This week, former Fleetwood Mac band member Christine McVie chooses the Tracks Of My Years and she opens with a classic Beach Boys song from their groundbreaking album Pet Sounds along with a Steely Dan track featured on their acclaimed long player Gaucho. Plus there’s the Record and Album Of The Week and the Monday round of PopMaster. Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970 while married to founder member John McVie. She left the band in 1998 shortly after Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Christine is currently working on new solo material which is planned for a forthcoming album which she describes as marking a return to her musical sound from the seventies.
Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes First broadcast: Monday 07 October 2013
Christine McVie graced the stage of the O2 Arena for a second night at the third and final London show of the 2013 European tour. McVie, who surprised concert attendees on Wednesday night with an appearance during Fleetwood Mac’s first encore, performed “Don’t Stop” and joined her former bandmates for a bow after the performance.
Fleetwood Mac continues the UK leg of the tour, moving on to Birmingham for a Sunday night show at LG Arena.
Watch Christine McVie perform ‘Don’t Stop’ with Fleetwood Mac
(courtesy of drbryant23 & jasonbuck)
Second Hand News (courtesy of MsCrims)
Sad Angel -partial (courtesy of Samantha Ellson)
Big Love (courtesy of jasonbuck)
Landslide (courtesy of MsCrims)
Landslide (courtesy of Megan S)
Gold Dust Woman (courtesy of MsCrims)
Go Your Own Way – partial (courtesy of Megan S)
Silver Springs – partial (courtesy of Samantha Ellson)
Lindsey Buckingham nearly blocked last night’s onstage reunion, reveals Stevie Nicks in MOJO scoop.
Stevie Nicks has talked to MOJO about Christine McVie’s on-stage return to Fleetwood Mac last night at London’s O2 Arena.
Speaking in an interview to be published in MOJO 241 (UK shelf date October 29) the diminutive Mac singer confirmed that while McVie, who left the group in 1998, has “just returned to do one song” it could have been “a few songs” if it hadn’t been for one particular stumbling block.
“I think Lindsey’s words were ‘She can’t just come and go’.”
“Lindsey [Buckingham] is very funny about that,” Nicks told MOJO’s James McNair. “I think his words were ‘She can’t just come and go’. That’s important to him, but it’s not quite so important to me. Much as Lindsey adores her; and he does – she’s the only one in Fleetwood Mac he was ever willing to listen to – he doesn’t want the first night reviews to be all about Christine’s one song, rather than the set we rehearsed for two months.”
McVie was met with rapturous applause last night when she joined her old band to play keyboards and sing Don’t Stop, and she will be appearing with the group again at their final O2 show tomorrow. But, while the route to the stage hasn’t necessarily been a smooth one, Nicks also added that “it will be wonderful to have her back up there with us. And from there who knows.”
In a candid, funny and emotional interview, Nicks goes on to discuss her childhood, her solo career (“Fleetwood Mac weren’t that impressed”) the “unresolved” aspects of her and Buckingham’s relationship, and the bizarre night she slept on the floor of Prince’s purple kitchen.
Rock legends don’t come much bigger or more iconic than the Mac, and these shows look set to be typically historic. But what can fans expect from the most anticipated tour of 2013?
From rumours about Rumours, the return of Christine McVie, a hit-packed set list, celebrities and specials guests, here are 12 very special reasons to get excited at Fleetwood Mac playing live in London.
1. Christine McVie – She’s back in the Mac! Despite Stevie Nicks claiming that they were ‘never, ever, ever getting back together’, the reunion was confirmed earlier this year, with drummer Mick Fleetwood telling Gigwise: “I think she’s going to come and do the last two shows in London. It’s going to be great – Christine’s music is so much part of Fleetwood Mac. She’s been gone now for many, many years and she’s like my sister.”
2. Hits – When the band’s tour reached Dublin last week, they delighted fans with an epic, career-spanning 23 song set that packed in all of the fan favourites. Prepare to lose your mind to ‘The Chain’, ‘Dreams’, Rhiannon’, ‘Tusk’, ‘Don’t Stop’, ‘Go Your Own Way’ and many, many, many more.
3. All generations – Unlike some ‘classic’ bands, it won’t all be older people trying to relive their youth. Fleetwood Mac manage to appeal to everyone, so expect to see a complete mix of people – from children to grandparents.
4. The famous chemistry – The onstage tension between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks is a thing of legend. From the way they hug at the end of ‘Sara’ to Stevie turning her back on Lindsey during the ‘shacking up’ line in ‘Go Your Own Way’, the history between the two of them only serves to add an extra-special magic to the songs.
