REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac Tulsa, OK May 1st "Overall, the night was truly magical"

Concert confirms Mac is back

by Erin Peden
Pioneer - Oklahoma City Community College

Pressed against the very front of the stage May 1 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, I couldn’t help but stare in awe as one by one, the members of Fleetwood Mac, one of my favorite bands, entered the stage.

Energy was high and harmony was tight as the band opened with “Second Hand News” and “The Chain.”

It took me several minutes to digest the fact that lead center Stevie Nicks was standing directly in front of me, dressed in her usual mystical, flowing, black chiffon along with platform boots, and singing into her microphone covered in layers of scarves.

Check out the full review here

3 NEW Australian Dates for Fleetwood Mac: Sydney | Perth | Brisbane

3 New Australian Dates:

I figured they would add more dates, there were just too many large gaps between shows.

A third Sydney date is expected to be announced for November 14th.

A second Perth date on November 23rd.

A second Brisbane date on December 3rd.

The ticketing sites don't have this information yet.
Ticketek | Livenation | Ticketmaster.au

Source: Nicksfix

Lindsey Buckingham Spotted in Boston Area at Dave Matthews Gig

Photo: Brandi Carlile

Spotted last night (June 16th) at the Dave Matthews Band live show in Mansfield, MA at Comcast Center.  Brandi is opening for Dave Matthews

"Look who I found backstage at the Dave Matthews Band concert!!

I was going to eat dinner but I completely geeked out and asked for a picture instead!

I LOVE Lindsey Buckingham and I LOVE Fleetwood Mac!

Go Your Own Way! Yeah!

What a great night.

Thanks Dave!

xobc"

The Next 7 Days: Fleetwood Mac Live in Albany, Mansfield, Jones Beach & Charlotte - Tix Available For All!

With only 10 shows remaining on the North American leg of the tour, here are the shows coming up this week with tickets available in the lowest ticket price category.

DON'T MISS FLEETWOOD MAC!

June 19 (Wed): Albany, NY at Times Union Center - Buy Tickets - Tickets available for $47.40 (incl. fees)
June 21 (Fri): Mansfield, MA at Comcast Center - Buy Tickets - Tickets available for $45.00 (incl. fees)
June 22 (Sat): Wantagh, NY at Jones Beach - Buy Tickets - Tickets available for $96.05 (incl. fees)
June 24 (Mon): Charlotte, NC at Time Warner Cable - Buy Tickets - Tickets available for $62.45 (incl. fees)

CLEVELAND REVIEW "a vital, energetic concert that erased any doubts about Fleetwood Mac’s legacy and continued influence

Photo by Joe Kleon
View 16 Photos here

Concert Review: 
Fleetwood Mac at Quicken Loans Arena
by Annie Zaleski
Cleveland Scene

Fleetwood Mac tours so sporadically, the band would certainly be within its rights to trot out a well-worn greatest hits setlist when it does hit the road. But last night at Quicken Loans Arena, during a show that stretched over two-and-a-half hours, the group—vocalist Stevie Nicks, vocalist/guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie, as well as several auxiliary musicians and vocalists—balanced its biggest hits with deeper album tracks and even new songs.

The result was a vital, energetic concert that erased any doubts about Fleetwood Mac’s legacy and continued influence. “The Chain” was crisp and menacing, with McVie’s thundering bass and Buckingham’s forceful guitar making the song feel like an encore rather than the set’s second tune. “Gold Dust Woman” also had an ominous vibe; the song turned into a moody psychedelic sprawl during which Nicks unveiled some graceful interpretive dance moves (and, with her gold-colored shawl, resembled an evil villain from a Grimm’s Fairy Tale). The Mirage deep cut “Eyes Of The World” barnstormed forward thanks to Fleetwood’s monstrous drumming, and even a performance of the Nicks solo song “Stand Back,” in all of its ’80s keyboard glory, held its own.

Buckingham prefaced a set of songs from 1979’s Tusk with a philosophical story about the creative process—in a nutshell, don’t be afraid to rip it up and start again—and how he wished he could have been a “fly on the wall” in the Warner Bros. offices after Fleetwood Mac delivered the experimental post-Rumours album. At last night’s show, what stood out is how forward-thinking Tusk was—from the keyboard-heavy “Not That Funny” to the stomping title track (augmented by video of the USC Trojan marching band) and even a rare performance of “Sisters Of The Moon.” After the latter, Nicks said that song hadn’t been played since 1981—“so if you’ve seen it live, we know how old you are!”

