Christine McVie and me at the O2

Photo by @patbutcherer

UPTOWN GIRL ABROAD 
by ALANA DIXON
The Southland Times

In an 11-month, 13-country (so far) adventure there have been plenty of ‘‘I’d die happy’’ moments. But, despite an ever-burgeoning passport, a self-satisfying list of European sights and South American escapades, and mastering the art of slipping through the masses to score the last empty seat on the Tube, I’ve struggled to think of another moment to top my list of moments since setting off on the Big OE.

Yes, folks, you might have tickets to Vector Arena but I defy you to trump seeing Fleetwood Mac belt out folksy rock jam after jam at London’s O2 Arena.

The evening did not start off the way I hoped.

After making the mistake of first heading to a bar in the Square Mile for some pre-show drinks (oh sure, I’ll pay £19 for a shared cocktail that arrives in a miniature bathtub filled mainly of ice cubes not booze, and, oh sure, I’d love to be surrounded by Hooray Henrys loudly discussing how many zeros are in their salaries! That doesn’t sound irritating at all) we came to our senses and decided to venture to the surely packed-to-the-brim bars around the stadium.

From there the night was on a steady, skyrocketing improve.

Review: Fleetwood Mac "They’ve never been less than enduringly popular" - Dublin

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE AT THE O2 (Dublin, Ireland)
Colm O Hare, 11, October 2013
Hotpress

They’ve never been less than enduringly popular, especially in this neck of the woods where sell-out shows are the norm. But for some reason, Fleetwood Mac have suddenly become hip with a much younger audience. In fact, a sizeable contingent of the crowd tonight weren't even born when the band’s 40 million-selling 1977 opus Rumours was released.

In truth, it’s not difficult to work out why they’re so acclaimed after all these years. As well as being a formidable hit-making machine, the ‘Mac has a lot going for it, not least the bewitching stage presence and voice of Stevie Nicks and the guitar playing and songwriting genius that is Lindsey Buckingham (looking impossibly fit and healthy).

Meanwhile, the founding members – drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie – hold their own as one of the finest rhythm sections in rock history.

Opening with a powerhouse trio of tracks from the aforementioned Rumours in the form of ‘Second Hand News’, ‘The Chain’ and ‘Dreams’ makes for a high-octane start to what is a lengthy two-and-a-half-hour show.

The hits keep on coming, with early highlights including a seductive ‘Rhiannon’, the haunting ‘Gypsy’ and the hypnotic ‘Gold Dust Woman’.

There is room, too, for a new song – ‘Sad Angel’. It is a surprisingly meaty but melodic rocker. A trio from Tusk includes the title track and the lovely ‘Sara’. The star of the show and the one who keeps it all together is undoubtedly Lindsey Buckingham; his electric and acoustic strumming is, as Dave Fanning comments after the show, nothing short of astonishing. A solo version of ‘Big Love’ sees Buckingham display some incredible fretwork gymnastics, as does ‘Never Going Back Again’, while a lovely acoustic duet on ‘Landslide’ with Nicks was another memorable moment.

However, it is the mega hits that have the packed arena on its feet with ‘Go Your Own Way’, and ‘Don’t Stop’ eliciting ecstatic responses. The encore ballad ‘Silver Springs’, a Rumours out-take, has become a deserved live favourite take. The hoped-for appearance by former member Christine McVie, who was said to be rehearsing with the band in Dublin, proves unfounded. But no-one is complaining.

Photos | Video: Fleetwood Mac Live in Paris 11th October

Fleetwood Mac Live in Paris, France
October 11, 2013 - Paris Bercy

Great Photos by RockParis - View Gallery
In the outfits department, Stevie's wore the boots with chains on them, the ones she wore in London at the
In Your Dreams Premiere.

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SAD ANGEL

DON'T STOP

SARA

Fleetwood Mac: the carry-on gang

by Matt Munday
The Australian

MICK Fleetwood looks like a bohemian Santa with his bushy white beard, pastel shirt, black waistcoat and flat cap. Not all his tales from the rock 'n' roll frontline are as jolly as his appearance, though. At one point he has to choke back tears of regret. He has lived a life of such abandon that he admits he is lucky to still be here. "I've inherited some good genes," he explains.

It is often reported Fleetwood put $8 million of cocaine up his nose and, though this is an exaggeration, he says, if he hadn't stopped consuming the drug so vigorously "the next stop would have been a wooden box".