5. Lots of love for Rumours: The tour happens to coincide with the re-release of the famous Rumours, which could lead to more songs than usual from the ’76 album. Stevie said to Rolling Stone, “There are a lot of songs on Rumours that are in the set no matter what. I think what will happen is we’ll end up talking about it onstage. Most of those songs are in our set anyway. We’ll just end up telling stories and talking about how these things happen. It’s always fun to share that with your audience.”
6. Eight minute drum solo – Last time of touring, Mick Fleetwood chose to perform an eight minute drum solo that teetered on the balance of brilliant and insane. As one reviewer put it, “This was a refreshingly spontaneous moment, including mostly incomprehensible calls from the drummer to the audience, ‘Are you blah blah blah?’”
7. Stevie Nicks solo material: The band dropped in the Nicks’ solo track ‘Stand Back’ at their Dublin show, and with her new LP In Your Dreams out soon, the band could well delight London with a couple more songs.
8. Stevie Nicks’ trademark twirls – Google ‘Stevie Nicks twirl’ and there are tons of results. Stevie’s trademark twirl is a thing to behold – and we doubt we’ll ever know how she manages that without seemingly ever getting dizzy. Witchcraft?!
9. Something different – Stevie Nicks told The Guardian, “This is going to be a very different tour. The audience is going to see a very different Fleetwood Mac up there – we talked about how we really need to appreciate what we have and who we are and how far we’ve come.” So who knows what you could see – although there’s no doubt that whatever it is, it’ll be worth it.
10. Celebrities – Yup, prepare to get celeb-spotting for those famous few that managed to swag a free ticket. The Mac’s recent US tour attracted the likes of Nicole Richie and Jennifer Aniston. The least we can hope for in London is Fleetwood superfan Jeremy Clarkson.
11. Special guests? It’s pure speculation, but here’s hoping that the Mac ‘do a Rolling Stones’ and invite a special guest or two on stage. Heaven knows there must be a long line of artists queuing up to perform with them. Notably, The Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart (pictured with the band here) recently worked with Nicks on her latest studio LP. Maybe he’ll come along?
12. A taste of what’s to come? Fear not, this may not be the last we’ve seen of The Mac. When asked if we can expect to see them at UK festivals next summer, Mick Fleetwood replied: “I hope so, I would love that. This has been a tough year on the road, but having said that, the boys in the band are hoping that our lady will think kindly about doing a few of the festivals.”
Andrew Trendell / Gigwise (UK) / Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Fleetwood Mac have opened up about their upcoming reunion with former keyboardist Christine McVie at their upcoming London shows. Watch our video interview with Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood above.
The rock icons are currently on a critically acclaimed world tour that reaches the UK at the end of the month. Speaking to Gigwise at the London premiere of frontwoman Stevie Nicks’ new movie documentary about her new solo album, In Your Dreams, we asked band members about the hotly-anticipated London shows where McVie has been confirmed to rejoin the band on stage.
“I think she’s going to come and do the last two shows in London,” said drummer Mick Fleetwood. “It’s going to be great – Christine’s music is so much part of Fleetwood Mac. She’s been gone now for many, many years and she’s like my sister.
“We’re going to make her feel comfortable and have fun and I think people will love it. She’s always honoured by the nature of her songs and the depth of that. When she decided to leave 14 or 16 years ago, we were sad and thought that maybe she’d come back, but she made that choice.”
He continued: “A lot of people are saying ‘is she going to come back?’ and the answer to that is that she would be welcome, but that would be her choice. We will see. At some point we’re going to knock it on the head, I’m not sure when, but in that context it would be something that would be entertained.”
Frontwoman Stevie Nicks added: “She’s coming to do two nights here and probably do ‘Don’t Stop’. I’m not sure, but she’s coming to Dublin to rehearse whatever song she’s going to do. We never wanted her to leave, so for us it’s amazing that she is going to come.”
Stevie Nicks’ In Your Dreams will be released on DVD in November. The 4CD box set ‘Fleetwood Mac: 25 Years – The Chain’ is out now.
The UK leg of the tour starts in Dublin on September 20 and wraps up in Glasgow on October 3. Tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit Gigwise Gig Tickets.
Full UK tour dates:
September 20 – Dublin, O2
September 24, 25 & 27 – London, O2 Arena
September 29 – Birmingham, LG Arena
October 1 – Manchester, Manchester Arena
October 3 – Glasgow, The Hydro
Andrew Trendell / Gigwise / Tuesday, September 17, 2013
The cameras were flashing for this highly anticipated event: Christine McVie reuniting with members of Fleetwood Mac. On Monday evening, McVie and fellow guest Mick Fleetwood attended the UK film premiere of Stevie Nicks and Dave Stewart’s In Your Dreams documentary. McVie looked charming as she smiled and posed alongside Dave Stewart and her former Fleetwood Mac bandmates.
