Thursday, November 12, 2009
BILLBOARD: HOT TOURS: FLEETWOOD MAC
Hot Tours: Fleetwood Mac
Billboard
Totals from the European leg of its Unleashed Tour place Fleetwood Mac on the Hot Tours list with grosses topping $13 million from ten venues. Top-grosser is a two-show run at Wembley Arena (Oct. 30-31) with 22,209 in attendance and ticket sales at $2.5 million. After the U.K. trek, the tour will continue in December with dates in Australia and New Zealand.
#4 FLEETWOOD MAC
Gross: $13,124,830
Dates: Oct. 8-Nov. 3
Total Attendance: 124,021 (130,343)
- Parken Stadion, Copenhagen (1/0)
- Ericsson Globe, Stockholm (1/0)
- Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium (1/0)
- Ahoy, Rotterdam (1/1)
- Le Zenith, Paris (1/1)
- Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre, Glasgow, U.K. (1/1)
- Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester, U.K. (1/0)
- Wembley Arena, London (2/0)
- Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, U.K. (1/0)
- National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, U.K. (1/1)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
FLEETWOOD MAC 2009 BOXSCORES UPDATED INCLUDES EURO SHOWS
BILLBOARD BOXSCORES UPDATED
INCLUDES MOST EUROPEAN DATES
Received most of the numbers for the European shows today... 4 shows showing sold out, but I'm missing both Germany dates, both Ireland dates and the last London show... Maybe next week. Click to enlarge.
FLEETWOOD MAC DRUMMER MICK FLEETWOOD AT LAX BY TMZ... HE JUST GO OVER SWINE FLU
Sick Mick -- Fleetwood Drummer Had Swine Flu
And now the biggest story about Fleetwood Mac since they reunited in 1997: Mick Fleetwood just had the dreaded pig virus, A.K.A. swine flu.
We got the infection-free legend yesterday at LAX -- who said he was down with the sickness just 10 days ago.
Though symptoms include fever, diarrhea and vomiting, Mick says it "wasn't too bad."
FLEETWOOD MAC - THE MOST STABLE OF UNITS IS NOTHING SHORT OF PHENOMENAL
Sounds Write - Fleetwood Mac
The Westmorland Gazette
By Anthony Loman
WHEN Fleetwood Mac guitarist, singer and principal songwriter Lindsey Buckingham told the audience at Manchester’s M.E.N arena that, “This band have a complex and convoluted emotional history and it has not always been easy”, the comment was undoubtedly one of the understatements of the century.
For if the forty year plus rollercoaster life and times of the supergroup were ever to be dramatised, it would certainly make for the most compelling viewing with its tales of marital splits, inter-band affairs, acrimonious bust-ups, casual bed-hopping, copious amounts of drug taking/life-threatening addictions, alcohol abuse, mental illness, therapy and rehab, flirtations with religious cults and all this whilst simultaneously managing to create some of the finest and biggest selling albums of all-time.
The fact that Fleetwood Mac in 2009 are now, seemingly, the most stable of units is nothing short of a phenomenon and a testament to their individual and collective survival instincts. Messrs Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie (Christine McVie quit the band in ’98, opting for a quiet life these days down in Kent) have long since cleaned up their acts and settled their personal differences and, on the current ‘Unleashed’ world tour which rolled up in Manchester last week for a sell-out show, they convincingly demonstrated that their performance levels are as high now as any point previously in their lengthy career.
In the early 1970’s, Fleetwood Mac were a British blues/rock group whose moderately successful career up to that juncture had been seriously derailed by the departure(due largely to one too many bad acid ‘trips’) of founder member, legendary guitarist Peter Green. The group continued to splutter along for a while until the pivotal moment when an American duo, Buckingham and Nicks, joined the band. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were lovers as well as performers and came very much as a package, with Buckingham, having been identified as a replacement for Green(after a succession of other players had not worked out), refusing to join Mac unless his partner came ‘on board’ too. The introduction of the duo in 1975, who had previously been bit-part players on the West Coast music scene, struggling to eke out a living, succeeded in adding a radio-friendly sheen to Fleetwood Mac’s blue/rock roots, turning around their fortunes in the process and completely revitalising the group’s career. The now new look Anglo-American Fleetwood Mac embarked on a glorious period of unbroken musical success throughout the remainder of the 1970’s/early 80’s but the new chapter in the group’s history also heralded the start of those well-documented problems that very nearly destroyed the band.
The 2009 ‘Unleashed’ tour has a real celebratory triumph over adversity feel to it and the crowd-pleasing tone of the evening was set in place from the very moment Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham walked out on stage hand in hand to thunderous squeals of delight. And in truth, the two and a half hour show that followed did very much belong to the duo who were undeniably the main focal point with their great on-stage dynamic.
