Reviews: Fleetwood Mac Live in Birmingham "Big personalities and classic songs give fans an evening of pure energy"

Fleetwood Mac Live in Birmingham
Sunday, September 29, 2013 - LG Arena
by Enda Mullen
Birmingham Post

Big personalities and classic songs give fans an evening of pure energy

Fleetwood Mac might be middle of the road musically speaking but the soap opera that’s the story of the band is about as rock ‘n’ roll as it gets.

It’s a saga characterised by battles and broken relationships and the kind of hard living that would put even the most notorious rock star to shame.

The hell-raising might be no more but the love/hate relationship of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham lives on in many of the songs.

And what songs they are too, with the band producing a soundtrack for a whole generation.

This was a concert of epic proportions, 23 songs in total and not far short of three hours from start to finish, with the band on fire as they plundered the riches of their amazing back catalogue.

There was room for a new song in the shape of Sad Angel, which sounded good but didn’t really get the crowd to their feet in the way The Chain, Rhiannon, Tusk and Landslide did.

Given the big personalities and talents of Nicks and Buckingham it would be easy to overlook founder members Mick Fleetwood and John McVie who give the band its beating heart and clearly still relish playing live.

Other musical highlights included Sara, Big Love, Gypsy, Gold Dust Woman and Don’t Stop, although Say Goodbye, while an appropriate song to end on, didn’t offer the kind of rousing finale the show deserved.

After an evening of pure energy and exemplary musicianship that would put many bands half their age to shame Fleetwood Mac signed off with a lingering farewell that made one wonder whether it may be the last time they take to the stage.

Fleetwood Mac, at LG Arena, Birmingham

By Steve Adams 

Birmingham Mail

Rocks greatest soap opera goes on and on...

Forget Downton Abbey, if you wanted Sunday night drama then the LG Arena was the place to be this weekend, as Fleetwood Mac offered another episode in rock’s longest-running soap opera.

The Anglo-US act will forever be remembered for Rumours, one of the greatest and biggest-selling albums of all time, which was inspired by the band members’ dissolving relationships - and for some reason they feel compelled to milk the melodrama at every opportunity.

Singer Stevie Nicks and guitarist-singer Lindsey Buckingham – whose break-up provided by many of the songs on that album - arrived on stage holding hands, turned to face each other during several poignant numbers and even shared a hug during Sara.

It was frankly overkill – as were some of the extended introductions – and detracted from an otherwise excellent show. 

Sara itself was a highlight, and while Nicks can no longer hit the high notes on tunes such as Rhiannon (Buckingham largely did that for her), she remains a captivating performer with a great set of pipes, gloriously exemplified on Landslide, Silver Springs and new – but old – song Without You.

That said, Buckingham was the undoubted star of the show, and while he remains a frustratingly pompous figure – he’s as aware of his talent as we are – there’s no escaping the brilliance of his guitar playing, notably during an extraordinary acoustic rendering of Big Love and electric wig-outs on I’m So Afraid and Go Your Own Way.

The band did just that on this gig – there was no room for a Christine McVie guest slot, as at the London shows – and with material as strong as Tusk, Second Hand News, The Chain and Don’t Stop, come the end no one in the packed house was quite ready for them to Say Goodbye.

Above Photos by Della Wilson (Thanks Della!)

DON'T STOP

GOLD DUST WOMAN

WORLD TURNING (Micks Drum Solo)

Plus... Say Goodbye | Go Your Own Way | The Chain