McVie’s confirmed guest appearances at two London shows is also highly anticipated. McVie, who will rehearse with Fleetwood Mac later this week in Ireland, will perform with the band during “Don’t Stop.” The European leg of the tour starts on Friday in Dublin, Ireland.
Taking place at the Curzon Mayfair, London on Monday 16th September, Nicks will also be joined by Dave Stewart who collaborated with her on the documentary. The film opens just ahead of Fleetwood Mac’s 2013 World Tour which kicks off in Dublin on 20th September.
The premiere will be introduced by journalist Craig MacLean who will host a Q&A with Nicks before the screening.
The synopsis for In Your Dreams is:
Co-produced and co-directed by Dave Stewart, “In Your Dreams shows the up close and personal musical journey that the two artists embarked on in Nicks’ Los Angeles home as they wrote and recorded an album during what Nicks called “the greatest year of my life”. Nicks felt compelled to share the joyful experience with her fans on what she termed “the day the circus came to town”. The record was co-written by Nicks and Stewart and produced by Stewart and Glen Ballard.
A multi Grammy Award winning artist and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Nicks allowed cameras inside her magical old mansion high atop the hills of LA with a wild cast of musicians and friends. The inner life of the legendary Nicks has by her design long been kept at a distance from the public. We learn in “Dreams” that her world features costume parties, elaborate dinner feasts, tap dancing, fantasy creations and revealing song writing and recording sessions all of which are captured on film. There are cameos by Edgar Allan Poe, Mick Fleetwood, Reese Witherspoon, a massive white stallion in the backyard, owls and naturally a few vampires who appear in several “home movie” style music videos.
In addition to the story of the Nicks / Stewart creative partnership, “In Your Dreams” has plenty of other cinematic payoffs including rare never before seen personal scrapbook stills from Nicks’ childhood and family life and a wealth of candid backstage and performance shots taken over the last 35 years. The documentary was produced by Dave Stewart’s production company, Weapons of Mass Entertainment.
Christine McVie may be the most underrated of the five members of Fleetwood Mac’s “classic” lineup. She’s been with the band since the days with Peter Green, wrote songs like “Don’t Stop,” “You Make Loving Fun”, and “Say You Love Me,” and you probably didn’t know that she hasn’t been in the band proper since 1998. Since then, she has repeatedly refused to perform live with the band (despite performing on two songs on their last album, Say You Will). And Mick Fleetwood has given up on asking her to rejoin, but apparently, Christine has softened her stance.
In September, the band will perform three gigs at London’s O2 Arena, and Christine has said that she would be willing to do a duet at one of those concerts. Quoth Christine McVie: “If they wanted me to, I might pop back on stage when they’re in London just to do a little duet or something like that.”
Also, quoth Mick Fleetwood: “A lot of bands, including us, never know when the audience is going to finally disappear,” he said. “But we have a whole influx of new fans, young people who’ve been brought up on us by their parents or picked us up on the internet. There’ll be people on this tour in their seventies and others seeing us for the first time, and that’s really cool.”
And because I have two other Fleetwood Mac articles in my queue, one dating back all the way from February, and this article is short, I may as well cover those two here.
Christine McVie, circa 2010 (Mike Gunnill)
Earlier in the year, Mick Fleetwood spoke about the interpersonal dynamics of the group: “The biggest misconception to me is that these people really don’t like each other. That’s the worst rumour about Rumours. There’s bands out there, usually a bunch of guys, who don’t give a — about each other. They just come to an arrangement. We can’t do that. 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.”
And on the subject of ex-lovers in the group, Lindsey Buckingham had this to say about his relationship with Stevie Nicks: throughout their songs, there’s a “Subtext of love” between the two of them. Though they broke up while making Rumours, they still maintain a professional relationship.
Quoth Buckingham: “There’s a subtext of love between us, and it would be hard to deny that much of what we’ve accomplished had something to do with trying to prove something to each other. Maybe that’s fucked up but this is someone I’ve known since I was 16, and I think on some weird level we’re still trying to work some things out. There will never be romance there, but there are other kinds of love to be had.”
When asked how he can work with an ex-girlfriend, he said: “You get used to it. And for me, getting married and having children was a positive outcome. I wonder sometimes how Stevie feels about the choices she made, because she doesn’t really have a relationship — she has her career. But there are a few chapters to be written in the Stevie-Lindsey legacy.”
Stevie Nicks replied that, while it was difficult at first, the duo recognised their priorities: “We never, ever, with everything that happened to us, ever, let love affairs break Fleetwood Mac up.” Well, at least they worked out their problems better than Richard and Linda Thompson did. Stay tuned for another Gallagher Brothers article in the near future.
