This was my third visit to Acapela Studios since the reopening of the venue and was by far the rowdiest - which was no bad thing.
I've been a Fleetwood Mac lover since the earliest days and I even love the middle years from 1971-74 where the band had constant changes but managed to produce some fabulous music which many Fans have not even heard. I urge them to go and seek out the run of albums between Then Play On to Heroes Are Hard To Find - then go and have a look at Bob Welch's Solo Work. Another tragic chapter in the incredible Fleetwood Mac story.
But back to the show.
With a set list and catalogue of songs to kill for the Sold Out Show was bound to be a success and it was. It was also great to see a nicely female heavy mixed age audience singing away to all of the songs.
Leonie Gale - Vocals
The band opened the show with a storming version a Stevie Nicks 1983 solo track, Stand Back from her Wild Hearts album. A great way to kick off Part One of tonight's show and the crowd was singing along right from the off.
Stand Back
For track 2 it was back to 1987 and Tango In The Night for Christine McVie's Isn't It Midnight which gave Paul, the guitar player, a chance to show us his skill. And to be fair he was on great form all evening with both guitar and vocals.
This is not a band who mimic The Mac. They play their songs in their own unique style and when given the chance, such as in Midnight, they use the opportunity to bring something different to the party in terms of improvisation. And with such well known songs I found this rather refreshing throughout the evening.
Paul Caruana - Guitar & Vocals
The only contentious decision the band really have to make is what songs to choose from that huge catalogue of songs. And how many of the Rumours tracks to play.
Well, next up was the huge hit You Make Loving Fun,
You Make Loving Fun
Buckingham Nicks - The White Album - Rumours - Tusk hold some very special memories for me and I suppose lots of others of my age in the crowd and just hearing these songs live again sent tingles down my spine and tears into my eyes. Lucky it was dark upstairs or they would have seen my mascara running!!!! I was back in 1977 age 16!
During their Mid to late 70s heyday The Mac weren't afraid to pay some respect to earlier incarnations of the band and the next track, Peter Green's fabulous hit Oh Well was played live with Lindsay taking the lead vocal and giving the chance to show off his considerable guitar skills. Tonight was no different.
Oh Well
It was back to Rumours for the next track and a massive female singalong to Dreams which could have lifted the roof off the newly air conditioned Acapela.
Four of my favourite Mac songs in a row followed with the first being Sara from Tusk. Here is Fleetingwood Mac with their own video, giving us their version of the song.
Sara
Then we had a beautiful version of Gypsy from 1982's Mirage album.
Gypsy
And the third in this fabulous Quartet of songs comes from 1975's White Album - the superb Say You Love Me.
The final song in this killer quartet of songs also came from the White Album - given added resonance being played in Wales - Leonie began the song with a soft slow rendition of the first verse before breaking into one of The Mac's best loved songs, Rhiannon.
And the final song of Part One of tonight's set was the title track from 1979's follow up to Rumours, the flawed beauty that is Tusk.
Tusk
Matthew Knight - Bass
Part 2 opened with another Stevie Nicks Solo stomper - from 1981's debut solo album Bella Donna we were given an excellent interpretation of Edge Of Seventeen and Leonie's vocals were just sensational.
It was back to early Mac for the slinky Black Magic Woman before being transported back to the 80s and Tango In The Night for the delicate Everywhere and the soaring Seven Wonders.
Seven Wonders
Back to Tango In The Night for the epic Big Love and the antidote Little lies - both tracks showing the capabilities of the band in both their instrumental and vocal abilities. Dan Davies on Keyboards normally shares vocals but had lost his voice from the previous night so vocal duties fell to Leonie & Paul who performed admirably under what must have ben difficult circumstances for the band.
Dan Davies - Keys & Vocals
By now the crowd were up and dancing and it just grew once the banc returned to 60s Mac for an energetic rendition of Shake Your Money Maker with Paul really making the song his own on guitar. Yes, by the end of the song the audience was literally dancing in the aisles.
Sean Kenneally - Drums
By the time of the final song of the set the crowd were cheering, dancing and singing along with abandon as the band launched into Don't Stop. It was great to see people enjoying themselves after almost 2 years of enduring lockdown. And this was the perfect song for all that pent up energy and emotion to be released. By now I was just sitting there smiling like the Cheshire Cat, just drinking it all in. Absolutely Glorious,
Don't Stop
The crowd were so up for it now, the band was not getting away without an encore so they came back with The Chain and ended the show with a blistering version of Go Your Own Way which took me right back to the summer of 1977. Glorious memories indeed.
Go Your Own Way
I was quite unprepared for just how emotional this gig would be to me. Those songs have a resonance which has lasted over 46 years and I didn't expect the ripples to be still moving but they still are. Little 4 minute time capsules. Music remains a mysterious alchemy of magic and emotion and as long as bands choose to play this music it will always surround us.
Thank you Fleetingwood Mac for such a fabulous evening. I'd happily pay the money to see these guys again. But one thing, just for me, learn my favourite Mac song and revisit that 71 to 74 era to give us a song from there. And my favourite Mac song.......Well it's this beauty.
Come A Little Bit Closer
Twitter - @fleetingwoodmac
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