Hitmachine Fleetwood Mac in het Sportpaleis: Eindelijk weer compleet DeMorgen
Tijd heelt alle wonden. Niemand die een paar jaar geleden nog had durven dromen dat de klassieke bezetting van Fleetwood Mac ooit weer samen op tournee zou gaan, maar kijk: Christine McVie is terug, en in een tot aan de nok gevuld Sportpaleis zette de legendarische band zaterdagavond een fenomenale greatest hits-show neer.
Fleetwood Mac @ Sportpaleis: more craftsmanship than inspiration
by Dirk Steenhaut Focus.be
Well half years after his last Belgian passage, even Fleetwood Mac failed again to fill in the Sportpaleis. With the attraction: singer Christine McVie, who, after 17 years of absence, was finally returned to the old nest. For the rest, we noted however few surprises.
Fleetwood Mac have re-scheduled tonight’s show at Birmingham's Genting Arena due to artist illness.
"We are very sorry to announce that due to illness the Fleetwood Mac concert at Birmingham Genting Arena this evening will not take place and has been re-scheduled for Tuesday 7th July 2015.
All tickets remain valid for the re-scheduled performance. For refunds please visit your point of purchase."
Lindsey Buckingham, the Fleetwood Mac guitarist on why the band’s relationships are always a work in progress
I’ve noticed that the band seems to be connecting with a new, younger audience. True?
“We’ve gotten a multigenerational response. You’ve got people who were young adults when we first hit the market way back when, and then you’ve got young people who’ve just been introduced to our work. You can hear our approach in a lot of younger groups who are coming along now and have obviously listened to our music. Everyone seems to be appreciating the body of work.”
American Airlines Magazine - June, 2015
Fleetwood Mac is famous for how the relationships of the band members influenced the music. What is the dynamic now?
“When Stevie [Nicks] and I joined Fleetwood Mac, it didn’t look like we would all fit well together. But it ended up being this synergy created from the divergent sensibilities and different tastes and outlooks on how to approach creativity — how to approach life in general. It was greater than the sum of its parts. Now, you’d think all these years later that somehow we would have figured out our drill. That we know how to be on the same page or deal with a certain amount of chaos within the ranks. But on some strange level — and it’s kind of refreshing — the interaction between the members is still a work in progress.”
What does that stem from?
“A lot of it stems from the fact that there were these two couples that broke up. Things have settled down pretty well. But it is somehow reflective of the fact that we don’t all want the same things at the same time for the same reasons. So you’ve got elements of that, and it makes it that much more special when we do come together. And people do seem to buy into the subtext behind the scenes as much as they buy into the music.”
I’ve heard a new album may be on the horizon after this tour. Any truth to that?
“I think so. Christine [McVie] gave me some very rough stuff, of her just playing the piano and singing into a microphone. I took it home and, as I’ve always done, took some liberties with it. At some point, I sent it over to her before she came over to L.A. [before the tour]. Then we all spent about two months at Village Studios, which is where we cut Tusk, and we cut all these great new songs. It was really a transcendent experience.”
Fleetwood Mac’s worldwide tour includes a trip through the U.K. this month, with four nights in London.
Fleetwood Mac on 18th world tour: Rock and roll still means pills and joints for Fleetwood Mac.. but now it's all about arthritis
by Halina Watts
Daily Record
Daily Record (UK) June 6, 2015
Mick Fleetwood snorted seven MILES of cocaine while Stevie Nicks has a hole bigger than a 5p
piece in her septum - but those hellraising days are behind them.
Multi-million dollars of cocaine ordered in bulk, 14 black limousines on tours where pink-painted dressing rooms had to have a white piano installed, and, of course, alcohol. Lots of it.
For years Fleetwood Mac rode a wave of drug-fuelled excess.
Drummer Mick Fleetwood last year revealed how he’d worked out that all the cocaine he’d snorted would make a line seven miles long.
And singer Stevie Nicks took so much she has a hole bigger than a 5p piece in her septum.
They once hired Hitler’s private railway car to travel across Europe, allegedly to avoid drug searches. It even came with the same elderly attendant who served the Fuhrer.
But as we meet it’s clear their days of hell-raising are well and truly over. They’ve swapped cocaine and champagne for, er, ice baths and physio.
Christine McVie: Why I went back to Fleetwood Mac
by Lydia Jenkin The New Zealand Herald
She wrote some of the band's best known hits but walked away for a quiet life in the country. But now Christine McVie is back with Fleetwood Mac on a tour which is heading to New Zealand. She talks about her return to the fold.
Speaking from London, Christine McVie sounds a bit like a more mellow, less posh Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous.
There's a lovely, light, warm huskiness, and plenty of character in the voice that's been missing from the Fleetwood Mac line-up for the past 17 years - the voice (and pen) behind many of their hits, like Don't Stop, Little Lies, Songbird, and You Make Loving Fun.
Weekend Herald (Australia) June 6, 2015
But now that voice is back.
Rumours swirled after McVie appeared on stage with the band in Dublin and London during their 2013 tour, and in January 2014 it was announced that she was officially back in the band.
And now, more than halfway through their current world tour - entitled On With The Show - the 71-year-old sounds totally convinced she made the right decision, and is thrilled to be touring again.
"We're having a ball. Every night, I look across the stage from where I'm playing piano, stage right, and I can see the rest of them, John, Mick, Stevie, and Lindsey, and it awes me every night. I just think, blimey, you guys are fantastic. I think the difference this time is that we're all smiling."
