John McVie, left, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac at the Tacoma Dome Monday. (Marcus Yam / Seattle Times)
Fleetwood Mac, which had its heyday in the ’70s, drew fans from several generations to the Tacoma Dome Monday in a concert that began as a singalong but ended as a love-a-thon.
The enduring power of Fleetwood Mac’s musical legacy was clearly evident in a high-energy, 2 ½ -hour concert Monday night at the Tacoma Dome.
A near-capacity crowd spanning several generations grooved on the timeless music of the band’s late-’70s heyday, from “The Chain” to “Gold Dust Woman.” It began as a singalong, but soon became a love-a-thon.
Younger concertgoers who weren’t yet born when the group’s classic, multiplatinum 1977 album Rumours was released were among the most enthusiastic. They pushed to the front of the stage for a closer look at singer Stevie Nicks (dressed in her trademark shawls and flowing skirts) and show-stealing guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, who crouched down to let concertgoers touch the strings on his guitar during “Go Your Own Way.”
Opening with “Second Hand News,” the concert quickly gained momentum with such songs as “The Chain,” “Dreams” and “Rhiannon.” The band reserved “Don’t Stop,” “Silver Springs” and “Say Goodbye” for a pair of encores.
The show was mostly a parade of greatest hits, but early on, “Sad Angel,” a song from a new EP, offered a glimpse into the band’s current creative state of mind.
The star power of Nicks and Buckingham, who traded lead vocals and sang duets, enthralled the audience on such songs as “Go Your Own Way,” “World Turning” and “Don’t Stop.” A tender version of “Sara” featured a duet by the two former lovers, who shared tender, sentimental moments throughout the show.
Buckingham introduced “Big Love” as a song whose meaning had shifted over the years, becoming “a meditation on the power and importance of change.”
Nicks and Buckingham, whose relationship began decades ago, performed the romantic song “Without You,” which they resurrected on the new four-song, Extended Play EP after finding a long-lost version on YouTube.
A giant LED video screen behind the stage displayed eye-popping graphics and dizzying close-ups, especially during the latter half of the show.
Despite the immense popularity of Rumours, the band also celebrated its less successful, somewhat experimental follow-up, Tusk, by performing the title song as well as “Not That Funny,” “Sara” and “Sisters of the Moon.”
Fleetwood Mac’s core members, now in their 60s, included drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie (Christine McVie retired long ago, but is still missed). They were backed by several touring musicians and two female backup singers who hit some of the high notes Nicks could no longer reach.
Before the final song of the band’s two-and-a-half-hour long set at the Tacoma Dome on Monday night, Fleetwood Mac guitarist and latter-day creative force Lindsey Buckingham stepped to the microphone and proclaimed, “Sometimes it takes losing a set of illusions to move forward.” While he may have been referring to his oft-discussed and long dormant romantic relationship with his band mate Stevie Nicks, the same sentiment could be applied to expectations for the band’s performance that evening.
No, this wasn’t the same powerhouse that dominated popular music in 1977 — the hair was a little grayer, the movements on stage a little more deliberate — but Fleetwood Mac still managed to deliver a solid set of timeless music that brought the thousands in attendance to their feet for nearly the duration of the show.
The night began with a touching gesture as Buckingham and Nicks took the stage hand-in-hand lending the crowd a visual cue that each was willing to put their respective feelings of acrimony behind them. If they were ready to forget their own personal histories however, they were just as quick to delve into their musical past opening the night with a one-two-three punch of songs off the astronomically successful album, Rumours; “Second Hand News,” the first track off the album followed by “The Chain” and then “Dreams.”
It was clear from the start that Buckingham was to be the focal point of the evening and his performance both vocally and on guitar was transcendent. Buckingham, who drummer Mick Fleetwood later referred to as, “Our inspiration and our mentor,” was given much of the burden of moving the show along and providing the necessary flourishes that kept the songs from drifting too far into stale renditions of over-played material. His solo on “I’m So Afraid” in particular stood out for both its intensity and technical wizardry.
However, much Buckingham proved throughout the evening to have sidestepped the effect of passing years on his musical prowess, the same could not be said singer Stevie Nicks. It was evident early on that Nicks has lost a bit of her vocal top-range — the iconic falsetto on “Rhiannon” was noticeably absent. She was, however, still able to solidly belt out each number with a steadiness that proved admirable. Accompanied by Buckingham alone on acoustic guitar, Nick’s rendition of “Landslide” — always a crowd favorite — was delivered expertly and with a great deal of precision.
