Morning, and resolutely refused to put it down until the band had said their final farewells.
Nicks’ ethereal tones took a little while to warm up, meaning Dreams from famed album Rumours fell a little flat on what was one of the final UK gigs of the band’s world tour.
Her voice soon gathered pace in time for a sultry version of Rhiannan and peaked with a beautiful rendition of Landslide.
With lyrics lamenting the passage of time, it seemed to strike a chord with the mainly 40-plus audience.
With local girl Christine McVie missing from the current line-up, mega-hit Everywhere was notably absent from the set list, but a smattering of hits including Go Your Own Way, Sara and Tusk didn’t leave anyone feeling short-changed.
The band ended their marathon show with a triumphant version of Don’t Stop, the anthem famously adopted by Bill Clinton while on the campaign trail to the White House.
Based on their performance, The Mac could certainly count on a few thousand audience votes should they ever enter politics.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
CHART UPDATE - VERY BEST OF FLEETWOOD MAC
Ireland - Week ending 5th November 2009
#27 THE VERY BEST OF FLEETWOOD MAC REPRISE
- 3 weeks on chart - peaked at #14
European Top 200 - Week ending 6th November 2009
#60 THE VERY BEST OF FLEETWOOD MAC REPRISE
- 2 weeks on chart - peaked at #39
Fleetwood Mac Live in London - Luella Bartley Meets Stevie Nicks
Given that Luella is a huge fan of Stevie Nicks (she even named her daughter Stevie), it was only right the Fleetwood Mac singer should meet the designer when she was in town on tour. Despite Luella’s ardent admiration – you can certainly spot the personal style influences (sparkly pendants, blonde fringe, a penchant for gold Lurex thread) – the pair had never met before. We stole this snap of them as they finally made their introductions. Apparently, they plan to hit the flea markets together in Paris next week. Altogether now: “I want to be with you everywhere.” - November 6, 2009
REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac Live in Sheffield November 2, 2009
FLEETWOOD MAC - SHEFFIELD ARENA SHEFFIELD, UK
NOVEMBER 2, 2009
Review by: Rob Peacock
DigYorshire.com
NOVEMBER 2, 2009
Review by: Rob Peacock
DigYorshire.com
Watching Fleetwood Mac shouldn’t be such a strange proposition. After 40 years, you know the songs, you know the people, you know the whole back-story about the break-ups and divorces. A Fleetwood Mac gig should be a good –rockin’ trip down memory lane.
And yet, here am I watchin old familiar faces crank out old familiar songs and not knowing what to make of it all.
The reason for this, I think, makes itself clear about two-thirds of the way through the main set when they break into Oh Well, a classic from their original 60s incarnation - they’re still (at least) two separate bands. Fleetwood and McVie are British blues boys to their core, never happier than when they’re allowed to let rip on a proper R ‘n’ B (in the 60s sense) groove. Buckingham and Nicks, on the other hand, are just a pair of hippy, trippy Californian interlopers, even now, 35 years after joining.
To further complicate matters, there’s the tension still apparent between Buckingham and Nicks, long after their romantic break-up. How much of this is put on for the crowds it’s hard to tell. They walk on stage holding hands, glance provocatively at each other during songs and, at one point, hug each other with huge dramatic effect. It may be staged, but the psychobabble with which they introduce their songs suggests, shall we say, that both may have a few issues still to work through.
It’s a band split along multiple lines and pulling in different directions. So who wins out? Well, the rhythm section only get to properly show off their skills on the aforementioned Oh Well, which is unfortunate, because Fleetwood looks at mad for it as ever. And yet, even Nicks is sidelined somewhat tonight. She floats on and off stage to huge applause and swirls her gypsy dress through numbers like Rhiannon and Landslide, but never quite captures the moment.
Instead, for the most part, it’s the Lindsey Buckingham show. He wasn’t in the pantheon of all-time guitar greats last time I checked, but no-one seems to have told the man himself this. Every time he gets the opportunity he’s down to the front of the stage, milking solos for all they’re worth. At one point towards the end of I’m So Afraid you think he’s never going to stop. He’s up at the top of the fretboard squeezing every last whine out of his instrument, pained expression on his face, sweat leaking through his t-shirt. If it weren’t for the strange way he hobbles around the stage, you’d swear this was a sixteen year old throwing his best rock star poses in front of the bedroom mirror.
It’s a shame Christine McVie didn’t make it along for the reunion to add yet another dimension to the performance. In fact, she might have balanced out Buckingham’s massive ego. Nonetheless, the four-piece Mac leave the diehards happy and if nothing else, you’re watching a classic rock band in which, unlike some others (step forward, Rolling Stones), creative tensions are very much still alive.
