REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac Salt Lake City

FLEETWOOD MAC CONCERT REVIEW
Salt Lake Magazine
BY DAN NAILEN

I don't know what the magical spark is that makes one arena-sized tour thrill an audience while another feels cold and impersonal, but the four members of Fleetwood Mac certainly have it.

The band's show Wednesday at EnergySolutions Arena was certainly an impressive production, full of giant video screens, massive moving light rigs, three backup singers and two extra musicians. But it was the undeniable chemistry between the four remaining Macs—Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie—that made the show feel more intimate than oversized.

The band's history of breakups and makeups is oft-told, but after nearly 40 years playing music together in various incarnations, it's clear that the four partners have a musical connection that is rare in any genre. And the interpersonal connections between former lovers Nicks and Buckingman and long-time musical compadres Fleetwood and McVie are palpable still, after all these years.

Wednesday's concert made clear that Buckingham remains a mad musical genius; Fleetwood even said as much when he introduced his fellow band members, calling the incredibly skilled guitarist and writer the band's "mentor." His songs dominated the set, and his searing solos that accompanied nearly every song elicited random rounds of cheers as slack-jawed fans watched his fleet fingers pummeling the strings in extreme close-up, thanks to those giant video screens.

Nicks, though, was clearly the audience fave, and with good reason. She's a one-time Salt Laker who introduced "Gypsy" with a story about her years in Utah and how Salt Lake City was the destination on the very first Buckingham/Nicks road trip when the started playing together in the Bay Area in the mid-'60s. Her gruff voice and ethereal dancing-gypsy vibe remain in fine form, although her regular departures from the stage for a dress change was more noticeable on this tour than past gigs in Salt Lake.

The relationship between Nicks and Buckingham remains the centerpiece of Fleetwood Mac in most fans' minds, and even though they are long past their time as a couple, the energy between the two as they sang songs once written for, to and about each other was obvious. As was their affection when they re-emerged on stage hand in hand for each of the two encores.

Fleetwood Mac is calling this jaunt the "Unleashed" tour, and both Buckingham and Nicks noted early on that since there was no new Mac album to play, they were just going to "have some fun" and play the hits. And that's just what they proceeded to do, delivering 22 songs in three mostly incredible hours. I don't know how they could have fit Christine McVie's songs into the set if she still toured with the band.

The concert opened in a deluge of classics, and it didn't take the band long to get warmed up. Opener "Monday Morning" led straight into "The Chain," "Dreams," "I Know I'm Not Wrong" and "Gypsy" before Nicks left the stage for the first time for Buckingham's experimental take on his solo "Go Insane."

The show's second segment might have been the best, with the band ripping through "Rhiannon," a joyfully snarky "Second Hand News," "Tusk," "Sara" and Buckingham's haunting, solo take on "Big Love." Then it was just Nicks and Buckingham doing acoustic duets of "Landslide" and "Never Going Back Again."

Nicks introduced "I've Always Been a Storm" by saying the band decided at its January rehearsals for this tour that they wanted to play one song that had never been performed on stage before. Turned out to be a fine choice, as was a duet between her and Buckingham on Christine McVie's "Say You Love Me."

The main set ended with a roaring one-two punch of Nicks' solo hit "Stand Back" and the still-potent "Go Your Own Way." But even after more than two and a half hours, the band wasn't done. Their two encores included "World Turning," which evolved into a lengthy Fleetwood drum solo, the buoyant "Don't Stop" and ended poignantly with NIcks' "Silver Springs," nearly three hours after the first note.

REVIEW: Lindsey Buckingham steals the show during Fleetwood Mac show

Guitarist-singer revs up excitement and energizes the crowd during night of hits

By David Burger
The Salt Lake Tribune

Not to disparage the rest of Fleetwood Mac, but Wednesday night's show at EnergySolutions Arena turned into The Lindsay Buckingham Show.

The nimble-fingered guitarist and singer for the British-American rock band put on a fevered showcase during the band's two-and-one-half-hour show, never leaving the stage during the quartet's generous 23-song offering, and picking up the slack for the still-missed Christine McVie, who is not touring with the band.

