Dublin 20th June

[FuzzyPlum]

Songbird is back in- Yay!

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/mu...ance-1.2257613

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

Saturday nights show may be Fleetwood Mac’s 92nd performance of a 12-month tour but they’re adamant that it means something special.
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.
Founding members Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, both dressed in waistcoats and flat-caps, combine to pound out a muscular rhythm section.
Stevie Nicks, eyes closed as she leans into the microphone, exudes unflappable charisma.
A sweat-soaked Buckingham, having expended more time and energy on stage than anyone else, pounds his chest and blows kisses to the crowd.
By the time a two-and-a-half hour set comes to a close with ‘Silver Springs’, the band look spent.
Little has been held back. For a second encore, Christine McVie performs an understated ‘Songbird’ alone at the piano before beaming with gratitude towards the crowd.
Just as that appears to be that, Stevie Nicks returns to the stage to tell the full story of McVie rejoining Fleetwood Mac - a reminder that this represents a circular moment for the band, a new chapter in their history.
That, in turn, feels like the end... until Mick Fleetwood re-emerges to offer his own farewell, urging the audience to take care of themselves and to be kind to each other.
“And remember” he shouts, donning a top hat as he turns to leave “The Mac is most definitely back!”.

[The Juggler]

We squealed with excitement when we saw the grand piano being rolled out. And we were laughing so much at Stevie's impersonation of Christine

One thing we all felt dragged on far too long was Never Going Back Again. Slowing it down and Lindsey whispering the words out very slowly has not helped the song at all.

[michelej1]

Fleetwood Mac at The 3 Arena, Dublin, on June 20th 2015 Golden Plec

Fleetwood Mac at the 3Arena Words By: anna job June 22, 2015

https://www.goldenplec.com/live-revi...at-the-3arena/

Fleetwood Mac’s performance in the 3Arena on Saturday 20th June marks the 93rd stop on the band’s current world tour. The concert, which sold-out in minutes, prompted a further two Dublin shows later in July proving demand is higher than ever. And let’s not forget there’s an extra addition this time – songbird Christine McVie makes a welcome return to the group following a sixteen year break from the band.

When the evening arrives, the arena is bursting at the seams and the atmosphere is electric with anticipation. There is no support act tonight, no over the top production or ridiculous lighting rigs; the focus is solely on the main attraction and rightly so.

Shortly after 8pm Fleetwood Mac grace the stage and kickstart the performance with an exceptionally tight rendition of The Chain. The vocals are on point, ferocious and in sync. The footstomping line “And if you don’t love me now, you will never love me again” is emphatic and accompanied by jangly guitar riffs from Buckingham. Stevie Nicks struts around the stage as cool as ice, tambourine in hand with one of her iconic wispy scarves dangling from it.

Following the sunny McVie led hit You Make Loving Fun, Nicks takes a moment to welcome Christine back to the band before launching into the number one hit, Dreams. The performance of the legendary tune is unfortunately not quite the mesmerising showstopper as expected and borders on slightly lacklustre at times, possibly due to the amount it has been performed over the years. However, this is quickly rectified with an enchanting performance of Rhiannon.

Midway through the set Buckingham is left to his own devices as the rest of the band take a breather. His solo performance of Tango in the Night’s Big Love is one of the highlights of the evening as his rip-roaring vocals “Looking out for love” slash through the air forcefully.

Lights twinkle on a black backdrop as Nicks returns to the stage to join Buckingham for Landslide. What follows is an intimate, gentle performance by the duo. “Well, I’ve been afraid of changing ‘cos I’ve built my life around you” is a particularly emotive and wistful line delivered by Nicks and silences the arena. This segment is musical storytelling at its finest and songs such as Never Going Back Again highlight the pair’s rare ability of writing and performing songs written about each other.

Other notable highlights include Everywhere, Gypsy, Little Lies and of course, Go Your Own Way which spurs a full blown sing-a-long from the audience. Mick Fleetwood’s drum solo adds a few minutes of delightful madness to the end of the set.

Before bidding farewell to the crowd, Nicks explains that Dublin holds a particularly special place in the band’s heart and history. When McVie wanted to rejoin the group, Nicks told her she should travel to Dublin and watch two concerts in a row before making her mind up. McVie accepted the offer and following the shows made the decision to rejoin Fleetwood Mac. “Dublin has magical powers” says Nicks “stay in the groove.”

It’s tricky to summarise the evening’s performance as the show is two and a half hours of back to back hits from their vast collection. A Fleetwood Mac concert is certainly one any music lover should tick off their bucket list. This is a first class tour from one of the biggest and best bands in the world. Count yourself lucky if you managed to get tickets to the July gigs as there’s one hell of a show in store for you.