Cocaine and champagne: The trick Fleetwood Mac used to secretly do drugs on stage
Sex, drugs and rock n roll. They’re the big three pillars that a lot of music was built on throughout the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s. It’s something that people look at with an element of glamour as if it is the kind of lifestyle they aspire for. It was the high life, and everybody wanted to be a rock star so they could be involved in it. However, one of these elements was usually a double-edged sword that brought bands to an end, and in the instance of Fleetwood Mac, it was all three.
Fleetwood Mac managed to reach a considerable level of success at their peak. When albums like Rumours came out, people worldwide couldn’t get enough as tours sold out and songs were sung to the top of people’s lungs. Even now, it’s hard to find a dancefloor that can’t be filled once the bassline to ‘The Chain’ starts playing, but a lot was bubbling under the surface for the band.
A lot of it was because of sex. People were in and out of relationships, which led to significant tension throughout the musical outfit and made it difficult for people to be in the same room. Another aspect was rock n roll, as because of their success, there was pressure to keep making good music and go on elongated tours to take their music to the people.
However, one of the most significant factors that hung over the band was drugs. Every member was on some kind of drug, and they exacerbated feelings that just made it harder for people to be able to work together. Drugs became such an integral part of the band that they could be found in every aspect of the creative process, whether that meant writing, recording, or even on stage.
“I have to say I’m not guilt-free in that department, but Stevie and I were very careful,” said Christine McVie when asked about her drug use within the band. “The boys used to get provided with cocaine in Heineken bottle tops onstage, but Stevie and I only did the tiny little spoons.” During gigs, some members of the band would be given a tiny mountain of cocaine within a bottle top so that they could move over to the side and get a bump before going into the next song.
“I suppose sometimes we got a bit out there, but we were quite restrained, really. I always took fairly good care of myself,” said McVie, “My drug of choice was cocaine and champagne. I didn’t use any other drugs at all. It’s easy for me to say, but I think it made me perform better. Maybe somebody could tell me different.”
Fleetwood Mac had a fair few internal issues that meant the line-up which made up the musical outfits peak didn’t last too long. All facets of what it takes to be a rock star led to the disintegration of the band, but a dependency on drugs throughout the creative experience was a big part of it.
