Review: Fleetwood Mac "They’ve never been less than enduringly popular" - Dublin

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE AT THE O2 (Dublin, Ireland)
Colm O Hare, 11, October 2013
Hotpress

They’ve never been less than enduringly popular, especially in this neck of the woods where sell-out shows are the norm. But for some reason, Fleetwood Mac have suddenly become hip with a much younger audience. In fact, a sizeable contingent of the crowd tonight weren't even born when the band’s 40 million-selling 1977 opus Rumours was released.

In truth, it’s not difficult to work out why they’re so acclaimed after all these years. As well as being a formidable hit-making machine, the ‘Mac has a lot going for it, not least the bewitching stage presence and voice of Stevie Nicks and the guitar playing and songwriting genius that is Lindsey Buckingham (looking impossibly fit and healthy).

Meanwhile, the founding members – drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie – hold their own as one of the finest rhythm sections in rock history.

Opening with a powerhouse trio of tracks from the aforementioned Rumours in the form of ‘Second Hand News’, ‘The Chain’ and ‘Dreams’ makes for a high-octane start to what is a lengthy two-and-a-half-hour show.

The hits keep on coming, with early highlights including a seductive ‘Rhiannon’, the haunting ‘Gypsy’ and the hypnotic ‘Gold Dust Woman’.

There is room, too, for a new song – ‘Sad Angel’. It is a surprisingly meaty but melodic rocker. A trio from Tusk includes the title track and the lovely ‘Sara’. The star of the show and the one who keeps it all together is undoubtedly Lindsey Buckingham; his electric and acoustic strumming is, as Dave Fanning comments after the show, nothing short of astonishing. A solo version of ‘Big Love’ sees Buckingham display some incredible fretwork gymnastics, as does ‘Never Going Back Again’, while a lovely acoustic duet on ‘Landslide’ with Nicks was another memorable moment.

However, it is the mega hits that have the packed arena on its feet with ‘Go Your Own Way’, and ‘Don’t Stop’ eliciting ecstatic responses. The encore ballad ‘Silver Springs’, a Rumours out-take, has become a deserved live favourite take. The hoped-for appearance by former member Christine McVie, who was said to be rehearsing with the band in Dublin, proves unfounded. But no-one is complaining.

Exciting Video of Fleetwood Mac Live in Dublin

Fleetwood Mac Live in Dublin
Awesome footage captured at one of the two Dublin dates September 20th and 21st.

THE CHAIN
SECOND HAND NEWS
I'M SO AFRAID

REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac Live in Dublin. "Nicks keeping the mid-life crisis men enthralled"

By Siobhán Cronin

Irish Examiner

She’s a drama queen and she knows it. But we love Stevie Nicks all the more for it. At 65, this hot hippie is still able to hold an audience spell-bound. 

It’s the perfect couples night out – with Nicks keeping the mid-life crisis men enthralled and Lindsey Buckingham, a very youthful 62, looking hot in his skinny jeans and leather jacket. 

“I think Dublin is the best place to start up again after 47 shows in the US,” says Nicks, and we really believe her. 

This could easily be dubbed a Greatest Hits tour – such is the outpouring of chart successes over five decades, with staples, ‘Gypsy’, ‘Tusk’ and ‘The Chain’ all featuring in a song list of favourites, with just a few gentle nods at more recent recording sessions. 

The bizarrely complicated love triangles and trysts the members of Fleetwood Mac engaged in down the years have been played out in public, but neither Buckingham nor Nicks seem able to let it go. In what seems an almost therapeutic sharing with the 13,000-strong sell-out audience, the duo reference the troubles in their past several times over. Could they be wearing the band’s dysfunctional history as a badge of rock honour? 

Review: Fleetwood Mac Live in Dublin "Stevie Nicks reminds her followers she's still the coolest hippy chick in town"

Still going their own special way 

CHRIS WASSER
Herald (Ireland)

Photos by Aaron Corr
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THERE IS a story about a lost Fleetwood Mac demo that ended up on YouTube almost 40 years after it was recorded.

