It had been the best of times, it had been the worst of times. The Mac have seen it all: a founder member losing his mind, another key member being lost to The Children Of God, an inter-band sexual triangle that makes your typical suburban menage a trois look tamer than an episode of Neighbours; they've taken more drugs than Zammo, composed better riffs than Hendrix and better pop than Bros and yet they remain, somehow, inexplicably, an enigma.
I thought I knew the Mac. I know their material. I adore their blues origins, I love their M/O/R classics and I yearn for the day when a band such as this would appear in the pop charts with such diverse material as 'Oh Well', 'Tusk' and 'Family Man'. They are rightly held in the highest esteem by anyone who really appreciates great popular music. And yet, I know now that I knew nothing.
Because they are better than that. They are better than that. Better. By god, they're much better. Lindsay Buckingham is the greatest rock star that walked the earth. Possibly. I've been to hundreds of gigs. I'll choose live music over a club night any day/night of the week(end) and this is why: Mrs KIW now has a t-shirt that reads"Big Love" across an ample bosom.![laugh.gif](http://5.<a href="http://www.forumer.com">forumer</a>.com/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)
They were simply awesome. I would've loved to have seen The Beatles but a nutjob and cancer stopped that happening; I'd like to have seen The Who (drugs) and Jimi (drugs) or Frankie Goes To Hollywood or Wham! but (so far) no chance... this was up there with that for me... And, sad news that it was that Christine Perfect (McVie) didn't want to take part it was still the (for me) classic line-up: Fleetwood at the back, McVie in defence, Buckingham all over the park and Nicks up front.
For over two hours Buckingham prowled the stage as if he had demons that needed to be exorcised or else. He sang, shrieked, (appeared to partake in some) self-loving; played guitar better than I've ever seen the guitar played before and sang as if the devil was inside him. It was as awesome a performance as I've ever witnessed. I've seen legends: James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Public Enemy, Kraftwerk... I've seen the beloved: Candi Staton, Morrissey, Paul Weller, De La Soul, Duran Duran Culture Club George Michael
and I've seen personal faves that I hold dear: Spandau Ballet, Belinda Carlisle, Lamb, The Impellers, 4 Hero... but I've not seen one man so possessed, or performing so well, as I did last night.
Whatever you think of Fleetwood Mac you should dig deep and listen again. From the riff heavy blues that kick 'Oh Well' along, through to their mid 70s commerical peak of 'Rumours' with the excellent 'Second Hand News', 'Go Your Own Way' and 'Don't Stop' to their 87 renaissance with the Balearic classic 'Big Love' (performed as a solo by Buckingham - but their Tango In the Night LP was otherwise overlooked last night - a criminal mistake in other cases but a minor criticism of this gig) This was awesome. In a year of big reunion gigs, this has trumped The Specials, ABC and even the legendary BAOL and for that it will always be remembered.
I thought I knew the Mac. I know their material. I adore their blues origins, I love their M/O/R classics and I yearn for the day when a band such as this would appear in the pop charts with such diverse material as 'Oh Well', 'Tusk' and 'Family Man'. They are rightly held in the highest esteem by anyone who really appreciates great popular music. And yet, I know now that I knew nothing.
Because they are better than that. They are better than that. Better. By god, they're much better. Lindsay Buckingham is the greatest rock star that walked the earth. Possibly. I've been to hundreds of gigs. I'll choose live music over a club night any day/night of the week(end) and this is why: Mrs KIW now has a t-shirt that reads"Big Love" across an ample bosom.
They were simply awesome. I would've loved to have seen The Beatles but a nutjob and cancer stopped that happening; I'd like to have seen The Who (drugs) and Jimi (drugs) or Frankie Goes To Hollywood or Wham! but (so far) no chance... this was up there with that for me... And, sad news that it was that Christine Perfect (McVie) didn't want to take part it was still the (for me) classic line-up: Fleetwood at the back, McVie in defence, Buckingham all over the park and Nicks up front.
For over two hours Buckingham prowled the stage as if he had demons that needed to be exorcised or else. He sang, shrieked, (appeared to partake in some) self-loving; played guitar better than I've ever seen the guitar played before and sang as if the devil was inside him. It was as awesome a performance as I've ever witnessed. I've seen legends: James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Public Enemy, Kraftwerk... I've seen the beloved: Candi Staton, Morrissey, Paul Weller, De La Soul, Duran Duran Culture Club George Michael
and I've seen personal faves that I hold dear: Spandau Ballet, Belinda Carlisle, Lamb, The Impellers, 4 Hero... but I've not seen one man so possessed, or performing so well, as I did last night.Whatever you think of Fleetwood Mac you should dig deep and listen again. From the riff heavy blues that kick 'Oh Well' along, through to their mid 70s commerical peak of 'Rumours' with the excellent 'Second Hand News', 'Go Your Own Way' and 'Don't Stop' to their 87 renaissance with the Balearic classic 'Big Love' (performed as a solo by Buckingham - but their Tango In the Night LP was otherwise overlooked last night - a criminal mistake in other cases but a minor criticism of this gig) This was awesome. In a year of big reunion gigs, this has trumped The Specials, ABC and even the legendary BAOL and for that it will always be remembered.
![wink.gif](http://5.<a href="http://www.forumer.com">forumer</a>.com/html/emoticons/wink.gif)