Our moonwalking pony ad for Three mobile is now topping the global viral charts. Second Sync, which analyzes Twitter conversations, says that the video generated 14,000 tweets within five hours of its internet premiere on Friday.
But even more excitingly, we got a telephone call from Martin Wyatt, manager of Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac, the writer and performer of the song ‘Everywhere’ that soundtracks the ad. He told us that Christine is “absolutely thrilled to bits” that we used ‘Everywhere’ and wanted to congratulate whoever made the decision to use it in the ad. She “absolutely loves” the ad and has been “glued to the TV all weekend” waiting for it to come back on. Our Three team is a bit starstruck and overwhelmed at this news.
A nonstop tour schedule of one-night stands since April 15 has left singer-songwriter Christine McVie more than a mite weary. Her lack of energy was evident in concert Thursday night at Sunrise Musical Theatre, and was the only deterrent to an otherwise fine performance.
McVie was in good voice, right on the mark with her distinctive smoky, sleepy, blues singing style. She was backed by an excellent five-piece band, most of whose members also accompanied her on her recently released solo album, titled Christine McVie. Her repertoire was a well-chosen selection of her solo songs, as well as those she has recorded in her 13-year career with Fleetwood Mac.
McVie’s reputation as a laid-back performer seems to have preceded her throughout her first tour apart from the legendary band. Sunrise Theatre was less than half full, as has been the case at many of McVie’s other stops. This was unfortunate, not only for McVie and band, but also for those who missed the show, an enjoyable and musically proficient package of ballads, rockabilly and basic rock ‘n’ roll.
McVie is more than aware that the tour hasn’t been a big draw.
“Being on solo tour is less and more than I expected,” she said after the show. “Actually, I expected more people, but I’m happy with the response from the people that did come out.”
Those who did made up for their small numbers with a warm reception, which became warmer and louder as McVie seemed to pick up on their positive vibes and opened up, if just a little.
Accompanying herself on electric and acoustic piano, McVie sang most of the songs from the Christine McVie album, including its two singles — “Got a Hold on Me,” which became a hit soon after its release, and “Love Will Show Us How,” now rising on the charts. Also memorable were her album cuts “Ask Anybody,” a haunting ballad that clearly displays the soulful emotion of McVie’s voice, and “So Excited,” a rollicking rockabilly-style number.
For the most part, the songs from McVie’s solo album sounded better than the Fleetwood Mac hits she sang — “Hold Me,” “Over My Head,” “You Make Loving Fun” and “Don’t Stop.” “Don’t Stop,” especially, sounded rather empty without Stevie Nicks’ high accompanying vocals.
McVie’s back-up band nearly made up for her subdued manner with an energetic, rhythmic performance. Lead guitarist Todd Sharp (especially notable for some hot breaks), guitarist Steve Bruton, bassist George Hawkins, drummer Steve Ferrone and keyboardist Eddy Quintela formed a tight, balanced unit. When the three guitarists performed without McVie on Guitar Bug, a bouncy rocker a la Chuck Berry, the audience responded almost as enthusiastically as it did at McVie’s encore.
McVie, who said she plans to record another solo album after helping Fleetwood Mac complete its new LP, looked smashingly British in red suede boots, a black and white leopard-spotted blouse, black vest and jeans.
Opening the show for McVie was the Baxter Robertson Band, a five-piece Los Angeles-based rock group with a good beat, some promising songs, and a hard-working lead singer-guitarist- saxophone player.
Linda R. Thornton / Miami Herald (FL) / June 2, 1984
1. Christine McVie – She’s back in the Mac! Despite Stevie Nicks claiming that they were ‘never, ever, ever getting back together’, the reunion was confirmed earlier this year, with drummer Mick Fleetwood telling Gigwise: “I think she’s going to come and do the last two shows in London. It’s going to be great – Christine’s music is so much part of Fleetwood Mac. She’s been gone now for many, many years and she’s like my sister.”
5. Lots of love for Rumours: The tour happens to coincide with the re-release of the famous Rumours, which could lead to more songs than usual from the ’76 album. Stevie said to Rolling Stone, “There are a lot of songs on Rumours that are in the set no matter what. I think what will happen is we’ll end up talking about it onstage. Most of those songs are in our set anyway. We’ll just end up telling stories and talking about how these things happen. It’s always fun to share that with your audience.”
8. Stevie Nicks’ trademark twirls – Google ‘Stevie Nicks twirl’ and there are tons of results. Stevie’s trademark twirl is a thing to behold – and we doubt we’ll ever know how she manages that without seemingly ever getting dizzy. Witchcraft?!
