A downpour of rain could do nothing but enhance the hippie-mystique of Fleetwood Mac’s leading lady Stevie Nicks last Friday night.

The poetic and magical performer behind Fleetwood Mac had 25,000 fans at Subiaco Oval mesmerised from the moment she stepped foot on stage.
Dressed in a black lace dress with her trademark ribbon-adorned tambourine in hand, she opened to a rapturous crowd with the band’s 1977 hit “The Chain.”

Her powerful vocals were backed by the musical talents of Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Christine McVie, who reunited with the band after a 16-year absence.

Fleetwood Mac’s classic line up had returned for their On with the Show tour and as the rain pelted down on their Perth fans, they made sure they turned on one unforgettable show.

Drawing heavily on their 1970s hits from their most celebrate album Rumours, they took the start of the show up a notch with thrilling performances of “You Make Loving Fun,” “Dreams” and “Second Hand News.”

Nicks shared the spotlight with her former lover and legendary guitarist Buckingham who captivated the crowd with a series of flawless guitar solos and his comments about the band’s past exploits.

“There was a grey area between our personal and professional lives — but we have nothing left but love for one another and we’re still here,” he said before the band launched into “Rhiannon.”

The 1975 hit had the younger generation of late 20/early 30 year olds who were raised on their parents’ Fleetwood Mac albums, like myself, wanting to jump up and dance, which clashed with the baby boomer’s desire to stay firmly in their seats.

Christie McVie reminded everyone how missed her smoky vocals were as she sung “Everywhere” while perched behind her keyboard.

“Tusk,” “Sara” and “Say You Love Me” followed and were delivered with an effortless perfection that could only be achieved by a band with 40 years of musical chaos and creativity under their belt.

The night’s highlights included Nicks’ performance of “Landslide” — which showed why she was named one of the 100 greatest singers of all time – and Buckingham’s acoustic guitar solo of “Big Love.”

Nicks then gave what sounded like a 1960s hippy-inspired speech as she revealed the meaning behind “Gypsy” and sang it with such emotion it was as if she was still that struggling artist living in San Francisco.

The band’s original member Mick Fleetwood, who had been smashing the drums all night with the enthusiasm of a teenager, drew in the crowd with an eccentric drum solo behind his elaborate kit.

The heavy rain continued to fall and created a mythical ambiance as it caught the stage light while Nicks swirled around the stage setting the perfect scene for “Gold Dust Woman.”

“This is the strangest, most beautiful rainy night ever,” she said.

No one was left seated as the band finished their main set with “Go Your Own Way, a song that Lindsey wrote to mark the ending of his relationship with Nicks.

The drenched crowd rocked away to the elated encore “Don’t Stop,” before Christine McVie asked the crowd to tolerate the rain for one final stellar moment as she got behind a grand piano and finished with “Songbird.”

Sarah Waters / Community News / Sunday, November 1, 2015

Fleetwood Mac gets off the chain at Perth’s Domain Stadium, despite pouring rain.

I have never been so wet in my life. This was the thought running through my head as I walked away from Domain Stadium on Friday night completely drenched, with my water-filled shoes making an ungainly squelching sound with every step. But, it was quickly followed by another — it was worth it to see Fleetwood Mac in concert again.

The last time the band came to Perth in 2009 was the first concert my wife and I watched together, not long after we had started dating. So when an opportunity arose to review Fleetwood Mac’s return to Perth I jumped at the opportunity, thinking it was a chance to relive some wonderful memories.

However, I wasn’t prepared for the wild night which lay ahead — filled with sizzling guitar, mystical vocals, die-hard fans and never-ending rain. No sooner had we taken our seats when Fleetwood Mac’s smash hit “The Chain” lit up the stadium, much to the crowd’s delight. From there the band’s three main songwriters shared the spotlight with Christine McVie welcomed back to Perth with a rendition of “You Make Loving Fun,” followed by Stevie Nicks’ “Dreams” and Lindsay Buckingham’s “Second Hand News.”

As the heavens opened it also rained down hits with “Rhiannon,” “Everywhere,” “Tusk,” “Sara” and “Say You Love Me” enchanting the 25,000 fans who turned out for the show. Then the two McVies, Nicks and drummer Mick Fleetwood vanished from the stage while Buckingham delivered an outstanding solo, guitar-only, version of “Big Love.”

The rest of the band returned in style, and the hits continued and then the rain started to ease up as Nicks explained to fans the story behind the next song “Gypsy.” As the song progressed, Nicks twirled on screen mesmerizingly almost in what looked like a rain dance.

And, as if on cue, the rain started bucketing down heavier than before, ending any hope concert goers had of leaving Domain Stadium without being completely soaked. Although no one in the crowd seemed to mind as they were straight up out of their seats to dance as “Little Lies,” another of Christine McVie’s creations, resonated around the stadium.

Nicks’ mystical twirling continued as the band launched in to “Gold Dust Woman,” and then the focus shifted to Buckingham who showed he has lost none of his guitar prowess with a stunning guitar solo to finish off “I’m So Afraid.” Buckingham received rambunctious cheers for his bewitching effort, which turned to an even bigger roar as Fleetwood Mac quickly moved into “Go Your Own Way” to finish off their main set. The upbeat tune lifted any remaining seated fans to their feet, and when the song finished, the band received a standing ovation, whose enthusiasm was never dampened despite the pouring rain all night long.

Christine McVie’s return to the the band, after 16 years of semi-retirement, appeared seamless and her vocals added another layer to the Mac’s allure, taking fans back to their golden days. The excitement was evident on the faces of fans every time one of her songs started up, with some of the biggest cheers of the night reserved for the encore when “Don’t Stop” rocked the stadium, and the second encore as “Songbird” closed a memorable, but wet, Fleetwood Mac performance.

Tim Carrier / WA Today / Saturday, October 31, 2015