Sunday, June 30, 2013

VIDEO | PHOTOS: Fleetwood Mac Live in Spokane

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE
SPOKANE, WA - SPOKANE ARENA
JUNE 29, 2013
(Review to follow)




GOLD DUST WOMAN
SAD ANGEL / RHIANNON
BIG LOVE - PARTIAL
GO YOUR OWN WAY - PARIAL

FAN PHOTOS
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Three's a Charm for Fleetwood Mac Live in Auckland, NZ - 3rd and Final Show Added


FLEETWOOD MAC have announced a third and final New Zealand show for December 4th, to kick off their run of dates at Auckland's Vector Arena.

The band's Stevie Nicks says about the new show: "We get to come to New Zealand so seldom, that the longer we can stay the better we like it! So excited that we are able to add a third show in Auckland!"

American Express Card holders have the first opportunity to purchase tickets, during an exclusive pre-sale beginning 12pm NZST / 10am AEST on Wednesday, July 3rd.

My Live Nation members can access pre-sale tickets for the third show from 2pm NZST / 12pm AEST on Friday, July 5th.

Tickets to the general public for the December 4th show go on sale from 11am NZST / 9am AEST on Monday, July 8th.

Live Nation Australia

FLEETWOOD MAC - New Zealand 2013
AUCKLAND - VECTOR ARENA, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4. [NEW SHOW]
AUCKLAND - VECTOR ARENA, FRIDAY DECEMBER 6. [sold out]
AUCKLAND - VECTOR ARENA, SATURDAY DECEMBER 7. [sold out]

Review: Fleetwood Mac Live in Charlotte - Nicks and Buckingham Battle it out for stage supremecy

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE
CHARLOTTE, NC - TIME WARNER CABLE ARENA
JUNE 24, 2013

Robert Lahser Photo
By Jared Faw
Salsbury Post

CHARLOTTE — More than 20,000 fans gathered in Charlotte’s Time Warner Arena to pay their respects to the mighty Fleetwood Mac – a band notorious for their love-affairs, drug use, and lethal amount of hits over the past four decades.

Although the longevity of the band has never been questioned, it was surprising to see so many 20-something year-olds in the crowd. There were plenty of Stevie Nicks impersonators, of course, draped in their black handkerchief-chiffon dresses and platform boots.

Fleetwood Mac is currently on a world tour, which will hit Australia and New Zealand before the year is over. The Australian leg of the tour sold out in a record breaking fifteen minutes, proving that the Mac still has quite the clout.

The band opened with a menagerie of hits from their landmark record, “Rumours,” which to this day is the third best-selling album in history with sales nearing 25 million. The first two songs, “Second Hand News” and “The Chain,” kept the crowd on their feet and fists pumping in the air, while the band effortlessly glided through hit after hit.

What was the most apparent all throughout the evening was just how hard this band rocks.

A special treat for more seasoned fans was the drop-jaw performance of their new single, “Sad Angel,” which was released a few weeks ago on their new EP, aptly titled, “Extended Play.”

The night became a bit more somber when Nicks introduced her signature song, “Landslide.” The definitive emotional peak of the evening, “Landslide” talks about growing older and coming to terms with both your mortality and the realization that some “mountains” simply cannot be climbed.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Stevie Nicks, still draped in diaphanous scarves and age-defying blond locks at 65

Fleetwood Mac: They may be paleolithic, but they have good bones
Oregon Live
by Michele Coppola

So you never got to see Queen with the incandescent Freddie Mercury, Journey fronted by Steve Perry, or U2 before Bono took himself so seriously. It's a loss, to be sure. But on Sunday at the Rose Garden, you'll have the chance to catch one of rock's legendary bands while they're mostly intact and can still bring it.

Fleetwood Mac is Paleolithic by pop music standards -- its first incarnation can be traced back to 1967 -- but recent reviews from previous stops on the band's current world tour attest to the fact that they're still more than the sum of their very individual, disparate parts.

Drummer Mick Fleetwood is the band's occasional manager and one of the Beatles-era originals, along with bassist John McVie. Fleetwood has also been described as the glue that's held the group together for decades, even back when they cycled through various members as a blues outfit in London.

In 1975, at a Los Angeles restaurant, Fleetwood hit the jackpot for the band's lineup, meeting the couple who would anchor the band's longest-running incarnation. Lindsey Buckingham and his girlfriend/partner Stevie Nicks brought pop and poetry to Fleetwood Mac, but like so many windfalls, they also brought more drama and turmoil to a group already rocked by substance abuse and the crumbling marriage of Christine and John McVie.

