Tag Archives: On With The Show

Fleetwood Mac, Reviews, Tour Info, UK Articles

Fleetwood Mac, live in London | Uncut

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Michael Bonner
June 25, 2015
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London, O2 Arena, June 25, 2015: now with added Christine McVie

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For a band whose career has been so assiduously documented, Fleetwood Mac have always had a knotty relationship with their past. Great swathes of it are essentially ignored, while the domestic dramas of four decades ago are still the pivot for Fleetwood Mac’s live shows in 2015. Last time they played in London, for instance, the narrative privileged Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks as the tragic star-crossed former lovers reunited; this time round, it’s the return of Christine McVie after a 16 year absence that provides the show with its motor. Not that you’d necessarily forget such a momentous occasion, of course: the band have a weird, almost neurotic need to constantly refer back to the narrative in hand. Tonight, for instance, we are routinely told how delighted they are that McVie is back in the fold, while it falls to McVie herself to spell out the specifics of her return to the band: “It was two years ago I stood on this very stage and played ‘Don’t Stop’…” Meanwhile, Buckingham is eager to present McVie’s return as part of “a karmic, circular moment” in the band’s evolution. “We are a group of individuals that have seen their fair share of ups and downs,” he explains to anyone who’s not been paying attention since Rumours came out. “But we’re still here! And that’s what makes us what we are. With the return of the beautiful Christine, there is no doubt that we begin a brand new, prolific and profound and beautiful chapter in the story of this band, Fleetwood Mac.” Continue reading Fleetwood Mac, live in London | Uncut →

Fleetwood Mac, Reviews, Tour Info

Review: Fleetwood Mac hold nothing back in Dublin performance | The Irish Times

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The Irish Times
Cian Traynor
June 21st, 2015

*****

Stevie Nicks, eyes closed as she leans into the microphone, exudes unflappable charisma

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It was at this venue, back in 2013, that singer and keyboardist Christine McVie secretly rehearsed with the band before rejoining after a 16-year absence.

The restoration of Fleetwood Mac’s classic line-up, along with the presence of signature McVie songs such as Everywhere and Little Lies, has clearly been a source of rejuvenation.

As soon as they launched into set-opener The Chain, the band waste no time in delivering the epitome of stadium pop-rock: a polished heritage act powering through one fan favourite after another.

Almost 40 years have passed since songs such as ‘Dreams’ and ‘Go Your Own Way’ documented the group’s inner turmoil, but their ability to connect with listeners remains undiminished.

The sound is clear and the pace feels well-measured, despite a two-song lull between the triumphant swagger of ‘Tusk’ and a rousing solo performance of ‘Big Love’ by guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. Continue reading Review: Fleetwood Mac hold nothing back in Dublin performance | The Irish Times →

Fleetwood Mac, Reviews, Tour Info, UK Articles, Video Clip

Gig review: Fleetwood Mac, Glasgow SSE Hydro | The Scotsman

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The Scotsman
Wednesday 17 June 2015

By FIONA SHEPHERD



ACCORDING to the traditional concert closing remarks of Fleetwood Mac’s resident ringmaster Mick Fleetwood, “the Mac is most definitely back” – and now these MOR giants come with added Christine McVie.

Fleetwood Mac
Hydro, Glasgow
Rating: * * * *

Fleetwood Mac were in fine form at the Glasgow SSE Hydro. Picture: PA
Fleetwood Mac were in fine form at the Glasgow SSE Hydro. Picture: PA

The singer/pianist has rejoined the line-up after a sixteen-year absence and immediately made her leavening presence felt on the close harmony of opening number The Chain.

Her simply stated love songs, such as the sweet, girlish Everywhere and mellifluous Little Lies, made a welcome comeback to the setlist, providing a charming contrast to Stevie Nicks’ more melodramatic, impressionistic numbers – though the absence of Songbird from this show’s setlist was a great shame.

The eternal hippie chick Nicks was in her theatrical element, donning a black feathery shawl for extra gothic ambience on Rhiannon – though it hardly needed an atmospheric boost with Lindsey Buckingham’s burnished guitar and the ethereal harmonies as embellishing features.