The rhythm section — the Fleetwood and Mac in Fleetwood Mac as it were — was, as expected, on point throughout the evening. John McVie’s bass proved to be the solid rock and foundation of each number. His technical ability combined with his comfortable setting near the rear of the stage rendered him almost an afterthought; something taken for granted. Mick Fleetwood on the other hand was a force that refused to be ignored and throughout the evening slammed all the power that his 6’5” frame could muster into each hit on the snare and kick on the bass.
Amid an evening soaked in nostalgia — Fleetwood himself was garbed in the same outfit he wore in the cover photo of Rumours, down to the balls dangling listlessly from his waistband — there were signals that the group intended to carry on.
Selections from its latest offering, Extended Play, were interspersed amongst the old standbys in the setlist to great acclaim from the audience. Buckingham himself declared that there are, “a few chapters left to be written in the book of Fleetwood Mac.”
If Monday’s performance proved anything, it was that while they may have lost a step or two in some regards, and may be more than a little too reliant on their back catalog, Fleetwood Mac still has it and aren’t quite ready to say goodbye just yet.
Fleetwood Mac returned to the States on Monday night, performing at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. On Sunday, the band wrapped up a week of concerts in Canada with a performance at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. The band will make one final appearance in Canada on June 18 with a concert at Bell Centre in Montreal.
Stevie dedicated “Landslide” to her Tacoma-area cousins Ed, Sandy, Linda, and “special little cousin” Arwen Nicks, an aspiring broadcast journalist at NPR Radio.
Fleetwood Mac will finish up the month of May with shows at West Coast cities in California, Nevada, and Arizona.
Fan reaction (via Twitter)
@bryce1077
Can’t tell if fleetwood Mac boring or crowd incredible
@kittyjosie
Lindsay Buckingham still rocks. WTH happened to Stevie Nicks voice? Now in a lower register. Still loving the songs. #FleetwoodMac
@Behlingjk
@fleetwoodmac They sound as good today as 30+ years ago! Is it really that long ago?!
@Saylor_Noelle
I fucking love Fleetwood Mac.
@lolwesley
Someday I’ll play guitar well enough to cover Big Love by Fleetwood Mac.
@heidiswanmusic
Listening 2 Stevie Knick’s just belt out Landslide @ Tacoma Dome…….Fleetwood Mac….always rocks!
@mightystacy
You know it’s an old crowd when they pull out actual lighters. #fleetwoodmac
@mckinsey_jane
@stevienicks said we all sing like a beautiful choir! Pretty, talented, AND gives compliments! #FleetwoodMac
@shakeitupbabyy
Literally done. Listen to that low whisper/moan. Kill me okay #fleetwoodMac #lindseybuckingham #concert #Tears
@bryce1077
Is this a fleetwood Mac show or a Stevie nicks book reading?
@MelissaVincett
@fleetwoodmac rocking the #tacomadome. Lindsey Buckingham brought it down on #biglove
@MJPritchard
Amazed at how many people are leaving #FleetwoodMac early. Consensus…not good. #lessonlearned
@ChantillyWhite
#fleetwoodmac just brought down the house in style! WOOT!!!!!
@mehuntertwin
Because 1 encore wasn’t enough… Here’s a second one!!! #FleetwoodMac
@lindseyblue
Never before have I felt it appropriate to hold up my lighter during a show – until tonight during Landslide. #FleetwoodMac
@KarliOlsen
Time cast a spell on you, but you won’t forget me #silverspring #secondencore #fleetwoodmac
@shakeitupbabyy
Last song of the evening. #Cries #FleetwoodMac #SayGoodbye #Concert #Encore
@Hashtag_John
Fleetwood Mac just fucking killed the Tacoma Dome! #theyresoold #theystillgotit
@KelleyMikaela
That was worth every second and every penny. Fleetwood Mac is amazing.
@danekelly2012
I’m crushin on Stevie nicks right now. Best fucking concert in a long long time! #fleetwoodmac
@VitaminMeek
Stevie Nicks’ last words leaving the stage, “SAVE THE WORLD” #FleetwoodMac #ForeverInLove
@merrijen
Good company, killer music, lots of dancing, shredding solos, an amazing set, more dancing, thank you Fleetwood Mac❤ best night ever!
@shakeitupbabyy
That concert was AMAZING. I’m still definitely sticking to my “I like Fleetwood Mac but I LOVE Lindsey Buckingham” theory.