That drama eventually resulted in "Rumours," one of the best-selling albums in music history.

More telling of influence than album sales, however, is the number of 30-something women walking around today with the name Rhiannon. It's likely they've only seen videos of the person whose song inspired their name -- the band's enchanted front woman, Nicks.

There's an argument to be made that Nicks, still draped in diaphanous scarves and age-defying blond locks at 65, is the element that must be present in order for Fleetwood Mac 
to conjure magic.

And yet the creative process that resulted in some of pop's most enduring music rarely involved the band jamming together. "Rumours," as well as many subsequent Fleetwood Mac albums, came about through overdubbing and piecing together various bits and riffs recorded by the members individually, with almost all tracks written by Nicks, Christine McVie or Buckingham.

This dogged individuality has been both necessary to the band's success and nearly its undoing over the years; it's fitting that "The Chain" -- a song that the players themselves agree is the band's unofficial anthem -- is the only one in Fleetwood Mac's extensive catalog with a five-way writing credit.

It's a track that begins with one of rock music's most recognizable plucked-guitar intros, courtesy of Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac's youngest member. At 63, he remains the intense, guitar-shredding kid in the band who has always served as the catalyst for change.

Available on AmazonMP3 or iTunes
Buckingham is also the main reason Fleetwood Mac has a new four-song EP called "Extended Play," which landed in the iTunes Top 10 when it was released in April. 


At least a few of those tracks are incorporated into this tour's set, which has been running longer than 2 1/2 Hours.

While the new songs are unmistakably Fleetwood Mac creations, they are missing the sweet voice and polished keyboard work that Christine McVie brought to the mix. Retired to the English countryside since 1998, she was always the group's much-needed leavening agent. Some of her best-known songs are understandably absent from the current tour's playlist, and word is there's a thinness to the live show without her presence.

But there is still the drama of seeing Buckingham and Nicks trying to resolve whatever chemistry remains between them live on stage; lanky Mick Fleetwood hunched over a drum kit pounding out "Tusk"; John McVie's ominous vibrating bass lines; and the near-astral experience that is "Sara." Even after three decades, it's an alchemy that continues to produce gold.

Buckingham says the band's musicianship has not diminished with age, nor has the desire for most of them to make music together.

"After all this time you would think there was nothing left to discover, nothing left to work out, no new chapters to be written," he told Rolling Stone earlier this year. "But that is not the case." 

Tickets to Fleetwood Mac's Portland Oregon show are available at Comcast tickets

Video | Photos: Fleetwood Mac Live in Des Moines IA 6/26/13

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE
DES MOINES, IA - WELLS FARGO ARENA
JUNE 26, 2013

Fleetwood Mac Concert: Memories, Gypsies, and Crazy Mick
by stephkocer

I think it is safe to make the assumption that after a while all bands get a little full of themselves. Especially when they have become uber successful. The band starts to forget how they even got there in the first place. No act would be successful without their fans, but it seems like the rockers that have been doing it for a long time don’t care about that anymore. They just like to know everyone is there to worship them. Now, I love cocky rock stars, don’t get me wrong, but imagine the surprise that I got when I went to see Fleetwood Mac in Des Moines this week. It was a surprise because Fleetwood Mac are not your typical rock stars. You would think that after the success of an album like “Rumours” the members of Fleetwood Mac would be lost in their own self-awesomeness, but they are not. In fact, I’ve never been to a show where the band was so appreciative of the crowd and genuinely happy to be there. I’ve never seen a band interact with the crowd that much and actually be that thankful for people coming out to see them. Aside from their gratefulness, they also moved to the very top of my list of best concerts I have been to. Here’s why they now rank number one:




Above 3 Photos: Patrick Finnegan | Earl Ramey | Jessica Krock

"NEVER GOING BACK AGAIN"
"GOLD DUST WOMAN" Love the ending of this where they alter her vocals and give it more echo
"RHIANNON"

Vinyl Boxed Set Spanning Fleetwood Mac's First Four Albums Available August 20th

Revisit The Mighty Mac’s Roots With Expanded And Remastered Version Of 1969’s Then Play On And Vinyl Boxed set Spanning The Group’s First Four Albums For Reprise Records

Both Will Be Available On August 20th

- 4LP 1969-1972 Vinyl Box Set: Amazon
- "Then Play On" Expanded Edition: Amazon

This summer, revisit the Fleetwood Mac’s early years with two special releases from Reprise Records.


