REVIEW Why losing Lindsey Buckingham will haunt Fleetwood Mac for years

Why losing Lindsey Buckingham will haunt Fleetwood Mac for years
By JIM HARRINGTON
The Mercury News
Check Out The Photo Gallery... Photos by: Nhat V. Meyer

SAN FRANCISCO — Lindsey Buckingham is definitely still on top of his game — even though the game has changed for this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.

Most notably, the man standing before us on Oct. 9 at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts Theatre is no longer a member of Fleetwood Mac. He was fired from that band in April for convoluted reasons that might, possibly, maybe have something to do with Buckingham not wanting to tour with Mac this year.

Perhaps.

Whatever the back story — which is apparently as complicated as pretty much everything else about Fleetwood Mac — the result is that Buckingham is now a full-time solo artist playing intimate theaters, instead of the big sports arenas.

And the change seems to suit him very well.

The Bay Area native’s sold-out show at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, which holds just under 1,000 people, served as a brilliant summary of all that Fleetwood Mac lost with Buckingham’s departure. He sounded great on vocals and even better on guitar, as he thoughtfully and skillfully moved through ballads, mid-tempo numbers and real rockers.

Sure, Fleetwood Mac has lined up some pretty amazing replacements — including Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers fame, and Neil Finn of Crowded House — for its upcoming tour, which touches down Nov. 21 at San Jose’s SAP Center, Nov. 23 at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center and Nov. 24 at Oakland’s Oracle Arena. (See www.ticketmaster.com for more information on those shows.)

But there’s no real replacing Buckingham, not when it comes to Fleetwood Mac. There’s just something about his sheer musical intensity, especially on the frets, that lifts that band up to places it could never have originally reached without him. And the firing of Buckingham — who grew up in Atherton — will likely haunt Fleetwood Mac for years to come.

Backed by a solid four-piece band, the singer-songwriter-guitarist came to town in support of the generous new career retrospective, “Solo Anthology: The Best of Lindsey Buckingham,” released by the Rhino Records label.

Like the “Anthology” itself, the nearly 2-hour set was a real treat for big Buckingham fans, covering a broad range of material and including many tunes that the star hasn’t regularly played in recent years. There were a few rough edges to the performance, which shouldn’t surprise anyone since this was only the second show of the tour, but they really didn’t detract much from the overall enjoyment of the 21-song show.

He opened the show with “Don’t Look Down,” one of a half-dozen numbers chosen from his third solo album, 1992’s “Out of the Cradle,” and then followed with strong takes on “Go Insane” and the rarity “Surrender the Rain.”

Some of the best moments of the night came during a solo spotlight, as the rest of the band left the stage and the star of the evening finger-picked his way through stellar versions of “Shut Us Down” and the Fleetwood Mac tunes “Never Going Back Again” and “Big Love.” Buckingham’s playing was jaw-dropping, somehow making his one guitar sound like three as he knitted through one complex rhythm after another.

Of course, the Fleetwood Mac numbers drew big reactions from the crowd, but his solo material held up quite nicely in the mix as well.

The main set closed with a flurry of highlights, starting with “Holiday Road,” the catchy theme to the Chevy Chase vehicle, “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” and then continuing through three straight Fleetwood Mac offerings — “Tusk,” “I’m So Afraid” and “Go Your Own Way.”

It was Buckingham’s second appearance in San Francisco in a five-day period. He also took the stage during Chris Thile’s set at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park on Oct. 5.

Set list:

1. “Don’t Look Down”
2. “Go Insane”
3. “Surrender the Rain”
4. “Not Too Late”
5. “Doing What I Can”
6. “Trouble”
7. “I Must Go”
8. “Street of Dreams”
9. “Shut Us Down”
10. “Never Going Back Again”
11. “Big Love”
12. “In Our Own Time”
13. “Slow Dancing”
14. “Soul Drifter”
15. “Holiday Road”
16. “Tusk”
17. “I’m So Afraid”
18. “Go Your Own Way”
Encore:
19. “Turn It On”
20. “Down on Rodeo”
21. “Treason”

REVIEW Lindsey Buckingham Live in San Francisco Oct 9, 2018

San Francisco greets Lindsey Buckingham with a heart-warming reception at his sold out show
MUSIC JUNKIE PRESS

You couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful night as Lindsey Buckingham returned to San Francisco for a stop on his solo tour. It was the second night of his North American Tour in support of his Solo Anthology and to catch him on his hometown show was a special treat.  The show was held at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre which is the perfect venue to capture the energy and charisma that Lindsey and his band brings to the stage.