@lovelyjack130
Holy fuck. Fleetwood Mac KILLED IT tonight!!! Damn. Religious experience!
Set list (unchanged since 5/12)
Second Hand News
The Chain
Dreams
Sad Angel
Rhiannon
Not That Funny
Tusk
Sisters of the Moon
Sara
Big Love
Landslide
Never Going Back Again
Without You
Gypsy
Eyes of the World
Gold Dust Woman
I’m So Afraid
Stand Back
Go Your Own Way
World Turning (first encore)
Don’t Stop
Silver Springs (second encore)
Say Goodbye
Videos
2. The Chain (courtesy of Werner Schumacher)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tzQ62G-XYw]
4. Sad Angel (courtesy of jclark0333)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFRwXKoiV7w]
5. Rhiannon (courtesy of Werner Schumacher)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwS99Xy6Yvg]
8. Sisters of the Moon (courtesy of tsfmnlb)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjGnUbFrm4I]
9. Sara (courtesy of JUJYLINCOLN1)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBof3oio5u8]
9. Sara (courtesy of Brad Gosche)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsZ4OVe_mwM]
9. Sara (courtesy of 1moregan)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzppuo597iw]
10. Big Love (courtesy of tsfmnlb)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9fkuSpAaKQ]
11. Landslide with dedication (courtesy of tsfmnlb)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5TSk-kXYuE]
11. Landslide (courtesy of JUJYLINCOLN1)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOPvlBUk0iU]
13. Without You (courtesy of jclark0333)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loCjntl99do]
14. Gypsy (courtesy of sdintn)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKz6bjO6Or0]
14. Gypsy (courtesy of Brad Gosche)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cp-aC5DGiI]
16. Gold Dust Woman (courtesy of ChefMattify)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NewV9CnzAaQ]
16. Gold Dust Woman – great picture, rough audio (courtesy of TacomaPaul)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmppkPiwZJw]
17. I’m So Afraid (courtesy of tsfmnlb)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3NnVyr5Rg8]
18. Stand Back – great picture, rough audio (courtesy of TacomaPaul)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1YUq2FjZho]
19. Go Your Own Way (courtesy of tsfmnlb)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVV-uVNouAc]
21. Don’t Stop (courtesy of JUJYLINCOLN1)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-HAnK5PeLQ]
21. Don’t Stop – great picture, rough audio (courtesy of TacomaPaul)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGkfeD4mtOE]
23. Say Goodbye (courtesy of jclark0333)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpPQTrQMjPg]
Special thanks to ChefMattify, Brad Gosche, jclark0333, JUJYLINCOLN1, 1moregan, Werner Schumacher, sdintn, TacomaPaul, and tsfmnlb for making these clips available.
Fans jumped to their feet to sing along to every song at Rogers Arena
By Stuart Derdeyn / Vancouver Sun (Postmedia News)
Sunday, May 19, 2013
A love-in. That was last night’s Fleetwood Mac concert.
From the moment Mick Fleetwood bounded onstage, dropped his giant, lanky self behind his kit and started the drum roll leading into “Second Hand News,” it was on your feet and sing along to every song at Rogers Arena. On the basis of three albums made in the seventies, the second configuration of what began as a very fine UK blues-rock group has built a timeless legacy.
The sheer number of people at the show who weren’t even born when Rumours ruled the world in 1977 but knew every word was testament to that.
The quartet of Fleetwood (65), bassist John McVie (67), eternally tanned guitarist Lindsey Buckingham (63) and Stevie Nicks (64) still bring it. Sure, it’s a shame that singer/keyboardist Christine McVie (69) is out of the lineup again but the band has plenty of material she wasn’t a key part of.
Some winning material from the recently released iTunes only EP titled, creatively, Extended Play, was thrown into the Fleetwood Mac (1975), Rumours and Tusk (1979) heavy set. “Sad Angel” is certainly the group’s best song in decades so here is hoping the future album contains more of the same.
If not, no matter.
As the fluid-voiced Buckingham, made abundantly clear, songs such as “Not That Funny” and “Tusk” have actually aged extremely well. What was panned critically at the time for failing to match the impossible-to-equal Rumours is a fine album. One that the group still wants to get a fairer shake based on Buckingham’s comments about “taking a good idea and grinding it into the ground before moving on.”
