This is the web site for the top UK Shadows tribute band, The Bootleg Shadows. Click the link above showing the number of comments to add your own and to view all previous ones. There are other comments below the various pages on the web site. These are checked for spam before appearing on the live site.
RIP Dicky Betts (1943-2024) guitarist with the Allman Brothers and writer of Jessica aka The Top Gear theme. See our version on the Video page.
Saw you perform at the pavilion theatre Weymouth on the 5th of September absolutely brilliant!! The technical hitch didn’t detract from the marvellous music at all. Shame it wasn’t a bigger audience. Bought the cd and enjoyed the whole evening from ‘ Riders in the Sky’ until FBI, you have done ‘The Shads’ proud. I’m sure Jet and Tony will be looking down on you all in great admiration after all you are keeping the music alive. Look forward to seeing you again 27/8/16 at The Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne. Best Wishes Pete & Noelle Hutton
Thanks for your support. Not far off 200 there which is not a bad crowd but more would always be nice. The Tivoli is always good so we’re looking forward to that. Thanks again.
Don’t forget, as well as the Web Site we are also on Facebook, all you have to do is search for Bootleg Shadows.
You will find loads more pictures of the Band as well as to join in with your comments and thoughts or ask any questions about the Band ( Or the real Shads )!
Rocking in Basingstoke despite equipment malfunction. Well done guys!
Thanks for the message and your support. It was challenging but fun!
Hi guys,
I was extremely impressed with ‘that sound’ and your musicianship last night in Camberley.
Having seen ‘The Shadows’ with Cliff in 2009,i thought that the early sixties sound was nailed last night.The instrumentals sounded exactly like ‘the boys’,while the singing was lacking slightly.Sorry,but i’m just giving you my honest opinion.
It is extremely difficult to capture Hank Marvins sound and phrasing,as i used to do a one man tribute myself,but could never capture ‘that sound’ completely.
Having seen at least half a dozen ‘Shads’ tributes over the year’s including the fabulous ‘Rapiers’,your performance and sound was the closest i’ve ever experienced.Well done lad’s and my wife and i will certainly be attending another of your concerts in the near future.
Perhaps you can cover a few of my personal favourites next time, the breeze and i, slaughter on 10th avenue and genie with the light brown lamp?
Thanks for the generous comments and the honest opinions. Look forward to playing for you again. We’re in Camberley again in September at the Lakeside as part of the Shadows event. About half our usual 2 hour show but see the gigs page for our other dates.
I attended the performance on Saturday evening with my mum,really enjoyed the comedy and great guitar playing, the young lad on drums was brilliant, hope to see you again soon in Camberley. Seen them before at Camberley however each show is brilliant and always an enjoyable evening. Highly recommended a great feel good factor show. Many thanks Guys xxx ps love the new hair style Tony.
I went along to the Tivoli in Wimborne last night (27 August) and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Although there was a slight problem with Geoff’s equipment to start with – it was 4th time lucky – this and the comedy made the show all the more entertaining. It was also nice speak to Tony Cole after the show and to be told that the group will be coming back again next year.
Hi Chris,
Strange these gremlins creep in from time to time. This one all we could do is just start again.
I am happy and relieved to say my equipment has behaved itself since then. At least it proves we are not miming…
As you can see we are already booked for 2017 so hope to see you back next year.
Great performance at Shadowmania. Excellent sound & you appeared to be enjoying it as much as the audience.
Please come to Kent the natives are quite friendly!
Hi Robert, thanks very much – we did!
There are a few clips of our performance on Utube which I have put on our Facebook Page if you want another look.
we will try to come to the Kent area next year ( we are looking)
Cheers Geoff
I went to Derby last week and saw the bootleg Shadows for the first time. I never thought I would hear myself say that anyone could play as well as the Shadows but these guys were amazing, it was a brilliant show, plenty of comedy as well as some wonderful guitar playing. I’d watch them again if I could. Brilliant, thats all I can say!!!!
You can see us again – come to every gig if you like. Thanks for your support and enthusiasm – and the exclamation marks!!
Seriously good entertainment and the best tribute group that we have ever seen – whether here in Weymouth or London. Talent of this calibre deserved a much larger audience.
Wow!! Thank you very much for your kind words. We do try to sound as close as possible to the real thing. You can definitely come again, and next time bring a few friends!
Bring friends and people you don’t like. We’re not fussy!
Thanks
I depped on drums with these guys at Haymarket Theatre Basingstoke (late 2017) , you must go see these guys very entertaining, great musicians and of course a great drummer 😉
Thanks for running away from the Runaways to help us out, Ivan. You did a great job.
saw you recently at cromer and really enjoyed the show, hope to see you back next year.
We are in Diss next year which is the other end of Norfolk to Cromer but keep an eye on our web site Gigs page or sign up to our Facebook page for updates.
Thanks for the comments
Great evening at Arts Centre in Swindon tonight (14/4/2018), we enjoyed it equally as much as Haymarket Basingstoke last year, you truly are great musicians. We were wondering if you ever perform on cruise ships.