True to form, however, the band didn’t just coast on its past. The new song “Sad Angel” (from Fleetwood Mac’s recently released EP, Extended Play) had a throwback jangle-pop vibe, but the performance was fresh and modern; on this song especially, it was clear how Buckingham’s ongoing solo work informs—but doesn’t overpower—Fleetwood Mac. Accordingly, the guitarist also took center stage with an intricate solo acoustic guitar version of “Big Love” and galloped around the stage slashing out a raucous electric solo at the end of a slinky, stretched-out “I’m So Afraid.” At the end of both tunes, his shirt was soaked through with sweat, a reflection of the passion he put into his performance. Mick Fleetwood too was a commanding presence behind his fortress-esque drum kit: Like Father Time with a vendetta, he tossed off intense grimaces and a look of steely concentration throughout.

Nicks too was in good form, warming up—especially vocally—as the show progressed. Plus, she was in a chatty, laid-back mood. Before another “new” song, “Without You”—which was actually an older song originally meant for Buckingham-Nicks’ second LP—she told a lengthy, amusing story about the song’s genesis that doubled as the tale of how Fleetwood Mac originally came together. She joked that over the course of the tour, the story had ballooned from a brief missive into something much more rambling, and even asked Buckingham if she was on the right track. (He said she was.) Prior to “Dreams,” she mentioned getting into Cleveland the previous night and being struck by a building lit by red lights (in other words, the Terminal Tower and its Hot In Cleveland promotion), and right before she and Buckingham performed “Landslide,” she said she was “not going to cry” as she dedicated the song.

Perhaps because of its pop culture ubiquity, “Landslide” has become Fleetwood Mac’s most iconic song. Last night’s lovely, stripped-down version proved why: In a touching move, the entire crowd sang along softly but audibly throughout the entire song. Perhaps in response, Nicks and Buckingham hooked pinky fingers in solidarity briefly during the performance, the gesture of two old friends acknowledging plenty of shared history. This small affection naturally thrilled the audience, but also subtly reinforced that chemistry is something the band still has in spades. Fleetwood Mac certainly doesn’t have to tour—but the members of the band genuinely appeared to be having a great time onstage and felt like a vital band with plenty left to say.

Great Review! Cleveland Scene

GOLD DUST WOMAN

WORLD TURNING and the ever changing Mick Fleetwood drum solo!
More Reviews | Photos | Videos

Fleetwood Mac Album Sales and Concert Gross Update - U.S.A.

Fleetwood Mac have two albums this week on Billboards Top 200 Albums Chart with 1977's Rumours and 2002's The Very Best Of. More recent sales figures on Fleetwood Mac albums making an impact in the U.S., UK, Australia and Canada below.

U.S.A. 
Top 200 Albums Chart

Sales week ending June 9th - Billboard Chart date June 22nd

Rumours is at #163 this week down from #127 the previous week. Sale in the U.S. for the week were 2,600 units vs 3,061 the previous week. Total U.S. sales since November, 1991 = 3,195,335.

The Very Best of re-enters the Top 200 albums chart this week at #198 on a 14% sales boost selling 2,232 copies for the week vs 1,964 the previous week. Total U.S. sales since it's 2002 release = 1,576,365. (this album is due to be certified 3 X Platinum, currently it's only certified Platinum). 2 CD sets are counted twice for each one sold.

# 163 (127) Fleetwood Mac "Rumours"

# 198 (R/E) Fleetwood Mac "The Very Best Of"

60 SECOND DRILL with Lindsey Buckingham (Interview)

With Nui Te Koha and Lindsey Buckingham 
Sunday Herald Sun - Australia (June 16, 2013)

Lindsey Buckingham is a singer-songwriter and guitarist in Fleetwood Mac.  Buckingham, 63 joined the classic rock supergroup in 1974 with his then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks.  Their split, and the separation of married couple John and Christine McVie, defined the band's iconic 1976 album Rumours.  Christine quit Fleetwood Mac in 1998.  The band's hits include Go Your Own Way, Dreams, Tusk, Sara and Rhiannon.  Their 2013 tour has sold out across the US and won rave reviews.  Fleetwood Mac will perform in Australia in November.

1. HOW DO YOU REGROUP A BAND LIKE FLEETWOOD MAC AFTER 10 YEARS APART?

A year or so ago, John and Mick and I got together and we cut a bunch of tracks.  Stevie was still coming down from doing her solo album and was not really around.  We are thinking about an album down the line.  Stevie would obviously need to come to the table with some material.

2. WERE YOU DISAPPOINTED THIS MEETING DID NOT YIELD AN ALBUM?

It would be unrealistic to be disappointed at this point.  That would mean at some point in the last six months Stevie would have come in, magically, with four or five new songs, and be willing to engage in the process of recording them, and work on them for a while.  That just didn't seem realistic.  We did this as an early foray into the three of us getting back and playing together without any agenda.