Tusk tunes such as “Sisters of the Moon” and “Sara” certainly gave Nicks, ample opportunity to show that she can still carry the body of the songs. With back up singers to clean up the high notes she can’t reach anymore and provide a tad of the warmth that was occasionally missing, the singer’s haunting way with a lyric rang true.
For his part, Buckingham proved why he has been such a critical component to the band’s success.
His fingerpicking all night was searing and hit show-stealing on his solo acoustic take of “Big Love” from Tango In the Night. It was obvious that Nicks’ tour de force “Landslide” would follow. It did and “Never Going Back Again” rounded out the strumming Buckingham/Nicks portion of the show.
“Without You,” a re-discovered tune from the duo’s pre-Mac days that is also on the new EP brought the full band back. Again, a bit of proof the old dog may have some new(er) tricks left in it.
Frankly, after hearing that heavy version of “Gold Dust Woman” it is hard to believe a Grunge era band didn’t get on the cover wagon. For the bass lines alone, the song burns.
After 20-plus tunes, nobody left last night unsatisfied. Unless, that is, you wanted to hear “Oh Well” or the “Green Manalishi” which this version of the band has probably never played. That was another time and predates the string of near perfect pop songs such as “Go Your Own Way.” But by all means go back and check out earlier ‘Mac too.
Given last night, the next album could prove well worth a listen too.
By Eric Francis / Calgary Sun
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Try as he might Schad Richea wasn’t able to save the Flames season.
However, the Flames assistant athletic therapist was able to make sure the show went on at the Dome Friday night.
In the midst of Fleetwood Mac’s stirring performance at the Saddledome leading lady Stevie Nicks paused between songs to explain a recent fall had left her hobbling to the point she wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to continue on as part of the iconic band’s latest tour.
“It was, like, really bad,” the 64-year-old Nicks told the sold out crowd of her knee injury.
“It was to the point we were going to have to start cancelling shows.”
She said Richea’s magic touch had helped to the point she wanted to dedicate the next song, Landslide, to Richea, adding, “I feel like a hockey player!”
Richea was given tickets to the show by Nicks and was shocked to hear his latest patient rain praise upon him for his efforts.
“I was flattered — I wasn’t expecting anything like that,” said Richea.
“She’s a very classy lady and I was happy to help spruce her up.”
Richea said he just happened to be at the Dome when a call came from someone asking if he could help the legendary singer.
“What I did was no different than what 140 other athletic therapists in Alberta would have done for her – I just happened,” said Richea, 39, a former Dinos and Toronto Blue Jays athletic therapist who has been with the Flames four years.
“I guess I had a small part in helping her out and she was really grateful and I appreciate that.”
Richea, a huge fan of live music, said the he thought the show was phenomenal.
“Everyone was standing — I haven’t seen anything like that at the Dome since Kipper’s last game,” said Richea, who also took Nicks up on her invitation to see her after the show to meet the rest of the band.
“Just a great show. She’s 64 and she’s the youngest in the group — incredible.”
The aging band is in the middle of a rigorous 48-date North American tour that features shows almost every second night over the course of three months.
To put that into perspective the Flames lineup of 20-and-30-something athletes also played 48 times in a three-month schedule with the help of a massive support staff that includes Richea and colleague Morris Boyer, who recently worked for Team Canada at the World Championships in Sweden.
The NHL team only travels for half its games unlike rock bands, which play all their gigs on the road.
“A lot of bands like Bon Jovi have chiropractors and physiotherapists travelling with them because the schedules and the job are demanding and they’re not athletes,” said Richea.
“One of the things I did say to her is that ‘you may have to find someone to work with you along the way.’”
After a one-month summer break Fleetwood Mac will resume rocking in Europe where they have another 19-city schedule set up.
22nd SHOW: Fleetwood Mac, Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Fan photos
Fleetwood Mac performed in concert at Rogers Arena, Vancouver British Columbia on Sunday night, the fifth of five consecutive shows in Canada. Stevie dedicated “Landslide” to Vancouver for its “snow covered hills.” Lindsey offered a similar sentiment during the show, saying that Vancouver “is one of our favorite cities in the world.” But Stevie experienced a memory lapse at the end of the show, forgetting what city she was in. “We’ll never forget the city of Toronto and its people,” she said. Despite the blunder, the crowd still cheered.
The band returns to the States on Monday, performing a show at the Dome in Tacoma, Washington.