Stevie Nicks found it, showed it to Lindsey Buckingham and they stuck it on an EP. End of. Somehow, Nicks turns this simple anecdote into an epic bedtime story, apologising as a sweaty Buckingham places his hands on his hips and sighs. If the latter is right about there being "a few chapters left in the book of Fleetwood Mac", they'd be doing well to play Without You without the lengthy backstory. Thankfully, it's one of very few slip-ups in a sublime set from the British-American foursome. This is the Rumours line-up, minus Christine McVie. But Buckingham and friends are keen to explore the various guises of their intricate, colourful history together.

Thrilling

You don't expect them to dig into 1979's Tusk. Nor do you expect its experimental leanings to sound better than soft rock beauty Dreams. You sense the shake-up in the setlist was down to Buckingham – a thrilling guitarist who also trades under the "artist" title. The British gentlemen in the gang (bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood) are, it seems, just happy to be here. McVie, the group's backbone, has got the best job in the world. The always-reliable Fleetwood operates from a gorgeous workstation.

And then there's Stevie Nicks. Just as Lindsey likes to squeeze into his tight jeans and wink at the ladies in the front row, Stevie is also in the mood to remind her followers that she's still the coolest hippy chick in town. Prancing about with her scarves hanging from her microphone stand, and spinning in the spotlight like a stoned ballerina, you'd never guess she turned 65 this year. An enchanting songstress, her voice remains up to the task, too, not least on Sara, and acoustic favourite, Landslide.

Refreshed

Again, it's not all perfect – the new material falls flat and a few moments of self-indulgence creep in. They are, however, in the form of their lives; refreshed, re-engaged and ready for the next round. Buckingham's breath-taking solo on I'm So Afraid is incredible, and a crowd-pleasing, marathon version of Go Your Own Way is astounding. A few more chapters? Bring it on.

THE CHAIN

REVIEW | PHOTOS: First night: Fleetwood Mac, The 02, Dublin

"The mighty Mac are back" 

BY PIERRE PERRONE
The Independent

Photos by Debbie Hickey
Studio 10 Media
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Three songs into the first European date Fleetwood Mac have played since 2009 comes the first of several magical moments as mad-eyed drummer and ringmaster Mick Fleetwood suddenly hits his monogrammed kit harder to underpin the “loneliness of a heartbeat drives you mad” lyric of the US chart-topper ''Dreams'' Stevie Nicks is delivering in her trademark low yearning voice. This perfect marriage of musicians from two different countries united by a common language and purpose is part of what makes the Mac such a compelling concert attraction and must-see act into their fifth decade.

However, the main ingredient remains the soap opera of their intertwined relationships, acknowledged from the off with ''Second Hand News'' from 1977's epochal Rumours, and given a sense of closure with the apposite ''Say Goodbye'' at the end. Not many set lists have a narrative arc or the feel of a group therapy session but no band, not even ABBA, have lived their personal lives in public and used this emotional roller-coaster as inspiration like the Mac. Guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, wearing a Ramones-like tight jeans and leather jacket combo, admits as much, talking about “the power of change” before an impassionate solo version of ''Big Love''. He has just been hugged by Nicks after a sublime double whammy of ''Sisters Of The Moon'' and ''Sara'', two of four selections from Tusk, the somewhat self-indulgent double set the Mac issued in 1979, since reclaimed by left-field acts like Camper Van Beethoven.

Nicks has made a specialty of these ethereal, floating ballads, mining the same rich seam from ''Rhiannon'' to

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the Velvet Underground-referencing ''Gypsy'', but they all prove so affecting it would be impossible to pick a favourite or indeed to omit any of them. Their inclusion also illustrates why Nicks has been such a strong influence on Florence Welch and Natasha Khan, aka Bat For Lashes. Her writing remains as distinctive as the gothic, timeless look she fashioned for herself in the mid-seventies and she twirls around the stage – without quite essaying an Irish jig, an impossible feat in the high-heel boots she favours – and drapes herself dramatically in yet another shawl during ''Gold Dust Woman''.