Mick Fleetwood, the ageless drummer and founder of the band with bassist John McVie at his right-hand side, applauded Buckingham during the show, calling him the "mentor in the studio, maestro on stage, and man with the magic fingers."

Buckingham was so possessed that he overshadowed singer Stevie Nicks' return to Salt Lake City. The Nicks family lived in Salt Lake City between 1961 and 1964, and Nicks spent her eighth, ninth and part of 10th grade in town. During her introduction to "Gypsy," Nicks told the crowd how devastated she was to move from Utah, and later dedicated "Landslide" to her friends who still live here.

Nicks, 61, also looked and sounded ageless. She dressed in several different costumes that included long, billowy dresses, a top hat, and a tambourine and microphone adorned in charms and laces, and still played the part of the band's muse and fairy-rock goddess. Fleetwood and McVie looked nearly identical with matching vests and berets that covered their balding heads: Fleetwood is also 61, and McVie is 63.

Buckingham, 59, couldn't help stealing the spotlight from his older bandmates, who were backed by five musicians that included three back-up singers. It's not that he was envious, jealous or scheming. He just fed off the crowd all evening, and the large video screens hanging from the ceiling of the arena often focused in on his pickless right hand strumming and picking furiously near the scratch plate. Clad in a leather jacket and jeans, he danced joyously on the heels of his black boots all night, often standing at the slightly outstretched lip of the stage like a guitar hero.

Seven songs were from "Rumours," the band's classic 1977 album that was produced during the break-up of the McVies' marriage and Nicks and Buckingham's relationship. While the band was still able to blow kisses to one another, Buckingham was able to summon the rage and anger during the emotional "The Chain," with him seething during the lyrics, "Damn your love, damn your lies." And he changed up the fingerpicking classic "Never Going Back Again," also from "Rumours," into a slower song that barely masked the resignation and the pain.

The sound of the arena was strong, with the sole exception of McVie's bass, which sounded like muddled thunder during "The Chain," sounded better on "Rhiannon," and then became awful again during "Gold Dust Woman." Another quibble is that the concert's arrangement of songs lacked a consistent theme; for example, the show's opener, "Monday Morning," is a song about early mixed feelings about a relationship, but then the band followed that with the devastating break-up song, "The Chain." It was too sudden a change, and too early.

The band played songs from its entire, vast catalog --including Buckingham's stinging take on "Oh Well," a bluesy rave-up that predated his entrance into the band.

The nearly sold-out arena -- although the entire upper bowl was curtained off -- was told some good first-hand news by Buckingham early on.  He said, "There's no new album to promote ... yet."

PHOTOS: FLEETWOOD MAC SALT LAKE CITY

Photos by: Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

FLEETWOOD MAC DUBLIN IRELAND TIX ONSALE DATE

FLEETWOOD MAC - DUBLIN IRELAND

Tickets onsale to General Public

Start: Fri 12/06/09, 09:00

Ticket Prices: €86.25 - €126.50

Ticketmaster.ie

Fleetwood Mac, Dublin, October
by Jim Carroll
Irish Times

Hear that? That’s the sound of groans from Elton John, James Taylor, The Eagles, Rod Stewart and a gallery of other AOR seniors with tickets to hawk for Irish summer shows as yet another heritage act decides to hit Ireland to add some ducats to their pension fund. Fleetwood Mac play Dublin’s 02 on October 24, which neatly puts paid to ridiculous rumours (hur, hur) that they were going to pitch a tent in Stradbally in early September. Per press release, tickets are “from” €86.25 a pop. How high will those tix go? Probably higher than even the Mac got when they were recording “Tusk”.

UNCUT AND BIRMINGHAM POST FLEETWOOD MAC ANNOUNCEMENTS

FLEETWOOD MAC ANNOUNCE UK CONCERTS

UNCUT

Fleetwood Mac have confirmed that the UK leg of their Unleashed 2009 will begin in October.

The classic rock legends, consisting of original members Mick Fleetwood and John McVie as well as Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks will start the UK arena tour at Glasgow's SECC on October 22.

The new expanded reissue of classic 1977 album 'Rumours' which had been slated to be released to coincide with the start of the Unleashed tour in March, is still pending. The reissue is expected to contain previously unreleased songs and footage of the band.

