Originally published by L.S. Media. January 27th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating *****

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac are surely more than a set of musicians and vocalists that covers the songs of the 70’s and 80’s super-group. They are, quite possibly, the reason why the music is still so loved and why thousands of people are willing to part with their money and turn up en-mass to hear songs that capture over two decades of musical brilliance and inspiration.

There can be no greater endorsement for a band than when the audience hears before a show the praising words of one of the members of the band they are emulating. Canadian band The Musical Box has it as they were given original stills from the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour by Genesis to use. So too does The Australian Pink Floyd who performed at David Gilmour’s Birthday. Rumours…have it in the voice of Fleetwood Mac original drummer Mick Fleetwood who, with much glowing generosity, tells the audience that the band’s friends keep the spirit and music of Fleetwood Mac alive!

And indeed they do, near faultless and compelling to watch as well as listen to. Rumours…show great dedication to the music without straying into the need to overplay it. The group opened up the first of two jam-packed sets with tracks from the so called second incarnation of Fleetwood Mac’s discography. Songs such as Everywhere, the lyrically haunting Gold Dust Woman, Second Hand News and the brilliant The Chain were greeted and applauded with much enthusiastic reverence from a crowd that was obviously in the mood to party.

If the first half of the show was superb then what followed in the second was tantalisingly impressive and just that little bit melancholic as the male members within Rumours…took the audience back to the days of the fabulous Peter Green and songs such as the stunning instrumental Albatross, The Green Manalishi, the beautiful Man of the World and Rattlesnake Shake, which was given an extra twinge of sadness for older fans as the band announced that the original bass player of Fleetwood Mac, Bob Brunning, had passed on just a few weeks before the festive holidays.

The show finished on a superb high as the male members of Rumours…were reunited by the two ladies in the band and as a whole they performed songs such as Go Your Own Way, the intense and devastatingly good Tusk and the bouncy Don’t Stop Believing.

It has to be said that if you are going to cover a band’s life’s work and achievements then make sure that you do it correctly and with passion. It works superbly for Rumours of Fleetwood Mac and the testament to the quality of musicianship was plain for all to see.

Ian D. Hall