Try as he might, including the dazzling solo which rescues a listing ''I'm So Afraid'', Buckingham knows that Nicks is the star of the show, even as she rambles on while introducing the sweet ''Without You'', the mid-70s demo they recently revisited for a digital download EP. She shoe-horns her own eighties electro hit ''Stand Back'' to add pop heft – and a groovy John McVie bassline – to a lengthy, nuanced, contrasting set which closes with the cross-generational audience on its feet for the evergreen ''Go Your Own Way''. Even Fleetwood's demented drum solo can't spoil the fun. The mighty Mac are back.

Fleetwood Mac play the 02 in London 24, 25 and 27 September, the LG Arena Birmingham 29 September, the Manchester Arena on the 1 October and the Hydro in Glasgow on the 3 October

GO YOUR OWN WAY

WITHOUT YOU (With intro)

SAD ANGEL

Fleetwood Mac, O2 Arena, Dublin, Review ★★★★ out of 5 stars

Watching Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham sing into the same microphone in a surprisingly edgy set is the musical equivalent of seeing divorced parents back together, says Neil McCormick.

By Neil McCormick
Telegraph
September 20, 2013 Dublin, Ireland

Amidst an absolute thunder of drums, a sleek, racing Formula One bass line and a fuzzed-up guitar attack, a high male and low female voice coalesce in a gorgeous California sunshine harmony to deliver Fleetwood Mac's key message: "You can never break the chain."

Apparently not. They've been going 45 years in one incarnation or another, yet they still seem quite unlikely, a fundamentally disparate and unstable set of elements forced through sheer popularity to share a stage together with results that may well be greater than the sum of the parts but still teeter on the brink of a kind of explosive disintegration. This long-running soap opera of conflicting personalities and opposing musical styles remains extraordinarily alive and compelling.

Even without the perfect pop songs of Christine McVie (who left the soap at the end of the last century but is rumoured to be returning for a guest appearance at their London concerts this week) and unwilling to draw on nine early albums of blues rock, Fleetwood Mac still seem to comprise at least three groups in one. There's the British rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, looking all Chas & Dave in waistcoats and flat caps, driving everything along with a propulsive pub rock efficiency. Then there's Lindsey Buckingham's new wave art rock energy, hopping up and down on the spot in tight pants and leather jacket as he rips out trippy, echoing guitar parts and sings snappy songs like he's going to combust if he doesn't get the words out. Meanwhile Stevie Nicks, the hippie wet dream now looking like a dark folk witch, still waving her scarves about and drawling poetic fantasies in a voice that no longer floats ethereally but cuts and thrusts with the Americana grit of a female Dylan. On paper, this is a combination that shouldn't work. Yet that sense of hanging together by a thread is part of what lends the old troupers such vitality. This may be the least comfortable excercise in nostalgia I have ever seen and all the better for it.

There is nothing smooth about Fleetwood Mac. Somehow, even after all this time, they don't have the polish of a west coast harmonic rock machine like The Eagles. Their set is surprisingly gnarly and edgy, constantly being dragged between all these opposing musical poles. Indeed, they seem to delight in contrariness, filling up a nearly three hour set with offbeat selections from the provocatively odd and unloved Tusk and new material from a recent EP, frequently preceded by rambling monologues from Buckingham or Nicks that are longer and more involved than the songs themselves. "If we're looking a little frazzled it might be because we are a little frazzled," apologises Nicks, blaming the stresses on it being the first date of a European tour. But actually Fleetwood Mac are a group who are permanently frazzled by the intensity and complexity of their relationships, particularly that of teenage sweethearts Nicks and Buckingham, who still seem to be working out their separation and reconciliation onstage in the longest and most public group therapy session ever. Nicks introduces a new song, Without You, by telling us that "before fame and all the creepiness creeped in there was a really sweet boy and a really sweet girl" but then almost undermines the sentiment by briefly bickering with Buckingham about who said what when. "I always agree with you!" insists Buckingham. "No you don't!" snorts Nicks.

