We’ve just come home from our local theatre, the Playhouse, where we watched a Fleetwood Mac tribute, Go Your Own Way. I know very little about the band, but husband had tickets and friends were going so I joined the gang. As we were heading into town I was trying to remember what songs the band were well-known for – I was never a fan, but I did vaguely remember seeing a TV documentary about them which I half-watched. We met our friends in a nearby bar and caught up with their news – recently returned from a holiday visiting relatives in Australia.
So, to the show… First of all the band were excellent, absolutely amazing, such energy, so slick, so talented. I now know a little more about the original Fleetwood Mac and the members of the main group, and I do remember some of their songs, and I realise there’s a vast amount of other music they made and played which I don’t know. As well as playing the band’s music, the show gave a potted history – and complicated and almost unbelievable it was too. As well as great talent there was great tragedy, but tonight’s show was a celebration of their musical legacy. I have to say, although I quite like a couple of their more famous numbers, there were quite a few which were not to my taste at all, and several where I had to try and think of other things. This was nothing to do with the brilliant performers on stage, I was in awe of them, they must have been absolutely exhausted when they went off stage!
Some people are very sniffy about tribute bands, and I don’t really see why, especially if the artists they are paying tribute to no longer gig, or maybe have passed on to the great theatre in the sky! Some bands are still performing, but often the tickets are phenomenally expensive, and maybe they don’t tour round to venues near the fans, and travel is always expensive and these days more than ever. I’ve seen quite a few shows and performances – and no doubt I will see more in the future… I noticed an advert in the Playhouse for the Simon and Garfunkel Story, in July…
Lois Elsden 
I love tribute bands, so many performers rarely perform their old work any more and some that do are way past their sell-by date.
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I agree – I have seen some very sad and embarrassing performances by the actual artists, and people who I had really enjoyed too! The standard of musicianship were stunning – a friend asked why if they were so good they didn’t perform as themselves. The music business is really hard (like any of the arts!! 😀 ) and to have continuous work is tricky – in a tribute band you’re likely to have a more sustained income, I guess!
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