Hit the road, Mac

Music with Eddie Rowley

FLEETWOOD Mac are going back on the road with a lineup ( above) that includes Mike Campbell from Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers and Neil Finn of Crowded House.

Campell and Finn replace Lindsey Buckingham who was fired from the band this summer due to disagreements over the timing of the new tour and other issues.

Next month, Fleetwood Mac will celebrate a half century of music with the release of a 50 track three-CD and five-LP vinyl set that reflects their entire career from their early days playing blues to their global success.

One of the most enduring and bestselling bands in rock history, their live shows today attract fans of all ages.

“The demographic is absolutely unbelievable,” Christine McVie acknowledges. “There are people our age — and we are no spring chickens — and they come along with their children and their children’s children. What is the appeal? I think it’s because the songs are so timeless and it’s the synergy we have with each other.

“People love music and it transports them to another place. They remember where they were when they heard a particular song. Music is a wonderful gift.”

Christine left Fleetwood Mac in 1998, but rejoined them in 2014, and they rehearsed together in Dublin. Why did she leave in the first place? “I was afraid of flying, it was a chronic fear,” Christine tells me. “I sought help and I went to a psychiatrist. It turns out there were underlying problems. I wasn’t afraid of flying at all, I was afraid of facing the world or something. Now I love flying.”

Their new collection of recorded music called 50 Years — Don’t Stop, out on November 16, includes bestloved tracks like ‘Say You Love Me’, ‘Go Your Own Way’, ‘You Make Loving Fun’, ‘Dreams’ and ‘Little Lies’.