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.

VIDEO: Stevie Nicks | Dave Stewart | Mick Fleetwood Interviews "In Your Dreams" UK Premiere #FleetwoodMac

In Your Dreams is available now in the U.S. and Canada at inyourdreamsmovie.com or itunes. The film will be available on DVD and VOD in the UK in November

The 10 Greatest Christine McVie-Led Fleetwood Mac Songs

In wonderful news, Stevie Nicks recently revealed that her close friend and fellow lead songstress Christine McVie would be rejoining Fleetwood Mac for one song at two of their shows on the European leg of the band's reunion tour. McVie left in 1998 and, for Fleetwood fans, the news is not only surprising but more than welcome as the band is even better when including the rich tonality of balladeer and multi-instrumentalist McVie. The singer left the band largely due to a fear of flying that inhibited her ability to travel on tour and Fleetwood Mac has gone on to reunite several times after her departure despite missing the unique dynamic the prized third vocalist.

In honor of this news, let's celebrate the wonderful and often hit-making talent of Christine McVie and take a look at 10 of her greatest contributions to one of the biggest rock bands in history.

Check out The Village Voice for the top 10
By Brittany Spanos

Lady Antebellums recap of their amazing night with @StevieNicks on @CMT Crossroads. VIDEO

CMT Crossroads with Stevie Nicks was the highlight of our career. Every moment and performance was priceless!

Are we looking at the beginning of something special? You be the judge!

Lotus Mastering tweeted and posted to their Facebook page the following photo and message.... After which they made note on Facebook that they were "just preserving the goods, at this point." This may just very well be the beginning of getting this bad boy finally ready for re-release!  At least that's how I want to view this.

Completed an analog archive of Stevie & Lindsey "Buckingham Nicks" (1973) for Polydor Records. pic.twitter.com/4xmx3vRDA4
— Lotus Mastering (@lotusmastering) September 18, 2013

UK REVIEW | PHOTOS: Stevie Nicks had reason for a London fanfare of her own

STEVIE NICKS: IN YOUR DREAMS UK PREMIERE

Review and Photo by Imelda Michalczyk

Fleetwood Mac may be the very definition of rock royalty and astounding longevity. Just prior to the band embarking on a UK arena tour this month (a full 46 years into their career), front woman Stevie Nicks had reason for a London fanfare of her own.

In Your Dreams, a documentary about the making of Nicks’s last album (of the same name) was given its UK premiere at Curzon Mayfair cinema on 16 September. The album was co-written and co-produced by Dave Stewart, who also largely filmed and directed the documentary. Stewart, donning a hat and dark glasses, was in attendance at the premiere, alongside Mick Fleetwood (who appears in the film) and former bandmate Christine McVie.

The album was recorded at Nicks’s own house, Tara, in California, giving the viewer a peek into her home as well as the recording of the music. The film breaks down the album song by song, showing the inspiration, the trials and tribulations of writing and recording and clips of elaborate music videos for some of the tracks.

The heavier topics of inspiration such as the devastation wrecked on New Orleans by hurricane Katrina are balanced with lighter musical anecdotes. One such being Nicks’s admission that she once stole a tune from Mike Campbell (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) from a demo cassette she heard. She added lyrics, recorded it with Fleetwood Mac – claiming to have written the whole thing – and then presented it to Petty as a finished work. Understandably, he flew into a rage and demanded she confess to Fleetwood Mac and scrap it. Petty later turned the tune into Runaway Trains.

In a Q&A session with Nicks and Stewart after the screening, she spoke of how this album was her first experience of writing with someone who was in the same room at the same time. She also highlighted how important she felt documentaries are in both revealing the process of artistic creation but also as a tribute, citing the documentary of The Travelling Willburys and how poignant and precious that was when two of the band members passed away.

On a lighter note she joked that it was good for people to finally see her “doing something” in a studio setting. In the film, she’s depicted as fully involved with all aspects of the musical process, explaining ideas, directing musicians and arguing for rearrangements of songs. In contrast, footage of her in the studio with Fleetwood Mac over the years, tends to show her drawing or writing in her journal whilst she hangs around waiting for her turn to sing!

She clearly found the entire project refreshing and deeply enjoyable and advocated that everyone make their own documentary footage of their lives in whatever way they could.

As the event drew to a close, the audience got to their feet to applaud and Nicks waved goodbye to her fans, disappearing back into her ethereal world of dreams.

Review via RockShot

UK REVIEW: Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams "The film is enchanting but at the same time is entirely real"

"For fans of Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks, this film is an enjoyable voyage through a life that is usually kept quite guarded outside of the lyrics of her songs."

By Emma O'Brien 

The Reel Thing Rises

Last night I sat in a room with Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and Dave Stewart. I had to pinch myself several times because if you had told me 18 months ago when I was sat playing Fleetwood Mac and Eurythmics songs on student radio that I would be sitting less than 3 metres from some of my musical heroes, I would have probably thought you were on crack.