Fleetwood Mac summon old ghosts focus.de
[translated review - original at link above]
The very large time of Fleetwood Mac's over - but by no means forgotten. In Cologne, the rock band
plays exclusively hits their most successful albums of decades ago. For the first time since 16 years, Christine McVie is back on board.
Yes, she was missing. From the fans. And from the band. For 16 years, leaving singer and keyboardist Christine McVie is a gap in the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac - until her comeback last year.
On Thursday, the band came to a single concert in Germany of the current European tour to Cologne. See 14,500 fans in the nearly sold out Lanxess Arena as Fleetwood Mac summon half hours old ghosts.
Legendary original lineup: "Fleetwood Mac" rocks Cologne
By Anna Jacobi and Bernd Peters express.de
KÖLN – „Lasst uns die Party starten“ - bei ihrem einzigen Konzert in Deutschland rockten Fleetwood Mac die Lanxess-Arena mit der legendären Original-Besetzung aus den 70ern. Erstmals seit 16 Jahren stand Sängerin Christine McVie (71) wieder mit ihrer Kult-Band auf einer deutschen Bühne.
Fleetwood Mac fühlt sich wieder komplett: Nach sechzehn Jahren kehrt Sängerin und Keyboarderin Christine McVie zur Band zurück. Mit neuer Energie spielten die Rock-Pop-Legenden vor 14.500 Zuschauern in Köln.
PHOTO ALBUM (23 Photos) Fleetwood Mac in Cologne
It was a historic event, the concert by Fleetwood Mac in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne.
Fleetwood Mac in Ziggo Dome - May 31st and June 1, 2015 lflmagazine.nl
[translated review - original at the above link]
The return of Christine McVie Fleetwood Mac appeared about three years ago as unlikely as a new album of Pink Floyd or a musical comeback of David Bowie. Or as Stevie Nicks's not so long ago expressed in an interview with Rolling Stone, "The chances of this are not hit bigger than the Earth by an asteroid." She stood in October 2013 still with her three male colleagues in the Ziggo Dome, last night Nicks shared the stage with the same room with the other women of the classic Rumours occupation. Did McVie standing adhere after more than fifteen years of absence?
Joy about the comeback of the lady who wrote so many classics and sang with Fleetwood Mac is not only visible on the faces in the audience, but also in the rest of the band. "I think we can say: she's baaack" Stevie Nicks raises some theatrical during one of the breaks between the songs. And so we are reminded tonight a couple of times on this joyous occasion. And rightly so, because this band - or at least the version of Fleetwood Mac who dominated the pop charts since the mid-seventies - is simply not complete without Christine McVie.
So too was shown when in 2013 an unimpressive ep appeared on the then reduced to a quartet Fleetwood Mac. During the first of two nights in the Ziggo Dome setlist consists therefore entirely of successes from the glory years, where McVie was responsible for. Elegant British singer looked perhaps a bit duller than Nicks, but they wrote some of the most beloved songs in the works, including Do not Stop, You Make Loving Fun and Everywhere.
On With The Show
Of course runs the On With The Show Tour not only McVie. Rarely was undersigned all such chills (positive meant, of course) during the first song of a concert and during The Chain, thanks to the combined voices of Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie - all still about as powerful as the nearly twenty year-old live album The Dance, but helped by some background vocalists. In addition, attach as many as eight other songs popmijlpaal Rumours how well those turbulent times made plate after all these years remains: from McVie's optimistic sounding You Make Loving Fun and an acoustic Never Going Back Again to the ominous Gold Dust Woman and singalong Go Your Own Way. And of course, win all those numbers only effective if you know what kind of history behind it.
With her witch-like dress and characteristic low, almost masculine voice remains the most iconic Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac band member. But it's her ex Lindsey Buckingham that brings the most energy and intensity, including during the almost punkish I Know I'm Not Wrong by double album Tusk (1979), a violent solo in the stunning I'm So Afraid and obviously the well-known acoustic version of Big Love. The "undress" a pop or rock song adds not always something, but Buckingham's brilliant fast guitar work and bestial vocal play make this arrangement is superior to the original.
Perfect pop songs
Big screens beside and behind the stage not only show the band in action, but also matching atmospheres. Thus we see the - for her age - young-looking Nicks in the background graceful dance in the rain. Not that the band needs these visuals, because the vibrant renditions of many perfect pop songs make Fleetwood Mac might be more exciting than ever. At most, the drum solo from Mick Fleetwood during World Turning rubs against it unnecessary to, though he and bassist John McVie also deserve their moment in the spotlight. Yet logically draws no attention to itself so as Christine McVie, who evening darkness closes with perhaps its most beautiful ballad: Songbird. At such a moment at the end of a very impressive concert you realize what the group lacked in the years of her absence. Last month I wrote in my enthusiasm that AC / DC probably show of the year was given at Gelredome, but maybe I should come back there already.
Those heading for the Isle of Wight festival will see something Mac fans feared they would never see again: Christine McVie’s return after a 16-year absence.
To listen to Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie speak, you’d never guess she was a member of one of the world’s most successful – not to mention debauched and dysfunctional – bands of all time. Level-headed and prone to understatement when I interviewed her for the Guardian in 2013, she described the songwriting gift that enabled her to knock out such hits as Don’t Stop and Little Lies as follows: “I don’t know what it is really … I think I’m just good with hooks.”
