Stevie Nicks – British Summertime, Hyde Park 2024 – Review and Photos by Dawn Osborne

When Stevie Nicks postponed her Glasgow gig everyone with a ticket to see her at British Summertime held their breath, would their dreams be shattered of seeing the legend at Hyde Park. When she postponed Manchester we tried to ignore an impending sense of doom that it was not to be. She issued a press release saying London was definitely going ahead, but still, would she have recovered enough from her recent leg operation to make it? When no cancellation notice arrived by the morning of the event we began to breath easier. On arrival at the event, there are no white notices at the entrance with a stinging message that unfortunately Ms Nicks could not make it, and we could begin to dare to have confidence she was coming. But not until she actually stepped on the stage did people believe their eyes, pinching themselves that this was actually happening.

The day started earlier over on the Rainbow stage. Pop rock diva Catty confessed she had no idea if it was a coincidence that she was appearing there, before launching into a highly personal song about her coming out. She has a loyal female following lining up holding their spot at the front to see her and holding or wearing various artefacts bearing her name. It’s easy to see why she is popular. She’s a no holds barred gutsy lady who sounds great and humbly announces that she begged for the gig being such a Stevie Nicks fan, and is still working as a waitress despite the success she has seen, because it is so hard to make money from music these days. I could only see three songs before we had to go over to the main stage for the first act there, but she managed to make the event seem special with her irrepressible effervescence and enthusiasm and was a great start to the day.

It’s a little overcast today, but still warm and I wonder how Paris Paloma can wear her, admittably beautiful, but enormous puff sleeved silver metallic fabric and lace Carolean Seventeeth Century dress on stage, but she looks magnificent and treated us to her ethereal folky acoustic songs with a modern honesty that can have you thinking ‘did someone who looks so wholesome just say that’ – yes she did. She is Gen Z after all!! She sings softly, but her guitars made of wood count as a very big stick. The production is pared back and she is just accompanied by one other acoustic guitarist and a drummer. The song that went viral ‘Labour’ is a song of rebellion against patriarchy that is indeed timeless, well at least since the Christian church relegated the times of the female Goddess and Queens like Boudicca to history.

Anna Calvi looks like an Italian model for an impossibly expensive brand of clothing, but wields a mean axe guitar, another astonishing talent in this all day festival of female artists. Atmospheric guitar effects, slide guitar, astonishing solos, frenetic strumming and operatic long high notes – still waters run deep! Towards the end of her set she takes off her sunglasses making the delivery more intimate. After saying very little at the end she wishes everyone a lovely evening and says it’s an honour to be here. It’s a bit like cat woman straightening her gloves after kicking the shit out of Batman. She makes it look easy.

Brandi Carlile has brought her wife, all of her wife’s friends and seemingly half the audience with her, as I suddenly found myself surrounded by enthusiastic fans screaming and reacting to the stage. She is heartwarmingly honest and energetic with her country music and treated everyone to a hoe down, music to lose your inhibitions to. Sister Strings, two statuesque dreadlocked amazons playing violin and cello and a full stage of guys accompany her and bring an instant party atmosphere. A cover of ‘We Are The Champions’ the Queen song guarantees 100 percent audience participation.

And the moment has arrived, and the crowd roars, as Stevie Nicks really is here!! She comes on looking fantastic, still beautiful at 76, elegantly dressed in a kind of Victorian mourning outfit emphasizing her still trim figure and sounding better than the Fleetwood Mac records in person. It’s like suddenly cleaning a window to hear her live, compared with the dated production of many of her famous records and iconic track ‘Dreams’ made a very early appearance making everyone’s day. She looks happy and well and although still limping a little (although I wonder if I didn’t know about her leg operation would I have picked that up). She danced a little for the crowd who gave a huge roar every time she did. Encouraged by others she has brought along the genuine shawls and cloaks from the original Fleetwood Mac records such as ‘Bella Donna’ and ‘Gold Dust Woman’ adding to the sense of awe and historical importance when performing these tracks. The sight of her lifting up the black and golden shawl like a butterfly against the dots moving across the stage like the effect of a giant golden glitter ball was the most stunning visual of the day.

She was engaging and chatty telling stories between songs, for example, how she looks back on the days when she was young fondly: constantly touring and with no money, she now calls them the ‘halcyon days’.  Explaining that when she was young she had been too busy getting fittings, having her hair done, writing poems  and doing everything necessary for her music career to ever vote. She implores the crowd not to be like her, but make sure they turn out for a general election.

Her musings turned to those she cared for who had a connection to Hyde Park where she had last seen Tom Petty before he died. She explained that she could feel his presence as she covered one of his best known tracks ‘Free Fallin’ to a backdrop of huge photos of him on screen. Later she reminds everyone that the actual date of this show is the dearly departed Christine McVie’s birthday. She explains that her mother always said that Stevie went on stage when she was hurt to heal, and how her audiences have helped her get over the loss of people she loves.

 ‘Rhiannon’ was the first track of the encore and as if that wasn’t enough, Harry Styles suddenly arrived to duet on ‘Stop Dragging My Heart Around’ and ‘Landslide’. I didn’t tell everyone screaming around me that I was much more excited by Stevie and I couldn’t sing a Harry Styles song to save my life, but it added to the special feeling of the occasion to have some more celebrity stardust added.

As special as I thought this would be the reality surpassed my expectations by a mile. When you see a legend in concert nothing compares to it as an experience when you are in the moment and actually there. She really came .. and played .. and sang .. and danced .. and everything!! (Instant fan girl!) Along with the rest of the crowd I am still pinching myself now and will never forget today!

Dawn Osborne (text and photos)