Being my first experience of a premiere you can well imagine my excitement at finally being one of the people walking up the red carpet, not just one of the mere mortals standing on the wrong side of a metal barrier clamouring for the chance to meet their idols. Once inside and safely installed in my front row seat, I cracked open the goodie bag which included a much appreciated cocktail and bag of popcorn and awaited the start of proceedings. When Stevie, Dave and Mick entered the room the audience went wild, demonstrating that this was not an ordinary premiere full of slightly indifferent industry moguls just there for the free night out, this was a room full of fans much like little old me who just lucked into the chance to spend the evening with Stevie and Dave.

Stevie Nicks maybe the only woman who can make Beyoncé seem ordinary #FleetwoodMac

Stevie Nicks — maybe the only woman who can make Beyoncé seem ordinary — has finally openly doled out praise for the singer in an interview. Queen B might as well hang up her sparkly stage costume and retire now, because there is no higher career summit to which she can ascend. In a recent interview with the Telegraph, Nicks raved about Beyoncé's levelheadedness and general awesomeness: "Beyoncé's great. She's got her alter ego [Sasha Fierce], but Beyoncé the girl, the woman, is very sweet and nice and polite. She's a good role model. She's not skanky. I'm glad we have her," she said. How lucky, because we know what happens when Stevie is not glad to have you. We're looking at you, Nicki Minaj.

NYMAG

BY ALLISON P DAVIS

Stevie Nicks talks Fleetwood Mac, feminism and romancing Prince ahead of O2 gigs

By Jim Palmer, Leisure Editor

This is Local London

FLEETWOOD Mac are back touring for the first time in four years and heading for the O2 arena for three dates at the end of the month.

The classic line-up includes iconic members Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Christine McVie is rumoured to join up with her old band.

Singer Stevie Nicks said explained now was right to bring the band back.

She said: “I thought Fleetwood Mac should stay off the grid for three years. It’s a good idea; it’s just smart to keep us out of the spotlight for three years. Everyone went along with it.

“We were gone long enough that it was us coming back.

“I told the press last year that 2013 was going to be the year of Fleetwood Mac. And I was just hoping with all my heart that this big statement was gonna come true.”

And the show is not to be missed, the singer said.

“When people in Britain see the show they’re gonna be blown way,” she said. “Honestly, rock bands that are 30 years old would baulk at this schedule and at the amount of songs we’re doing and the length of the show.

"she offered and we were thrilled" Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks on Christine McVie's Return To The Stage

"I think she's going to come and do the last two shows in London,"

Fleetwood Mac have opened up about their upcoming reunion with former keyboardist Christine McVie at their upcoming London shows.
"I think she's going to come and do the last two shows in London," said drummer Mick Fleetwood. "It's going to be great - Christine's music is so much part of Fleetwood Mac. She's been gone now for many, many years and she's like my sister.
"We're going to make her feel comfortable and have fun and I think people will love it. She's always honoured by the nature of her songs and the depth of that. When she decided to leave 14 or 16 years ago, we were sad and thought that maybe she'd come back, but she made that choice."  He continued: "A lot of people are saying 'is she going to come back?' and the answer to that is that she would be welcome, but that would be her choice. We will see. At some point we're going to knock it on the head, I'm not sure when, but in that context it would be something that would be entertained."  Frontwoman Stevie Nicks added: "She's coming to do two nights here and probably do 'Don't Stop'. I'm not sure, but she's coming to Dublin to rehearse whatever song she's going to do. We never wanted her to leave, so for us it's amazing that she is going to come." by Andrew Trendell  Gigwise
Stevie Nicks 'thrilled' by Christine McVie's Fleetwood Mac London return Stevie Nicks has told Digital Spy that Fleetwood Mac are "thrilled" Christine McVie will rejoin the band for a special appearance in London. McVie, who last performed with Fleetwood Mac in 1998, will rehearse with the band in Ireland this week. She is tipped to appear at two shows in the capital later this month. Nicks told DS at the UK premiere of documentary Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams that McVie had approached Fleetwood Mac about joining up with them again, explaining: "Well, she said she'd do it. She did not say she would do it on the last two tours.
"So, she offered and we were thrilled, and it's great to have her back and to do a song. She's been very, very missed, so even to have her back for a little while is going to be good.
"And it will be good to see her, I mean, we never see her, you know? We're all so far away. I mean, London to California is far. So it's really great that she's decided to hang out with us for a little bit." McVie and Mick Fleetwood joined Nicks at the Curzon cinema in Mayfair on Monday night (September 16) for a screening of In Your Dreams, which was directed and produced by Nicks and Dave Stewart. By Kate Goodacre Digital Spy