Fleetwood Mac fans are buzzing with speculation following a recent surge of online activity from the band.
Last weekend, a new “official” Instagram account for the legendary group was launched. The verified page is currently private and has only eight followers, including band members Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood. Additionally, an official Fleetwood Mac TikTok profile has been created, although no content has been posted yet. The account currently boasts nearly 14,000 followers.
This excitement comes after Nicks made her first appearance on Saturday Night Live in 41 years, where she performed her new single ‘The Lighthouse’ along with her classic solo hit ‘Edge of Seventeen.’
“Fleetwood Mac making an official Instagram and TikTok we are cooked,” wrote one user on X/Twitter last Saturday (October 12). Another shared: “Fleetwood Mac making an Instagram. Somebody sedate me.”
Image Courtesy: Woman’s World
Meanwhile, some fans are speculating about what might be happening behind the scenes. On Reddit, one user posted, “What the flip is about to happen?” along with a screenshot of the new Instagram page.
“It would be so amazing if this amounted to something like a reunion of the remaining four,” one person commented. “Has John [McVie] been coaxed out of retirement? Have Stevie and Lindsey [Buckingham] buried the hatchet? One final public tribute to Christine [McVie] and then curtains?”
Another user wrote: “Can someone explain what is happening right now?” Someone else said: “Y’all got my heart pounding!!!!”
While some fans speculated about a possible reunion, others pointed out that last week marked the 45th anniversary of Fleetwood Mac’s 12th album, ‘Tusk’, suggesting that a reissue might be in the works. Meanwhile, guitarist and singer-songwriter Lindsey Buckingham, who was fired from Fleetwood Mac in 2018, celebrated Tusk’s “birthday” with a post on Instagram.
Image Courtesy: The Irish Times
In his caption, he reflected on reaching “a creative fork in the road” with the experimental album, following the immense commercial success of its predecessor, 1977’s ‘Rumours’.
It was also reported over the weekend that the band’s official website experienced a temporary outage.
Following Nicks’ SNL performance, another Reddit user commented: “It seems very odd to set an account up now after so long, particular[ly] right as Stevie was about to go on SNL… Lindsey also posted a memory [of SNL] (which if it is unrelated seems very weird to do).”
On the same thread, a fan wrote: “I’m still hoping a Buckingham Nicks reunion could still happen!”
This summer, Nicks stated that there was “no chance of reuniting Fleetwood Mac” without Christine McVie, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 79.
Image Courtesy: Music Existence
“Without her, it just couldn’t work,” she reasoned.
In a prior interview, Nicks expressed that there was “no reason to” keep the band going. She described McVie as her “best friend” and “musical soul mate.”
“When she died, I figured we really can’t go any further with this,” the singer continued.
Mick Fleetwood later stated that he “would love to see a healing” between Nicks and Buckingham. However, the drummer noted that this “doesn’t necessarily have to take the form of a tour.”
In early 2023, the sticksman said he still planned to perform, but “not as Fleetwood Mac”, adding: “I’d say we’re done, but then we’ve all said that before. It’s sort of unthinkable right now.”
Nicks headlined a solo concert at London’s BST Hyde Park 2024 in July, where she was joined by surprise guest Harry Styles. She also performed in Manchester, Dublin, and Glasgow as part of her 2024 UK and Ireland tour. However, Nicks had to postpone her Glasgow and Manchester shows due to a health issue. The singer later shared that she had “caught this weird infection, and it just went crazy.”
Image Courtesy: NPR
In late 2018, Buckingham announced that he had settled the lawsuit he filed against Fleetwood Mac after being removed from the band earlier that year, with Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and Crowded House frontman Neil Finn stepping in as replacements.
“We’ve all signed off on something,” Buckingham said at the time. “I’m happy enough with it. I’m not out there trying to twist the knife at all. I’m trying to look at this with some level of compassion, some level of wisdom.”
However, in early 2024, the singer-songwriter stated that he would rejoin Fleetwood Mac “in a heartbeat, absolutely” if the chance presented itself.
“If there’s more to come, if there’s a way to heal that, that would be great. It would be very appropriate to close on a more circular note.”
—Silviya.Y