Review Fleetwood Mac Live in Dublin - July 12, 2015

Fleetwood Mac light up 3Arena Dublin
by Ed Power
Independent

How fitting that Fleetwood Mac should close the European leg of their latest comeback tour with a brace of sold-out shows in Dublin.

It was at this very venue in 2013 that erstwhile singer and keyboardist Christine McVie reunited with her bandmates for the first time in 16 years. The success of their soundcheck jam that night persuaded the reclusive Englishwoman to rejoin full-time – and now here she was, back where it started.

The sense of a group operating at full tilt was evident from the outset as McVie, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and vocalist Stevie Nicks plunged into the harmonized introduction to The Chain, a tug-of-love ballad written while Nicks and Buckingham were in the throes of their notoriously messy late '70s break-up (heartbreaking fuel for the 40-million selling Rumours album). Half a lifetime later the tune still gleamed with acidic vim as Nicks and Buckingham locked gazes and spat accusatorially lyrics at one another.

With McVie in the fold once more, it was as if a missing piece of a puzzle had clicked into place. In her absence, Buckingham's pop eccentricities wielded an outsize influence over Fleetwood Mac, his oddball histrionics threatening to capsize the ship. Tonight confirmed that McVie's classic songwriting and calm persona served as a vital counterpoint. Earlier Fleetwood Mac reunions felt like glorified Buckingham solo affairs. This was assuredly no longer the case.

How or why Fleetwood Mac became the world's favourite heritage act remains a matter of conjecture. Through the '80s and '90s, the soft rock titans were an ongoing punchline. Catchy, crowd-pleasing and always on radio, they were everything a rebellious young musician might despise. However, the onward march of the decades has seen their stock soar, with hayseed Gen Yers such as Haim and Best Coast blatantly indebted to the quintet's burned-out California cool. Wait long enough and everything comes back into fashion.

Straining my neck from my standing position towards the rear of the arena, I could just about make out the top of McVie blonde bob. It was all that I needed to see as Fleetwood Mac negotiated one of mainstream rock's greatest catalogues. From The Chain, they shifted gear into You Make Loving Fun, McVie's sly Valentine to a secret lover, while Nicks had an early opportunity to shine on Dreams, a scented-candle dirge whose hippy aphorisms yielded universal truths.

Wiry and goggle-eyed, Buckingham was a tortured yin to McVie's understated yang. He barked into the mic and bobbed his head as he dispensed platitudes to the crowd (apparently we're still the best audience in the world). McVie, in contrast, stayed in the shadows for much of the set but, when required to step beneath the spotlight, was a searing presence, especially on Everywhere, her bittersweet love ballad. Disinterred six songs in it was a knockout punch and powerful closing argument for anyone who wondered how pop's naffest ensemble ended up its most beloved.

Fleetwood Mac Tour Stats Update Adding Toronto, Atlanta, Anaheim, AtlanticCity, Austin and Houston

Updated On With The Show Tour Stats.  New to the list: Anaheim, Houston, Atlanta x 2, Atlantic City, Austin and Toronto.

Reviews Fleetwood Mac Live in Manchester - July 1, 2015

Fleetwood Mac at Manchester Arena
Manchester Evening News
by Emily Heward

Fans were delighted to see Christine McVie reunited on stage with ex-husband John McVie and bandmates Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham

Photo: Henry Ciechanowicz
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Fleetwood Mac fans finally got to see the classic Rumours-era line-up reunited last night as Christine McVie joined ex-husband John McVie and bandmates Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham on stage at Manchester Arena.

The singer - who is the songwriter and voice behind some of the band's most enduring hits, including Don’t Stop, Little Lies and You Make Loving Fun - is back on the road with the band for the first time in 16 years for their On With The Show tour.

Fans were delighted to see her return - as was Stevie Nicks, who echoed the audience's excitement as she squealed: "Our girl is BACK!"

None of the group showed any sign of the mystery illness that forced them to cancel their first show in Manchester last month as they played an unrelenting two and a half hour set.

Now all in their mid to late 60s except Christine, who is 71, they worked the stage with the energy of a group half their age, particularly Lindsey, whose virtuoso guitar playing stole the show.

