Fleetwood Mac to play O2 Arena

The story of Fleetwood Mac is perhaps the most legendary in all of rock and roll. After the original British line-up collapsed, the introduction of first Christine McVie, then long-term American couple Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, transformed the band from a second-tier blues-rock group to folk-inflected world-conquerors. But as the money flowed in, a cocktail of drugs, hubris and romantic discord saw the band fall into bitter disputes and recriminations, even as they soldiered on through hit album after hit album. Now older and calmer, they’ve regrouped for their colossal On With The Show Tour. Christine McVie has finally rejoined the band after an eighteen-year retirement, giving fans a chance to see their full classic line-up. Over two nights in the 02 Arena, they will blast London with a mammoth set of their greatest hits.

'Stormy, dream-like tales of poets and gypsies...enchanting in her ethereal intensity'

Although their saga may be worthy of a soap opera, the real secret to Fleetwood Mac’s endearing success lies in their triple-threat of first-rate songwriters. There’s Buckingham, with his jagged, forward-looking guitar lines and irresistible melodic touch, taking what could be conventional folk-rock songs in unconventional directions. There’s Nicks, with her stormy, dream-like tales of poets and gypsies, landslides and witches, enchanting in her ethereal intensity. And then there’s McVie, responsible for many of the group’s liveliest, catchiest and most direct work, from the breathless ‘Say You Love Me’ and exuberant ‘Don’t Stop’ to the smooth 80s standards ‘Little Lies’ and ‘Everywhere.’

Tranquil folk meets wild rock

This is music that, while seldom deviating from the alluring formulas of conventional pop, manages to avoid the bland and crass. 1977 record Rumours, one of the best-selling of all time, bustles with variety and left turns, pairing the most tranquil folk with wild rockers. 1980’s double-album Tusk experiments with numerous styles while remaining entirely Fleetwood Mac, and even the smooth, synth-led pop of 1987’s Tango in the Night has remained enticing while much contemporary music has become hopelessly dated. These two gigs will be essential dates for the band’s thousands of fans across London.