Fan reaction (via Twitter)
@alexismartis
#fleetwoodmac opened w ‘secondhand news’… and I feel so complete
@WarnerCanada
.@fleetwoodmac has started at rogers arena! Love it so far, band hasn’t aged! #fleetwoodmacinvancity #rumors
@iainblack_vbot
@FleetwoodMac open with one big hit after another. Fantastic groove already. Crowd totally under their spell.
@genevapetrichor
It would seem there are a few more chapters in the book of fleewood Mac. #fleetwoodmac
@TheBoomerVine
Sad angel #fleetwoodmac new EP sounds like #Irish song to sing tonight @blarney_stone anniversary party!
@CraigRMcCulloch
@fleetwoodmac Why secret hidden drummer beside Mick & behind monitors in #Vancouver show? Btw…does Stevie need TelePrompTer? #cheapseats
@victoriabeergal
#fleetwoodmac rocking #YVR at Rogers arena. New music sounds amazing #sadAngel
@indiestarlive
@Fleetwood mac is soo awesome right now
#Vancouver #rock
@hilaryipes
Stevie Nicks is sexy as ever. I want her hair. #fleetwoodmac
@MissLilDvl
At #FleetwoodMac! They just ripped #Tusk up!!! F•*kin’ AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
@Ian_Ross_
#fleetwoodMac unreal live.. #legends
@jenniferbate96
It amazes me how old Fleetwood Mac is and how amazing they are & how much energy they put into their performance #mindblown
@7MikeyP
Fleetwood Mac live, so good!
@Canuckoff
Can’t believe how amazing Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham still sing after all these years! #FleetwoodMac
@earofnewt
Lindsay Buckingham just stole the show at #FleetwoodMac with his guitar tour-de-force, “Big Love”. No pick, no problem
@kylieee3
Crying during Landslide listening to Stevie’s sweet serenade! Now Never Going Back Again
By Steve Newton / Straight.com
Monday, May 20, 2013
At Rogers Arena on Sunday, May 19
“I don’t believe Fleetwood Mac will ever tour again,” drummer Mick Fleetwood told Playboy last year, dashing the concert hopes of diehard ‘70s soft-rock fans everywhere. But as seen at Rogers Arena last night, you can’t believe everything you read in a girlie magazine.
Fleetwood took the stage—along with the current Fleetwood Mac lineup of singer Stevie Nicks, guitarist-vocalist Lindsay Buckingham, and bassist John McVie—and proceeded to show that a capering 65-year-old codger can still be a force of nature behind the kit. The foursome was supplemented by a second guitarist-vocalist, a keyboard-vocalist, and two backup vocalists, so there was plenty of younger vocal cords on hand to help Nicks (64) and Buckingham (63) hit those high notes.
The show kicked off with “Second Hand News”, the perky opening track from the 1977 Rumours album, which has so far sold a paltry 45-million copies worldwide. That song is noted for containing some of the most memorable gibberish lyrics ever, which are tricky to decipher, but go something like: “Bow-bow-bow-bow/da-bas-bow-bow-bow-bow/da-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam-da-bam-bam-bam-bam/do-doodle-doo.”
After a couple more Rumours gems, “The Chain” and “Dreams,” the band pulled out a new composition from Extended Play, the four-song EP it released on iTunes a few weeks back. “Sad Angel” is a jangly rocker slightly reminiscent of “Go Your Own Way,” sans its melodic allure.
The group would showcase one other new tune, “Without You,” a rerecording of a pre-Mac, Buckingham/Nicks demo that, as Nicks explained in a rambling introduction, resurfaced on YouTube recently. Unfortunately the song—based on a poem she wrote for Buckingham early on in their relationship—came off a little on the humdrum side.
Apart from the two middling new tunes, it was golden oldies all the way, which was what everyone had come for anyway. The band performed seven of Rumours’ 11 deathless tracks, and four each from the 1975 Fleetwood Mac and ‘79 Tusk albums. Three tracks from the eighties went over extremely well, including the Nicks-sung “Gypsy” (from 1982’s Mirage) and “Stand Back” (from her ‘83 solo album The Wild Heart). One of the night’s biggest highlights was “Big Love”, a track from 1987’s Tango in the Night that boasted ace fingerpicking from Buckingham.
As crowdpleasing as the setlist was, it would have been nice if it had touched ever-so-briefly on the band’s history prior to its multiplatinum success. It would have been cool to hear Fleetwood snapping off that triple-time intro to 1973’s dreamy “Hypnotized” as an homage to former member Bob Welch, who died last summer.
