This month Steviemania swept the UK, with the singer’s first solo shows here in 35 years and – as further evidence of her enduring influence – a tribute from Taylor Swift during her Eras tour. So it was understandably gutting when Stevie Nicks cancelled her Glasgow and Manchester dates last week due to a leg injury at a few hour’s notice. Those shows have been rescheduled, but it was a reminder that while Nicks may be forever enshrined as a mythical rock survivor and queen of bohemia, she is not completely unbreakable.
There’s no mention of it when the 76-year-old takes to the stage in London’s Hyde Park, dressed for British summertime in a high-necked velvet jacket and gloves. You might imagine her thoughts are elsewhere: this is where she last performed in the UK, with her mentor Tom Petty, mere months before he passed away in 2017. And that sets the tone for an emotional evening that is both testament to Nicks’ legacy and an in memoriam for those she has lost. Petty’s Free Fallin’ gets a giant airing, and Prince flashes up on screen during Stand Back, the track they co-wrote.