3. IS FLEETWOOD MAC A DIFFICULT BAND TO CONTRIBUTE TO? IS IT A PICKY AND CRITICAL COMMITTEE?

No, because you just write what you write.  It is possible in the editing process for Fleetwood Mac, certain things will be gravitated to, if you compare it to what I would do for a solo album, which is more inherently to the left and represents a more esoteric side of what I do.  In Fleetwood Mac, you run the gamut.  You also have to consider the other writer.  some of the songs on the far edge of the left side of my palette don't always work with Stevie's writing.

4. YOU'VE SAID THAT THE PERSONALITIES IN FLEETWOOD MAC DON'T BELONG TOGETHER.

I mean that in the best way possible.  I'm not saying we don't belong together, I'm saying we are an unlikely group of people to have come together.  Our tastes are quite disparate and yet it is that cast of characters, that very push=pull dynamic, that... creates the synergy.

5. YOU'VE ALSO SAID YOU WISH FLEETWOOD MAC WAS MORE LIKE THE EAGLES.  IN WHAT WAY?

Over time, I've come to admire the fact that they - even though, their reputation is such that they don't get along, or hang out together - they're able to cut through that, do the business they're able to do, and get done what they want to do as a group, and see their way clear to what the common objective is.  That seems to be something difficult for Fleetwood Mac because we've got people going in all sorts of directions all the time.  Fleetwood Mac is something you might liken to a political minefield.  It needs to be navigated.

6. FANS ARE STILL INTRIGUED BY THE STEVIE AND LINDSEY LOVE AFFAIR OF THE 1970'S - AND YOU PAY TRIBUTE TO THAT IN THE NEW LIVE SHOW.  WHAT PERSPECTIVE DO YOU HAVE ON THAT NOW?

When Stevie and I were a couple, we were very close.  But by the time we got to Rumours, Stevie had both feet out the door.  She was the one who took off.  It was difficult to be the guy who had to go back to the studio, produce the band, produce her songs and make the choice to do the right thing for her professionally, even though it was painful to be around her personally.  But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  It's sweet that Stevie and I are somehow acknowledging that (past romance) from a distance.  I think people are quite intrigued by that.

7. DID IT AFFECT YOUR LATER LOVES?

There was an interim period where I had long-term relationships with women, which were somewhat dysfunctional.  I finally met someone when I was in my mid 40's and had my first child when I was 48.  I waited long enough to get that emotional garbage out of the way.  I have a beautiful wife and three beautiful children, 14, 12 and 9.

8. YOU'RE A VERY PRIMAL PERFORMER.  HOW DOES THAT FEEL ON STAGE?

I don't get nervous.  I feel the same level of physical energy as I did 30 years ago and that has come from the choices, where I've shunned what was expected of me in favour of what I thought was important as an artist.

9. HOW DO YOU STAY REAL ON THE ROAD?

I try to get out and walk for several hours every day, wherever we are.  There is a transformative aspect to getting out of the room and feeling like you've been somewhere.  You've got to keep your balance.

10. HOW HAS MARRIED LIFE AND PARENTHOOD CHANGED YOU?

It has deepened the whole idea of being an artist.  I think there was a point in time where we all had this notion that children and family like meant death to the artist.  That turned out to be complete dreck as an idea.  You need clarity to be a parent, you need clarity to be a spouse, you need authenticity, too - which are the same things you need to be an artist.  That informs not only your sense of reality, but what's important in the bigger picture.  That can be quite productive.

REVIEW | PICS | VIDS: Fleetwood Mac Live in Cleveland

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE 

CLEVELAND, OH - QUICKEN LOANS ARENA

JUNE 15, 2013

Photo by Paul Warner

Fleetwood Mac delivers a marathon concert at The Q
By Chuck Yarborough, The Plain Dealer

Fleetwood Mac gave a concert Saturday night at The Q with Mick Fleetwood on drums, Lindsey Buckingham on guitar and vocals, John McVie on bass and Stevie Nicks on vocals, and they were aided by a backing band that provided an extra guitar and keyboards as well as a couple of harmony singers who sang on a lot of the 23 songs the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers did in a two-hours and 40 minute set that included hits from the beginning to the current days of a career that, at least with Buckingham and Nicks in the fold, back in the early 1970s, but really couldn’t quite recapture the magic of those days, despite some really impressive guitar work and a stellar drum solo by Fleetwood, mainly because Nicks has lost a little of the somewhat limited range she had to begin with.

