Photo: WENN
Comebacks and reunions tours are everywhere right now, and it's getting harder to think of a band who haven't reunited or announced a comeback tour in 2013 - but Fleetwood Mac's live shows in Autumn 2013 are reason to get more excited than most.
With the headlines being made by David Bowie, Black Flag, Pink Floyd, Suede, The Who and The Rolling Stones at the moment, it'd be easy to think that we'd slipped back a decade or two in the music world.
And yet there's something about the latest news that is bigger than the 'comeback phase'. Because Fleetwood Mac have announced a UK tour and, while it isn't the Glastonbury announcement that we'd all hoped for, it's certainly enough to get everyone really excited. Like, really excited. Mick Jagger who?
But considering that Fleetwood Mac haven't released an album in ten years, it's easy to wonder what all the fuss is really about - never mind that 2003's Say You Will was a perfect example of how well Fleetwood Mac manage to stay relevant and avoid the nostalgia trap that so many 'classic' bands fall into, the fact still remains that most people unfortunately won't even be aware of its existence.
Part of the reason for the current surrounding meltdown is simple - Fleetwood Mac don't tour very often. Whatever the reason for wanting to see them - a sense of misplaced nostalgia, an appreciation for Rumours or just the opportunity to worship at the feet of rock goddess Stevie Nicks in person - it's difficult to get the chance. In the last ten years, Fleetwood Mac have toured twice. So with that in mind, it's not surprising that the news of the 2013 tour is being met with such enthusiasm.
After all, Stevie Nicks herself put it best in a recent interview with Reuters. "I don't want a Fleetwood Mac tour every year or year and a half," she said. "That's why people get so excited. ... All of a sudden the world is on edge and that's what gets you out there."
There's no doubt that the world is on edge.
And another part of the reason for that is because finally - finally! - the band's 'classic' line-up is going on tour. Instead of having to take a bingo card along to the concert in order to tick off the members that have been on stage at one point or another, fans can get the 'big four' crossed off. That's right; 2013 is going to see John McVie, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood team up once again - minus Christine McVie who, let's be realistic, is never going to come back to the band and will forever keep fans from getting that 'bingo!' moment.
Fleetwood Mac are one of the few bands that manage to transcend eras. It's not a throwback to the 70s - and it won't just be packed with middle-aged men trying to relive their youth. The only reason that their music sounds like the 70s is because it's associated with that - and even then, rarely.
Modern music today all takes inspiration from Fleetwood Mac. Haim, who won the BBC Sound of 2013 poll, have a definite sound of Rumours in their music, Taylor Swift's music harks back to the Fleetwood Mac heyday, Best Coast, MGMT and The Kills all took part in a Fleetwood Mac tribute album. Even Beyonce sampled Stevie Nicks' 1981 hit 'Edge of Seventeen' for 'Bootylicious' - can anyone need more proof than that?
Above all, Fleetwood Mac are timeless. Rumours, with all of its bitterness and vulnerability and heartbreak, is real - and appealing to everyone. Fleetwood Mac have been through whatever you've been through, and they've got the ability to put what you're feeling into a song and play it back to you.
So why is a Fleetwood Mac comeback so popular? Here's why - because, let's face it; in an ideal world, they'd never even go away.
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