The night kicked off with an entertaining set from Nairobi folk artist J.S. Ondara. He is set to release his first album and entertained the crowd with his new songs. A true highlight was when he put down his guitar and delivered a commanding acapella performance that brought cheers from the crowd.

The crowd was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Lindsey Buckingham and when he hit the stage, he was greeted with a standing ovation, one of many throughout the night.  The enthusiasm grew with each song as he performed a variety of his songs as well as a few Fleetwood Mac hits.  Lindsey’s incendiary performance was one that will not be forgotten. Whether it is his impeccable guitar playing or his embracing voice that drew you in, you were kept in awe from start to finish.

The band flowed with precision and delivered an unwavering passion for the music. Lindsey took to performing several songs on his own and the crowd cheered in appreciation with more standing ovations. The fans sang along, danced in the aisles and had their hearts filled with the gift of music. It was an absolute magical evening. Check out some photos of the night by our Rockin Ryan: HERE

Fleetwood Mac Strongly Disputes Lindsey Buckingham's Allegations in Lawsuit

Fleetwood Mac issued a new statement today, saying,

"Fleetwood Mac strongly disputes the allegations presented in Mr. Buckingham’s complaint and looks forward to their day in court.  The band has retained Dan Petrocelli to handle the case."

Read the 28 page court filing at Rollingstone

Photos: Fleetwood Mac Live in Louisville, KY October 10, 2018

Photos: Sam Upshaw Jr. / Courier Journal
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Fleetwood Mac Spokesperson Responds to Lindsey Buckingham Lawsuit

A spokesperson for Fleetwood Mac provided Rolling Stone with a statement on the lawsuit: “It’s

impossible for the band to offer comment on a legal complaint they have not seen. It’s fairly standard legal procedure to service the complaint to the parties involved, something that neither Mr. Buckingham nor his legal counsel have done. Which makes one wonder what the true motivations are when servicing press first with a legal complaint before the parties in dispute.”

- Rollingstone

Lindsey Buckingham has filed a lawsuit against Fleetwood Mac

Lindsey Buckingham Sues Fleetwood Mac Over Dismissal From Band
Musician alleges breach of fiduciary duty and breach of oral contract, among other charges, after firing earlier this year
By ANDY GREENE
Rollingstone

Photo: Ryan Pfluger for Rolling Stone

Lindsey Buckingham has filed a lawsuit against Fleetwood Mac for breach of fiduciary duty, breach of oral contract and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, among other charges, according to legal documents obtained by Rolling Stone. The group parted ways with Buckingham in January and replaced him with Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and Neil Finn of Crowded House. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, states that he asked the group to postpone their tour three months so he could play shows with his solo band. He says plans were in place for the Rumours-era lineup to play 60 shows across North America when he was let go without warning.

“This action is necessary to enforce Buckingham’s right to share in the economic opportunities he is entitled to as a member of the partnership created to operate the business of Fleetwood Mac,” the complaint states.

The complaint offers a detailed look at the buildup to Buckingham’s departure from the band, going back to late 2017 when the group began plotting a 2018/19 world tour. It claims that Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Christine McVie wanted it to begin in August of this year, but Buckingham wanted it to start in November so he could tour behind his new solo release. When the others refused to delay the plans, the suit claims, he reluctantly agreed to postpone his album for a year to accommodate their wishes.

The suit alleges that a deal was made with Live Nation that would earn each member of the group an estimated $12 million to $14 million for 60 concerts. When Buckingham learned the group only wanted to play three shows a week, he asked permission to book his own shows during off-days. The band played the MusiCares benefit on January 26th, 2018 and two days later Buckingham learned they were carrying on without him.

Read the 28 page court filing at Rollingstone