Mick Fleetwood surprised and delighted Crowded House fans last night at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire when he took up the sticks for an energetic version of the Split Enz anthem I Got You.
In effect, this could be seen as Fleetwood returning the favour to Neil Finn who famously filled Lindsay Buckingham’s large shoes on Fleetwood Mac’s 2018-19 tour. When Buckingham parted ways with the band in 2018, Fleetwood called Finn up asking if he would audition for the band.
Finn recalled in a 2018 interview with Mojo that he was “gobsmacked” by this: “I was 60 and I'd had a wonderfully diverse musical life when Mick called and said, 'We've got rid of Lindsey, would you play with us?' I'd just done Lightsleeper with Liam [Finn, his son] so he had a vested interest in my not doing it, but he said, 'Give it a shot,' so I auditioned."
Last night’s was by all accounts an unforgettable cameo. The drums on the original Split Enz version are unflashy and metronomic. Fleetwood decided this wasn’t for him.
Michael Hann, reviewing the gig in the Guardian, described Fleetwood’s playing as “raucous, ridiculous and absolutely wonderful...(he) plays it like Keith Moon, inserting fills where neither space nor time suggest they should be... Obviously it ends with Fleetwood thrashing round the kit and leading the band in a huge rock climax.”
Mick Fleetwood banging out a Split Enz song at a Crowded House gig 🤯@CrowdedHouseHQ pic.twitter.com/74vWZZewk4June 13, 2024
Fleetwood introduced the band at the gig, which was a launch show for the new Crowded House album Gravity Stairs. He also played on another encore song, Weather With You, supplying the song’s distinctive bongos, sashaying around the stage, and effortlessly stealing the show.
The band had promised to play the whole new album in full. In the event, new tracks were scattered occasionally around the set, which Mark Grassick, reviewing on the UK Ticketmaster website called “a joyous amalgamation of hits.”
Gravity Stairs is the band’s second album since they reconvened again in 2019 and has picked up generally positive reviews since its release two weeks ago. It’s also notable for its artwork which cheekily spoofs Klaus Voormann’s Revolver sleeve.
Crowded House are currently on a UK tour that stops by at Lincoln Castle tonight and makes its way through a number of equally prestigious-sounding outdoor venues before they play the Isle Of Wight Festival next weekend. For information on availability go to Ticketmaster.
My life is (almost) complete. I just saw Mick Fleetwood playing a Split Enz record (‘I Got You’) with Neil Finn and Crowded House @O2SBE @CrowdedHouseHQ pic.twitter.com/RR5bK9MCm0June 13, 2024
