Imagine my joy when my uber cool teenage son began to share my love of Fleetwood Mac. I’d been a fan since my teens, Rumours one of those albums that I would listen to again and again, knowing which song came next and singing the opening refrain before it had a chance to start. (Supertramp’s Breakfast in America was another one.) I struggled with Tusk though, how could they change their style so? I would listen to it every so often just in case I was missing something, but sadly I wasn’t. As the years went on and new ways of finding music opened up to me, I discovered their Fleetwood Mac album and some of the songs on it matched the brilliance of the ones on Rumours. And then came Stevie’s solo career. Her vocals belted out on every track, none of your long drum solos there.
Fast forward to my mum days and my son Ethan, usually interested in whole genres of music of which I’d never heard, began listening to Rumours. It was around this time that I discovered my favourite Fleetwood Mac song - Silver Springs. How had this eluded me?
Ethan loved it too and I particularly enjoyed belting out the line “You’ll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you” at him and laughing at my own joke.
I found a clip on YouTube that we watch again and again of Stevie Nicks singing Wild Heart backstage while she’s having her make up done. Check it out. I dare the hairs on your arm not to stand on end.
So it came to pass, that I promised Ethan that if Fleetwood Mac were ever to play in London, I would take him. When the tickets were released for the Wembley Concert, I balked at the price - especially as I would have to fork out for his as well. But a promise is a promise and in the words of a famous author : “If not now, when?”. I mean, I’m not getting any younger and Stevie sure ain’t. How long can these guys keep performing. I coughed up and we counted the sleeps.
When I heard that The Pretenders were the support band, I was delighted. Surely Ethan would be too, I mean, who doesn’t know “Brass in Pocket” and “Back on the Chain Gang”?
Ethan doesn’t. So I’m not such a brilliant parent after all.
The doors opened at 5 and we arrived at Wembley Stadium about an hour later, deciding to find our seats first and then go and check out the drink situation. Ouch again, but what the hell and I left Ethan in the queue with my bank card while I went to the loo. At this point I had noticed the lack of food outlets and I must admit I’m never totally relaxed when I don’t know where my next meal is coming from. However, we drank our beer water, chatting amiably, so very excited about seeing Stevie. I wondered where she was staying. Maybe the Elstree Village which is where the Big Brother contestants used to stay when they got booted out (in one of the Deck rooms, of course). Probably not. She’s a bit of a diva, our Steamy, more likely taken over the whole of the Ritz.
With no ado whatsoever, The Pretenders came on and bashed out song after song. Chrissie didn’t seem to mind that the stadium was ⅔ empty and people were talking amongst themselves. I’d described her to Ethan as the ultimate rock chick and she did not let me down - even wearing the tight jeans and capped sleeved t-shirts that I’d told him about. Not bad for 67, strummed and strutted like a good ‘un she did, with not an ounce of a bingo wing in sight.
Hit after hit, the base was too loud but we didn’t care a scrap. We were there for Stevie.
After their set we had another break for a wee and some more beer water (£.6.50 a pint. Nobody forced me to buy it, I know). I was hungry though and decided to get a “felafel dog” and a bag of crisps - more for the satiation value than the Epicurean. We took a queue each and liaised by phone. The queues were very long, but bands of such epic status usually stroll on hours after they’re meant to. There was a quick “oh no, where’s my bank card” scare (Ethan, had it) and ...what was that sound? Somebody was playing the opening bars of Chains (you know, the motor racing one) on their radio.
It was quite loud.
Oh no. The show’s started.
It’s Fleetwood Mac, I’ve paid almost a week’s wages.
But what about supper?
I rang Ethan and yelled: “Forget the food, son. Meet you back in the stadium.”
We got back and somewhere about a mile away in the distance was Stevie Nicks and her band singing their little hearts out. Tis true that we could hardly make them out. Tis also true that the sound quality wasn’t amazing. But we didn’t care. We rocked and rolled, danced and pranced this time drinking our beers from plastic bottles. I’d filled Ethan in on the personnel stuff. I told him that Lindsay had looked at Stevie the wrong way and had been sent packing, replaced by the guy from the band that sings “Weather With You”. I also told him there would be some boring bits where they played tracks from their very early line up. I know my shit and sure enough World Turning came on and we went for another toilet break. When we got back, Mick Fleetwood was still drumming away and Ethan also noticed Stevie’s absence. “She’s probably gone for a little nap,” he said.
At this point I should confess that this was not my first Fleetwood Mac or Stevie Nicks concert. I’d seen them both as a band and with Stevie on her own. It was the eighties and she kept going off stage and coming back in different witchy and twirly outfits. This time, if my eyes serve me correctly, her only concession to this was one of those shrug things over her shoulders.
I missed Lindsay Buckingham. He’s got a distinctive voice and his on and off stage pantomime with Stevie always fascinated me. Neil Finn did a great job though and they even gave him his own spot where he got to sing “Don’t Dream It’s Over” (which incidentally Paul Young nicked. Keep up.)
I turned to look at Ethan and he was swaying happily singing “hey now, hey now”. This almost made him for him not knowing “Don’t Get Me Wrong” earlier.
Incidentally, I must apologise to Christine McVie. She is a wonderful singer in her own right. She seems to take it in good spirits that Stevie gets most of the attention, but they have probably had some right old ding dongs in the past. Her voice is deep and melodic and I hope I’m as cool as her when I’m 75.
More songs from Rumours, a few from Tango in the Night, some slows ones where the phone torches came out and then lastly the wonderful Go Your Own Way. For the encore Stevie sang Free Falling as a tribute to her buddy Tom Petty and they finished off with Don’t Stop.
On our way out we saw someone in a t-shirt that I would love to have but could only wear indoors. Hers didn’t have the stars but I will put them in.
STEVIE
F**KING
NICKS
It took a long time to get on the train, but there was still somewhere open when I got to Canons Park at 10.50 and I got chips.
What an evening.
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