Even better, they could have selected one tune from the group’s late-’60s blues-rock era, when guitar legend Peter Green was in the fold. I can totally picture Buckingham singing lines like: “I can’t help about the shape I’m in/I can’t sing, I ain’t pretty and my legs are thin/But don’t ask me what I think of you/I might not give the answer that you want me to.”
FLEETWOOD MAC
May 19, 8 p.m. Rogers Arena Tickets: ticketmaster.ca
“It’s good therapy,” says Mick Fleetwood, settling back to talk about Rumours, an album released 36 years ago that continues to haunt the lives of everyone involved.
“There’s still a fascination about it, it’s who we are and what we are, the reason why we made all that music. It forces you to think about yourself, how you’ve developed or undeveloped, screwed up or not, what you learned from that, and whether you have truly moved on from the hurt, fear and loathing.”
Fleetwood Mac’s classic 1977 album is back in the charts, a reissued expanded edition going straight in at No. 3.
“It’s this mutant thing, with a life of its own,” says Fleetwood about the enduring appeal of an album that has already sold more than 40 million copies.
“It shaped me as a person, because we went through a damage, making that album,” says the tall, hirsute, elegantly attired 65-year-old drummer.
“I know it sounds, like, ‘Oh my God, when will those people grow up?’ Well, the reality was maybe we didn’t actually ever grow up. But it’s never too late. We’re not finished yet.”
In February 1976, the five members of the Anglo-American rock band convened at the Record Plant in Sausalito, Calif., to record a fol-lowup to the previous year’s four-million-selling Fleetwood Mac album. After eight years of shifting lineups and stylistic changes, the band Fleetwood formed with bassist John McVie had achieved new success.
But on a personal level, they were in deep trouble. The bassist and his wife, keyboard player and vocalist Christine McVie, were in the throes of divorce, ending nearly eight years of marriage. The other couple in the band, guitarist-vocalist Lindsey Buckingham and vocalist Stevie Nicks, were high school sweethearts whose intense 10-year relationship was falling apart. Drummer Fleetwood had domestic problems of his own, his marriage to model Jenny Boyd was at its end.
“It was a poignant moment,” says Fleetwood, who just recently filed for legal separation from his third wife, Lynn Frankel Fleetwood. “It could have exploded and imploded the band right there. We could have got halfway through and everyone tell everyone to f—off.
“But because we kept going, we emotionally crippled people, we’ve carried this with us ever since.”
Rumours is justly celebrated as one of the great breakup albums, conjuring up a bittersweet tension between the strong emotional content of songs like “Don’t Stop,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Songbird” and “Oh Daddy” and the gently rocking, beautifully harmonized, shimmering arrangements.
“There’s a duality to the album,” Fleetwood says. “It sparks all of the personal stuff but I don’t listen to the music differently. I’m really happy that we didn’t overproduce, because we were all of a mindset of being pure.
“It’s not full of fluff and, to my perception, it doesn’t sound dated, because there’s no weird echoes or plastic drums. A lot of our contemporaries were doing funny things in the studio that spoils stuff from that period. But Rumours could have been made yesterday.”
Stylistically, he says, there was no master plan, it was just a culmination of the music they all liked, embracing a Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter blend of intimacy and melody with sleek, harmonic ’70s Californian soft rock and an undercurrent of the grittier British blues-rock roots of the long-serving rhythm section.
“We knew, in a very organic way, that something was horribly right about what we were doing. We were in charge of our own destiny, and yet our destinies were all falling apart on a personal scale.”
Fleetwood says recording was straightforward, on a musical level at least. “We made decisions on songs fairly early,” he says. “The real work was stripping it down to stuff that sounds very simple, and then layering it up, especially the vocals.”
Two CDs of outtakes (released as part of the new Rumours package) illuminate the process, both in terms of the care taken with arrangements and the core strengths of songs that sound perfectly formed even as rough demos.
Emotionally, it was another story. “It’s not the easiest thing to imagine having to be with someone 24-7 when you don’t want to be or, even worse, you want to be with but can’t.”
Fleetwood characterizes the band’s whole career ever since as being one of dealing with the aftermath of Rumours.
“The album was our baby. You and your wife break up, you wanna do the right thing, not to hurt the children. That’s what made an impossible thing possible. It was, like, ‘Let’s do our best to turn up and go to that play together and let those children know Mom and Dad are here.’ ”
For Fleetwood, there was a long period of denial and escape. “You anesthetized yourself emotionally. The wound was cauterized but underneath was chaos. Fleetwood Mac became the bandage, just wrap it up and keep it wrapped up.”
