Fleetwood Mac’s massive hit, The Chain, used on TV as the theme tune to Formula 1 shows, starts off slowly then cranks up a gear to become a pulsating, high energy number you want to hear more of.
The same could be said of Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, regarded as the world’s ultimate homage ‘Mac’ band who played a packed-to-the-rafters Eden Court Theatre last night.
The show began with a film clip of Mick Fleetwood introducing the band and telling the audience they were in for a real treat.
But for much of the first half, that wasn’t the impression I got.
The band have been together for 20 years and are currently coming to the end of their, Hits to Blues World Tour.
They have been touring solidly since October and apart from a few numbers such as Little Lies and Rhiannon, the first half of the concert which included numerous hits from the fabulous, Rumours and Tango in the Night albums, lacked energy or chemistry, giving the impression they were simply going through their paces.
The same could not be said of the second half when Dave Goldberg, as Peter Green, stepped up to the mic.
From that moment on, the show, which I felt had been stuck in second gear, was in the fast lane and it was a case of buckle up and enjoy the ride.
I certainly did – it was like watching a different band – and moved the audience from going mild to wild. They cheered enthusiastically as the band hit their target, track after track with much-loved songs hits such as Seven Wonders, Albatross, Oh Well and Man of the World going down a storm.
There were blistering solo spots from Louise Rogan and Amanda Kostadinov, superb vocal harmonies, pulsating rhythms and an energy which leapt off the stage in rocking numbers such as Black Magic Woman, You Can Go Your Own Way and Don’t Stop.
It’s more than half a century since Fleetwood Mac burst on to the world stage, and when they did hit their stride, this tribute band quickly made those years fall away.
Regular visitors to Inverness for years, they always attract a huge crowd and given last night’s rousing second half, it’s easy to see why.