Stevie Nicks at Hyde Park review: Gig created memories that left me speechless and will last a lifetime

Admittedly, when jumping onto the train to London from Manchester, I had fears that the show would have been cancelled due to Nicks’ minor surgery just days prior. However, I had little to worry about as it was an unforgettable night from start to finish. 

With the major highlight being, the surprise appearance of Harry Styles but more on that later. 

Before I get stuck into Nicks’ performance, how great were Anna Calvi and Brandi Carlile? I’ve seen some unbelievable guitarists over the last few years in Angus Young, Slash, Brian May, Joe Perry etc, but Calvi’s efforts on the guitar were mesmerising. With a slider on one finger, she moved her fingers across her fretboard with such ease it was riveting and effortless. 

As for Carlile, she is a seasoned performer and the chemistry between her and the Hanseroth twins is nothing short of unbelievable. Carlile’s energy was nothing short of infectious and she had the crowd in her hand from start to finish. 

As Nicks and her band took to the stage, things initially seemed ominous when Nicks began to belt out ‘Outside the Rain’ as she seemingly slurred her way through the first few verses. Thankfully, it was just her voice heating up and as she and her band transitioned into the Fleetwood Mac hit ‘Dreams’ everyone came alive and the energy never dropped from there.

After performing ‘If Anyone Falls’ and ‘Gypsy’, Nicks showcased her unbelievable storytelling abilities as she spoke about how ‘For What’s It's Worth’ was about the importance of voting and how she didn’t do it until she was around 70, encouraging the audience to be active politically. 

From there, Nicks paid tribute to legendary singer Tom Petty and revealed that the last time she saw him was at his headline show at Hyde Park in 2017 just a few months prior to his death. Nicks dedicated ‘Free Fallin’ to Petty and she belted out the song in fine voice with the audience singing every word with her.

Throughout the performance, it was Nicks and her backing band producing moments of magic. There was no need for theatrics, choreography, confetti or fireworks and as the night went on Nicks just continued to get better. 

A collection of some of Nicks’ solo songs followed with the former Fleetwood Mac singer bringing out some of her iconic capes for her performances of ‘Bella Donna’, ‘Stand Back’ and ‘Gold Dust Woman’  before bringing out her vocal coach Steve Real for a duet of ‘Leather and Lace’. Needless to say, Real filled the role of Eagles’ Don Henley excellently. ‘Edge of Seventeen’ followed to close out the first part of the set.

Serenaded by chants of ‘Stevie, Stevie, Stevie’, Nicks returned to the stage and belted out ‘Rhiannon’ in fine voice before sending the audience into a frenzy with the arrival of Harry Styles. The pair performed ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’, which was the last song Nicks and Petty performed together back in July 2017, and dedicated ‘Landslide’ to Christine McVie on her birthday to end the night.

If I could nit-pick at the show, I would have loved to have heard ‘Every Day’, ‘Talk to Me’  or ‘Planets of the Universe’, but regardless I have no complaints. Seeing Stevie Nicks and Harry Styles perform together is a memory that will last a lifetime, and to say I was left speechless is an understatement.