For he and Nicks (who had an affair behind the back of Buckingham during the recording of 1979’s experimental double album Tusk) “the bandage included a whole lifestyle of toys and substances, a big old circus that never stopped, with loads of jugglers with balls being thrown up and catching them just in time.”
“And that’s what Lindsey eventually ran away from. And I don’t blame him.”
Buckingham left the band after the recording of 1987’s Tango in the Night.
Christine McVie retired in 1998, and though relationships remain strong she has made it clear she does not wish to be involved anymore.
“I’ve had to agree to stop asking her,” Fleetwood says, with a guilty smile. In 2003, Buckingham returned to the fold, which seems to have opened up old wounds and helped heal others.
“Me and Stevie are very similar,” Fleetwood says, “a couple of old drama queens who got into the whole drug thing. We were nuts, totally out of our minds at one point. Lindsey was just not that type of guy. He’s very metered about stuff.
“Well, to see Stevie, just a week ago, saying to Lindsey that she understood that he left because he couldn’t stand to see her destroy herself in front of his eyes. Because he loved her.
“It was a heavy, good moment.” Fleetwood gets suddenly moist-eyed. “See, I’m moved even talking about it,” he sniffs.
Although they last toured in 2009, the band hasn’t released an album since 2003’s Say You Will. But Fleetwood says they have been recording again. “The seeds have been sown. I will be cheeky enough to say it’s the best stuff Lindsey’s done since I first met him. It’s all coming good.
“The biggest misconception to me is that these people really don’t like each other. That’s the worst rumour about Rumours,” says Fleetwood.
“There’s bands out there, usually a bunch of guys, who don’t give a s–about each other. They just come to an arrangement.
“We can’t do that!” Fleetwood says. “We’re all ex-lovers, so we don’t have that corporate, guy thing where it’s just ‘get the job done.’ I think it bodes in our favour that, in a funny, shaky way, there is some integrity.
“We do actually love each other, for real. Unfortunately. ‘Cause it’s tough.”
Fleetwood Mac Performed Friday night at the Saddledome.
There are few perfections in life.
Even the idea of life, itself. And, when you find something that meets that goal, that is that faultless thing, you remember it and you wish it to remain so.
Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 release Rumours is that rarity, an album that has no cracks, no errors, no glitches, no do-overs, no lows, no songs to skip, no regrets, no anything that you wish could be anything more than it is.
It marries blues and rock and pop and folk in a way that nothing had or has since, and it was the high-water mark of an eclectic four-decade-plus career.
It is perfect. Even now, even 36 years after its release, it is a classic rock record that actually is classic, not just some fossilized memory of those who were there when it was new, but something that stands up with and above that which has come in its wake.
It’s timeless, it lives, it breathes. And it, for most, stands as the thing by which they will forever be judged.
Which is why Friday night’s Saddledome show by the band was as dramatically disappointing as it was. A sort-of 35th anniversary celebration of that release – albeit with other songs from their post-blues period – the two-and-a-half-hour show didn’t live, it didn’t breathe, it wasn’t anything that seemed remotely of the moment.
It was stagnant, it was disinterested and it was weak.
Save for the odd moment, the odd great guitar solo or gruff vocal part, there was no vibrancy to the evening, just the equivalent of a plastic-covered couch that’s managed to keep the dust away but seems only overly familiar and smells old and stale.
Kicking off with a trio of Rumours tunes – “Second Hand News,” “The Chain” and “Dreams” – the Christine McVieless core (and, yes, she is sorely missed) of Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie along with their touring band showed that they weren’t interested in doing anything other than pandering to those memories and in the laziest of ways.
There was no energy, there was no magic, there was no real stage show.
There was just Fleetwood Mac as a museum piece and nothing that made that history come to life.
Yes, Buckingham, on guitar, had an inspired moment or two – during that first song and a great solo take on “Big Love” – but he was alone in doing anything of note and not that interesting in the grander scheme of things.
Nicks certainly wasn’t the vibrant, flaky, hippie Gypsy lady of days gone by. Her voice familiar, but when it wasn’t buried in the mix, was only a shadow of what it once was – as a half-hearted “Landslide” and a remarkably tepid version of her solo song “Stand Back” revealed – and her stage presence that was neither the expected sexy nor even seemingly remotely interested,
If you’d ever seen her perform before, alone or with Mac, you’d have been left wondering whether or not she even wanted to be there or was merely punching a clock because this was where she felt comfortable.
