All Phones Arena, Sydney

The band who’ve made peace with the past put on a truly group effort, satisfying old, new and future pop lovers with a nostalgia-light set

What brings someone to a Fleetwood Mac concert in 2015? Hazy memories of Rumours the first time round. The bashed up vinyl inherited from a parent. An interview with Haim, wearing their influences as openly as their Stevie Nicks-inspired style. Or pure and simple love of pop, never mind the vintage?

Whatever the reason, Sydney’s All Phones Arena boasts a surprisingly all-ages crowd for the first of Fleetwood Mac’s anticipated Australian dates (a 2013 visit was cancelled when band member John McVie started treatment for cancer).

The band have been on hiatus for three months since the last leg of their On With The Show world tour. Lindsey Buckingham complains of blisters on his fingers. Stevie struggles to remember a well-worn anecdote of her first trip to the Velvet Underground in San Francisco.

At least, they tell us they’re blistering and struggling. From here in the side seats, they’re smashing it out of the Olympic park. And even if the three other bandmates vie for less attention than these famous ex-lovers – Mick Fleetwood happy for the most part behind his drumkit – this is a true group show.

A 23-song set takes us from the predictable opener of Chains to the inevitable closer of Go Your Own Way, plus two encores, the second a stripped-down take on Songbird showcasing Christine McVie, back to complete the Rumours line-up. Between those bookends, the biggest crowd reactions come for Tusk, with its relentless Trojan marching beat and later, Buckingham’s guitar-geek pleasing – if somewhat indulgent – solo on Big Love.

You’d expect a night of nostalgia and, sure, we get some songs that haven’t been performed for years: Tusk album track, Think About Me, for example, which “didn’t do very well at the time but we’ve always been rather fond of,” says Christine McVie.

But overall, there’s a sense that the band who say they are in their “last act” have made peace with the past. Introducing Bleed to Love Her (last done live in 1997), it’s Buckingham once again who brings up the heartbreak and breakups and breakdowns that make up the Fleetwood Mac truth and myth.

With everyone back together, “you have to assume a great deal of love,” he concludes – what were songs of “alienation” are now songs of “meditation”. Don’t start, Lindsey. We’ve already got Stevie for all that hippy dippy stuff. The tiny queen of the twirl clops around unselfconciously in her black platforms and shawls, her voice as unforced as her persona.

What brings someone to a Fleetwood Mac gig? In my case, it’s rescuing a friend, a first-time mother who’s barely slept in four-and-a-half months. The wall-to-wall hits visibly revive her, but we each have our songs we need to hear. Mine’s Everywhere. It comes early and doesn’t disappoint, Christine McVie’s vocals unshowy, the song dripping with the tingly feels it’s always had.

My companion is waiting for Landslide, which doesn’t turn up for over an hour. Nicks launches into a rambling “Don’t give up on your dreams” speech before duetting with Buckingham into the familiar chorus: “Time makes you bolder / Even children get older / And I’m getting older too.”

The next day I get a message on my phone – “I was singing to Zara all morning” – and a photo of a smiling baby. Looks like the Mac magic is winning over another generation.

Fleetwood Mac play Sydney, 24 and 25 October, then tour Australia.

Nancy Groves / The Guardian / Friday, October 24, 2015

Spoiler alert: What to expect from Fleetwood Mac’s Australian tour

Fleetwood Mac are an unmissable icons, and the opening night of their Aussie ‘On With The Show’ tour was a rockfest of the highest calibre. The famed five piece lineup – back together after 16 years of playing sans Christine McVie were on absolute top form, and all members played with the stamina and energy of performers decades their junior.

68-year-old Mick Fleetwood tore up on percussion, while guitar king Lindsey Buckingham went strong all night – the only member not to take a break for a single song the whole set.

Sydney’s Allphones Arena was buzzing with anticipation for the show’s start, and by the time the iconic opening riff of 1977’s ‘The Chain’ rang out, the atmosphere was at fever pitch, and fans were cheering from the get go.

With almost fifty years of first-class material to choose from, there wasn’t a single number the whole evening that wasn’t adored by the crowd. Hits ‘Second Hand News’ and ‘Rhiannon’ went off, and the older crowd demographic definitely didn’t hinder the upbeat, rocking ambience of the night.

An unexpectedly sweet highlight of the night was the rendition of ‘Bleed to Love Her’ from 1997’s The Dance album, the last record the group performed before Chrstine McVie took her departure. Buckingham shared the story of the song, a number that delves into some of the emotion and heartbreak the band has been through personally, and together as a group. Buckingham and McVie shared a couple of sentimental glances, and the number overall was quite touching and sweet.

