Hot on the heels of his new eponymous solo album, former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham joined alternative pop artist Halsey on stage on October 10, for a special rendition of her song Darling on SNL.
The track features on her new album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, which was released on August 27 via Capitol Records and produced by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
The rendition of Darling showcases Buckingham's trademark finger-picking style with Halsey's delicate crooning, making for a pretty magical and atmospheric performance. Towards the end of the rendition, Halsey – who is garbed in an all-black witch-like outfit with a top hat that calls to mind Fleetwood Mac's frontwoman Stevie Nicks – encourages the audience to applaud the legendary guitarist, whilst she cheers “Ladies and gentleman, Lindsey Buckingham!”
Buckingham released his self-titled seventh studio solo album last month, and additionally aired numerous thoughts on his ex-Fleetwood Mac bandmates, including Nicks, in regards to his firing from the band in 2018. The guitarist claimed that not only did Nicks give an ultimatum to the rest of the group which stated that if Buckingham was not fired, she would leave, but he also suggested that Nicks was envious of him and wanted to "cut herself loose" from having to compete with him on stage. "I think that was hard for her, seeing me jump around in an age-inappropriate way" explains Buckingham. "Also, she’s lonely. She’s alone. She has the people who work for her, and I’m sure she has friends, but you know.”
Nicks shortly hit back at Buckingham's claims in a statement to the Rolling Stone which read: "To be exceedingly clear, I did not have him fired, I did not ask for him to be fired, I did not demand he be fired. Frankly, I fired myself. I proactively removed myself from the band and a situation I considered to be toxic to my well-being. I was done. If the band went on without me, so be it.
“Further to that, as for a comment on “family”—I was thrilled for Lindsey when he had children, but I wasn’t interested in making those same life choices. Those are my decisions that I get to make for myself. I’m proud of the life choices I’ve made, and it seems a shame for him to pass judgment on anyone who makes a choice to live their life on their own terms, even if it looks differently from what his life choices have been.”
