Frankly, it’s beyond amazing that the original Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac line-up – Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham and, returning after nearly two decades away, Christine McVie – are on each other’s Christmas card list and can stand to be in the same room as each other, let alone 100-odd shows deep into a World Tour that has sold out arenas everywhere it’s stopped, and produced rave reviews.
So, we should be thankful – and we are – that the Mac, as
Mick Fleetwood told us all on Saturday night, is back with it’s original
members. Not that they weren’t good when I saw them six years ago, but
everything is more authentic with McVie back in the band, and, of course, that
opens up the song choices.
Some of Fleetwood Mac’s most memorable and recognisable
songs were sung by Christine McVie and in past tours, they’ve either been
discarded from the set list or, as has been the case with ‘Don’t Stop’, sung by
Stevie Nicks instead. Which wasn't quite the same. Now, it’s as authentic as it
gets, and songs like ‘Songbird’ and ‘You Make Loving Fun’ are a big part of
what is a mostly hit-filled set list, with a few obscure numbers – ‘Bleed to
Love Her’ from The Dance, a song that
the band loves, they told us – thrown in for good measure. Just because they
can.
Fleetwood Mac have so many good songs. More than they can
fit into a set list for a show that runs nearly three hours. ‘Seven Wonders’
and ‘Monday Morning’ are two of my favourites that were both missing. But you
can hardly expect the band to include every single one of their hits. I mean,
we’d be there six or seven hours if that were to be the case, because there are
stacks of them.
Really, there was little to complain about, and plenty to
like about a show that had large sections of the audience standing throughout.
The vibe in the room was superb. The audience was made up of many and varied
generations. I saw people younger than me singing along to every word, and, of
course, people much older doing the same. For those folks, seeing the Mac back
must be like jumping in a time machine and heading back to the heady days of
the 1970s.
The band are in fine form – which is an impressive feat,
considering how long they’ve been around, both over time and on this particular
exhaustive global trek – both vocally and in terms of musicianship. Despite
their considerable history, the band looks a cohesive unit, and you can clearly
tell that they’re having a great time on stage together. That hasn’t always
been the case with Fleetwood Mac, who’s complicated personal history threatened
to derail a brilliant group at various stages.
Stevie Nicks is mysterious as she glides across the stage,
reminding us why we paid as much as we did for a ticket – because her voice is
sensational. Hearing her sing ‘Gypsy’, perhaps my favourite Fleetwood Mac song,
was worth the price of admission alone.
Lindsay Buckingham, who’s style of guitar playing is more
akin to someone picking a banjo, dominates the room (and earns rapturous rounds
of applause) every time he hammers out an epic solo – hint: it happened early
and often – and really deserves more kudos for being a killer player. His work
is, at times, jaw dropping. It must be such an incredible rush to play and have
twenty thousand people feting you like a god. Or, at least, a guitar hero, and
he’s certainly one of those.
The returning Christine McVie was clearly happy to be back, despite
the band being 100-odd shows into a massive tour. She remains behind her keyboards
for the most part, making brief forays out towards centre stage and her vocals
are on point. Her return to the fold really brings the band full circle.
The engine room of Fleetwood Mac is, of course, Mick
Fleetwood, as eccentric a drummer as there is – and as talented a drummer as
there is, too. Watching his facial expressions as he throws his sticks at the
large kit spreading around him on three sides is priceless. His solo is
entertaining, though I would’ve preferred one or two more songs instead. A minor
complaint.
Far less flamboyant is the quiet man of the band, the
legendary bassist John McVie, a seemingly understated guy – as far as rock
stars go, anyway! – and definitely the backbone of the band. He barely says a
word, and it’s kinda strange to hear Christine McVie refer to John as her
“ex-husband,” multiple times throughout. I daresay they’re on better terms than
most exes.
It should be mentioned that fleshing out the five-piece
Fleetwood Mac are a number of backing singers and two guitarists/backing
vocalists who are visible on stage. I’m fairly certain there was a
percussionist hiding somewhere behind Mick Fleetwood, too. But that mysterious
figure wasn't announced when the rest of the supporting cast were. No matter,
they all do their job well.
So, yes, the Mac are most definitely back, in good form, and
here’s hoping that we see them return to our distant shores at least once more
before they call it quits.
No comments:
Post a Comment