Fleetwood Mac don’t presently have any new album to promote, their last one being 2003’s ‘Say You Will’, though they did hint during the show that there could well be one in the offing, news that was met with great audience excitement. The set list of the current show is drawn largely from the group’s trilogy of 1970’s albums, the self-titled ‘Fleetwood Mac’, the 25 million plus selling ‘Rumours’ and ‘Tusk’, records which marked the band’s halcyon days. “This time we said, ‘let’s just go out and have fun’”, Buckingham told the crowd when explaining the show’s rationale and content and so, what was subsequently served up amounted to a veritable Fleetwood Mac musical feast for fans with great big dollops of classic songs such as ‘The Chain’, Dreams’, ‘Rhiannon’, ‘Gold Dust Woman’, ‘Gypsy’, ‘Oh Well’ – a solitary doff of the hat to the Peter Green Mac era, ‘Never Going Back Again’ and ‘Second Hand News’, which Buckingham introduced, with another reference to their ‘crazy’ years, by saying, “This next song, if memory serves, and these days it often doesn’t serve, due to living one’s life a certain way for a number of years, was the first song written for the Rumours album.”
Buckingham himself is, physically, remarkably well preserved these days and with his boyish, skinny frame, still thick though greying mop of tousled hair, makes a mockery of his sixty years. As for his guitar playing, it is nothing short of dazzling and if anyone present had any doubts beforehand about him deserving to be ranked right up there alongside the greats, they would surely have left the building utterly convinced that he is indeed, a bona fide guitar maestro. He plays his instrument with a manic intensity, at times a picture of almost demonic intent and his spine-tingling solo performance on acoustic guitar for ‘Big Love’ (from the ‘Tango In Night’ album) was something very special to behold, with his breakneck speed of hands building to an awesome finger-shredding climax. Elsewhere, he turned in immense solos on ‘Tusk’ and ‘Go Your Own Way’, shamelessly playing up to the crowd with his whoops and stomping of feet as well as his frequent forays to the very edge of the stage where, on bended knee while soloing, he allowed fans to run their eager fingers all along his guitar fretboard. He still sings great too, possessing a natural flair for harmonising and he does all this, whilst visibly drenched right through in sweat from the second song in yet never once bothering to remove his short black leather jacket in a great display of ultimate rock star ‘cool’.
Miss Stevie Nicks, the perfect onstage foil for Buckingham, still sports her career ‘uniform’ of cropped style riding jacket complete with floaty shawl, billowing skirt, suede platform boots and (occasional)Victorian top hat whilst her mic stand and tambourine are draped with trademark sheer scarves and long ribbons. At sixty-one, despite her years of hard living having clearly taken their toll on her looks and her once svelte figure certainly a little more rounded these days, Nicks remains effortlessly sexy and the epitome of Californian hippy/mystical chic. Her vocals however are her greatest seduction tool, as smoky and ethereal as ever and although she now noticeably avoids notes in the higher register, her dulcet tones still cast quite a spell.
There’s some lovely Buckingham/Nicks coming togethers’ during the show that are played out for maximum effect and which the audience readily lap up. A stunning Nicks rendition of ‘Landslide’ sees her alone on stage with her former paramour accompanying on acoustic guitar and, at the conclusion of ‘Sara’, the pair warmly embrace and hug, sway momentarily in each others arms with a resting of heads on shoulders and there’s a tender kiss from Buckingham to the back of Nicks’ hair. It’s all a little too stage managed but it’s a poignant moment nonetheless and elicits the intended crowd cheers.
As something of a backdrop to the Buckingham and Nick’s floor show, there’s the two ageing gents and somewhat unsung heroes of the group, bassist John McVie (64) and drummer Mick Fleetwood (62), driving things along at a frenetic pace as one of the tightest rhythm sections in the business. McVie, typically motionless and doing his best to avoid eye contact with all, hiding under his flat cap, could easily pass for a grizzled farmer that had just parked his tractor at the back and ambled on stage whilst the towering 6ft 6in Fleetwood, with his grey/white hair slicked back in a short ponytail, wild, wide-eyed gaze, white shirt and black waistcoat and, with those omni-present, what appear to be, pair of oversized clackers dangling from his waist, looks for all his worth as though he has come straight out of the pages of an old English medieval novel. And when he gets his big moment under the spotlight during a fairly lengthy drum solo towards the show’s end, he goes into full-on frenzy mode, battering the hell out of his monstrous kit as he barks out some incomprehensible words to the crowd and generally exhibiting characteristics of a deranged madman. The all-absorbing and enthralling concert reaches a real peak with everyone coaxed to their feet for the big crowd sing-a-long anthems that are ‘Go Your Own Way’ and the rousing encore of ‘Don’t Stop’. It leaves the audience on an exhilarating high and the final utterance from the stage of “We’ll see you next time” is a promise all present surely hope Fleetwood Mac will keep.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
(VIDEO) FLEETWOOD MAC IN EDMONTON.... FINALLY!!!! JUNE 24th
It only took over 4 months... Finally the first two full length tracks from the final North American show June 24th in Edmonton, Canada (before Fleetwood Mac took the summer off) - have appeared on Youtube.