His former bandmate in Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie, tells me the men in the band used to rack out lines of coke like "blooming great rails", whereas she and Stevie Nicks, the female contingent, would restrict themselves to "ladylike" portions, carried around their necks in jewelled buckles that had dainty silver spoons inside.

"It was the 1970s," she says with a shrug. "There was a lot going around."

Fleetwood says: "I'm not advocating cocaine at all, but the truth is, I had a good time. But then, without realising it, you're getting too out of it. You're sleeping for three days, or you're up for nine days or whatever. And eventually you don't feel good at any time."

He quit taking coke "a long time ago", but the booze has been harder to let go. "I haven't been drunk for five months now," he announces.

Look for this article in the "REVIEW" section of The Weekend Australian:

Former Fleetwood Mac band member Christine McVie working on new solo album marking a return to her 70's sound.

Former Fleetwood Mac band member Christine McVie chooses

the Tracks of My Years
Monday 07 October 2013 09:30am to
Friday 11 October 2013 09:30am
BBC Radio 2 - Ken Bruce

This week, former Fleetwood Mac band member Christine McVie chooses the Tracks Of My Years and she opens with a classic Beach Boys song from their groundbreaking album Pet Sounds along with a Steely Dan track featured on their acclaimed long player Gaucho. Plus there's the Record and Album Of The Week and the Monday round of PopMaster. Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970 while married to founder member John McVie. She left the band in 1998 shortly after Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Christine is currently working on new solo material which is planned for a forthcoming album which she describes as marking a return to her musical sound from the seventies.

Tune in to BBC Radio 2 - Ken Bruce 9:30am Monday to Friday (Christine will be on every day this week)

Full programs are available at BBC Radio 2

Listen to each day's interview and track segment below after the jump... Christine on Friday October 11th describes how she's getting back to her music, writing, recording demos, working vocal muscles she hasn't used in a long while. Turns out completely abandoning music and moving back to England isn't exactly what she thought she wanted, but it took her a long time to realize it.  After a bit of therapy and analysis, she's back to enjoying the writing process and playing piano again... and what she's been working on sounds very commercial, and sounds very much like her Rumours days... She says she feels 20-30 years old. DON'T STOP Christine...

Check out each days interview clip below

REVIEWS | PHOTOS: Fleetwood Mac - Antwerp Highlight, the drawn-out, brooding, slightly psychedelic 'Gold Dust Woman'

Fleetwood Mac solves high expectations only partly in
DMorgen.be
by Bart Steenhaut

"Despite long interludes and a far from optimal sound had this Fleetwood Mac concert many times in splendor house."

Continue to the full review

Photos by Alex Vanhee Photography
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Fleetwood Mac @ Sportpaleis
Motherloveusic.be
by Pieter Dhooghe

Photos: Ymke Dirikx
View Gallery

Some ups that are worth mentioning: the new 'Sad Angel' fit perfectly between the old hits. That was obviously good news, because new material from old bands dare already to disappoint. Also the more experimental work of the album  Tusk caused goosebumps moments: a slickly 'Tusk' overwhelmed the audience and at 'Sara' Nicks had her second wind (thankfully) found. Yet it was the absolute hits like 'Landslide', 'Go Your Own Way' and 'Do not Stop' that people did right springs and a second youth did experience.

Continue to the full review

NEVER GOING BACK AGAIN

Fleetwood Mac @ Sportpaleis: One minute, boring, another brilliant
Focus.knack.be

The highlight of the evening was, in our opinion, the drawn-out, brooding, slightly psychedelic version of 'Gold Dust Woman', which expressed Fleetwood Mac gave exciting things still to be able to. Also strong: to Deep Purple leaning hard rock ballad "I'm So Afraid", which Buckingham was like a madman on the strings to time. His solos were intense, both technically and emotionally, an experience.

IN A SENTENCE: At its best moments the band played brilliant pop songs with a timeless character, its worst she sounded routine, predictable and uninspired.

HIGHLIGHTS: 'Gold Dust Woman' , "Big Love," "Landslide," "Dreams," "Rhiannon," "I'm So Afraid", "World Turning '.

LOWS: 'Not That Funny', 'Tusk', 'Sad Angel'.

BEST QUOTE Stevie Nicks: "Thanks to admit that we still do find the finest us. You are our dream catchers. So write soon, before you go to sleep, in a note: "Stevie thinks I'm extraordinary. Because I really believe. "

Continue to the full review

GOLD DUST WOMAN

Photos by Marco de Niet
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GO YOUR OWN WAY

I'm So Afraid
All of the above translated using google translator