During that interview, she went on to discuss the band’s legendarily gargantuan drug intake without a hint of romance – “Well, I’d be lying if I said I was sober as a judge” – and described the crazy routine the band adhered to at the peak of their success in similar terms: “You look at tennis players; it’s the same kind of thing.”
So grounded can McVie appear that it’s almost surprising that the songs she writes take flight so effortlessly: heartfelt and clear, they’re given extra wind beneath their wings by her pure, songbird falsetto. This summer, those heading to the Isle of Wight festival will get to see her perform them, something many Mac fans feared they would never see again: McVie left the group in 1998, succumbing to a fear of flying and longing for a quiet life in the country; she rejoined in 2014.
It’s a testament to Fleetwood Mac’s abundance of talent that they have not just survived without McVie and her many hits during this 16-year absence, but delivered storming three-hour sets packed with classic tracks. Great though those shows were, it wasn’t quite Fleetwood Mac. McVie’s songs don’t just stand out in their own right, but also provide a counterbalance to the other artistic directions in the band. Less mystical than Stevie Nicks’ and less wilfully experimental than some of Lindsey Buckingham’s, McVie’s simple songs of love nonetheless brim with a sense of positivity, not to mention an abundance of melody.
Her musical gifts – let’s not forget she’s a skilled keyboard player with a style schooled in the blues – are not the only reason Mac fans should celebrate her return. In a famously fractured band, whose existence always seems precariously balanced, thanks to decades of broken marriages, flings and rows, McVie’s down-to-earth personality provides a steadying role similar to that of her songs.
She always seemed capable of rising above the tangled love dramas that caused jealously and tantrums among the men, and her enduring friendship with Nicks helped the pair to face the perils of being female artists during the sexist 70s. When McVie first left, Nicks said she was heartbroken; today she talks lovingly about having her musical sister back in the band: “When I finish Silver Springs, Christine waits for me and takes my hand,” she recently told Canadian magazine Maclean’s. “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.”
McVie is too key a figure for Fleetwood Mac to have carried on touring without her, and drummer Mick Fleetwood has admitted that her return to the band makes them “complete” again. Speaking to the Vancouver Sun in March, he added that he “couldn’t think of a better ending, when this does end … we’re all on the same page and writing the same last chapter”.
Comments such as this only add to the sense that their Isle of Wight show will be a magical, uplifting and emotional experience. Or “not a bad gig”, as Christine may well say afterwards.
Fleetwood Mac play the Isle of Wight festival on 14 June.
REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac, The O2 London
By Emma Kelly Dailystar
FLEETWOOD Mac's London dates for their On With The Show tour sold out almost immediately, but the frantic mouse clicking paid off for the fans lucky enough to nab tickets.
The iconic band performed their first UK date at the O2 Arena last night and wowed the crowd with a career-spanning 23-song set.
The band's 82nd date of the tour saw Christine McVie back on stage after officially rejoining the band last January, reuniting with Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie.
FLEETWOOD MAC KICK OFF UK ARENA TOUR
by Alexandra Pollard Gigwise
Band pay tribute to Adele as they perform first date at The O2 in London
Fleetwood Mac played the first show of their UK tour at The O2 in London last night, playing a three hour set that focussed heavily on the recent return of Christine McVie, and also saw Stevie Nicks dedicating a song to "spectacular songwriter" Adele. We were there, it was pretty special.
The London show, which kicked off the band's UK tour, opened with 'The Chain', which was closely followed by 'You Make Loving Fun' and 'Dreams' - much to the delight of the 20,000-strong crowd.
Fleetwood Mac review – back together, and just about perfect
by Caroline Sullivan The Guardian
“Let’s get this party started!” isn’t the introduction you expect at a Fleetwood Mac show, and especially not from Stevie Nicks, creator of the Hollywood Hills hippie-mystic archetype. But tonight is the 82nd gig of their year-long On With the Show tour and Nicks, splendid in trailing black lace, feels they’ve turned a corner in their relationship with Christine McVie. The singer-pianist’s nervousness about rejoining after a 16-year break has given way to wholehearted mucking in. Nodding towards McVie’s keyboard, behind which she is tall and commanding, Nicks roars: “Now I think we can safely say our girl is back!”
Fleetwood Mac tour review: moments of adult pop perfection
by John Aizlewood Huffington Post
When the individuals surrendered to the collective, the evening turned celestial, says John Aizlewood
Like all the best potboilers, there’s a twist to Fleetwood Mac at every turn. This time around, their wildly successful On With The Show tour sees the return of elegant 71-year-old Christine McVie (who left in 1998) rekindling the squabbling quintet’s mega-selling Seventies/Eighties line-up.
Stevie Nicks dedicates 'Landslide' to Adele on opening night of Fleetwood Mac's UK tour
The band - including Christine McVie - played London's O2 last night (May 27) NME.com
Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks dedicated the song 'Landslide' to Adele on the opening night of the band's UK tour.
The group played the first of a run of shows at London's The O2 last night (May 27), with Nicks addressing the crowd mid-set to talk about her love of British singer, Adele. "She's from here - you might know her," commented Nicks. "She's a fantastic songwriter... I told her 'you're going to be me in 40 years, you're going to still be up onstage doing what you're doing because of your songwriting'." The song 'Landslide' originally featured on the band's self-titled 1975 album.
