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BY MELISSA RUGGIERI
Sometimes in the middle of a show, when he’s corralled inside his drum nest at the back of the stage, Mick Fleetwood experiences what he calls a “pregnant moment.”
It’s a bit like being in a dream, he said, when you’re living the reality but not quite believing it.
It usually happens when he watches Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham trade off their magical vibe, knitted together by time and heartbreak and forgiveness. Or when the actuality sets in that songbird Christine McVie is back onstage with the band for the first time in 16 years. Or on the plane after a show when he sees Nicks and McVie giggling in the back.
Fleetwood frequently gets that happy floating feeling during the band's "On with the Show" tour, which has a sold-out stop at Philips Arena Dec. 17 and returns March 25. And his immediate thought is usually, "How cool is that?"
It is one of the most unlikeliest reunions in rock history from a band that thrives on drama and from “Rumours” to “Tango in the Night” succeeds mightily anyway.
“It’s a great story,” said Fleetwood.
Calling from a tour stop in Canada, Fleetwood chatted about his current priority as drummer in the band he’s played in with bassist John McVie since 1967, as well as his myriad non-musical interests.
Fleetwood, 67, has lived in Maui for more than a decade and two years ago opened the restaurant Fleetwood’s on Front St., serving New American cuisine. (“It runs itself, but it’s like having another band member for sure.”)
For about 13 years, he’s also nurtured the Mick Fleetwood Private Cellar wine collection.
Recently, Fleetwood and Rolling Stone writer Anthony Bozza collaborated on Fleetwood’s autobiography, “Play on: Now, Then, and Fleetwood Mac,” a chatty tome about the musician’s rascally history.
And then there is his fine art photography.
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
“Reflections: The Mick Fleetwood Collection,” an assembly of about 25 photographs showcasing nature, antique cars, Maui and other topics of beauty, is on exhibit at Ann Jackson Gallery in Roswell Dec. 12-21.
Fans may be surprised to see the white-haired, 6’5” drummer snapping photos in their town before the band’s shows.
“My cameras travel with my (drum) equipment, so I’m always ready to raid it,” he said with a chuckle.
Before a concert in New York in October, he prowled the city hoping to catch some seasonal color but groused that the leaves hadn’t sufficiently changed color yet to satisfy his creative eye.
“My gut tells me it wasn’t the profusion of color I was hoping for,” he said. “I was quietly thinking that I got some nice shots, but it wasn’t the full monty of color.”
From an artistic standpoint, Valerie Jackson, owner and art director of Ann Jackson Gallery, praised Fleetwood’s “good eye” and his willingness to capture scenes so different from his public life as a rock star.
“(The exhibit) is not what you would typically think you’d be seeing from someone in rock ‘n’ roll,” Jackson said. “It’s a reflection of his life growing up in England and now in Maui. He has a lot of interesting perspective in the pieces.”
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Fleetwood’s work is priced from $1,950 to $5,950. Collectors who purchase a piece get the opportunity to meet the artist at a reception Dec. 16. The event is free and open to the public, but only those who make a purchase get the privilege to talk to Fleetwood.
“It’s been a huge amount of fun,” Fleetwood said of the other art show appearances he’s done while on tour. “I’m flattered that the galleries enjoy doing it. It’s always nice to hear people going, ‘My god, these are really nice landscapes!’ But I also understand that not everyone wants to see pictures of swans on lakes.”
Fleetwood deftly balances his band life with his other hobbies. As he writes in his book, he still loves what some might consider the most grueling aspect of life as a veteran rocker: touring.
“The real road dogs that don’t even second guess being out here are me, John and Stevie, whether she would admit it or not. She’s a total road gypsy,” Fleetwood said.
No surprise, then, that the band recently added more than 35 additional dates for a 2015 North American leg of “On With the Show,” including the March encore at Philips Arena.
The homecoming of Christine McVie has allowed Fleetwood Mac to inject its set lists with even more nuggets from the band’s legendary catalog, including “You Make Loving Fun,” “Say You Love Me” and “Everywhere.”
“Having opened up Chris’ Pandora’s box has been fun,” Fleetwood admitted. “(She’s) put a rocket under our whole psyche of what we do out here. She insists on every night saying to the audience, ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this again and I’m so grateful to my musical partners, and you don’t often get a second chance to do what you love.’ And I’m going, ‘Chris, how about putting the shoe on the other foot,’ because we just can’t believe that she’s back.”
Fleetwood Mac. 8 p.m. Dec. 17 (sold out) and 8 p.m. March 25. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
Gallery preview
"Reflections: The Mick Fleetwood Collection." Through Dec. 21. Noon-6 p.m. daily. Reception for Mick Fleetwood 6-9 p.m. Dec. 16; RSVP required to valerie@annjacksongallery.com. Free. Ann Jackson Gallery, 932 Canton St., Roswell. 770-993-4783, www.annjacksongallery.com.
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