The first is an expanded and remastered edition of THEN PLAY ON, Fleetwood Mac’s 1969 debut on Reprise. This reissue features the original U.K running order and track segues, with “One Sunny Day” and “Without You” making their first appearance on a CD issue of the album, as well as new liner notes by veteran rock journalist David Fricke and four bonus tracks, including the revered single “Oh Well – Pt. 1,” which boasts one of the great guitar riffs in rock history and has been covered by likes of Billy F Gibbons, Jimmy Page, and Tom Petty.

The second release is FLEETWOOD MAC: 1969-1972, a beautiful vinyl boxed set that collects four of the band’s classic albums, each lovingly reproduced on 140-gram vinyl. As a bonus, the set comes with an exclusive replica of the original 1969 7-inch single of “Oh Well – Pt. 1” b/w “Oh Well – Pt. 2.”

THEN PLAY ON: EXPANDED EDITION and FLEETWOOD MAC: 1969-1972 will both be available August 20.

Fleetwood Mac was already a popular blues band in 1969 when they released THEN PLAY ON, the group’s stellar third studio album. It was the first with guitarist-songwriter Danny Kirwan and ultimately its last with founding member Peter Green. The album’s powerful mix of blues and rock includes standout tracks like “Rattlesnake Shake,” “Searching For Madge” and “Coming Your Way.” Rhino’s newly re-mastered and expanded edition includes four bonus tracks originally released as singles: parts one and two of “Oh Well,” “The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)” and “World In Harmony,” which is available on CD for the first time.

FLEETWOOD MAC: 1969-1972 features four complete albums – Then Play On (1969), Kiln House (1970), Future Games (1971) and Bare Trees (1972) – housed in a striking black slipcase. To ensure superb sound quality, Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering cut the lacquers for all four albums. The records look as good as they sound thanks to authentically reproduced packages, including gatefolds for Then Play On and Kiln House and single sleeves for Future Games and Bare Trees.

The set follows the band through an early transitional period. With Kiln House, Fleetwood Mac began moving toward a more melodic pop sound on songs like “Mission Bell” and “One Together.” At the time, the band included: Jeremy Spencer (guitar, vocals, piano), Kirwan (guitar, vocals), John McVie (bass) and Mick Fleetwood (drums). Christine McVie was at the recording sessions and contributed backing vocals and the album’s cover art, but she did not join the band until shortly after the album was finished.

The band’s shift toward pop and folk styles continued on Future Games with songs like “Show Me A Smile” and “Morning Rain.” This marks the first Fleetwood Mac album with Christine McVie as a full band member as well as the Mac debut of Bob Welch on guitar.

The line-up stayed the same for Bare Trees, which boasts a consistently strong collection of songs like McVie’s “Spare Me A Little Of Your Love,” Kirwan’s “Dust” and Welch’s “Sentimental Lady.” Although Kirwan was a dominant figure during the recording, penning half of the songs, this would ultimately be his last appearance on a Fleetwood Mac album.


THEN PLAY ON: EXPANDED EDITION
Track Listing

Thursday, June 27, 2013

The Top 20 Concert Tours rank: Fleetwood Mac NEW at No.5


The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

1. (1) The Rolling Stones; $7,969,276; $346.08.
2. (2) Taylor Swift; $2,072,961; $84.02.
3. (3) Kenny Chesney; $1,829,281; $76.47.
4. (4) Bon Jovi; $1,622,485; $106.01.
5. (New) Fleetwood Mac; $1,426,254; $111.75.
6. (5) Maroon 5; $879,457; $62.99.
7. (6) Jason Aldean; $754,571; $51.28.
8. (7) Brad Paisley; $578,398; $36.74.
9. (8) Carrie Underwood; $497,868; $62.07.
10. (9) Leonard Cohen; $489,734; $106.77.
11. (10) Green Day; $469,164; $50.47.
12. (11) Motley Crue; $332,400; $78.37.
13. (New) Widespread Panic; $281,496; $42.36.
14. (12) Bassnectar; $179,128; $36.44.
15. (13) Diana Krall; $176,499; $83.60.
16. (15) Chris Tomlin; $163,206; $28.29.
17. (17) Shinedown / Three Days Grace; $156,081; $39.40.
18. (16) Il Divo; $152,184; $76.21.
19. (19) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds; $142,644; $52.23.
20. (20) Willie Nelson; $133,423; $55.67.

