Classic Rock Magazine – Summer 2013
Words John-Paul Heck

They’ve had their share of highs and lows, but rock’s most dysfunctional band will be reeling back the years on their first tour in four years.

In the 35th anniversary of Rumours this year. Are you bored of being asked about it?
Mick Fleetwood: I don’t mind, Rumours was our passport to success. Suddenly we were rich, It gave us the opportunity to make many more albums. Rumours also made us immortal. Nobody talks about The Moody Blues or other good bands like that any more. But if you go to a Fleetwood Mac concert will see hordes of young people singing along, really knowing every song.

For some people, Tusk is actually the great Fleetwood Mac album„ Fair go say?
I see Rumours as the banner which we still wave around the world, but Tusk was a more exciting album. But making it was perhaps even more difficult. It turned out to be a painful and tedious process. But we had seen the bottom. After Rumours it couldn’t get more extreme, Rumours trained us to survive.

Despite everything you went through, you’re all still alive.
No matter how stoned and rich we were never really lost sight of reality, the reality of being human. In addition we were ridiculously honest in interviews. Everything out. and sometimes that was a little bit too much information for some people. But at least we were honest, and that kept us grounded.

Former US president Bill Clinton was instrumental in getting Fleetwood Mac back together. when you were invited to play at his inauguration in 1993.
Lindsey [Buckingham] did not want to do it, but Stevie [Nicks] convinced him, At that time she was still doing a lot of drugs. but she managed to persuade him. I walked to the stage. and suddenly I saw that Lindsey took Stevie’s hand – she was terribly nervous. During the entire ride to the stage. he never let to of her hand. “That’s powerful shit, man”I said to John McVie. And I was right.

And now the band are back on tour again. What can we expect?
A classic Fleetwood Mac tour. in which Rumours wont be central. Of course we’ll do a number of songs from that album. but we’ll also dive deep back in time. I also want to have Stevie and Lindsey singing together around one microphone. just like the old times.

How are things between them?
They’re known each other since they were 16 and there is always issues with these two. But I know they still love each other. About the band. Lindsey says ‘I want to be available to finish our story,” He’s been angry for a long time. That was mostly frustration, Writing songs for Stevie and Christine, he make sure they could shine. Stevie was superstar as a solo artist. Lindsey wasn’t. That all hurt him a lot. He’s is a proud man but also very insecure and he’s always hated it that Stevie left him. He has always considered that as a defeat.

FLEETWOOD MAC DATES
Sep 24 – Oct 3
See Listings for venues

TICKETS
£45 – £125