There was no sign either of the turbulence that nearly tore the band apart during the making of Rumours, with ex-lovers Stevie and Lindsey sweetly clasping hands before dueting on a gorgeous stripped-back version of Landslide (we think we even saw Stevie wipe away a tear), while Christine and John appeared just as happy to be sharing a stage again.

"Our Songbird, you might say, has returned," as Mick put it fondly - and there could only be one way to close the show as Christine sat down alone at a piano to sing her beautiful ballad.

The finale was the highlight of the show for many fans who had waited for years to hear her sing it again, but it was by no means the only standout moment.

From opener The Chain to the rousing singalong that accompanied Go Your Own Way and Mick's manic drum solo, it was a five-star performance from start to finish. Even the weather seemed to agree, with fans leaving the arena to a Dreams-worthy chorus of thunder and rain outside.

Fleetwood Mac bring thunder to Manchester
Wigantoday.net
by Tom McCooey

LIGHTS down, mobile phone cameras puncturing the black canvas, Mick Fleetwood’s right foot sets the tone.

Thud, thud, thud, thud - fans know what’s coming - and when a band can open on a monster such as ‘The Chain’, the night promises to show off some of the best songwriting to be heard.

But it would be wrong to expect the latest installment of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘On with the Show’ tour - at the Manchester Arena on Wednesday night - to be a flawless evening of note perfect music.

That’s not why fans, ranging from those who had their first dance to ‘Everywhere’ to the newly grown-up kids from those relationships, are out on a sweltering night.

Shivers as guitar interludes morph into songs which bring hibernating memories alive, knowing every word, being able to say: “I saw Fleetwood Mac,” is why most are here.

The band’s older voices sometimes crack - even with a few songs knocked down a semi-tone or two - but genuine moments of pure joy excuse imperfections.

And the inclusion of Christine McVie, on tour after a 17-year absence from the band, makes the experience more authentic - this really is the Rumours lineup - the record we’ve all bought five times and played to death four.

An energetic opening sees hits ‘You Make Loving Fun’, ‘Dreams’ and ‘Second Hand News’ chalked off before the intoxicating voice of Stevie Nicks shifts the mood with a haunting rendition of ‘Rhiannon’.

For fans with numerous live albums in the car glovebox, Lindsey Buckingham didn’t disappoint with his mesmerising solo performance of ‘Tango in the Night’ opener ‘Big Love’ - a version many fans prefer over the 1987 album offering.

Nicks had another opportunity to induce stomach butterflies in the audience with ‘Landslide’ - lyrics: “‘Cause I’ve built my life around you…. And I’m getting older too,” taking on new significance, as it becomes apparent this band is playing on a radio in the background somewhere in a staggering number of life’s flashpoints.

There were moments of self-indulgence to sit through though - the main culprit being Buckingham whose solo on ‘I’m So Afraid’ was more than a touch too long - and the camaraderie between members in between songs did at times feel forced.

But what can be expected from a band which has come through such thoroughly documented turbulence spanning more than half a lifetime?

And just when eyes were beginning to roll - the band relit the fire as ‘Go Your Own Way’ came to life, paving the way for a mammoth two-part encore, culminating in McVie and Buckingham wrapping-up with ‘Songbird’.

This was made more touching by McVie’s unpolished but heartfelt performance.

For the 98th night of a tour spanning two years and two legs - due to finish in November this year - Fleetwood Mac put on a show fans won’t forget.

The downsides (including a £15 programme with no editorial in it) were soothed with enough moments of magic to make their ticking off on the gig bucket list a satisfying one.

Fleetwood Mac continue their ‘On with the Show’ tour in Leeds, Birmingham and Glasgow next week.

Orange Amplifiers Sign Fleetwood Mac's John McVie

Orange Amplification is pleased to announce that Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie has become their latest Ambassador. John co-founded the band along with drummer Mick Fleetwood, and the pair has gone on to form a lasting partnership that has long been regarded as one of the best rhythm sections in the history of Rock music.

Talking about becoming a new Orange Ambassador John stated, “The guys at Orange, have really put together a great amp system for me. It truly delivers the punch, bottom end and quality of sound that makes it a pleasure to hear night after night.”

John McVie’s bass legacy has anchored one of the biggest bands in the world, leading to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. He has provided one stellar bass line after another for Fleetwood Mac, through a multiple of line-ups that includes the classic 1970’s group, which created the timeless hit albums Rumours and Tusk. He is now using Orange bass heads, together with Orange OBC115, OBC410 and PPC112 speaker cabs. He joins a roster that includes many other legendary bassists such as Geddy Lee and Glenn Hughes.

