Crowded House’s Neil Finn has said that he auditioned for the role of Fleetwood Mac guitarist.
Finn made these comments in a recent interview, saying that it was the “only audition I’ve ever done”. Although, drummer Mick Fleetwood never called it an audition himself.
The musician joined the band’s 2018 line up, including longtime Tom Petty collaborator Mike Campbell.
“It’s the only audition I’ve ever done,” Finn told Mojo. “I went to Hawaii and Mick spent an hour telling me it wasn’t an audition, but it was.
He also added, “I was auditioning them too: I wasn’t sure it was the right thing. I was quite conflicted, but I liked the people and the welcome was universal”.
“gobsmacked”
While Neil Finn’s son Liam was not so keen on the idea, the opportunity was too good to pass up.
“I was gobsmacked,” Finn added. “I was 60 and I’d had a wonderfully diverse musical life when Mick called and said, ‘We’ve got rid of Lindsey [Buckingham]; would you play with us?’ I’d just done Lightsleeper with Liam so he had a vested interest in my not doing it, but he said, ‘Give it a shot,’ so I auditioned”.
Neil Finn later joined forces with Stevie Nicks and the late Christine McVie to release the charity single ‘Find Your Way Back Home’.
Crowded House’ latest album which also features Liam on guitar, vocals and drums is also arriving next month, with Gravity Stairs set to arrive on May 31.
Following McVie’s death in 2022, talks of a Fleetwood Mac reunion have cooled in recent times.
However, should they reform, Neil Finn has said that whoever is tasked with playing the parts of Lindsey Buckingham has big shoes to fill, thanks to Stevie Nicks.
“She couldn’t bear to be in a band with Lindsey anymore, but she still wanted to do it exactly the way he would have,” Finn said.
He also added, “It was more difficult for Mike Campbell”.
“She was really happy with the way it sounded between me and her, but she put a lot of pressure on Mike to be more like Lindsey. Sometimes Mike’s solos would go on and Stevie would get exhausted playing tambourine. She’d be, ‘F****** hell, Lindsey only did 12 bars!'”.
Last month, former guitarist Lindsey Buckingham did say that he would return to the band “in a heartbeat”.
In February, Neil Finn was also spotted busking at a market in Auckland.
