As usual, I have spent an inordinate amount of time listening to music this festive period and I managed to find myself listening to a lot of music by Fleetwood Mac. I must say, I do like Fleetwood Mac, albeit the Buckingham/Nicks version rather than the old blues stuff from the 1960s. I know this will be sacrilege to some, but hey ho! What I don’t understand is their continued live success in the absence of the most important member off the band: Lindsey Buckingham.
Yes, Fleetwood (Mick) and Mac (John McVie) are still there, solely as the rhythm section, contributing little by way of creativity. So, you might say, of they are still there, it’s still Fleetwood Mac, but I am not so sure. Buckingham was sacked from the band last year and replaced by Neil Finn of Crowded House and Mike Campbell, one of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers. He was unquestionably in my view the most creative force in the band and, nowadays, its best singer. If I was wanting to see the band – and I am happy to say I have no interest in seeing the band – I would expect Buckingham to be present.
Yet such is the world’s love and obsession with nostalgia, it seems music lovers will ignore almost everything in order to hear yesterday’s music today. As long as Don’t Stop is sung by someone, it doesn’t seem to matter that the bloke who sang and indeed wrote it isn’t there.
I have no issue whatsoever with Finn singing with the band. However, I would say that, regardless of his musical excellence, this would be karaoke on steroids. He’s way better than the pub-singing fraternity but for the best part of a oner to stand 200 yards from the pitch, I’d expect something better than the lead singer from another band standing in because of a domestic. It’s a rip off.
If you’re going to Wembley, do enjoy the show, but don’t forget that it’s a piss take without Lindsey Buckingham. And an absolute rip off.
