A little over a year ago, Stevie Nicks told Rolling Stonethere was “more of a chance of an asteroid hitting the Earth” than Christine McVie returning to Fleetwood Mac. Well, it might be time to prepare for armageddon because the Mac’s keyboardist and singer – who quit the band in 1998 after a three-decade stint in the group – is returning for a world tour beginning this September and a possible new album.
The tour, entitled On With the Show, will kick off on Tuesday, Sept. 30 in Minneapolis, Minn. at the Target Center, with the band performing 34 shows in 33 cities across North America. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Monday, March 31 at 10 a.m. through Sunday, April 6 at 10 p.m. Tickets go on sale beginning Monday, April 7 through the Live Nation mobile app and Live Nation’s at website.
McVie says that her decision to leave the band was very simple. “I had some deluded idea that I wanted to live the ‘country lady’ life,” she tells Rolling Stone. “But I went through a divorce and I felt isolated in the country. I grew quite ill and depressed.” McVie realized the best way to fix her life was to rejoin Fleewood Mac, though Lindsey Buckingham admits he had some reservations when he first heard she wanted back in. “I wanted to make sure she grasped the weight of would it would entail,” he says. “She also had to understand that if she was coming back that, basically, she has to stay. She wants to do it.”
With McVie back in the band, the group will be able to perform songs like “Little Lies,” “You Make Loving Fun,” “Everywhere” and many other songs they haven’t been able to play in nearly 20 years. “Being back is really a time warp,” she says. “The tour is going to be great fun. I feel like a pig in poo right now.”
Fleetwood Mac toured last year without Christine, though they had to stop short after bassist John McVie’s cancer diagnosis. “His health is on the up,” says Christine. “He’s still doing chemotherapy. He just came in to do his bass parts, so everyone is real excited about that. He gets tired quickly, but he’s definitely been on the mend. He’s been such a man about this whole thing. I have renewed respect and love for him.” McVie reunited with the band last year to perform “Don’t Stop” in London.
The group spent time in mid-March working on new songs, though they don’t plan on releasing anything until after the world tour. They have yet to sketch out an exact setlist, though Buckingham has a good idea of what they’ll play. “It won’t be too hard to figure out,” he says. “Stevie and I both have songs we pretty much have to play. When you add in Christine’s hits, you pretty much have a set, though that’s not to say there won’t be a few little surprises around the edges.”
Fleetwood Mac On With the Show Tour Dates
9/30 Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
10/2 Chicago, IL – United Center
10/6 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
10/10 Boston, MA – TD Garden
10/11 Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
10/14 Pittsburgh, PA – Consol Energy Center
10/15 Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
10/18 Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
10/19 Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
10/21 Indianapolis, IN – Bankers Life Fieldhouse
10/22 Auburn Hills, MI – The Palace of Auburn Hills
10/26 Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
10/31 Washington, DC – Verizon Center
11/1 Hartford, CT – XL Center
11/10 Winnipeg, MB – MTS Centre
11/12 Saskatoon, SK – Credit Union Centre
11/14 Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
11/15 Edmonton, AB – Rexall Place
11/18 Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
11/20 Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
11/22 Portland, OR – Moda Center
11/24 Sacramento, CA – Sleep Train Arena
11/25 San Jose, CA – SAP Center
11/28 Inglewood, CA – The Forum
11/29 Inglewood, CA – The Forum
12/2 San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
12/3 Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
12/10 Phoenix, AZ – US Airways Center
12/12 Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
12/14 Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
12/15 Houston, TX – Toyota Center
12/17 Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena
12/19 Ft. Lauderdale, FL – BB&T Center
12/20 Tampa, FL – Tampa Bay Times Forum