Neil Finn on Fleetwood Mac internal politics
 

From a new interview in Mojo magazine with Neil Finn:

Did joining Fleetwood Mac surprise you?
I was gobsmacked. I was 60 and I’d had a wonderfully diverse musical life when Mick called and said, “We’ve got rid of Lindsey, would you play with us?” I’d just done Lightsleeper with Liam so he had a vested interest in me not doing it, but he said, “Give it a shot,” so I auditioned.

What? Neil Finn auditioned?
It’s the only audition I’ve ever done. I went to Hawaii and Mick spent an hour telling me it wasn’t an audition, but it was. I was auditioning them too: I wasn’t sure it was the right thing, I was quite conflicted, but I liked the people and the welcome was universal.

What did you bring?
The naysayers said, “No Lindsey Buckingham, no Fleetwood Mac,” but I brought personality and the ability to sing with Stevie and Christine. I could never be capable of sounding like Lindsey but I put a similar intensity into his songs.

Any contact with Lindsey?
No, but I’d really like to have a dinner with him. There’s a lot of ill-will, but I don’t think he bears any towards me and I do think he had prior appreciation of the music I‘d made. Hopefully, once he got over the massive disappointment, he’d have thought, “At least someone with something going for them is singing my songs.”

Who’s running Fleetwood Mac these days?
It doesn’t currently exist, but when I was there Mick carried the flag. He always has and he’s the heart and soul. Yet Stevie’s the leader in many ways, because Stevie wants it the way Stevie wants it and that’s the way it’ll be. She couldn’t bear to be in a band with Lindsey any more, but she still wanted to do it exactly the way he would have. It was more difficult for Mike Campbell: she was really happy with the way it sounded between me and her, but she put a lot of pressure on Mike to be more like Lindsey. Sometimes Mike’s solos would go on and Stevie would get exhausted playing tambourine. She’d be, “F***ing hell, Lindsey only did 12 bars!”

Notable parts for me: Mick saying 'We've got rid of Lindsey' (sounds awfully like a firing to me...), and 'She couldn’t bear to be in a band with Lindsey any more, but she still wanted to do it exactly the way he would have.' - I call that having your cake and eating it...



https://www.mojo4music.com/magazine/...024-kate-bush/ (Great article on Kate Bush too, for those of you who have taste.)

And I'd heard RUMOURS that she was giving Mike a hard time. I didn't really believe my source, at the time. I didn't believe Stevie was that much of a moron... :lol:

-Got rid of Lindsey... that phrase always makes me quite upset

-He auditioned. Interesting, Mick used to say Nobody ever auditioned for Fleetwood Mac, and that's one of the reasons nothing ordinary ever happened to this band. Well he may be right cause I think nothing extraordinary happened in that tour.

-So she still wanted to do it exactly the way Lindsey would have. Now quite upset is an expression that falls short of what it makes me feel.

Well Fleetwood Mac not only doesn’t currently exist, it doesn't exist since 2018, or maybe before.

If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

And yes, she's a complete moron.

Please don't let FM ever reunite. Ever.

I’m a huge Neil Finn and Crowded House fan. I have all their music. Neil does some great studio work that always reminded me a bit of Lindsey. However, my two worlds collided and I could not bring myself to going to that tour.

Oh my goodness. This answered everything.
I like Neil saying he’d like to meet Lindsey. Lindsey plays Neil’s music on the speakers at his shows.
And it’s true Stevie told Mike to play like Lindsey. And Neil confirmed I’m Not The Boss is The Boss even if Mick carries the flag.

Isn’t worlds colliding a Crowded House? Seven Worlds Collide… maybe it’s Distant Sun?

Yes lyrics from Distant Sun….one of my favorite CH tracks.

Are people new here? People commenting with surprise that Mick said they got rid of Lindsey. Is that not what he always said?

Nothing new here. Even the part that Stevie is the leader "in many ways' is not really new. She controlled this band post Dance and when Christine came back went for the jugular and became a female version of Saddam Hussein.

Not surprised at all. That's why I said that phrase always makes me quite upset.

But it's interesting to read Finn's perceptions of being there and the band was managed.

I think Neil’s going to be forced to walk back his comments with a statement saying how amazing Stevie was and such a team player who thought Mike was the best guitar player to be in Fleetwood Mac with her.

Mick always said we had to part ways but I think he said that “out of respect for Lindsey.”
It seems the band was reading social media to see “No LB, No FM” but the answer to that is “highest grossing tour”…. Since On With The Show

Nah, Neil knows Fleetwood Mac is toast and he wont be working with them again.

Can I just say (again) what a joke it was when Mick said Neil and Mike were not "replacement" guitarists and were permanent members of the band to tour and make new music with.
I think Mick was trying out his new standup routine with that one :lol:

What a sad ending.
But they all made big money because $tevie stayed and toured. THAT'S what matters!

