The now complete Rumours era of Fleetwood Mac returned to Orlando as part of their “On With The Show” tour.
“This is our 68th show of the tour – I used to welcome her back but at this point I think I can just say ‘She’s back!’” singer Stevie Nicks said a few songs in, referencing Christine McVie’s return to the lineup after 15+ years.
Unlike many bands when a member leaves, Fleetwood Mac actually removed some of their biggest McVie-penned hits such as “Songbird”, “You Make Loving Fun”, and “Everywhere” from the set after her departure in the late 90’s. Those songs, among others, were being played for the first time in 15+ years on this tour.
(At this point I need to make note, which may only be need to be said when it comes to Fleetwood Mac due to their umm, ‘unique’ history, for the sake of this article McVie is referencing Christine. While her ex-husband John McVie is a solid bass player there really is nothing to state about him in the remainder of the review except I was reminded how some of the songs have great bass lines.)
And on a night where an informal spotlight may have shined on McVie, the true stand outs where the two that took Fleetwood Mac from blues band to arena rock superstars – Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
Nicks’ voice – which could easily be classified as one of the most unique and recognizable in rock history – is still there. Songs like “Landslide” and “Gold Dust Woman” highlighted not just her strong voice but her unique stage presence – mystical, yet somehow still very personal.
Then there is Lindsey Buckingham – who never even left the stage or let his energy level ever dip. Even during Mick Fleetwood’s extended (and somewhat pointless) drum solo – he sat on the stage eagerly watching.
One of things that stands out with Buckingham is something unfortunately most fans in the arena don’t realize and therefore can not appreciate – he doesn’t use a guitar pick. Using his fingers allows for him to double up his playing – sometimes playing two or three strings at once (listen to “Big Love” for an example). It is much more difficult (I can speak from first hand experience…!) and much harder to disguise any mistakes or sloppy playing. Most songs featured extended guitar solos and nearly all concluded with Buckingham hitting the final note as he jumped in the air.
Hints were made in various dialogue by the members that this will be more than an one-off tour but rather a fresh start for the band. Considering the Rumours era lineup hasn’t formally recorded a complete album together in over 25 years it will be interesting to see what the future holds and equally as exciting to see them in concert again.