Buckingham, meanwhile, was energised throughout, limbering up those fleet fingers to deliver an athletic, acoustic Big Love which climaxed with a primal yelp.

The eccentric tribal Tusk was another cathartic highlight.

The former couple cleverly traded on their volatile chemistry with a joint rendition of Landslide but were given too much hammy latitude on Gold Dust Woman and I’m So Afraid.

The band pulled back from the brink of indulgence with Go Your Own Way and heeded their own advice on Don’t Stop.

Both hits were the product of inter-band break-ups, yet here they are forty years on, still singing that universal rock soap opera.

FIONA SHEPHERD

 

Fleetwood Mac, Reviews, Tour Info, UK Articles

Isle of Wight Festival 2015: Fleetwood Mac, Paolo Nutini, review: ‘the best Isle of Wight in years’ | The Telegraph

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The Telegraph
By Patrick Smith
14th Jun 2015

Fleetwood Mac managed to do the impossible at Isle of Wight: top Blur’s performance from the previous night, says Patrick Smith

*****

Fleetwood Mac performing on the Main Stage at the Isle of Wight Festival Photo: Rex Features/Shutterstock
Fleetwood Mac performing on the Main Stage at the Isle of Wight Festival Photo: Rex Features/Shutterstock
Fleetwood Mac performing on the Main Stage at the Isle of Wight Festival  Photo: Rex Features/Shutterstock

If any act were to top Blur’s glorious Saturday-night set, it would surely be folk-rock behemoths Fleetwood Mac. And so it proved, as the sun went down on what’s been the best Isle of Wight festival in years, overflowing with nostalgia thanks to its affectionate nod to the 45th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’s famous performance here.

Weary bodies, battered by rain on the Friday night, hauled themselves to the Main Stage to witness the English-American quintet, who seemed to have shrugged off the illness that forced them to cancel their Birmingham and Manchester gigs earlier in the week.

Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac (Rex)
Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac (Rex)

It was marvellous to behold. Making their first ever appearance at Isle of Wight, this volatile soap opera of a group are now restored to their classic configuration, with singer-pianist Christine McVie returning after a 16-year hiatus. That they were here to close proceedings represented a major coup for the festival – especially when you consider Michael Eavis has been trying to sign them up for Glastonbury for ages. Continue reading Isle of Wight Festival 2015: Fleetwood Mac, Paolo Nutini, review: ‘the best Isle of Wight in years’ | The Telegraph →

Fleetwood Mac, Reviews, Tour Info, Video Clip

Fleetwood Mac Rebound From Illness to Close Isle of Wight Festival | Utimate Classic Rock

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By Jeff Giles June 16, 2015 9:51 AM

Fleetwood Mac have had to cancel some shows due to illness lately, but they didn’t name their latest tour On With the Show for nothing: In spite of rampant speculation that they’d be no-shows for their headlining slot at the Isle of Wight festival yesterday, the band took the stage and — by all accounts — delivered a triumphant set.

NME reports on the scene, starting with the cancellation of Mac gigs in Birmingham and Manchester prior to the festival, and describing the mix of anticipation and worry that ran through the crowd up until the moment the band took the stage.

A no-show would have been a disaster for festival organizer John Giddings, who admitted to the London Evening Standard that Fleetwood Mac were the “jewel in the crown” for this year’s lineup. “Getting them was a fantastic result. I’d approached them repeatedly and they hadn’t had much interest in it,” he explained. “They said they weren’t keen on playing in the open air, but they spoke to Tom Petty and the Kings of Leon, who said they had a great time at the festival. They managed to convince them.”

As you can see from the fan-shot footage above, Fleetwood Mac had no trouble running through a 20-song set that included a healthy selection of their greatest hits — and was punctuated with small asides from the stage such as the moment when Stevie Nicks dedicated the evening’s performance of “Landslide” to Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, saying, “Falling offstage, getting up and playing a two-and-a-half-hour set. I think that’s awesome.” Continue reading Fleetwood Mac Rebound From Illness to Close Isle of Wight Festival | Utimate Classic Rock →

Fleetwood Mac, Tour Info, UK Articles

Fleetwood Mac statement on IW Festival after 2nd gig cancelled | Isle of Wight News

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Friday, 12th June, 2015 6:41pm
By Simon Perry

After the latest two big nights of their ‘On with the show’ are cancelled due to illness, the band make a statement about Isle of Wight Festival.

