Christian Phillips (guitars, vocals) / Mike Baker (guitars, keyboards, vocals) / Greg Webb (guitars, vocals) / Gareth Hicklin (guitars, keyboards, vocals) / Trev Newnham (bass, vocals) / Tony Kiley (drums, percussion)
The Eagles are Mrs. P.’s all-time favourite band, even ahead of ELO, so when this tribute band came to our now local venue it was decided that we would pop along and see how they performed. We are never likely to get to see the real thing in the flesh, so this was going to be the next best thing. And what we got was a thoroughly polished and popular performance. The theatre looked sold out – we were up in the Royal Balcony for this one, there being so few tickets left – and each song was greeted with rapturous applause, as if the real band were in town! They were good indeed and they rattled through all the expected hits with a short interval in the middle. I was very pleased to hear them open the second set with Joe Walsh’s ‘Life’s Been Good‘, and my only gripe was that if they were going to do ‘solo‘ stuff why didn’t they play Don Henley’s ‘New York Minute‘, ‘End of the Innocence‘ or ‘The Boys of Summer‘? But they didn’t, hey-ho, it is what it is and it certainly didn’t detract from what was a thoroughly enjoyable night with polished performances from all involved. It really is a bonus when the whole band is able to sing – just like the real Eagles – and their tight harmonies lent an authentic air to the songs. The nearest that I can find to a review of this gig actually comes almost a whole year later, and at a different – although still quite local – Nottingham venue, andwith a slightly different setlist too, where Kevin Cooper said of their 22nd February 2020 performance: “To call the Illegal Eagles a tribute band does them a serious disservice as an almost full Royal Concert Hall will testify to when the six piece very talented musicians sauntered on to the stage, picked up their instruments and worked their way through a set list that tripped off the tongue of any Eagles fan. MC for the night and conductor of the eleven piece string orchestra and brass section was founder member Phil Aldridge, but when Christian Phillips began the proceedings with ‘I Dreamed There Was No War’, an instrumental written by the late Glenn Frey, the audience knew that they were in for a treat. With the rest of the band joining him on stage the first set began in earnest with early Eagles material. Main vocalist Gregg Webb, drummer Tony Kiley, bassist Trevor B. Newnham and pianists and guitarists Mike Baker and Garreth Hicklin transported the audience back in time with the gorgeous ‘Tequila Sunrise’, an incredible arrangement of ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’, and the very edgy ‘Witchy Woman’. Bringing the first set to a close with the soaring ‘One Of Those Nights’ and ‘Boys Of Summer’, this multi talented band had nailed these tricky numbers perfectly. The second set brought more of the same with Joe Walsh’s ‘Life’s Been Good’, and the undoubted highlight of the show, the Eagles anthem ‘Lyin’ Eyes’ which saw the audience on their feet in appreciation. Other classics followed such as the bittersweet ballad ‘Take It To The Limit’ which saw the Eagles’ famous harmonies sublimely replicated. ‘Desperado’ was followed by the old country favourite ‘Take It Easy’ and with the run in to the end including the ever popular ‘Life In The Fast Lane’ and ‘The Last Resort’, the encore had to include the fabulous ‘Hotel California’. For this audience it had been a night of celebration with Webb capturing the emotion of Don Henley’s vocals. In fact they were so good they could have been the real thing.” I can’t remember whether our show began with Glenn Frey’s ‘I Dreamed There Was No War’ or not, but it easily could have done. Also I can’t disagree with any part of that; they really were that good! 🙂
Setlist: Set 1: Take It Easy; Midnight Flyer; Tequila Sunrise; Peaceful Easy Feeling; New Kid in Town; I Can’t Tell You Why; Love Will Keep Us Alive; Good Day in Hell; Witchy Woman; One of These Nights; Already Gone; Set 2: Life’s Been Good; The Heart of the Matter; Lyin’ Eyes; Take It to the Limit; Desperado; Heartache Tonight; Life in the Fast Lane; The Last Resort; Encore: Hotel California (This setlist from a month later on 23rd June at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking)
I have a four-page folded glossy flyer detailing members of the band together with a hint as to the songs that we would hear
Gigs'n'Stuff 