My computer tells me that paragraph has 145 words, and my instincts tell me you probably quit reading about 30 words into it. Which goes to prove the point that there’s a lot to be said for editing.

Photo by Paul Warner

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has scores of inductees, and few are more worthy of the honor than Fleetwood Mac. The band’s catalog – from “Rumors’’ to the newest release, a four-song EP called, fittingly, “Extended Play’’ – is a testament to the talents of Fleetwood, McVie (both John and his ex-wife and former bandmate, Christine), Buckingham and Nicks.

“Second Hand News,’’ “Rhiannon,’’ “Tusk,’’ “Never Going Back Again,’’ “Go Your Own Way,’’ “Don’t Stop’’ and the rest were, for a lot of us, the first “grown-up’’ songs we fell in love with. They were and are the tunes you can hear over and over listen to and find new meaning and nuances in each listen.

Photo by Paul Warner

One reason for that was obviously Saturday night: Fleetwood, McVie and Buckingham are hugely gifted artists. McVie lays a solid foundation, but he’s also capable of turning his bass into a lead instrument. The always animated Fleetwood – the inspiration for the Muppets’ drummer Animal, by the way – is that rare drummer who uses his fills to complement his jungle-beat grooves, especially on tunes like “Tusk.’’

And then there’s Buckingham’s guitar. In a word, WOW. His fingerpicking style on his beloved Turner Model One guitar really is the stuff of legends. Multiple big-screen close-ups showed that he was able to bend strings from here to Toledo and pull sounds out of a guitar that most people wouldn’t think possible, especially on “I’m So Afraid’’ and “The Chain.’’

But Fleetwood Mac has always been about the vocals, and as the saying goes, therein lies the rub. Nicks still LOOKS 25, but she’s 65 now, and her already limited range is even more limited. Not that much, you understand, but enough to make a difference. To use a sports analogy, it’s like a home run hitter who’s lost a few mph off his swing; balls that used to reach the bleachers are now warning-track outs.

That being said, she’s still capable of jacking one every now and then. “Landslide,’’ covered by the Dixie Chicks and so many others, will forever be a Stevie song, and she still does it better than anyone. Likewise with “Sisters of the Moon’’ and “Gold Dust Woman.’’

The most curious part of the show may have been the second of two two-song encores. Who would choose to end a Fleetwood Mac show with Fleetwood and McVie offstage, leaving Buckingham and Nicks alone to do “Silver Springs’’ and “Say Goodbye?’’

Hmmmm. Looks like a job for an editor.

WITHOUT YOU INTRO

FAN PHOTOS

Above 3 Photos by Elle - View the Facebook Gallery

View Gallery on Facebook

SECOND HAND NEWS
THE CHAIN
DREAMS
RHIANNON
TUSK
BIG LOVE
GO YOUR OWN WAY

BBC Four: Fleetwood Mac "Don't Stop" Doc To Re-Air in the UK June 21st

This 2009 Documentary originally aired on the BBC just ahead of Fleetwood Mac's Unleashed tour dates in the UK and Ireland.  

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Both are interviewed, along with colleagues John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, all seeking to dispel some of those ( wait for it) rumours.

The Documentary takes a look back over the band's long career, from the early blues outfit led by Peter Green in the late 1960s, to their reincarnation in the 1970s with the line-up that went on to record the 40-million-selling album Rumours. Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks reveal the truth behind the successes, failures and relationships that have characterised their music and made them one of the most enduring acts in popular music.

BBC Four (1 Hour)
June 21, 2013 9:00pm
June 22, 2013 1:00am
June 23, 2013 11:30pm

THE FIRST TIME WITH... Mick Fleetwood BBC Radio 6 - Listen On-Line

THE FIRST TIME WITH... 
BBC RADIO 6

Matt Everitt chats to the man who leant his name to one of the most successful and best loved bands of all time, Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood.

Coinciding with the 35th anniversary of the band's record breaking album Rumours (more than 40 million copies sold so far) and some rare UK live shows, Mick looks back at his and the group's career and influences. He started his career during the blues boom in London in the 60s, going onto to huge acclaim with the original Peter Green-led line-up of the Mac, then presiding over an ever-changing line-up that would coalesce in 1975 into the group that would eventually create several landmark albums like Rumours, Tusk and Tango In the Night

Mick talks honestly about his experiences helping steer his band through the murky waters of drug abuse and inter band relationships (and divorces) to the present day and their current reunion, and picks some excellent tunes. 

Listen on-line now (1 hour)

Music Played:

42 Photos: Fleetwood Mac Live in Chicago at Allstate Arena by Alicia Bailey

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE

ROSEMONT, IL - ALLSTATE ARENA

JUNE 14, 2013

Photos by Alicia Bailey

Check out the Gallery on Facebook

Another beautiful group of shots!

