Birmingham's set for return of Rock Legends Fleetwood Mac

Stevie Nicks is back on tour with Fleetwood Mac. Steve Adams chats to her about what fans should expect.

by Steve Adams
Coventry Telegraph

Rock legends Fleetwood Mac are back on the road for their first UK shows in four years and the buzz is that keyboardist Christine McVie – who quit the band in 1998 – will rejoin other members of the band’s classic line-up for at least a couple of performances.

The move has delighted singer Stevie Nicks as much as the fans, as she formed an instant bond with the band’s only other female member when she joined in 1975 alongside guitarist Lindsey Buckingham.

“I knew from the beginning when Lindsey and I joined Fleetwood Mac, that Christine and I had to really stand our ground,” says the enigmatic singer.

“We had to be a force of nature or we would be considered second-class rock stars. And between the two of us that was never gonna happen!

“We made a pinky swear pact – ‘we will never, ever walk into a room that’s full of rock stars and not be treated as if we’re not as good as them.

“Because we are as good as them.’”

The duo more than proved their point, writing many of the band’s biggest hits, including a huge chunk of seminal album Rumours, which has now sold a staggering 45 million copies worldwide. Nicks has also enjoyed a successful solo career alongside her four decades in and out of Fleetwood Mac – the band have a habit of splitting and reforming – but is happy to be back performing, even though the recent US tour schedule was gruelling.

“For me it’s not such a big deal because I stay up really late every night anyway. But for Lindsey, Mick (Fleetwood) and John (McVie), they go back to their rooms and go to sleep.”

The singer believes the effort has been worth it though, rating the shows as some of the best they’ve played.

“When people in Britain see the show they’re gonna be blown away!” she says.

“Honestly, rock bands that are 30 years old would baulk at this schedule, the amount of songs we’re doing and the length of the show. They would go, ‘you are kidding? Two hours and 40 minutes a night?’”

The gigs also include the band’s first new music in a decade, after they released an EP earlier this year. The music was recorded just after Nicks’ mother died last year, which left her so devastated she was unable to go to the studio.

“I didn’t want to go anywhere,” she admits. “I didn’t leave the house for almost five months. I worked on the edit of my documentary about the making of (solo album) In Your Dreams, and then I got pneumonia.

“I watched the entire first season of Game Of Thrones – so that was great! That certainly took my mind off everything.”

Not surprisingly the almost ethereal pop star is quite a fan of the fantasy show.

“The author (George RR Martin) is my age and it blows my mind that he’s able to create this vast, interlinked world,” she says.

“As a songwriter I write little movies. But I can’t imagine sitting down and writing even one small book. I would love to write some music for Game Of Thrones. I’ve written a bunch of poetry about it – one for each of the characters.”

* Fleetwood Mac perform at the LG Arena in Birmingham on September 29. For tickets, call 0844 338 8000.

INTERVIEW: MICK FLEETWOOD on ZZ Top, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and what's delaying Fleetwood Mac

In Stores October 11th - iTunes

SHARP DRESSED MEN: MICK FLEETWOOD ON THE NEW ZZ TOP TRIBUTE ALBUM 

Mick Fleetwood interviewed by Jeb Wright for Classic Rock Revisted... Mick speaks extensively about the recording of the ZZ Top Tribute album who the band the M.O.B. is and why they formed to record “Sharp Dressed Man.” Fleetwood also reveals his passion for the blues and his desire to get back on the road with his band, Fleetwood Mac in 2012.

The full interview can be found at Classicrockrevisted

(interesting Fleetwood Mac exerpt from the interview)

Is Fleetwood Mac going to tour again? Are you just talking a break?

Mick: We are definitely taking a break and it’s a longer break than any of us anticipated. When we last came off the road we were planning to take 18 months off and get back and do it again.

We knew Stevie was going to make an album, which got delayed. We are really waiting on Stevie, to tell you the truth. We were supposed to go out this year and now we are hovering around what is going to take place next year. The reason I said, “hovering around” is because about six months ago I would have said that we are going out next year, but the truth of the matter is that Stevie is still out on the road promoting her album, which I played on, I might add, as did Lindsey.

I really don’t know what is going to happen because we’re in a holding pattern. We keep thinking her tour is ending and we can’t really talk about Fleetwood Mac until her tour actually does stop. We are somewhat beholden to Stevie. The need, desire and want to do it is definitely there.

Fleetwood Mac is a funny old machine. It’s certainly not about not going out because of fear and loathing and complete disfuntionality. At this point in our careers, and life, knowing that there are so many components, makes it difficult. I would imagine when Keith Richards and Mick Jagger want to go out as the Stones then they go, “Okay, we are going out” and Charlie and the rest just tag along. Our two front people, Stevie and Lindsey, both have albums out and are touring. Lindsey probably wouldn’t have done that if Stevie hadn’t been doing what she is doing. You get that three steps forward and four steps back sort of thing happening. We are used to it.

So we will see Fleetwood Mac again.

Mick: I can tell you that I don’t think you’ve seen the last of Fleetwood Mac. There were days when I would say we all loathed each other and that Stevie and Lindsey won’t talk to each other, but it is nothing to with that now. It is just circumstance, really. We are keeping the flag flying of what I call the worst run rock n’ roll franchise in the business. We certainly can’t be accused of greed because of how we have done it. We could have probably made thirty thousand times more money than we have, but that’s Fleetwood Mac. We do what we do, how we do it and I suppose that has a certain amount of class to it.

In the past, I’ve interviewed the man who produced your breakthrough self-titled album, Keith Olsen…

Mick: I made the decision, but if he hadn’t played the tape of the album that he made with Buckingham Nicks for me when I wandered into Sound City... Keith happened to be in the room and he said, “Let me play something for you that I made right here in this room.” I said, “Okay, I’ll check it out.” That is how Stevie and Lindsey joined the band.

Last one: You used Olsen on the self-titled album and it was a huge hit, so I have always wondered why you didn’t use him for Rumours?

Mick: Actually, it was something that I had no idea about. It was really a Lindsey and Stevie dynamic. When I met Keith, and I saw the vision of Lindsey and Stevie being in Fleetwood Mac, and then it all came to be, I thought the natural fit would be Keith. I figured they knew Keith and that they must really work well together – and they did but not to the extent that I thought. In truth, Stevie and Lindsey were going to move on. I do not believe that Keith was going to make the next Buckingham Nicks album.

It worked out great, and what came out of it was the desire not to go that route again. Richard Dashut, who worked with Stevie and Lindsey, and then made countless albums, producing andengineering us, became part of the team.  Richard was, I believe, with Lindsey, and Lindsey wanted to be more in control. He is so talented, and creatively overpowering, that I think his vision was to make a Buckingham Nicks album with Richard producing it.  When they joined the band, it all just melted away. Keith went on to have huge success, and I mean huge success, in the industry. He probably made a lot more money than he would have with Fleetwood Mac.