Ovation for Newbury’s rocking night of Fleetwood Mac hits

Fleetwood Bac at Arlington Arts, Saturday, May 20. Review by BRIAN HARRINGTON

From the opening, instantly recognizable, drumbeats of The Chain Fleetwood Bac had the jam-packed audience at Arlington Arts captivated and rocking. The standing section was dancing from start to finish and people were singing along enthusiastically en-masse.

The first set included hits like Dreams and Say You Love Me, plus a wonderful rendition of Oh Well, one of my personal favourites, alongside an excellent solo for Songbird and lesser known tracks such as Silver Springs before breaking for the interval with Seven Wonders.

...this was a show to treasure and to remember

The second set was a celebration of the hits of Fleetwood Mac, who have sold around 98 million albums worldwide and was a perfect demonstration of just why they remain so popular. A wonderfully judged tracklist showcased the range of music of Fleetwood Mac and delighted the audience. Opening with Gold Dust Woman, they included everything you'd hope for and expect, like Gypsy, Big Love, an epic version of Tusk, Rhiannon and more besides.

The hotly demanded encore of Don't Stop and Go Your Own Way earned Fleetwood Bac a standing ovation and the sort of adulation that I haven't seen for a tribute band in a very long time, it was altogether fitting that they left the stage to the strains of Albatross on the PA..

Instrumentally superb and vocally excellent, Fleetwood Bac are rightly tagged as a premier tribute act to Fleetwood Mac. Yet again, Arlington Arts, succeeded in sending an audience home very happy and cementing their position as an important and excellent local music venue. The enjoyment between the band and their spectators was palpable. Not surprisingly the merch stand was doing a roaring trade.

This was a show to treasure and to remember.

Absolutely brilliant.