These statements dont mean anything to me. I want the juicy stuff like WHO Fleetwood Mac auditioned but did not make the cut. How did Billy know about Lindsey's firing before it was public?
Its just my opinion but I believe the Mac would not hire Billy without Rick. That would be such an odd thing to do. Stevie already hired Mike so that only left room for 1 replacement. Billy knew the songs so I want details!!!!

I'd be amazed if there was anyone 'new' here, we're all ancient.

Not surprised, just commenting with wry amusement. As I recall, Mick was embarrassingly mealy-mouthed about Lindsey leaving, talking about how they didn't use the word 'fired', when it was plain for all to see that was precisely what had happened.

And it's hilarious that Stevie wanted Lindsey out, while trying to keep the show exactly the same as it was when he was still in.

"We got rid of Lindsey". Nice Mick. You weiner. I was thinking today actually about Mike's playing on the 2018-19 tour. I was listening to Tom Petty radio and marveling over how good a guitar player Mike is. But on the FM tour he sounded so bland. He didn't even come close to Lindsey's playing. I bet it was a tough go for him. It feels like he was stifled. And of course it was all Stevie's doing and turd Mick went right along with her. No loyalty at all. She did wrong on so many levels.

Yeah...IMO, this is the only tidbit that's sorta revealing at this point. There were a LOT of fans who had this attitude of "oh with stubborn Lindsey out of the picture, the band can finally do whatever they want" That theory turned out to be crap...as expected.

I think the Mike situation totally backfired on Stevie. I think she thought he would be an absolute shoe-in and would come in having learned Lindsey's parts verbatim. Turns out he had no interest in that approach from the get-go. Early on he spoke about not even trying to replicate his style.

As I've said a million times, I'll never understand all the drama over timing/logistics for a tour that was really just another repeat of the 2014 tour. They didn't have a new album out, putting them under the gun to hit the road by a drop-dead date. They still started the tour well after the brief delay Lindsey had asked for, so It didn't get them on the road any sooner. So dumb.

Having Mike Campbell in Fleetwood Mac was like Greg Brady becoming Johnny Bravo in the Brady Bunch. Stevie hired him because he fit the suit. The suit was she wanted to do Free Falling as a Petty tribute with Mike. She was not going to wait and replace Waddy on her next solo tour. Mike fit the suit for her highly unusual Tom Petty tribute inside a Fleetwood Mac concert.

When I learned Lindsey was fired I was so upset I started a several months "embargo against Fleetwood Mac". Actually I was angry with the whole band. For few 2018 months I even stopped listening FM music, but the embargo lasts until 2019, I avoided reading news and watching videos of the tour.

Having said that, I allow myself to be surprised and ask MICK SAID THAT??? :mad:

2018 was the first tour I ever missed. F*ck Old Goatsy.

I bet he and LB could have an interesting dinner.... and I can see LB maybe doing it. But the bit about Lindsey thinking "at least someone with something going on is singing my songs" is like, does this guy know anything about Lindsey?? I think anyone else singing HIS songs with FM will always bring out snarky Lindsey, even now that he's mellowed some with age. :laugh:
But agree he likely doesn't hold any grudge against Neil for the whole mess.

Stevie has ALWAYS relied on Lindsey to be her musical compass. I recall when she was a mentor on whatever singing competition show she was on, she was paired with Jimmy to help a singer, and every other word out of her mouth was "Lindsey" and "Lindsey and I" etc etc Finally Jimmy said something like "yeah we get it, Lindsey was great" or something. She tried to backtrack and said something like "You were great too" LOL It's like she can never NOT say his name whatever she's doing.

I think Mick thought there was a chance of new music with Lindsey out. He still mentioned them when asked about the band’s future at the Grammy’s, although he also said Fleetwood Mac was done.

A lot of us knew within a week after MusiCares that there had been some type of falling out with Lindsey and that Mike was the new guy. I think it was a photographer who leaked the information. It was all over a Tom Petty Facebook fan page. I’m sure someone asked Billy about it and he talked to Mick, but he wasn’t considered for the tour. Brett indicated that the band auditioned John Paul White from Civil Wars.

I wonder if there are old articles, interviews, where Rick or Billy told about Stevie putting the same pressure on them.

Billy said Mick told him over the phone that FM recruited Neil and Mike, and that really hurt Billy’s feelings they didn’t ask him to rejoin. That was why Billy blurted it out on social media before anyone else that Lindsey had been fired.

So this is what we would have gotten?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RbFsHMqnSQ

Probably not.

Rick was a sideman who only had 55 days from the day he joined to opening night. He didn’t expectations from the crowd.

Mike is a legendary guitarist in his own right and was trying to put his own spin on the songs. However, Lindsey’s solos, basic as they are, don’t leave a lot of room for interpretation. That said, BMW, TMATTYD, and “Oh Well” were fine and I liked his R&B touches on “Everywhere.”