Fleetwood Mac were joined by keyboard player and songwriter Christine McVie, who is now a full-time member of the band again, after first appearing on stage with the group at the same London venue in September 2013 before officially rejoining in January 2014. McVie - who wrote some of the band's most well known songs - left the band in 1998.
The band arrived onstage at 8:15pm and played a 22 song, hit-packed set to a sold out crowd. Opening with 'The Chain', it was followed by 'You Make Loving Fun' after which Christine McVie commented: "Thanks very much London, it's great to be here." Stevie Nicks then explained that it was the 82nd show of their current tour. "And now on show 82 I think we can safely say that our girl is back!," she added, gesturing to McVie.
Following 'Rhiannon', McVie addressed the crowd once more. "I can't tell you what a thrill it is to be on the stage with these wonderful musicians who I consider my family," she said. "You don't get this chance many times in life - I got it twice." The band then started a mass sing-along with 'Everywhere'. Guitar player Lindsey Buckingham later spoke about "the return of the beautiful Christine" and called it "a karmic, circular moment".
Later, for the songs 'Over My Head' and 'Gypsy', drummer Mick Fleetwood swapped his large kit for a smaller one at the front of the stage, which Christine McVie referred to as a "cocktail kit". During 'World Turning' he embarked on an epic drum solo, much to the delight of the crowd. "Shit, this is a huge, massive place," he remarked towards the end.
Fleetwood Mac played:
'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'
'Big Love'
'Landslide'
'Never Going Back Again'
'Over My Head'
'Gypsy'
'Lies'
'Gold Dust Woman'
'I'm So Afraid'
'Go Your Own Way'
'World Turning'
'Don't Stop'
'Silver Springs'
Songbird
Fleetwood Mac, O2 Arena, review: 'Nothing less than extraordinary'
By Neil McCormick Telegraph
The soap opera of the band member's personal lives has always lent a certain depth and texture to Fleetwood Mac, says Neil McCormick.
The Chain made for a suitably dramatic opening, showing off the restored Fleetwood Mac to full effect with that fantastic bass, thunderous drums, blood quickening guitar solo and gorgeous wall of harmonies insisting the chain cannot be broken. Going straight into You Make Loving Fun drove the point home, showcasing Christine McVie's smooth vocal and funky keyboards. "I think we can safely say our girl is back" trilled Stevie Nicks.
This tour marks the full reunion of the classic line-up, with the return of Christine McVie after 16 years. The band have become almost the definition of a heritage act in her absence, regularly touring sets of their greatest hits to nostalgic audiences, so you can't really say she was missed. But there is no doubt she restores some balance, both in musical and pop cultural terms.
Musically, she takes some of the weight off virtuoso guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, her smooth, lush pop songs softening his sharper arty edges. Flowing gems as potent as Everywhere, Little Lies and Songbird were restored to their rightful place in the centre of a Fleetwood set and for that alone audiences have reason to be grateful. But there is a sense too that the dysfunctional family is back together, healing old wounds with the balm of time and music, a message that, in itself, speaks volumes to lifelong fans.
Fleetwood Mac make much of their history of "ups and downs" as Buckingham puts it. Now that Christine is back playing again with ex-husband bassist John McVie there are three former couples on stage, if you take into account that drummer Mick Fleetwood romanced singer Nicks behind the back of Buckingham. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Buckingham insisted, and seemed intent on proving it with a playful yet dramatically full blooded duet with his ex on Never Going Back Again.
The soap opera has always lent a certain depth and texture to Fleetwood Mac but, frankly, a little less chatter and a little more playing would be my only suggestion. There were speeches even after the encores. Yet it feels churlish to complain. Precious few bands have contained the range of vocal, stylistic and songwriting talent of the Mac, and even the inevitable inclusion of a new song didn't start a queue for the toilets. With that taut, explosive rhythm section, Buckingham's imaginative flair, Nicks' wildcard charisma and Christine McVie's singalong soulfulness restored to the heart of the matter, there is really no way this band could be anything less than extraordinary. A lusty mass singalong of Don't Stop spoke volumes about how their audience felt about the return of the Mac.
Going their own way
by Dan Cairns
The Sunday Times
Reunited for a mammoth tour, Fleetwood Mac are now planning an album. But for all their attempts to put on a show, they are still riven by backstage tensions
Forty years after the line-up that conquered the world with Rumours first came together, Fleetwood Mac are still having problems agreeing on anything much. The return to the fold 16 months ago of Christine McVie, after an absence of 16 years, is one development they all speak positively about, with none of the usual caveats and festering agendas.
“There’s Stevie on one side of the spectrum,” says Lindsey Buckingham, the band’s coiled, restless, 65-year-old musical director and, what seems like a lifetime ago, Stevie Nicks’s boyfriend, “and me kind of on the other, in terms of sensibilities. Christine sort of bridges that gap.”
Where Buckingham talks in the clinical manner of a scientist, Nicks dives right in. “Christine’s coming back was like the return of my best friend after years away. It’s much more fun now. We were always a force to be reckoned with, and that’s happened again.”
“Come Back But You Can’t Leave Again!” Fleetwood Mac Speak
All five members – Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham, John and Christine McVie – open up in exclusive interviews in the new issue of MOJO.