The crowd love it, of course. When Nicks and Buckingham sing into the same microphone or walk out for encores hand in hand, it is the musical equivalent of seeing divorced parents back together. Their legendary album Rumours and long career of conflict and reconciliation have provided a narrative to parallel relationships in listeners' lives, only with better melodies, virtuoso playing and even a startlingly impressive drum solo.

The audience delight in the continuing saga of Fleetwood Mac is manifest. What is even more striking is the band's delight. Indeed, if there is a new development on their first tour in three years it is that they seem to be falling in love again. "There are still chapters left in the Fleetwood Mac book," enthuses Buckingham. This one is going to run and run.

GOLD DUST WOMAN

NEVER GOING BACK AGAIN
Photos by Debbie Hickey

Photos | Review | Setlist: Fleetwood Mac Live in Dublin...

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE IN DUBLIN

O2 ARENA - September 20, 2013

Photos by Kieran Frost Photography

GALLERY: Kieran Frost Photography | Flickr

Here's what we know about Dublin - night #1

- Christine McVie did NOT perform with Fleetwood Mac tonight in Dublin - But there's always tomorrow.
- No change to the setlist vs the North American setlist.
- Tour Books are now available at the Merchandise stands - filled with lots of live shots taken during the North American leg of the tour.
- The Irish had a good time!

“The Mac… Is Back”…
BY MARTY MILLER
Radio Nova

…screams Mick Fleetwood in his very fine and grand British accent which after so many years on the other side of the Atlantic shows no signs of softening.

With that he turns and walks off stage wearing a red top hat… And that was that.

Fleetwood Mac had indeed been back! For just under 3 hours!

Dublin is the first stop of their European tour and the O2 was jumping from start top finish.

The show does take a bit of a “storytellers” feel at times with some story telling and even friendly banter/arguing from Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham. (They’re just GOOD friends!)

I won’t go into setlists, but you will not be disappointed.

There are some really nice acoustic moments in the middle with Lindsey alone on stage giving his all.. including some great “blue steel” looks straight into the spotlight!

Expect one or two new tunes, some solo Stevie, some solo Mick and not one word from John McVie! Oh, Saturday goers could have that ‘surprise’ appearance from Christine Mc to look forward to.

The band seemed genuinely thrilled to play our capital city again, very appreciative of us coming out and  spending our hard earned on tickets for their show and they put one on!

Clocking about 2 hours 55 mins, it does end on a quiet note with Stevie and Lindsey playing ‘Say Goodbye’, acoustically, which Lindsey wrote for Stevie, after everything they had been through as a couple and as bandmates.

But remember:

They’re JUST GOOD FRIENDS!

Here's an example of one of the covers of the tour book.. Note that they flipped Mick and John around.

SETLIST
01. Second Hand News
02. The Chain
03. Dreams
04. Sad Angel
05. Rhiannon
06. Not That Funny
07. Tusk
08. Sisters of the Moon
09. Sara
10. Big Love
11. Landslide
12. Never Going Back Again
13. Without You
14. Gypsy
15. Eyes Of The World
16. Gold Dust Woman
17. I'm So Afraid
18. Stand Back
19. Go Your Own Way

Encores #1
20. World Turning
21. Don't Stop

Encore #2
22. Silver Springs
23. Say Goodbye

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Photo by Michael Murphy

Photo by @finlaydee | Photo by Emma Comerford

Photo by Jillkeene | Photo by Simon Kelly

Photo by Aul lads at funerals