And even drummer Fleetwood, in previous shows a fun and energetic ham who was more than happy to step up and take the spotlight that his name and talents afforded him, was little more than a bit player – his by-the-books encore solo only underscored that – albeit in a show in which there were no stars.
So the night, instead, relied on the tried and true plot, content to rarely if at all diverge from the recorded reminiscence of those songs, and when it did, it certainly didn’t improve upon them.
Take another solo Buckingham on the glorious “Never Going Back Again,” which was little more than a pub performance that made you wonder if a dreary, Guinness-soaked, drunken shouted cover of American Pie was next.
Even a version of “Tusk” – one of the most underrated, upbeat and adrenalized pop songs the world has ever known – was a flaccid, cheerleader-less take on that great tune, and made you only want to go back to the original.
Just like “Go Your Own Way” and “Don’t Stop,” perhaps two of Rumours‘ most perfect of perfect moments, here, this night, late into the set reduced to singalongs for singalong’s sake, and even then one you’d want to mouth with a vague semblance of enthusiasm.
Just like every other moment of the long, regrettable evening.
Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is classic, it is timeless, it is perfect.
Three decades later, Fleetwood Mac, Friday night at the Saddle-dome, were old, worn and what once was.
By Gerry Krochak / Calgary Sun
Friday, May 17, 2013
Given Calgary’s spring and summer major concert schedule, you could be forgiven for wondering what year it is.
With Bob Seger, Bon Jovi and Motley Crue behind us, and Def Leppard (with Cheap Trick, no less), KISS, Rush and The Eagles ahead, it’s really no wonder that vinyl record sales are at a 15-year high — in Calgary and everywhere else.
Which brings us to last night: Back in 1977, Fleetwood Mac released a perfect record, and 36 years later, Rumours remains an undeniable and absolute pop-rock masterpiece. If there remained any question whether they could still pull it off live, the response last night was a resounding “yes.”
That second Lindsey Buckingham-Stevie Nicks effort, which followed Mac’s rich blues history with former leader Peter Green in the late ’60s, was, not surprisingly, the focal point of the evening.
Indeed, Buckingham’s vocals and otherworldly fretwork, and Nicks’ distinctive and still muscular pipes, fuelled the Rumours troika of “Second Hand News,” “The Chain” and “Dreams” to open the evening with a bang, and thunderous applause to match.
The 40- and 50-somethings were expected more than the healthy contingent of teens and 20-somethings, but all seemed in awe, in the presence of greatness even, by the time Nicks addressed the crowd for the first time. “Welcome Calgary,” she greeted the erupting throng. “It was a beautiful day here and thanks for spending tonight … with us.”
On an understated, but classy stage production, bathed in lights of greens, yellows, blues and purples and some video imagery, Nicks still demonstrates a mystical aura with her onstage demeanour.
While it’s true that the vocals and keyboard styling of Christine McVie are missed, musically, the band doesn’t miss much. Although a little more ragged and a little more raspy than in her glory days, the best thing you can say about Nicks in 2013 is that she still sounds like, well, Stevie Nicks.
Besides, two backup singers rounded out the sound (and hit the high notes she couldn’t) on “Sad Angel” (a new one from Extended Play) and a so-so interpretation of “Rhiannon,” in which she mumbled her way through the first verse before catching her groove.
Some nifty video images, including iconic footage of the USC Marching Band, accompanied a pair from ’79s Tusk: Buckingham handled lead through “Not That Funny” and the title cut from the late ’70s experiment which, depending on who you ask, either went very wrong or very right leading up to 1980.
Veteran sticksman Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie remained in the pocket, while Buckingham continued to lead the charge and Nicks picked up steam through stirring renditions of “Sara,” “Big Love” and, especially, “Landslide.”
The pace of the show never wavered and it was one of those nights where it felt like it was all unfolding too quickly. “Gypsy,” “Gold Dust Woman,” the outstanding Stevie Nicks solo cut, “Stand Back,” and, of course, main set closer “Go Your Own Way” were memorable snapshots during an evening many hoped would never end.
The encores were inevitable, but not obvious. “World Turning” preceded “Don’t Stop” — the Christine McVie lead that was missed the most — while “Silver Springs” and “Say Goodbye” rounded out a night that seemed over in a flash even though two hours had past.
No one ever retires from rock and roll — this much we know. And last night we were richer for it.