On the eve of Fleetwood Mac’s return to UK concert venues – the classic line-up fully quorate for the first time since 1998 – MOJO magazine delivers astonishingly candid interviews with all five members. The free covermount CD is also Mac-themed as we delve into the roots of the band to deliver 15 seminal blues and pop recordings by Elmore James, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Buddy Holly and more. Also in the new issue: Amy Winehouse, The Rolling Stones, Faith No More, The Clash, Donovan, XTC, Emitt Rhodes, Ben E King, plus the usual superabundance of great features and definitive reviews.
The new issue of MOJO (July 2015 / #260) will be on sale in the UK from Tuesday (May 26).
FREE CD! THE ROOTS OF FLEETWOOD MAC
MOJO presents 15 classic tracks that inspired this month’s cover stars. Delving deep into the blues, just like the Mac did as they set their musical foundations, we present classic cuts from Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Holly and more…
Fleetwood Mac All five members of the band speak exclusively to MOJO as Christine McVie rejoins the band after 17 years. Featuring…
Mick Fleetwood! On roots, shoots, Peter Green and more
John McVie! A rare interview with the band’s “silent partner” and an introduction to “Harold The Dildo”
Christine McVie! The prodigal Songbird on rejoining the flock after her gilded exile
Stevie Nicks! The Gold Dust Woman on why the “mystical” Mac’s “romantic spell” will never end
Lindsey Buckingham! How to forgive and forget… with caveats
EVEN FOR A band who have experienced more than their fair share of intrigue, drama and line-up turmoil, Christine McVie’s return to Fleetwood Mac may be the most extraordinary turn-up yet.
Ahead of enormous UK shows and even (whisper it) a new album, all five members of the band have elected to speak to MOJO in a series of individual interviews tackling the entirety of their career.
That includes good times, bad times, “carnage and intrigue” and a massive “rubber dildo called Harold”… of course.
Plus the free, 15-track CD that comes with the magazine traces Fleetwood Mac’s roots through a series of classic blues and rock’n’roll recordings, including songs from Buddy Holly, Robert Johnson, Elmore James and more.
The new issue of MOJO (July 2015 / #260) will be on sale in the UK from Tuesday (May 26). But first, here’s a taster of some of the things Fleetwood Mac are getting off their collective chests:
Christine McVie on her Fleetwood Mac exile…
“I never listened to a Fleetwood Mac record the whole 16 years. If something came on the radio I’d turn it off. Not that I didn’t love the music, I just denied myself the pride of having done something that great. I felt I didn’t deserve it or something. This is like talking to my psychiatrist!”
Lindsey Buckingham on why Christine’s return was a gamble…
“It’s interesting. We really were doing fine as a four-piece. When Mick called me and said, ‘I’ve been talking to Christine and I think she’s…’ You know, on paper it was great but you never know how these things are going to play out. I called her up and said, ‘Chris, I think it’s a great idea, but you do know that if you come back you can’t leave again!” She was coming from this place that’s all about how she’s feeling about her life, and she realised how much she’s missed this. That doesn’t necessarily mean she was ready for 80 shows in the States, much less everything else we’re doing, so we took it step by step… One thing that was really key was that she had some rough ideas for new songs.”
John McVie on the group’s moth-like attraction to intra-band drama…
“It wasn’t conscious. The main thing was to keep playing the music. It wasn’t as if we were saying, ‘Let’s have an argument and something edgy will come out of it.’ It was never like that, far from it.”
Stevie Nicks on why they’ll never escape their past…
“It was totally important and everybody is still writing about everybody else. It will never stop. Once you have that, even long after the couples are broken up, you still have that – when you sit down to write a couple of songs, that news from 100 years ago still creeps in.”
And Mick Fleetwood on why this reunification will be the final Fleetwood Mac line-up…
“This is it, to me. Emotionally, if you think of the enormity of what has happened, the surprise of what has happened, the doors that have opened to be walked through… If you were writing a book, you’d go, ‘Isn’t it a shame I can’t end it like this?’ We’ve had the chance to end it like that and I wouldn’t dream of it any other way.”
Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham reunites with USC band for 'Tusk' LATimes
Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham reunited with some old bandmates Wednesday night -- the USC marching band, to be exact.
After a Q&A session in USC's Bovard Auditorium, Buckingham and the Trojan musicians tore through USC favorite "Tusk," followed by "Go Your Own Way," to the delight of the students in attendance and the parents they brought along.
"Tusk" has long been associated with the private school, with brass chords as familiar to USC devotees as the university's actual fight song. The original 1979 version was recorded with the USC band at Dodger Stadium and has been a game-day staple since.
Leading up to the short performance, Buckingham answered questions from David Belasco, a professor at USC's Marshall School of Business. Throughout, Buckingham sprinkled in solo acoustic renditions of "Never Going Back Again," "Bleed to Love Her" and "Big Love."
The event was part of Belasco's USC course "The Leap," a series of discussions with business leaders and innovators about the "entrepreneurial mindset." Guests have included Quincy Jones, Pete Carroll and Jessica Alba.
But the Buckingham visit was less about straight-ahead business advice than the successes and setbacks of the rock star's long career. Still, he did deliver some wisdom about maintaining artistic credibility in the face of commercial pressures and public expectations.
He cited the creation of the double-album "Tusk" -- the far less commercially successful follow-up to "Rumours" -- as an example.