Fleetwood-Mac-Rumours-on-Compact-Cassette-Tape-by-petersell

Getting Fleetwood Mac to play the Isle of Wight Festival was a real coup for John Giddings, indeed, once he’d got them for this year, he admitted to Music Week that it had taken him ‘six or seven years’ to get the band.

Islanders are now getting a bit jittery about the legendary, 100-million album selling group playing, after the band cancelled their second big gig in a row this week. Words of reassurance are being provided.

Birmingham, then Manchester stopped
This evening the band were due to play the massive Manchester Arena, a venue with a 21,000 capacity, but announced this afternoon that they won’t be playing ‘due to illness’. This was even after Manchester fans were reassured that their gig would go ahead, despite the Birmingham problems earlier in the week.

On Tuesday this week they cancelled their second night in Birmingham, at 16,000 capacity Genting Arena, rearranging to return in July. Illness was also cited.

It’s been known for a while that John McVie has cancer, but it’s not known if he is the band member that has been declared as ill this week.

Isle of Wight Festival update
The official word (at 1:38pm) on the Festival organisers Facebook page was, “Following recent cancellations Fleetwood Mac have confirmed that they will be restarting their tour at the Isle of Wight Festival on Sunday 14th June.”

OnTheWight spoke to an spokesperson for Isle of Wight Festival this afternoon, who sought to assure fans, “As far as we know, it’s still going ahead.”

Fleetwood Mac’s official page on Facebook saw a statement released at 4pm: “The band intend to resume the tour with their scheduled performance at the Isle of Wight Festival on Sunday 14th June.”

A slight difference between the two
There’s a slight, very small, difference between the words from the band and that of the Festival. The band says ‘intend to resume’, the festival says, ‘have confirmed that they will be restarting their tour’.

Crossed fingers!
Let’s hope the illness is overcome as many of the older Isle of Wight Festival goers are really looking forward to Fleetwood Mac playing.

 

 

Fleetwood Mac, Tour Info, UK Articles

Fleetwood Mac fans vent disappointment after Manchester Arena gig is cancelled | Manchester Evening News

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BY EMILY HEWARD

The news has come as even more of a blow as it is Christine McVie’s first tour in 16 years with the band

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Gutted Fleetwood Mac fans have vented their disappointment at tonight’s cancelled Manchester Arena show.

Promoters announced earlier today that their On With The Show tour could not go on after all due to a band member falling ill.

It is the second date the 60s and 70s rock legends have had to call off on the UK leg of their tour after dropping out of their Birmingham gig at the last minute on Tuesday.

But while the Genting Arena show has been rescheduled for July 7, it is understood promoters have failed to find another Manchester date to fit the band’s tour schedule.

The news is especially disappointing as it is Christine McVie’s first tour in 16 years with ex-husband John McVie and bandmates Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Continue reading Fleetwood Mac fans vent disappointment after Manchester Arena gig is cancelled | Manchester Evening News →

Fleetwood Mac, Tour Info, UK Articles

Fleetwood Mac CANCEL Manchester Arena gig due to illness | Manchester Evening News

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12th June 2015
BY DENISE EVANS

Fleetwood Mac have been forced to cancel their Manchester Arena gig due to illness.

Stevie Nicks and John McVie on stage in Manchester in 2003
Stevie Nicks and John McVie on stage in Manchester in 2003

It is the second gig in a week the British-American band has cancelled, after Birmingham’s gig on Wednesday was postponed and rescheduled for a later date.

The concert at the Arena scheduled for July 1 is due to go ahead as planned.

A tour promoter statement said: “We are very sorry to announce that tonight’s Fleetwood Mac ‘On With The Show’ tour date in Manchester has been cancelled due to illness.

“Refunds for tonight’s cancelled date in Manchester will be issued automatically within 14 days.

“The 1 July show will go ahead as planned.

