Fleetwood Mac Sans McVie Still Rock Solid

By CURTIS ROSS cross@tampatrib.com

TAMPA - Fleetwood Mac minus Christine McVie proved itself to be a very different band Sunday night before a St. Pete Times Forum crowd of 12,199.

McVie, who is sitting out this reunion of the rest of the ``Rumours''- era lineup, was responsible for some of the band's sweetest, catchiest material, such as ``Over My Head'' and ``You Make Loving Fun.''

She also, apparently, was the calm bridge between singer-songwriters Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. McVie's absence made for an evening far more emotionally charged than the band's 1997 Tampa appearance.

The band couldn't have picked a better opening number than ``The Chain,'' its pull-together-at-all-costs message especially fitting for a band that has lost a key member.

But while Buckingham and Nicks joined together to create those trademark Fleetwood Mac harmonies, both seemed to reserve plenty of energy for their featured numbers.

Nicks brought out her mystical persona for captivating performances of ``Rhiannon'' and ``Gold Dust Woman.'' ``Rhiannon,'' in particular, sounded stripped-down and toughened up, with drummer Mick Fleetwood pushing the song relentlessly.

The seldom-heard ``Beautiful Child'' was perhaps Nicks' most riveting performance of the evening.

Buckingham flailed away during an extended solo on ``Come,'' which reached a peak as he pounded his guitar like a madman. He was just as impressive on the acoustic number ``Big Love.''

But ``World Turning,'' ``Go Your Own Way'' and ``Landslide'' proved Buckingham and Nicks are even better together. The rock-solid, blues- schooled rhythm section of Fleetwood and bassist John McVie added necessary muscle to the songs' shimmering pop textures. Even without McVie, Fleetwood Mac proved itself to be a powerhouse.