As for Billy, he was an associate and a fanboy, so he knew exactly what he was getting into.

Do we have an actual list of guitarists who were "auditioned" as Lindsey's replacement?

Neil Finn, Mike Campbell, John Paul White? Are there any other names?

Do we have confirmation whether or not Billy "been there/done that" Burnett was flown to Hawaii to also "audition"?

Also - it's laughable that Billy Burnett would think, even for a moment, that he would be considered as the replacement. It's likened to Van Halen reforming and calling back Gary Cherone to fill the lead singer spot.

In my opinion, there was no need to audition anyone - Mike Campbell already had the job. Next, since Mike Campbell doesn't sing well, the band needed a second guitarist to function as a vocalist. Enter Neil Finn.

Mike was offered the job outright. They listened to a bunch of singers, but only auditioned John Paul White and Neil Finn for vocalist/guitarist. Billy was definitely not auditioned. He only learned about it after Neil was already in the band.

I read an article Ricky Peterson did during the 2018-19 tour. He confirmed that Mike was asked first and he and Mike were in on the auditions. That tells me Stevie had Mike planned all along. But Mick told the press it was his idea. I call Bull****

I have no idea how it went but I can just imagine that she had a conniption fit, issued her ultimatum, and then was like sh&t what will I do? She called Mike and said I need you to bail me out!! and gave him the big sales pitch (you need to get back out on the road, that's the best way to get over losing Tom, it'll be good for you and for me, we'll both make a ton of money, etc. I can hear it now) And he said ok I'll consider it. She told Mick Mike was in banking on Mike agreeing...and then they rehearsed and she thought, see this isn't bad at all, and the others probably thought so... and then as the tour went on and Madame wasn't so happy....I'd like to think she came to regret her fit of rage...but....:confused:

She would NEVER admit that regret in a trillion years. But you're probably right. But I even doubt she admits that even to herself. Her STAFF tells her that her farts smell like roses...

WHO RUINED THE ENDING OF FM?

We all know...

Why would you think its laughable Billy would think he would get the job? He replaced Lindsey before and knows the songs. He also was friends and worked with pretty much everyone even before joining. There had to be a reason why and I want to know. There could be some issue with Billy we don't know.
Or the band has really bad memories of the Rick/Billy era?

I agree, Billy was probably considered for replacing Lindsey. As for why he wasn’t hired, SteveMacD had a pretty good idea as to why he wasn’t chosen- he posted a picture of Billy around that time, and Billy did not look well. Between his health issues and surgeries, he looked unhealthy, even bloated. It pains me to say that, but I’m sure his looks and health were issues that may have contributed to their decision.

Despite a throwaway comment by Christine where she lumped the Billy/Ricky years with the Time lineup, I remember several interviews with both Stevie and Christine where they raved about the new guys, and I remember Casey Kasem in his top 40 countdown describing a joke the band played on John McVie where they put hay and chickens in his hotel room or something like that. And Billy and Stevie spoke about how, after they finished a show, they would still play in their hotel room together, because they enjoyed each other that much.

I wish it would have been Billy and Rick so that BTM stuff would for sure have been played. But my gut tells me Mick and Stevie wanted names that people would know and more people know the names Neil Finn and Mike Campbell, AND Stevie wanted to give Mike a job after Tom passed.

However, Mick and Rick only started talking to each other again in late 2019 or early 2020. In a Peter Green tribute video, Rick Vito said he and Mick had a disagreement about politics in 2016 and hadn't talked until Mick asked him to play in the Concert For Peter Green, which would have been late 19 or 2020. Rick is a Trump supporter and I think Mick is a Democrat, but he could be an intelligent Republican like Liz Cheney.

Was Stevie lucid from 87 through 1990 to even put pressure on them?

Great analysis! I think by Neil revealing all of this, he's not planning on going back to Fleetwood Mac if there is ever more concerts by that band.

i highly doubt that. I don’t think Neil cares or has any vested interest in keeping the peace within Fleetwood Mac (which, as he stated, doesn’t even exist anymore). Whereas Mick or Christine (and even Lindsey) always kissed the Queen’s behind, Neil got his paycheck and that chapter was a one and done.

I wonder what line of BS Mick told them in order to get them to sign on the bottom line. There always seems to be a sense of disappointment that eventually surfaces.

I have to hand it to Neil. He’s more honest than anyone else involved in that lineup was willing to be.

I’m guessing Mick or Neale Heywood let Finn know that Lindsey enjoyed NF’s music.
And he’s a gentleman for desiring to have dinner with Lindsey. Even Mike Campbell said he had the utmost respect for Lindsey’s contributions to FM. Stevie seems to be the only person who thinks Lindsey contributed nothing to FM.

And yet she can’t keep his name out of her mouth for ten minutes. She is obnoxious.

Next week she’ll post an Instagram photo of her and Neil Finn at Capital Grille saying it was great to catch up with my best singing partner ever!