“Should you need any further assistance, please contact your ticket seller directly.”

No further details, such as which member has taken ill, have been made available and the MEN understands tour promoters have failed to find a date to reschedule tonight’s Manchester show.

Fleetwood Mac are also scheduled to headline the Isle of Wight Festival on Sunday.

Stevie Nicks and co are in the middle of their On With The Show Tour, which takes in the UK and Ireland before the band jet off to play arenas in Australia.

 

Fleetwood Mac, Reviews, Tour Info, UK Articles

Review: Fleetwood Mac at Genting Arena, Birmingham | Birmingham Mail

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Birmingham Mail
8th June 2015
By Enda Mullen

Band firing on all cylinders with former Bearwood native Christine McVie back on board, says Enda Mullen

fleetwoodmac

Birmingham marked a homecoming of sorts for Fleetwood Mac as they played their 88th date on a world tour that started out in the US in September 2014.

This tour sees the welcome return of singer-songwriter and keyboard player Christine McVie, the former Bearwood native making a big deal of the fact she was back in her old stomping ground.

“Well, hello Birmingham,”she said, as she stepped up to the mic to sing the smash hit Everywhere.

“This is my old stomping ground, many many years ago I used to go to art college here.

“It’s fantastic to be back playing with Stevie, John, Lindsey and Mick.” Continue reading Review: Fleetwood Mac at Genting Arena, Birmingham | Birmingham Mail →

Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Tour Info, UK Articles

We Want To Be Together | MOJO Magazine (Jul 2015)

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FLEETWOOD MAC REUNITIED
In Our Heads We Never Broke Up

Of all their stories rifts and reconciliations, Christine McVie’s return to FLEETWOOD MAC 17 years after her bewildered exit, may be the most extraordinary. And as they stand on the brink of enormous UK shows and (whisper it) an album, it’s the prompt for all five members to open up to MOJO. Cut: good times, bad times, “carnage and intrigue”, plus a massive rubber dildo called Harold. “There’s a lot of love, you know,” they tell JIM IRVIN

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It shouldn’t work, but it does: the drummer fractionally behind the beat and bass slightly ahead. For close to 50 years, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie have been locked in their distinctive groove, and upon it they have built and maintained the strange, enduring entity that bears their names.

It’s known dizzying triumphs and weathered catastrophe and decline, and for the last 17 years it has had to cope without singer, keyboard player and hit-writer Christine McVie, MIA since the end of the 1998 tour which celebrated the reunion of the multiplatinum Rumours quintet. At home in England, she effectively shut herself off from her former life. But slowly she realised that she missed it. In 2014, she rejoined the fold.

Better still, she’s writing again – collaborating last year with Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood as ex-husband John McVie recovered from a bout with colon cancer. Meanwhile, the quorate Mac have been traversing the U.S. with their On With The Show tour, demand for tickets exceeding all expectations. What began as 42 American shows became 80. This month that production arrives in Europe for a run that includes that six nights at London’s O2 and headline slot at the Isle of Wight festival.

In 1975, shortly after the release of the self-titled set the current line-up refer to as ‘the white album’, the quintet undertook its debut tour and a show at the Capitol Centre in Maryland was filmed. You can see it online. For anyone expecting the slickness and stardust they’ve been associated with, it’s a surprise. The sound is shaky, the stagecraft unfocused. Christine sings songs from the albums they made with Bob Welch, Lindsey tackles Oh Well and Green Manalishi from the Peter Green years. It’s curious but intriguing, the focal point keeps shifting with the musical styles, but that dude with the afro can sure play guitar, and check out the chick with the maracas flitting around the stage like a dragonfly… you can feel the audience being drawn in and won over. Within months this tentative unit will have intrigued its way to superstardom.

Forty years later, they elect to talk individually to MOJO – five stories that make up one. From blues roots and the Peter Green line-up’s doomed majesty, via catastrophe, exile and rebirth in the melodic riches of Rumours and beyond, riffs healed but scars still livid. In order of recruitment: Mick, John, Christine, Stevie and Lindsey. Fleetwood Mac. Continue reading We Want To Be Together | MOJO Magazine (Jul 2015) →