"What happens with artists, or people who start off doing things for the right reasons, is that you slowly start to paint yourself into a corner by doing what people outside of the creative world are asking you to do, and I think that's antithetical to being an artist," he said.
"['Tusk'] is my favorite album of all these albums, because of the reason it was done," Buckingham said. "It started me down the path I still try to aspire to, which is to be an artist and not just a craftsman who is doing business."
Lindsey Buckingham serenades Bovard crowd Daily Trojan
By ISABELLA ALVAREZ
Lindsey Buckingham, the guitarist of the renowned ’70s band Fleetwood Mac, took a break from the band’s tour to speak to a packed crowd in Bovard Auditorium on Wednesday night.
Fleetwood Mac is best known for its Grammy Award-winning album Rumours which was released in 1977.
At USC, however, Fleetwood Mac is best known for having recorded the song “Tusk” alongside the Trojan Marching Band.
The talk was hosted by the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies as part of David Belasco’s class, BAEP 470: The Entrepreneurial Mindset – Taking the Leap.
Upon introducing Buckingham, Belasco remarked that that night was special because it was all about the USC family and the experiences they share.
Taylor DuPont, a sophomore majoring in business administration, said that she attended the event because Fleetwood Mac was an important part of her childhood.
“Fleetwood Mac is my favorite band. I grew up listening to them and continue to do so. When I found out that Lindsey would be on campus, I jumped at the opportunity of seeing him talk and play,” she said.
During the talk, Buckingham discussed his youth, how he met his bandmate and former lover, Stevie Nicks, and how he came to join Fleetwood Mac.
He then discussed the success of Rumours and how it was also a difficult time for the band members because their romantic relationships were disintegrating.
Buckingham said this difficult time affected his career. Belasco asked him whether great art required great pain.
“At the very least, emotional experiences will only broaden your creative landscape,” Buckingham said.
After every topic, Buckingham performed a song related to it. Among them were “Never Going Back Again,” “Bleed to Love Her” and “Big Love.”
For every song that he performed, he received a standing ovation from the audience.
Because of Fleetwood Mac’s unique connection to USC, Buckingham also discussed how Fleetwood Mac came to collaborate with the Trojan Marching Band to play “Tusk.”
“We wanted something that would sound like a jungle roll and hypnotic. How Bartner got in the picture, I don’t know. Maybe Mick?” he said, referring to the band’s drummer.
A video from USC’s archives that showed the day that “Tusk” was recorded at Dodger Stadium was shown. Belasco explained that through “Tusk,” the Trojan Marching Band was able to set two unique records, one for the first collegiate marching band with a Grammy-winning record and one for the most musicians collaborating on one single.
Following the talk, students asked Buckingham questions. He provided them with advice regarding the definition of success.
“I was never really [goal-driven]. I was focused, but not necessarily trying to do anything for anything other than my own success,” Buckingham said.
The talk ended with Buckingham performing “Tusk” and “Go Your Own Way” with the band.
Earlier in the talk, Buckingham said the work of Fleetwood Mac has been able to reach such a wide array of generations.
“We have gotten teenagers whom our body of work seems to make sense to,” Buckingham said.
Students said after the event that they were very pleased with Buckingham’s talk and performance.
Jake Simon, a junior majoring in business administration, said that he felt very fortunate to have been able to attend.
“I was in the second row and it was beyond incredible,” he said.
Cristina Gomez said she was impressed by the uniqueness of the event.
“This was like a personal concert for ourselves along with stories. It was so impressive!” she said.
At the event, the Lloyd Greif Center awarded Buckingham with a trophy that recognized his contributions to the university, as well as his musical entrepreneurship.
Correction: An earlier version of this article quoted Cristina Gúzman. Her name is actually Cristina Gomez. The Daily Trojan regrets the error.
Lindsey Buckingham interview on "The Big Interview with Dan Rather" will premiere Tuesday, April 28th at 8PM ET on AXS TV. Additional air dates and times listed below:
Living Legend Stevie Nicks
by Liz Smith Quest Magazine
(Spring, 2015)
“I live in the world of romantic possibility,” says Stevie Nicks. Nicks is one of the most successful and iconic (overused word, but it’s appropriate here) singer-songwriters of the past fortysomething years. She was born in Phoenix, Arizona—but her millions of besotted fans know that cannot be true! Not only does Stevie live in a “world of romantic possibility,” she lives in a world of unicorns and benevolent magic; of flowing scarves and eternally windswept hair. She is a one-woman magical mystery tour.
Few artists have maintained the consistency of Stevie Nicks, in her presentation and in the quality of her distinctive voice (a compelling, keening sound: not quite beautiful, but seductive and soul-catching).
Stevie has been consistently linked—since her high-school days!—to Lindsey Buckingham. Both would be linked, this very moment, to the band Fleetwood Mac. Nicks and Buckingham joined the group in 1975, after several years of writing and performing on their own. The inclusion of the couple—romantically involved at that time—galvanized the group. Nicks’ songs “Landslide” and “Rhiannon” became instant classics, and drove the album to the top of the charts. Her dreamy onstage look (created by designer Margi Kent) was at odds with her powerful, impassioned delivery. (The platform boots she favored gave her not only height—she’s tiny—but a certain grounded, solid quality. She still wears those boots!)