Tickets for Fleetwood Mac's UK shows go on sale at 9am on Friday June 5.

They will play:

Glasgow SECC (October 22)

Manchester MEN (27)

London Wembley Arena (30)

Sheffield Arena (November 2)

Birmingham NIA (3)

Fleetwood Mac to play Birmingham NIA with 'Rumours' line-up

BIRMINGHAM POST

Fleetwood Mac have announced a new UK tour with their best-selling 'Rumours' line-up - and the closing night of the reunion tour will be in Birmingham.

The classic line-up of Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Lindsey Buckingham bring their UK tour to a close at Birmingham’s NIA on Tuesday, November 3.

REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac Returns with Renewed Energy

Fleetwood Mac returns with renewed energy
EnergySolutions Arena,
Salt Lake City - June 3
By Pat Reavy
Deseret News

Fleetwood Mac returned to the EnergySolutions Arena Wednesday night for their "Unleashed" tour. The band has no new album to promote and its show is essentially 21/2 hours of greatest hits. The most "recent" song on the set list was released more than two decades ago (1987's "Big Love").

But yet, the Mac on Wednesday brought a passion and enthusiasm to the stage that was lacking during their 2003 stop in Salt Lake City.

This time around, Fleetwood Mac had a renewed energy as they opened the show with the upbeat "Monday Morning" followed by what had been the traditional opener, "The Chain."

"Salt Lake City, we are thankful you came here tonight to be with us," announced vocalist, guitarist and Master of Ceremonies for the evening Lindsey Buckingham.

Buckingham raised the enthusiasm of the crowd by handling the rocker numbers of the evening, including "I Know I'm Not Wrong" and "Tusk," and showcased his brilliant finger-picking guitar style on "Big Love" and "I'm So Afraid."

But the real magic of Fleetwood Mac is still the deep, raspy, golden voice of Stevie Nicks. Nicks, who turned 61 last week, still sings with a power and emotion in each song that most women half her age can't match.

Some of Nicks' numbers, such as "Dreams," "Rhiannon" and a magnificent "Gold Dust Woman," were among the highlights of the entire evening. Nicks, wore her traditional black dress, several different shawls throughout the evening and one black glove for most of the night as the twirled and gripped her microphone stand draped with scarves and chains.

Both Nicks and Buckingham, who walked onto the stage hand-in-hand, took turns sharing stories about the origins of some of the songs. Nicks introduced "Gypsy" as relating to the time she and Buckingham lived in San Francisco and "the most amazing scene" in music and culture between 1965 and 1971. She also talked about her brief time living in Salt Lake City when she was 13 and dedicated "Landslide" to her lifelong friend Karen Thornhill, who still lives in Utah.

Buckingham talked about the band's much publicized relationship history and the making of songs off 1977's "Rumors," one of the biggest selling albums of all time. It was an album about optimism, humor and aggression, and one that band members had to live through a number of "emotional opposites" to record, said Buckingham before launching into "Second Hand News," the first song recorded for the album, and one of eight "Rumors" songs and outtakes performed Wednesday.

Buckingham and Nicks faced each other as they sang "Sara," another song about relationships though not involving Nicks and Buckingham, though the two hugged at the end.

Mick Fleetwood and John McVie provided the backbone rhythm section, as they have for over 40 years.

The only thing that was missing from Wednesday's show was the soulful voice of Christine McVie who retired from touring after the 1997 reunion tour. Her contribution was missed particularly on "Say You Love Me."

Nicks and Buckingham each contributed a song from their solo albums, Buckingham playing "Go Insane," the title track from his 1984 album. And Nicks sang her hit "Stand Back" from 1983's "The Wild Heart."

A pleasant surprise was "Storms" off the "Tusk" album, a song that had never been played live prior to this tour.

Fleetwood Mac ended the night heavy on the "Rumors" album again, including "Go Your Own Way," which found Nicks moving around stage with her tambourine and top hat, and "Don't Stop."

Overall, the Mac proved Wednesday night that they still had a connection with the music that so many fans spent most of their lives listening to, and made one believe they might still be able to this for years to come.