Stevie Nicks was an absolute treat to look at in her opening ensemble, the kind of outfit that you could just keep looking at and discovering something new. Gypsy crow meets Slovenian grandmother probably describes it – flowing, lacy, glittery, and fabulous, it was classic Nicks, and it was glorious.

The ‘prodigal daughter’ of the group Christine McVie absolutely defied her age, looking elegant, playing beautifully, and bringing an understated air of graciousness to the stage.

Bassist John McVie kept it cool and calm in the wings, opting out of the spotlight and any showboating, but absolutely shredding the whole night. From his deep licks to his gritty endurance you’d never know he is suffering any health problems, and was a pillar and backbone to the whole night’s sound.

Taking a break from the hugeness of the rock show, Lindsey Buckingham performed a cranking solo of Tango in the Night’s single ‘Big Love’ before a short acoustic set with Stevie Nicks covering ‘Landslide’ and ‘Never Going Back Again’.

Rejoined by the rest of the band, they launched into ‘Think About Me’, before playing through an overwhelming stream of hit after hit. ‘Gypsy‘ followed by ‘Little Lies’, and ‘Gold Dust Woman’, before an absolutely massive ‘I’m So Afraid’ culminated in Buckingham screaming with reckless abandon slapping his frets and letting the front row fans play his guitar – the whole moment was so classic rock that it looked like it might end with Buckingham just smashing his guitar right there on stage, though fortunately he restrained himself enough to keep it to jumping on the spot while the crowd lost themselves in the rock.

Finishing up the set with ‘Go Your Own Way’, by the time the number was over not a single person in the arena was sitting, and there were more than a few people wiping a tear from their eyes.

It would be a sin for a band of this calibre to not come back out for an encore, and the crowd revelled in ‘World Turning’, which led into a several minute long Mick Fleetwood drum solo, a number that highlighted just how damn great the guy is, both behind a kit, and on the microphone. The crowd cheered, laughed, and played off Fleetwood as he mirthfully and wildly rocked out.

‘Don’t Stop’ was a roof raiser, with the whole arena harmonising, and would have been a massive high to finish on – however the group opted go out on a softer note, playing through ‘Silver Springs’ together, before finally closing on a Buckingham McVie duet in ‘Songbird’.

Following the final number Fleetwood returned to the stage for a heartfelt thank you to the fans, to his bandmates, and a timely reminder to take care of ourselves in this crazy world we now find ourselves in. From his little speech, echoing an earlier sentiment Nicks had shared, it’s clear the group is from another time, and however relevant they have made themselves in today’s culture, they are in fact a little world weary.

Fleetwood has hinted in recent interviews that On With The Show will likely be the very final tour of the band – at least as the iconic five-piece they have once again found themselves. His little speech was emotive, and perhaps a touching, if veiled farewell.

Maybe it was something in the water, but the 70s seemed to breed a different set of performers, and Fleetwood Mac are among some of the best. The group should basically be a ‘how to guide’ for current musos on how to put on an unforgettable performance. Thursday’s opening night of their Australian tour was absolutely exceptional, a simply wonderful night, and remarkable performance.

Setlist

‘The Chain’
‘You Make Loving Fun’
‘Dreams’
‘Second Hand News’
‘Rhiannon’
‘Everywhere’
‘Bleed to Love Her’
‘Tusk’
‘Sara’
‘Say You Love Me’
‘Big Love’
‘Landslide’
‘Never Going Back Again’
‘Think About Me’
‘Gypsy’
‘Little Lies’
‘Gold Dust Woman’
‘I’m So Afraid’
‘Go Your Own Way’

Encore
‘World Turning’
‘Don’t Stop’
‘Silver Springs’

Encore 2
‘Songbird’

FLEETWOOD MAC AUSTRALIA TOUR DATES

Thursday, 22nd October 2015
Allphones Arena, Sydney

Saturday, 24th October 2015
Allphones Arena, Sydney

Sunday, 25th October 2015
Allphones Arena, Sydney

Wednesday, 28th October 2015
Coopers Stadium, Adelaide

Friday, 30th October 2015
Domain Stadium (Formerly Patersons Stadium), Perth

Monday, 2nd November 2015
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Wednesday, 4th November 2015
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Friday, 6th November 2015
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Saturday, 7th November 2015
A Day On The Green, Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong

Tuesday, 10th November 2015
Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane

Thursday, 12th November 2015
Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane

Saturday, 14th November 2015
Hope Estate Winery, Hunter Valley

Sunday, 15th November 2015
Hope Estate Winery, Hunter Valley

Wednesday, 18th November 2015
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin

Tickets and info at www.livenation.com.au

Hannah Teape-Davis / Tone Deaf / Friday, October 2015