Yet success, as always, was a cruel mistress. Tension wracked the Nicks-Buckingham relationship and they parted, personally, during the recording of the follow-up album Rumors. This record, another hit, addressed some of the inside gossip about the end of their affair. But this was nothing compared to what came later, during the tour for that album. Nicks and Mick Fleetwood (who was married with children) began an affair. Nicks was horrified it had happened and anger from friends was a daily burden. The relationship would end, but, in a sick twist—it’s only rock ‘n’ roll!—Mick would eventually leave his wife for Stevie’s best friend!
Stevie, almost comically prolific—how much could a woman write and know and express?!—now began branching out. She appeared occasionally with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and in 1981 released her first solo album, Bella Donna. It was a smash. Her second solo effort The Wild Heart, came in 1983. Another smash, more hit singles. Then came Rock a Little in 1986, which continued her streak of solo successes. Her lyrics were—and are—deeply personal but universal. “I write songs that people can’t write for themselves,” she has said.
Still working with Fleetwood Mac, Nicks faced a variety of issues, personal (i.e. cocaine, chronic fatigue syndrome) and professional. But the band played on, seemingly unstoppable despite the fact that Buckingham had left.
In 1995, Nicks and Buckingham reunited for the duet “Twisted” which is heard on the soundtrack to the popular tornado movie, Twister.
Stevie continued to split her creativity between Fleetwood and her own solo career, which she managed with apparent ease. When Fleetwood began a new album in 2001, Nicks was, for the first time, the sole woman in the band—Christine McVie had left, Buckingham had returned. The subsequent tour was successful but fraught.
Married only once, briefly to musician Kim Anderson in 1983, Stevie Nicks seemed to float above the gritty, grimy world of bruised egos, shattered dreams, and an industry that worships the new obsessively. Even when she’d speak of her once-upon-a-time drug habit, or about love or sex or growing older, there seemed to be a distance—great candor through gauze, so to speak.
I once sat in a room with Stevie, in the office of her press representative, Liz Rosenberg. I wasn’t there to interview Stevie, so I didn’t feel right about repeating, afterward, the conversation that poured out. There’s an old expression, “Ask a question, get a pageant.” Stevie definitely is a pageant. It’s almost stream-of-consciousness. She often asked and answered her own questions. She was quirky, fascinating, intelligent, and yet…the gauze was up.
As I write this, Stevie is back on the road with Fleetwood Mac. McVie has returned and—so far!—nobody’s backed out of the tour. One sophisticated woman I know fairly well took me by surprise when she told me she was a huge Stevie Nicks fan, and was rapturous after seeing her in concert. “A goddess, this woman is a goddess!” (The goddess also appeared on the popular and fabulously bizarre T.V. series American Horror Story: Coven. She played herself. Well, the fan fantasy version of herself, singing to a coven of witches. She was mesmerizing.)
A few years back, contemplating her enviably long career, Nicks said, “I never wanted to be just some ‘girl singer.’”
Stevie has talked now and then about writing her memoirs. On the one hand, she says she wants to wait until everybody who could be hurt “is too old, no longer cares,” about what she might reveal. On the other hand, she demurs on the basis of sex—she won’t write about her sex life, she insists! Well, why not keep up that mysterious quality? (Madonna she ain’t!)
Personally, Stevie Nicks admits she is still searching. (Young men are too dumb, older men are too, well, old!) But professionally, Stevie got her wish. She never was, never will be, just some “girl singer.”
READ THE DIGITAL VERSION OF THE MAGAZINE ON-LINE:
STEVIE NICKS "24 KARAT GOLD - SONGS FROM THE VAULT"
Previously out of print, Crystal Visions…The Very Best of Stevie Nicks is available in a one time limited pressing in transparent “crystal clear” double vinyl. Vinyl includes live versions of "Landslide" and "Edge of Seventeen." Half-speed mastered by Stan Ricker.
Vinyl Messenger bag is 14” x14” x 3” with a 54” adjustable strap. 11” x 17” Limited edition portrait poster printed on heavy stock paper.
Fleetwood Mac fans flames of past in NLR
By JACK W. HILL Arkansas Online
Sunday night proved better late than never for Fleetwood Mac fans, who had been waiting since March 11 to see the legendary band of men and women who have somehow managed to keep their long-running band afloat, despite what the group's guitarist, Lindsey Buckingham, described as their "well-documented ups and downs."
Before the 12,844 fans who came close to packing Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, Fleetwood Mac showed over the course of a 2 1/2-hour show that its members can still rock with the best of anyone, past or present. Postponed on March 11, due to an undisclosed illness of an unidentified member, the "On With the Show Tour" -- arrived in Little Rock, finally, for the 81st and final show in the United States before a break followed by the European leg of the tour.
Though the band had played at Verizon in June 2013 and 15 of the 22 songs they performed Sunday night were also performed at that 2013 show, there was one major difference between the two shows: singer/keyboardist Christine McVie ended her 18 years of retirement and rejoined the band, giving them the lineup that had been responsible for hit after hit.
McVie soared on "You Make Loving Fun," "Say You Love Me," "Little Lies" and especially, "Over My Head" and even played accordion on "Tusk." Stevie Nicks, seeming to be in better condition or spirits than two years ago, served up fine versions of "Rhiannon," "Sisters of the Moon," "Landslide," "Gold Dust Woman," "Gypsy," "Go Your Own Way" and "Never Going Back Again."