"Dreams" and "Rhiannon".... Stevie sounds great. Thanks to Misscherrypunk for popping these up on Youtube
(REVIEW) ITALIAN STYLE... FLEETWOOD MAC IN LONDON 6/11/09
WEMBLEY ARENA: THE MAC ARE BACK
Musicaware
Ho litigato in silenzio con mr B di fronte a tutti e mi girano. Lentamente però mi girano.
Lentamente, come la ruota di un vespino 50 degli anni 50. Insomma come una ruota che gira piano, una ruota come quelle panoramiche che lentamente ti fanno vedere tutto lo skyline della città. A Londra c’è una ruota così, la London Wheel. Vado a Londra. Se non si è capito…
La velocità con cui mi girano aiuta anche il taxi che mi porta a Linate facciamo un po’ più in fretta.
Solita attesa per Her Clearness e con la mitica compagnia arancione ci imbarchiamo per Gatwick, Londra, Inghilterra, ed oggi per me Londra significa Fleetwood Mac.
Ci fiondiamo subito ad un tipico 4 stelle inglese rivestito internamente di moquette affianco al nuovo stadio di Wembley e alla Wembley Arena. I nostri suoneranno li.
(PHOTOS) FLEETWOOD MAC -LONDON Photos by: Nick Hardy 6/11/09
FLEETWOOD MAC - LONDON
WEMBLEY ARENA 6/11/09
Photos sent in by: Nick Hardy
Nick had the ultimate position - leaning on the stage directly in front of Stevie during Fleetwood Mac's last show in London... At one point during "Gypsy" Stevie singled Nick out pointing to him with her outstretched arm, staring at him singing "And it all comes down to you"... What an experience!
Thank you Nick for sending in your photos!
Monday, November 9, 2009
(DOWNLOAD) INTERVIEW WITH MICK AND LINDSEY OF FLEETWOOD MAC BBC RADIO 2
Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham
both interviewed earlier today on The Radcliffe & Maconie show "The Chain"
The show doesn't appear to be up on their site just yet to re-listen to.
21mb about 23 minutes long
Lindsey, when asked if he missed Christine on the road, said that it's got some good and some bad and that obviously as someone who is soulful, very kind and enthusiastic, they miss that - and that as an element of the 5 that had a great deal to do with their success and with their chemistry they do... but change is what Fleetwood Mac has been known for and that as much as there is a missed element there sometimes, more emotionally then musically, it has opened up other possibilities certainly for him on stage when you divide the material evenly between him and Stevie it gives him more of an opportunity to express himself...
Both Lindsey and Mick are both keen to work on putting out new material... and that hopefully they will and maybe they will get into doing that next year... Mick describes having to tread a little carefully when it comes to Stevie as she is the lady of our band and works very hard as they all do. At a well placed moment EARLY in the new year the subject will be brought up. Because they are on the road it's tiring, fun, but tiring, and talking new album while slogging around isn't such a good time to bring it up.
(PHOTOS) FLEETWOOD MAC, LONDON - WEMBLEY ARENA 30/10/09
Photos sent in by Marcus Clackson
FLEETWOOD MAC - LONDON
WEMBLEY ARENA OCTOBER 30
Marcus and his girlfriend Cathy along with Cathy's sister Jennifer experienced Fleetwood Mac in London on October 30th and had a blast! From the pictures they had an awesome vantage point to the stage... It didn't quite start out that way. Their seats were initially a few blocks back - but they saw some people milling around up front by the stage and decided to walk down thinking they would be turned away - but it didn't happen. Just as they made it up front the band arrived on stage. Needless to say the two girls were in shock. It's been a lifelong dream to see the band play. And the added bonus was they all got to strum Lindsey's guitar!!
Marcus took some shots with his iphone... He wished he had a better camera... and by the look of some of his work on his site, Marcus Clackson Photography, I do too... But at the end of the day, I love all the photos taken of the band, whether amateur or professional - there's always something redeeming and interesting within each... Photos capture a moment in time that otherwise would be lost or forgotten. So thank you Marcus for taking the pictures and for sending them in.