Alicia was also at the first Chicago show back on April 13th. Her gallery can be seen here.  She wouldn't miss opening night of the tour either and took the opportunity to snap a bunch of pics in Columbus April 4th, those photos are here.  Great job Alicia and as always, thank you for sharing your work!

STAND BACK
LANDSLIDE

For more photos from this night and a review - check out an earlier post here

PHOTOS | VIDEO: Fleetwood Mac Chicago #2 The "Without You" Intro That Just Won't End! - Funny!

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE

ROSEMONT, IL - ALLSTATE ARENA

JUNE 14, 2013

Photos below by Erin Brown
View the Detroit Gallery

Erin once again captures Fleetwood Mac in their finest moments. Another amazing collection of shots from last nights show.  

Erin is well versed at creating an visual story of Fleetwood Mac through her live photos.  You may have seen her previous images of Fleetwood Mac live at the United Center back on April 13th, if not then check them out here. She was also there on the opening night of the tour which can be seen here.

FAN PHOTOS

Gallery on Facebook

WITHOUT YOU
includes an over 5 minute intro - which is just as entertaining as the song itself!

Fleetwood Mac plays Chicago Allstate Arena

Review of the June 14, 2013 concert by Dave Kohl

Music Star Universe

My first time seeing Fleetwood Mac since the Tusk tour when I saw them in Rosemont IL at the sorry venue formerly known as The Horizon. That barn continues to have the poorest sound of any venue holding more than 10,000 people no matter what it's called these days. Aside from that, the Mac put on a heck of a good show.

Putting The Chain in the #2 spot in the set list is a great call for this tour. Going from the slow and deliberate start to the energetic hard rocking fitting, so typical of the best Fleetwood Mac work clearly set the tone.

Doing four songs in a row from the Tusk album seemed like an odd move but they made it work. Personally, I found the Tusk album to have a couple of their best songs ever as well as a couple of awful songs that kept me from listening to the entire album since the first time. Sisters of the Moon has always been one of my top 3 Mac songs of all time. Yet, during the Tusk tour I thought they did it poorly live. When they announced before the tour they would be doing it, I had my hopes up, but a couple of the bootleg versions I heard of Sisters from early this tour also disappointed me.

Maybe they realized it or they listen to audience feedback. Whatever the reason, I loved the version they did of it right before my eyes! My first major highlight of the show.

The other huge highlight for me came later in the show when we were treated to a 10-minute version of Gold Dust Woman. For all these years, GDW was one of those "good" songs I like but was not among my major favorites. This version, with the expanded parts and the heavy guitar and drum presence, was clearly the best part of the show for me.

Whether it was the enthusiasm of the crowd or being back in Chicago, we were treated to a couple of "extra" songs at the end and the show ran for 2 hours 35 minutes, about 10 minutes longer than usual on this tour.

However, adding "Silver Springs" and "Say Goodbye" at the end was not the best of placement. The crowd was pumped up after Don't Stop, and coming back to do two lesser known songs calmed us all. We know they meant well to give us these extra songs, but they would have been better served coming earlier in the show.

But more important than the songs and the music was getting to see the inner workings of the group. That is what made this night special. The band has seemingly never been this cohesive. When I saw Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham walk on stage together hand in hand to start the show, I knew something positive was up. 

They have come a long way since the mid-90's tour when, even though all five of them were there, there was minimal eye contact and a group of individuals all doing their part. Now, they play off each other and showed the love. And it paid off.

Lindsey Buckingham may have become far more theatrical than ever before, but his energy and guitar playing were strong enough to make me wonder why I haven't gotten more into his earlier solo work.

He did a solo on "Looking Out For Love" while everyone else left the stage and delivered it with such force and power that if you closed your eyes you would think the entire group was out there playing it with him. That was the other of my 'top 3' highlights.

Stevie Nicks was in strong voice. It came across how much she is into this tour, to the point that after the final bows she came back out to thank the audience and let us know how much it means to her to have us all love these songs after all these years. It seemed so genuine.

Finally, I quite honestly had no idea how incredible of a drummer Mick Fleetwood is. One one of the songs he had one foot pounding out the beat, the other foot tapping into a tambourine below the drum set, and was also pounding the beat with both hands. That was nothing short of amazing. He still makes the funny faces, but it shows how much he is enjoying himself.

My expectations were totally exceeded. Now, my message to Fleetwood Mac is: "Don't Stop".

By Dave Kohl

TUSK
SO AFRAID
SAY GOODBYE (ending cut)