McVie, Buckingham and Nicks, who were all wearing black outfits, provided vocals, and drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie, though more colorfully attired, provided a firm foundation for the singers.
Buckingham's guitar skills were again on display as he prowled the stage like a feral cat. Indeed, Buckingham, who has a fine voice, could have almost been the show all by himself. Whether he was playing acoustic or electric guitar, Buckingham delivered perhaps the finest display of guitar prowess ever on display in Verizon Arena, and threw in some body language that could have originated in the worlds of athletics or dance.
Fleetwood showed off his drumming skills throughout the show, especially on "World Turning," the first of three encore songs that also included "Don't Stop" and "Silver Springs." The concert was further enhanced by some of the best light show and camera work ever seen in a rock concert this side of Pink Floyd.
Savoring the moment, after the last note, Fleetwood promised that "The Mac is back," perhaps hinting that more new music would someday emerge from the talented songwriting triumvirate of Buckingham, Nicks and Christine McVie.
With Christine McVie's return, Fleetwood Mac electrifies Oklahoma City's Chesapeake Energy Arena
by Brandy McDonnell Newsok.com
Crowd: Sellout, about 13,000 strong and adoring.
Early highlight: Even if it isn’t your favorite Fleetwood Mac song (the eerily extended version of “Gold Dust Woman” and crazily energetic version of “Secondhand News” were more my speed), there’s just something about a big fan sing-along on “Go Your Own Way” that makes it the instant, undeniable highlight of any Fleetwood Mac show.
Reviewer’s take: “Our ‘Songbird’ has returned,” drummer and bandleader Mick Fleetwood declared, and he was right in declaring that Christine McVie completed the lineup. Not only did she round out the trademark three-part harmonies with her smoky voice, she also brought a rightness and energy that galvanized the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.
"The Chain" is at last mended, and unbroken, it's as strong as ever.
Fleetwood Mac made its delayed yet triumphant return to Oklahoma City Friday night with its full, five-star iconic lineup, including singer/keyboardist Christine McVie, whose significance in the band becomes even more apparent once you witness live the way she both energizes and eases her cohorts.
A REUNITED FLEETWOOD MAC PROVES ITS CONTINUED VITALITY AT MGM
by Josh Bell Las Vegas Weekly
Fleetwood Mac April 11, MGM Grand Garden Arena
A few songs into Fleetwood Mac’s concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, singer Stevie Nicks noted that it was the 78th show on the band’s current tour with returned singer/keyboardist Christine McVie. Having McVie back after a 16-year hiatus seems to have reinvigorated the group, and they played with the enthusiasm of the first show on the tour, along with the confidence of experienced veterans.
Fleetwood Mac adds another chapter to their storybook with a career-spanning show at the Forum
by KELSEY HENG Buzzbandsla.com
Photos by Kelsey Heng
Following up last November’s stop in Los Angeles, iconic rockers Fleetwood Mac returned to continue their “On With The Show” tour. On Friday night, the Forum celebrated the idolized lineup that created “Rumours,” one of the era’s greatest albums and cemented the band’s place in history.
With a 16-year retirement now behind her, Christine McVie has returned to the band for a reunion worth witnessing. Her sweeping alto harmonies and beloved love songs were a glaring missing piece for so many recent years. Now with her return, Lindsey Buckingham cheerfully declared this night a “circular karmic moment and new chapter in the story of this family.” - See more at:
And it’s a family with plenty of story — one that has been anything but hidden to the public eye. Buckingham paused the show to emphasize that fact, saying, “We are a group of individuals and a band that has seen its ups and downs, but that is what makes us who we are. And we have been able to prevail through the good and the bad.”
The comings and goings of members is nothing new to the group or its fans, as toxic relationships and dark periods plagued years of the band’s monstrous success. The bands survival through all the rifts and rivalries is one thing, but the ability to now continue their story 41 years later (and all over the age of 65) is a chapter worth equal acclaim.
The 2 1/2-hour show included more than 24 songs, many of which highlighted McVie’s vocals and her own writing, including “Everywhere” and “Say You Love Me.”
Gypsy style icon Stevie Nicks and guitar legend Buckingham have enough stage presence to drastically contrast that of McVie’s spotlight-averting demeanor. Nicks, clad in her usual dark flowing mystic attire with ribboned tambourine in hand, twirled through “Dreams” and “Rhiannon” early in the set. She handed off the audience’s attention to Buckingham for “Second Hand News,” “Tusk,” and his personal mantra “Big Love.” All three drenched with youthful high-energy and guitar solos perfected over a lifetime.
Joining then on stage together, Nicks and Buckingham seemed to turn back time with Landslide as they slowed to the ending gripping each others hands as only former lovers could before letting out the last lyrics.
With the past so fresh in the minds of everyone, Nicks spoke eagerly of the bands early San Francisco days, going from neighbors to band mates, quickly opening for the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Santana, her own Velvet Underground clothing store backstory to Gypsy,” and her days dreaming of moments and success like they have now.
The first encore opened with World Turning with Fleetwoods comically energetic audience participation drum solo that concluded with his arms outstretched and his grin declaring, much fun was had by all. Following the stadium sing along of Dont Stop, they slowed to an end with Silver Springs and its fitting spellbinding lyrics you won’t forget me.
The real encore immediately followed as the nights prodigal McVie returned alone to the stage at a piano for Songbird,” a storybook ending that, as Fleetwood said, makes this all so complete.
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