STEVIE NICKS NAILS SILVER SPRINGS IN LONDON... LAST SONG, LAST LONDON SHOW, LAST EURO SHOW
If ever a track was cut from the show it's always been the last song, the second encore "Silver Springs". You never really knew if you were going to get to hear it or not... Whether it was because of time constraints at the venue, or Stevie's voice couldn't handle it because of playing back to back shows, you just never knew. But WOW! Did London get a really great send off or what!? November 6th... Last Song of the night.... Last Show in London... Last Show in Europe... Stevie pulls off SILVER SPRINGS AMAZINGLY!!!
INTERVIEW TONIGHT... MICK & LINDSEY (FLEEWOOD MAC) ON "THE CHAIN" BBC RADIO 2
BBC - Radio 2 (link)
Monday November 9th
Fleetwood Mac's Mick and Lindsey
will be Guests
In the UK the show begins at 8pm tonight. In North America - depending on where you are the show can begin in the early or late afternoon.... Central locations in North America for instance, the show would begin at 2pm (6 hour time difference). Also, don't worry if you miss the live broadcast, the BBC posts their radio shows on their sites. Unlike the TV broadcasts they repost on their site that are restricted to viewers in the UK, the radio shows are accessible from anywhere in the world.
STEVIE NICKS AT "LIBERTY" IN LONDON TODAY (8/11/09) LUELLA BARTLEY'S VISION FOR CHRISTMAS
Vogue mentions Stevie Nicks as one of Luella Bartley's Guests tonight at Liberty in London during the in store launching of Luella's vision for Christmas....
Luella's Liberty Christmas
VOGUE.CO.UK
IT may only be November, but everyone's favourite Christmas shopping haunt, Liberty, is making sure this year will be a fashionable festive season by enlisting the help of Luella Bartley. The designer will launch her vision for Christmas in the store today with a special grotto bursting with kitsch gifts and trinkets.
Bartley, who has also designed the Christmas window scheme, will officially open the grotto this evening with an appropriately Christmassy party. Candy canes, spiced cider, carol singers, and - of course - Father Christmas will join the designer and famous friends Rosemary Ferguson, Katie Hillier, Meg Matthews, Jake Chapman, David Sims, Serena Rees and Stevie Nicks to celebrate the festive opening.
Win A Copy Of The Very Best Of Fleetwood Mac (NZ Competition)
This week you can win our CD of the Week - Fleetwood Mac The Very Best Of! It is a newly released 2 CD compilation.
You'll want to get your hands on a copy of this one, it includes THE VERY BEST OF Fleetwood Mac with songs like Dreams, Go Your Own Way, Little Lies, Say You Love Me and more...
- Win it with AJ's Sports Board each morning
- Win it with the Macca and the Time Tunnel from 10am each day
- Win it with Muzza each afternoon from 2pm
OR...
CLICK HERE TO WIN 1 OF 5 COPIES NOW!FLEETWOOD MAC - THE VERY BEST OF is a newly released 2 CD compilation.
You'll want to get your hands on a copy of this one, it includes THE VERY BEST OF Fleetwood Mac with songs like Dreams, Go Your Own Way, Little Lies, Say You Love Me and more...
Solid Gold FM
Sunday, November 8, 2009
STORMS IS LINDSEY'S FAVORITE SONG ON TUSK... IN THE STUDIO INTERVIEW
Exclusive one-on-one musician interviews with Redbeard about the greatest rock albums in history, from the weekly In The Studio national radio show.
This weeks show is to celebrate the 30th Anniverary of Tusk. Redbeard interviewed Lindsey recently, by the sounds of it it was likely late last year - and Stevie's contributions sound like they are archival audio footage or from previous Redbeard interviews with Stevie... None the less, still entertaining... The interview is about 27 minutes in length and pretty much all about Tusk.
Here's the link to stream the show In The Studio, scroll down about half way.
(REVIEW) FLEETWOOD MAC - THIRD TIME IS A CHARM FOR TRACKAGHOST...
FLEETWOOD MAC WEMBLEY
NOVEMBER 6, 2009
After the upbeat opening number Monday Morning and the always atmospheric The Chain (John McVie sounding particularly inspired on his iconic bass solo), the audience were revved up and ready for a good show, but it even more exciting to learn that ex-member Christine McVie was in fact in the audience. "We have lots of good friends here to tonight who we want to thank," Lindsey told the audience, "in particular we'd like to mention Christine and just tell you, we love you."
Visit Movies of My Dreams to continue with the full experience.
(PHOTOS) STEVE GERRARD CAPTURES FLEETWOOD MAC IN BIRMINGHAM
Professional Photographer Steve Gerrard
captured Mick, Stevie, Lindsey and John in Birmingham November 3rd
(PHOTOS)... GUESS THE LOCATION
FLEETWOOD MAC - SOMEWHERE IN THE UK Confirmed. It's London 30/10
Lindsey's wearing a blue shirt, so it could be
London, Sheffield or Birmingham
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