The end of 2009 was a pretty sad and emotional time for me. My ambitions to live and work permanently in Ireland were falling to pieces after less than two years. I was on the verge of cutting my losses and heading back to Jersey to try to pick up the threads there again.
Before I did that I headed back to Dublin for a last time with my old friend Deirdre from Cork to see Fleetwood Mac in concert at the old Point Theatre, newly refurbished as the O2. Here is my review written the following day.
Back On The Rock 
I’m happy you reposted this review, Roy. Ah, Fleetwood Mac, one of my all time favorite bands. I’ve never experienced people climbing over my feet to use the bathroom during a concert, normally it’s a given at the movie theater. I really enjoyed your review!
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Thanks Jill, it was a terrific night.
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It is wonderful to see some of our musical heroes in the flesh, and to listen to them live.
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Hello Joan, yes it was amazing. I’m happy to have seen bands like the Stones and the Eagles though generally I’m not a concert-goer. These bands are considered great for a very good reason.
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Hey, Roy, Just tried to like this post, but it won’t let me! Anyway *Like
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Oh dear, anyway I appreciate the like/comment š
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Hi Roy – sadly I never got the chance to see Mac live (although at one time Mick Fleetwood lived just up the road from us), so enjoyed reading your take on the concert. Had a trip down memory lane a little while back when sister and I went to see McCartney in Hyde Park. Wonderful concert and before his not so great appearance at the Olympic Ceremony. Felt high for a week afterwards – on adrenalin – what else? š
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Ah, I’ve never seen any of the Beatles in the flesh. I’d like to have seen Paul in his Wings days I think. The Mac are touring GB as we speak (Dorking tomorrow š . Had I not already seen them I’d certainly be making the effort to catch them this time around.
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Dorking is within distance – but it’s a tribute band tomorrow night. We went to see a Rolling Stones tribute band there just before Christmas, and, ok, they sounded quite like the real thing, but the stage presence of Mick and Keith cannot be replicated – I’d hesitate before I went to another tribute act.
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You’re right of course Jenny *blush* – the real tour is towards the end of this year when they’re in London and Dublin. Yes, tribute acts are fine, but not if you’ve seen the real thing. I saw the Stones in Paris many years ago and wouldn’t want to see anyone else in their place. Similarly a very good Eagles tribute band (Talon) are still nowhere near as good as the originals.
Sunday, for me and a few of the lads, it’s an evening with Peter Aliss at Jersey’s Opera House – much more sedate!
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Sounds good to me!
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I’m so jealous…I love Fleetwood Mac! Playing their Greatest Hits right now to compliment my cubicle Friday. : )
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You can play music in your cubicle Britt? What a great company! Actually I could as well this quiet Friday pm, no one else around to disturb. Here we go…’Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow… š
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I would love to see Fleetwood Mac live, Roy. What a great experience.
I feel your pain when you say people were drinking and then having to move around to use the loo – how very annoying…
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Hello Dianne, yes I feel privileged. There’s something very special about watching the very best bands at work in the flesh.
What I’ve noted as well is that they all work so hard on stage, play long sets, appreciate the music and the audience even though it might be their 30th gig in 35 days. Lesser acts often just play, disappear and collect their money.
In that Mac concert we, the audience, had had our encore and were leaving quite happily when they came back and played some more. There was absolutely no need for them to have done that.
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Sorry to read about your Irish dream falling to pieces, Roy. I hope it all worked out okay for you in the end up and glad you really enjoyed your time here. The whole Fleetwood Mac thing passed me by I`m afraid. I`m extremely limited in my musical tastes, I suspect. More often than not such concerts have been a huge disappointment for me, so I rarely attend. Memories of Queen in a soggy field in Slane and filled with drunks, such as you describe, still haunt me!
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Well, I’d have regretted not giving it a shot RH and I took a lot of good experiences from my two years in Ireland. I’m sad to say the Irish take the biscuit in the way booze has to be the dominant factor in every social situation. Jersey’s consumption figures are, in fact, higher and we’re no angels either but it’s not so ‘in your face’.
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I love Fleetwood Mac and was just looking at pictures of Stevie Nicks this weekend. My husband says she’s been great this season on ‘American Horror Story’ as a witch. She sings on the show, too.
I would have loved to see Fleetwood Mac in concert. Lucky!
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She’s 65 or something now which is incredible. I’m sure she plays a witch well – she introduces her classic ‘Rhiannon’ as being about an old Welsh witch. I feel privileged to have seen the Mac in the flesh.
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