Photos: Fleetwood Mac Live in Vancouver

Fleetwood Mac Live
Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
November 18, 2014

Photos by David Walker
View Gallery (67 Photos)

The Night Belonged to Fleetwood Mac’s Prodigal Daughter, Christine McVie - Vancouver

FLEETWOOD MAC FIND BIG LOVE IN VANCOUVER (PHOTOS)
by Rob Feller
Vancitybuzz.com

Photo Rob Feller

Over the course of their 40(!) year career, the members of Fleetwood Mac have survived divorces, line-up changes, rehab, and an unfortunate bout of really big hair in the eighties. But the unsinkable group continues to triumph over adversity, and their sold out show at Rogers Arena Tuesday night was a magical tour de force.

Fleetwood Mac made headlines earlier this year when they announced that original songbird Christine McVie was rejoining the fold after a 16 year break. As a foursome, the band played Vancouver just last summer but McVie’s absence forced them to skip over some of their most beloved tracks (and it’s just not a party without a little “Little Lies”).

But much to the relief of the 18,000 fans in attendance, “Little Lies” and a slew of other classics made the cut Tuesday night. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers opened the show with a one-two punch of “The Chain” and “You Make Loving Fun,” both from 1977′s “Rumours.” In fact, nine songs from that iconic album were included in the nearly two-and-a-half-hour show.

Full Review with Photos at Vancitybuzz.com


Fleetwood Mac’s renaissance more than 'Rumours' in Vancouver
by Robert Collins
CTV Vancouver 

Photos by Anil Sharma
VIEW GALLERY

“Sweet, wonderful you.”

These three simple words produced the biggest cheer in Vancouver last night. Written and sung by Christine McVie, they heralded her return to the band after an 18-year absence, as a full-strength Fleetwood Mac reclaimed their throne as soft rock’s all-time greatest band in a packed-to-the-rafters Rogers Arena.

McVie’s “You Make Loving Fun” was part of an opening barrage of hits from “Rumours” – beginning with “The Chain” and including “Dreams” and “Second Hand News,” the sequence only interrupted by the equally excellent “Rhiannon.”

Not that the band were playing it safe with nothing but fan favourites. A quick trip into the “Tusk” album delivered the title track and Lindsey Buckingham’s quirky, punk-tinged “I Know I’m Not Wrong,” soon followed by a brace of lesser-known Stevie Nicks ballads, “Sister Moon” and “Seven Wonders.”

The songs, many of which were approaching 40, weren’t showing their age. Neither was the band. McVie and Buckingham both oozed style in perfectly-tailored leather jackets, while Nicks’ distinctly flowing fashion, while perhaps starting to resemble a 1970s Miss Havisham, still demonstrated that she knew how to dress and act like a proper rock star. The super-tight, unfussy rhythm section of John McVie and Mick Fleetwood were, for reasons best known to themselves, dressed as The Wurzels.

Review: Fleetwood Mac Live in Vancouver Nov 18, 2014

Return of Christine McVie to band’s lineup completes classic rockers’ sound
By Stuart Derdeyn
Vancouver Sun
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Fleetwood Mac

Tuesday, November 18, 2014 - Rogers Arena

VANCOUVER -- So there was a missing piece. And her name is Christine “Perfect” McVie.

Last time through town, Fleetwood Mac was solid but something was certainly missing and the performance was forced.

All the guitar licks Lindsey Buckingham could pull from his considerable bag of tricks couldn’t replace that key third voice in the band. For many fans, it is keyboardist/singer Christine’s full bluesy pipes that make the group rather than Stevie Nicks nasal hippie twang.

“Welcome back Chris, where ya been?” chided Nicks and it was clear the jibe fell flat with McVie. “Let’s move right along.”

Everything about the show was improved having her back. It played harder and the five musicians seemed self-contained to the point you hardly noticed the three backup singers and two additional musicians standing in the shadows.

The quarrels and open discord between Nicks, Buckingham, McVie, bassist John McVie and the band’s namesake, drummer Mick Fleetwood, is the stuff of rock legend. But the group that began as a top-rank blues rock unit attained pop superstardom with this lineup and it certainly is at its best together.

Two albums alone ­— the self-titled Fleetwood Mac (1975) and Rumours (1977) — form most of the set list. A few hits from Tusk, Tango In the Night and Mirage round it out. But the quintet can probably keep packing arenas until the singers can’t hit any of those wonderfully off-key but right in-the-pocket harmonies that are their signature.

Opening with The Chain, Dreams, Second Hand News and Rhiannon got the crowd to its feet. When Christine took lead for a fast version of the hit Everywhere, things hit a highlight.

The love-in was on stage and off. Christine thanked her bandmates for having her back, Buckingham said her return signalled a new chapter for the band. Yet the set list was all 30-plus years old.

Nobody is holding their breath to buy new Mac.

But the band could pull some Peter Green-era gems such as Oh Well or The Green Manalishi into the set and most would think they were new. There were some jewels on Bare Trees and Kiln House too.

Who am I kidding? Just throw to TV’s American Horror Story using tried and true Fleetwood Mac tracks and skip any messing with the winning formula.

People came to dance in the aisles to Christine singing Say That You Love Me and sing along to Nicks’ signature Landslide.

Even if Fleetwood Mac is nothing more than a touring greatest hits package deal, it’s a revitalized one with the full force of the five musicians.

How interesting to see that this long into its career, putting that key piece back into the puzzle still makes everything better.

Nicks sounded the best she has in ages freed from shouldering the lion’s share of singing duties. Buckingham was reined in on the endless solos and fleshing out the set list with solo tunes. The rhythm section pulsed rather than shuffled.

No surprises, but the pleasant one of a band in flight.

THE CHAIN

DREAMS