Fleetwood Mac are allegedly embarking on a huge world tour this year - but guitarist Lindsey Buckingham will not be a part of it.
Depending on who you believe, Buckingham was either fired or left of his own accord after a disagreement about touring. In any case, he will be replaced by Neil Finn of Crowded House and Mike Campbell, guitarist with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Buckingham rejoined Fleetwood Mac in 1997 and last played with them last summer. He released a joint album with fellow FM songwriter/singer Christine McVie last year.
His departure has been hinted at on April 4th, after sometime touring guitarist Billy Burnette tweeted: "Breaking news: Lindsey Buckingham is out but I’m not in. A little p**sed off but I'll get over it." and the band confirmed the news in a statement yesterday.
It read: "We are thrilled to welcome the musical talents of the caliber of Mike Campbell and Neil Finn into the Mac family. With Mike and Neil, we’ll be performing all the hits that the fans love, plus we’ll be surprising our audiences with some tracks from our historic catalogue of songs. Fleetwood Mac has always been a creative evolution. We look forward to honoring that spirit on this upcoming tour."
Mick Fleetwood added: "Fleetwood Mac has always been about an amazing collection of songs that are performed with a unique blend of talents ... We jammed with Mike and Neil and the chemistry really worked and let the band realize that this is the right combination to go forward with in Fleetwood Mac style. We know we have something new, yet it’s got the unmistakable Mac sound."
No tour dates have yet been announced, but it's rumoured to kick off later this year.