Growing up with a bit of an old soul, Fleetwood Mac has probably been my favorite band since I could talk. While other kids listened to Kidz Bop, I was jamming out to "Rhiannon," "Trouble," "Landslide" and other classics. Granted, it took me a few years to realize that Lindsey was a guy and Stevie was a girl, but still.
So when news broke that the most iconic gypsy band of all time had parted ways with lead guitarist and male vocalist Lindsey Buckingham, needless to say, I was heartbroken.
You can't have the band without Buckingham! I mean just look at the chemistry between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks when they perform together! That is the kind of passion that you can't fake!
This band is one of the only groups that has managed to stand the test of time, through breakups, divorces, heartaches, drug problems and fantastic hits! So why, Lindsey, would you refuse to go on another tour and relive the good old days?! Take inspiration from your own song and "Don't Stop"!
I know you'll say to me that Lindsey Buckingham wasn't a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, and for that matter, neither was Stevie Nicks. Yes, I know that Lindsey Buckingham only joined the band after several rounds of firings and breakups, and that sequels are rarely ever better than the original, BUT in this case, accidental magic happened, and there is no looking back!
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Lindsey Buckingham made the band, and though their names weren't on the label, Buckingham and Nicks were like peanut butter and jelly: You can't have one without the other. And now that Lindsey has said his goodbyes, I can only hope that the soulful, scarf-wearing, free-spirited woman with a voice from heaven won't follow his lead.
No, I won't be buying tickets to their upcoming tour, as exciting as it is to me that they are performing together, and so near to me. I just don't feel that I can ever buy tickets without my beloved guitarist. I'm devastated that I will never get to see my band in person with the all-star line up that I've listened to for 19 years, and at this point, my cracked little heart thinks that it may be better not to see them at all than see them with strangers on stage.
Right now, I'm "drowning in the sea of love / where everyone would love to drown / but now it's gone" (bonus points if you can guess which song these lyrics are from), and unless they stage a miraculous comeback (cough cough, hint hint, Lindsey), I may go my whole life without seeing them live.
But I have to hope that like a phoenix from the ashes, Fleetwood Mac will rise once again and become the whimsical, witchy, and eccentric group that I know and love.
No, I'm still not over it, but to Neil Finn and Mike Campbell, welcome to the band. Embrace your inner "Songbird" and "Black Magic Woman," and maybe you can save the magic.
(But because I'm still in mourning, I'm just gonna leave this gorgeous image right here...)
Society of Rock