After more than forty years at the top, Fleetwood Mac are still as popular as ever. This year sees them take their ‘On With The Show’ world tour across Australia, New Zealand and Europe. The performances showcase hits and classic songs drawn from albums that have sold in excess of 100 million copies and that span their whole career. The list of tracks includes ‘Go Your Own Way’, ‘Dreams’, ‘Tusk’, ‘Second Hand News’ and ‘Think About Me’ to name but a few.

Orange amps distributed in Australia by http://www.gibsonami.com/

Fleetwood Mac Australian tour details: https://www.livenation.co.nz/artists/fleetwood-mac

Australianmusician.com

Review Fleetwood Mac Live in Leeds - June 30, 2015

Fleetwood Mac Live in Leeds, UK - June 30, 2015
by Mark Casci
Yorkshire Evening Post

A wild-eyed genius named Mick Fleetwood says it better than I ever could as Fleetwood Mac exit the
stage - “The Mac is BACK!”

A blistering two hour and 20 minute set from the classic (yes, that word is ENTIRELY appropriate) Rumours-era line-up elicits one of the most passionate responses I have seen from an audience in my life.

A four-song opening shot from said record that made them famous the world over was always going to put us on the right foot.

The Chain, all close harmonies and blues guitar gives way to one of the most memorable of bass lines and Leeds is all theirs. You Make Loving Fun, Dreams and Second Hand News are all delivered as they should be, note perfect and intense.

The rock solid, bomb-proof rhythm section of Mr Fleetwood and his self-professed dearest friend John McVie form the bedrock of tonight’s show.

Highlights come from their front people throughout however.

Returning from a 17 year hiatus from music, Christine McVie still has the voice of an angel, as evidenced by set-closer Songbird and Everywhere.

Lindsay Buckingham storms around the stage like a man a quarter of his age, his distinctive finger-picking guitar style as ferocious and precise and it ever was. His solo-rendition of Big Love was a thing of majesty,

Best of all is centre-stage throughout. Stevie Nicks, 67, still mops the floor with any other front woman out there. During Gold Dust Woman she does not just command the stage but dominate it,

The highlight for this humble reviewer is Landslide, performed by the couple Buckingham and Nicks, whose well-documented fallings-out inspired so much of their greatest art, is tear-jerking. Stevie owns the spotlight, a magisterial performance.

Despite Mick’s bullish claim we will most-likely never see these five together again. But tonight’s gig capped a truly unique and inspirational career and cemented their legacy as one of the most special and unique rock n roll bands of all time.

The Mac is back? The Mac never left us and never will.

Fleetwood Mac are both brilliant and loveable, which is some combination

A man who hates gigs reviews Fleetwood Mac at the O2
By George Chesterton
GQ Magazine - UK

Someone has got me a ticket to see Fleetwood Mac, you say? I love Fleetwood Mac. But hang on, I hate gigs. Love Fleetwood Mac. Hate gigs. Love Fleetwood Mac. Hate gigs. Oh well, let's just get on with it then.

The O2 would be a sterile venue to host a conference of anti-bacterial spray manufacturers, let alone a concert of one of the world's great rock bands, and the clientele were suitably hard to pin down. It was strange to go to a gig with no discernable tribes, unless fans of a carvery on a Sunday constitutes a tribe. It was like being on a Ryanair flight with 20,000 people.

Why do I hate gigs? Even when I was a teenager and went to a gig a week, I hated gigs. For starters, I experience enochlophobia (look it up). More importantly, I have always been so precious about music that it always seemed a particular perverse cruelty to have my experiences ruined by inevitable meatheads, who would always (and I mean, always) end up standing or sitting next to, behind, or in front of me. Since I refuse to enjoy myself, God punishes me by surrounding me with people who do. 

And lo, George the meathead magnet strikes again. Behind me were five friends, who informed me that they had come all the way from Bristol to see their favourite band - and then talked through every song. It was all going exactly as I had expected. It was a shame that the sound at the O2 is so muffled and rough. It really is a music venue for people who don't like music. I would have preferred a bit more volume and clarity, not only to drown out my paralytic-clown neighbours, but because I really wanted to listen to the band.