SF Chronicle

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM Reveals Planning Behind Fleetwood Mac Setlist


Fleetwood Mac is winding down its massive North American tour before taking a well deserved couple of months off until its 30-date European and Australian leg. The band's recent setlists have been chock-full of the band's greatest hits from the '70s and '80's, but with absence of Christine McVie -- and most of her songs -- the band's setlist has been able to shine a light on some deep album cuts and personal favorites.

Lindsey Buckingham told us that a Fleetwood Mac show is pretty much pre-designed due to the band's hits -- but that filling in the gaps between the blockbusters takes real passion and artistry: "There was a kind of an openness to let people try what they want to try, so there's a few other songs that are a little bit more off to the left in the set this time, too, aside from new stuff. So, y'know, if you sort of come to the conclusion that maybe 75 percent of what you're going to do every time is, y'know, those things you can't get away without doing -- for lack of a better term -- it's really what you do around the edges. And I think we really found some interesting edges between some more obscure stuff and some of the newer stuff."

Fleetwood Mac's Remaining North American tour dates

June 29 - Spokane, WA - Spokane Arena - Ticketswest
June 30 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden Arena - Comcast Tickets
July 3 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center - Ticketmaster
July 5 - San Diego, CA Viejas Arena - Ticketmaster
July 6 - Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Arena - Ticketmaster

WMMR

Review: Fleetwood Mac rocks Long Island, tours the U.S.

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE
WANTAGH, NY - JONES BEACH
JUNE 22, 2013 

The band’s summer tour of classic rock and roll continues
Erika Norton | Echo

Between festivals like Bonaroo and Firefly, to country-wide and world tours from artists such as Bruno Mars and the Dave Matthews Band, summer is overflowing with smash-hit concerts for every musical taste.

Fleetwood Mac is one of those bands on tour this summer, and The Echo was onsite during the group’s stop at the Nikon Jones Beach Theater in New York on June 22.

With a full moon overhead, the lead singers Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham sang classic hit after hit.

Skyrocketing to rock and roll fame in the 1970’s with their Grammy-winning album Rumours, songs from the legendary album were featured heavily throughout the night. Nicks, who penned many of the hits from the album, kept to her gypsy persona, dancing across the stage wearing platform boots, flowy skirts and a top hat.

As she welcomed the audience to the show she exclaimed, “Let’s get this party started!” and began singing the band’s number one hit, “Dreams.” The amphitheater, which is located on a beach, gave lyrics such as “drowning in the sea of love” new meaning.

Some highlights of the night included Nicks’ and Lindsey Buckingham’s acoustic duet of “Landslide,” a song many artists have covered over the years due to its cross-generational lyrics. As the giant screen behind the stage sparkled with twinkling lights, Nicks and Buckingham’s famous chemistry exploded onstage.

Nicks and Buckingham surprised superfans with “Without You,” a song written before they were asked to join the band. Nicks’ enthusiasts got their fill as well, with hits written for the band such as “Rhiannon,” “Gypsy” and a rousing rendition of “Stand Back” from her solo career.

Buckingham showcased his unique plucking style of guitar playing with solos during “Go Your Own Way,” even wiping out onstage during his solo in “I’m So Afraid.” Thankfully he got right back up and kept shredding on his axe.

As Buckingham explained some of the meaning behind his lyrics, he spoke about the importance of transition.

“We need illusions to dream, but we need to discard some illusions to grow,” he said.

Mick Fleetwood, drummer and original founder of the band, showed he hasn’t lost his touch despite turning 66 years old on Monday. In between the first of two encores, Fleetwood, sitting on what the band has dubbed “his throne,” went into an impressive drum solo.

Despite the absence of Christine McVie, songwriter of “Don’t Stop” and former piano player for the band, the song still had the same energy as ever, turning into a giant audience sing-along.

The Mac still had one more trick up their sleeves. “Silver Springs,” a Nicks song originally intended for the Rumours album, has become a crowd favorite and was the second-to-last encore.

Before the band closed with “Say Goodbye,” Nicks left the audience with some parting words.

“You guys are the dreamcatchers,” she said. “I wish you love, I wish you happiness, and I wish you catch all your dreams in that dreamcatcher.”

Fleetwood Mac’s next two tour stops are the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC and the Wells Fargo Center in Des Moines, Iowa.