Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and co. prove that ‘the Mac is back’ with effortless arena show
Fleetwood Mac version 2K13 look genuinely fresh; revitalised so much in their relative absence that casually jumping into ‘The Chain’ two songs in looks effortless. And they’re just warming up. Though “Everywhere” is among notable absentees in tonight’s gargantuan set, in favour of a few new gems from April’s Extended Play EP, our returning legends still serve up a high concentration of stone cold classics, from “Rhiannon,” “Tusk” and “Gold Dust Woman” to the blissfully upbeat “Don’t Stop” and the immortal “Go Your Own Way,” with resident front woman/ethereal spirit guide Stevie Nicks sashaying and cavorting with the crowd throughout.
With Mick Fleetwood on top, eccentric form behind the kit, thumping the skins like he’s fresh out of high school, and John McVie manning the helm on rhythmic duties, the band sound virtually unstoppable as they drive their runaway arena-filling freight train right into the hearts of twelve thousand screaming and adoring fans. But it’s perhaps the back-to-back solo set pieces of “Big Love” — in which the still remarkably baby-faced Lindsey Buckingham commands the enormous stage with his frantic finger-picking and searing howls — and Stevie Nicks’ trademark tearjerker “Landslide” that truly reduce The Hydro to a bittersweet, emotional mess.
Endingly aptly on “Say Goodbye,” the band close one door and gently nudge open another, with enough hints at future plans to assure us — especially those suffering from painful sell-outs and ticket hikes — that this is not just a flying visit. Or in Buckingham’s own words “the Mac is back.” For good.
The List (UK) / Tuesday, October 15, 2013
