A few years ago, I had the privilege of going to an Eagles concert during the band’s final visit to the UK before the untimely death of founder member and creative powerhouse Glenn Frey.
It was, of course, an utterly awesome experience - hearing and watching the legendary band go through their extraordinary back catalogue which now stretches back almost half a century.
But if you can’t get to see the genuine article in the flesh, I can wholeheartedly recommend a truly wonderful substitute - the super-talented Illegal Eagles.
On what has become their annual visit to the Regent Theatre in Ipswich, the band put on a great show for an audience who were clearly all discerning Eagles fans and would certainly have spotted any blunders. Rest assured, there weren’t any.
The show was a whirlwind trip through the Eagles story, with narrative between the songs, explaining when and how they were written.
All the favourites were performed immaculately - everything from Peaceful Easy Feeling, Lying Eyes, Desperado and, of course, the encore, Hotel California. Close your eyes and it could almost have been the real thing.
READ MORE: West End smash-hit We Will Rock You coming to IpswichOne of the highlights was a superb version of Rocky Mountain Way, a solo hit for the inimitable Joe Walsh before he joined the Eagles.
The show encapsulated the wide variety of musical styles the Eagles have embraced over the years - from Timothy B. Schmidt’s hauntingly beautiful I Can’t Tell You Why to the hard rock of Already Gone, which closed the first half of the show.
What struck me was the huge amount of talent in the band. How many acts have no fewer than five front men, all with terrific singing voices, as well as playing a multitude of instruments?
But they don’t just deliver great versions of Eagles favourites. They also build a terrific rapport with the audience with their endearing banter and, naturally, a singalong or two. Most of all, the band members seem to genuinely love what they do, which is just as well, because they’ve been on the road for 20 years!
As I said earlier, if you can’t get to see the Eagles live, then go and see this brilliant tribute act. If you missed them this time round, they’ll be back in Ipswich next November.
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