UK Theatre Network

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac returned to a packed Waterside Theatre after their sensational performance in February 2011.  Last year’s show was brilliant and I’d raved about it so much that my friend, Tricia, asked to come along and see for herself.  We were not to be disappointed and this year’s show was just as good as last year’s.  Tricia only had Big Love in her record collection, rather than the whole Rumours album, but knew most of the tracks.  She was also surprised to hear some of the rock and blues songs in the second act and hadn’t realised that they were Fleetwood Mac songs.  As Alan Hughes (performing Lindsay Buckingham on lead guitar and vocals) says ‘we’ve got 25 years worth of material, so be prepared for a long night!’

The band have been performing together for 13 years and are a very tight knit team of outstanding musicians and singers, who constantly tour the world and consider themselves family. 

Louise Rogan has the beautifully haunting vocal quality of Stevie Nicks down to a tee and Amanda Kostadavok’s rock and blues voice perfectly reproduces Chrisee McVie.  Dave Goldberg on keyboard/vocals performs Peter Green superbly with Ian Robinson as John McVie and Ben Hughes performing Danny Kirwin.  Promoter and drummer Allan Cosgrove performs Mick Fleetwood and describes the tour as a ‘dream gig’ to be performing with his friends, touring the world and playing Mick’s grooves!

All our favourite songs from the Rumours and Tusk albums were there from Dreams, Seven Wonders, Running in the Shadow, Storms, Isn’t it Midnight, You Make Loving Fun, Landslide, The Chain and, especially for Tricia, Big Love.  The second half featured some of Peter Green’s early work with my particular favourite blues number Need Your Love So Bad.  The show wouldn’t be complete without a rendition of the hauntingly beautiful classic Albatross.

I was struck this time around by how poetic and beautiful the lyrics are
 ‘I could tell you about my life
And keep you amused I'm sure
About all the times I've cried
And how I don't want to be sad anymore
And how I wish I was in love' (from Man of the World)
‘You, you make loving fun,
And I don't have to tell you you're the only one’. (from You Make Loving Fun)
 ‘And if you don’t love me now you will never love me again’. (from The Chain - music themetune for Top Gear)
' Drowning in the sea of love, where everyone would love to drown but now it’s gone it doesn’t matter what for when you build your house and call me ‘home’. (from Sara)

Having lost my copy of Rumours to an errant ex-boyfriend 15 years ago, I think it really is time I bought myself a new copy!

Towards the end the audience got on their feet to join in Go Your Own Way. The only slight criticism I had is that having got us all on our feet, everyone sat down again as Amanda took centre stage to sing the beautiful Songbird as the final number of the evening.  I feel this would be better placed earlier on in the second set, as at the end everyone just wanted to stand up, join in and enjoy the encore of Tusk.

I reiterate my review from 2011, this really is a fantastic evening of rock, pop and blues that is accessible to everyone of any age.  The musicians and vocals are all excellent and more than do justice to the memorable and timeless songs of Fleetwood Mac.  We had a fantastic evening and Tricia said she'd definitely see them again when they come back, which we hope will be very soon!

For more details about the band and tour dates visit www.rumoursfm.com

Reviewed by:
Yvonne Delahaye
20.1.12

Wednesday 16th February - one night only!

Aylesbury rocked last night to the unmistakable sounds of the world’s first super-group Fleetwood Mac, when the incredible tribute band performed at the Waterside.  I’m sure there must be thousands of us over 40s who had ‘Rumours’ in their record collection at one time in their lives?  With over 30 million record sales worldwide and a new digital re-mix release, it continues to give pleasure and capture new audiences, with its timeless classics.

I imagine I’m not the only one who lent a copy to an errant boyfriend that was never returned, when the inevitable break-up came?  In a sense though, that’s what actually made the album so poignant to so many people because the album was written at a time when the 2 couples in the group were splitting up.  Bass guitarist John McVie and keyboard/vocalist Chrissie McVie filed for divorce, as guitarist/vocalist Lindsay Buckingham split from vocalist wife Stevie Nicks, who then went off with Mick Fleetwood.  So the songs on the album were written at a painful time for all and are full of angst, rumours and disenchanted love.  That’s what makes the lyrics resonate with everyone as they are so real and have at some point affected most of our lives.

The show was a few minutes late opening, but it ensured that the sound quality was absolutely fantastic.  The show opened with a voice over from Mick Fleetwood himself giving his full endorsement to this group of wonderful musicians, so everyone relaxed as we knew we were in for a very special evening.

Opening with Rhiannon, the powerful voice of Louise Rogan sent chills down your spine and if you closed your eyes you’d have sworn it was Stevie Nicks.  Can You Hear Me Calling came next with Amanda Kostadavok taking lead vocals and she also has a belting voice.  Seven Wonders, Running in the Shadow, Storms, Isn’t it Midnight and more hits kept on coming with exceptional vocals from both Alan Hughes on lead guitar and Dave Godburg on keyboard.  It was a storming first half and the theatre was reverberating with the wonderful sound and people singing along and having fun.

The second half started with some of Fleetwood Mac’s earlier heavy rock songs and some stonking guitar work from Ian Robinson on bass, Ben Hughes on lead guitar/keyboards/vocals and Alan Hughes on lead guitar performing some of Peter Green’s early work, including Black Magic Woman.  I loved the blues numbers especially Need Your Love So Bad, but one of the highlights of the show has to be the hauntingly beautiful classic Albatross.

Louise and Amanda returned to the stage and continued with more hits; You Make Loving Fun, Landslide, Dreams, Big Love, Break the Chain and the audience got on their feet to join in Go Your Own Way and for an encore of Tusk.  Amanda also took centre stage to sing the beautiful Songbird as the final number of the evening.

Drummer and band promoter Alan Cosgrove emerged from behind the drums to say a short ‘thank you’ to the audience.  I spoke to him after the show and he told me the band have been together for over 13 years and that most of them originate from Liverpool and have known one another for many years.  Ben is the newest member of only 18 months, but fits in to this 'family' very well, as Alan said on stage ‘bringing the average age down to 57!’

This really was a fantastic evening of rock, pop and blues that is accessible to everyone of any age.  The musicians and vocals are all excellent and more than do justice to the memorable songs of Fleetwood Mac.  With reality TV making celebrities out of talentless, hirsute people who can’t actually sing, I just wish that people could see for themselves what real talent looks like, because each and every one in this band has it in masses!

For more details about the band and tour dates visit www.rumoursfm.com – they will be touring around Europe and to the States later this year.

Yvonne Delahaye