REVIEW and PHOTOS: Fleetwood Mac Live in Birmingham November 3, 2009
FLEETWOOD MAC - NOVEMBER 3, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, UK
BIRMINGHAM, UK
REVIEWED BY: Toni Woodward
Photos by: Steve Gerrard (Steve Gerrard Photography)
I haven’t been this excited about a gig for a long time; probably because I never thought I would see this band live, let alone with both Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham on stage together. Fleetwood Mac have had various personnel changes over the past forty two years with the one constant being their giant drummer, Mick Fleetwood. Tonight’s line up consists of the members that recorded their most famous album, Rumours, minus keyboardist and vocalist Christine McVie.The band was due on stage at 8pm, so as the clock is creeping towards half past, the audience are becoming more anxious awaiting their arrival. Finally, the band enters the stage starting with the short ditty Monday Morning, the opening track from their self-titled 1975 album. Instantly, the crowd are won over just by seeing the band let alone with what they are playing and the volume produced. Second track in, Fleetwood Mac unleash The Chain with its mighty bass line, vocal harmonies and finger picking guitar part. A shiver runs down my spine as the band present a far rawer version to the recording, allowing the dynamics of the track to truly speak, the crescendo building to Buckingham’s tantalizing guitar solo at the end. This track alone has justified the excitement that I have felt all day and I would leave now a happy lady. The Chain is followed by another classic, Dreams, in which Stevie Nicks’ vocals are released to a responsive audience. Unfortunately, the sound levels cause Buckingham’s backing vocals to drown out Nicks and despite her unique voice she is unable to reach the higher notes and leaves those to the three female backing vocalists.
Before I Know I’m Not Wrong, Lindsey Buckingham explains to the audience about the emotional turmoil that is Fleetwood Mac, which is of no surprise to anyone, and suggests that there maybe a new album in the pipeline, information that is greeted with rapturous applause. Following Buckingham’s, Stevie Nicks, dressed in her typical lacy attire, explains the inspiration behind Gypsy and proceeds to develop this mental image through her competency with lyrics. After venturing in to his solo work with Go Insane, Buckingham ends sitting down at the foot of the drums whilst Nicks re-enters the stage to a fantastic rendition of Rhiannon. The tempo of the set increases with Second Hand News and the pounding, infectious rhythm of Tusk, which the whole band commits to wholeheartedly. This powerful track leads into Sara; despite being less upbeat, the tension on stage between Nicks and Buckingham starts to take its toll and the song ends with them embracing and Stevie leaving the stage obviously touched.
The flood of emotion does not finish there, as the lone figure of Buckingham picks up his electro-acoustic guitar and takes Big Love to another stratosphere. From an 80’s electro hit, he creates a haunting yet purely beautiful stripped down song that brings a tear to my eye through the raw passion he displays. Nicks rejoins him for Landslide and Never Going Back, at which point the rest of the band enter the stage for Storms, Fleetwood on a smaller drum kit positioned at the front. The set continues with Say You Love Me which sees Mick return to his vast, main kit to begin the cowbell preparation for Gold Dust Woman. This mesmerising track sees the stage lights drop and the simple set light up with golden flickers, as Nicks releases her tour de force with room for an extended instrumental section which develops the song bewitchingly.
The audience’s emotions are taken to a lighter place with a humorous version of Oh Well proceeded by I’m So Afraid, in which Buckingham’s true capabilities as a guitarist are demonstrated during an amazing solo, which goes beyond comparison. After a version of Nicks’ solo track Stand Back, the band launch into the anthemic Go Your Own Way. The whole arena is dancing and singing at the top of their voices, enjoying every beat, and all too soon Fleetwood Mac are gone. The band returns after a short interlude to play World Turning, in which Mick Fleetwood has his turn to shine with a drum solo. Whilst the rest of the band leave Mick to it, Buckingham takes a seat by the monitors to watch his colleague, unfortunately, the solo does go on too long for my liking and made me wish they had squeezed another song into the set instead. However, Fleetwood Mac take to the stage for the final track of the evening, Don’t Stop which leaves an optimistic mark on the NIA. Apart from McVie, each band member thanks the audience with genuine sincerity which is unnecessary as I want to thank them for their pure brilliance.
When I think of Fleetwood Mac, I tend to think of vocal harmonies and subtle interweaving melodies but never guitar genius; I have been so wrong for all these years. Throughout the evening, Lindsey Buckingham has displayed some of the best guitar playing I have ever seen, supported by his enthusiasm and terrific vocals he has made this one of the best concerts I have ever been to. Fleetwood Mac is not all about Buckingham either and it would be remiss of me not to comment on their greatness as a band, Nicks’ unique vocals, McVie’s laid back bass lines and Fleetwood’s simple yet effective rhythms, all of which add up to utter brilliance.
Review – Toni Woodward
Photos – Steve Gerrard
FLEETWOOD MAC - THE BEGINNING OF THE END
Last night at Wembley Arena in London
Fleetwood Mac closed out the European
leg of the Unleashed Tour.
It was a special show - Christine McVie having retired from the band in 1998 was there in the audience to support the band but sadly didn't participate. Lots of love was sent out to Christine during the night from Lindsey and Stevie - Lindsey said hello to all of their friends in the audience especially Christine, saying "we love you". Stevie dedicated Landslide to Christine saying she misses her everyday.
Not quite the beginning, but here's the second song of the night
"The Chain".
Next up is Melbourne, Australia
December 1st
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