Hi Liz
Thank you for writing in – we would love to be on Cruise ships, we will keep trying but is a difficult area to break in to.
Well done lads what a fantastic show you put on for the Marie Curie event everyone who attended has requested for another one next year! I cannot thank you enough and if anyone wants to confirm what a brilliant live stage act re-creating the hits of the Shadows and Cliff they can contact me on my e-mail and I shall reply, keep on strumming out the classics regards Mick Plant organiser Golden Daffodil Event
Thanks for your generous comments and a pleasure to meet you.
High Guys, We had a fantastic night at the Stamford Corn Exchange and were thoroughly entertained by the sounds of the Shadows and the on stage humour.
I’ve been a Shadows fan for some 50 years and have missed their stage appearances but now I have found you guys I’m happy again and will look out for you
Where abouts are you guys based?
I brought my young son Bob Cliffe up with Shadows music and turned him loose with a guitar at the age of 5, unfortunately for me by the time he was 10 he was putting stuff on that I couldn’t play!!
Thank you again for a fantastic night.
Hi Tony
We are fairly wide spread from The Midlands to down South – hopefully we will be back in the area next year, thank you for writing with your kind comments. Hope you catch up with your sons playing ability….
Hi Geoff, I have enjoyed your music. What echo unit do you use? Regards, Jim.
Hi Jim to confirm – Its and ALesis Q2 that has EFTP programmed in ( Echo’s From The Past )
Another fabulous, fun evening in Crawley on Sunday! What a great band and atmosphere and well done, Tony, on Nivram at ‘v late notice’ – loved it!! Super to get ‘up close and personal’ during the set (you sat next to my wife during the show to rest your pins!!). We will definitely be back next year. ps is Geoff still cheaper than Hank….?! (He shouldn’t be!)
Hi Paul and Dee…………
Sorry Tony sat next to you, he is mostly harmless and house trained – but accidents do happen!
Did yon know Nivram is Marvin spelt backwards? Tony loves that number…Ha Ha.
Hopefully back next year in November, thanks for being there this year!
Geoff is the best in his price range.. See you next year!
Thank you guys for a fantastic evening! Certainly nailed it for the folk in Market Drayton! Loved the music and the humour. You all should be proud of your skills and professionalism . Brought back a lot of lovely memories. Geoff, you made that guitar ‘talk’! Thanks again for a superb show! Terry
Tony does plenty of talking as well as Geoff’s guitar! Thank you for the great comments. We’re booked for the Oakengates, Telford next year and would love to come back to Market Drayton.
Please, please come to Wakefield, Castleford, Pontefract or Leeds if you can.
Hi Graham – We are spreading our wings further North in 2019 – have a look at our Tour Dates for all the info –
We are kicking off 2019 in Beverley at The Parkway Theatre 10/2 and The Parkway Cleethorpes April 21st – hope these are close enough for you
Thanks for getting in touch.
Hello
Are there plans for coming to the Netherlands ??
Greetings a Shadows fan
Hi Ton
We would love to come back over to the Netherlands to play at Tilburg again – we are waiting for the invite
Hi
Thoroughly enjoyed your gig at paignton last night 10/10/21. The best show that I’ve seen at the palace theatre EVER!. Brought back many memories. Remember those days when pop groups couldn’t use sampling or auto tune.
Please come back to paignton asap!
We are still rusty after lockdown(s) and not at our best. In fact we could have done with sampling and auto tune at times but thanks so much for the comments and your support George. Looking like 2023 for the next Paignton date – the nearest we have to the South West in our diary is a couple of dates in Dorset in 2022 – but plenty to look forward to and it’s so good to be back playing to happy people like you. All the best, The Bootlegs
Had a fabulous time at Oakengates. Brought back memories. Especially enjoyed the drum solo. The whole thing was brilliant. Come back soon.
Thanks for your support. Hopefully late 2022 or if not 2023.
So sorry to see that your annual visit to the Hawth Theatre in Crawley in November has been cancelled. We have been booking tickets in Row C for years.
Are you planning to come anywhere in Sussex in the near future? All the best
Barry
Hi Barry
Sadly the Hawth is not feasible any more with the increased costs of playing there. As for future bookings, we have one member of the band with a long term illness so we’re waiting on him. We have a brilliant stand-in but he has his own band too so that limits us. If you want to see us this year, I’m afraid you’ll probably have to travel. Quite a few of our followers enjoy the seaside dates. Hopefully we’ll be looking for new bookings soon but probably for 2024.
Thanks for your support, The Bootleg Shadows
Hello gentlemen of the “shads”.
My wife and I saw you at North Hykeham last year and I know you were as disappointed as we were that only half the seats were occupied, which is no fault of yourselves.
The reason is I suspect, that there was almost no publicity locally.
I have no idea why.
Anyway, yesterday 17th July I went to the North Hykeham sports centre and asked to speak to the theatre manager a Mrs Duncombe, I think was her name.
I explained that I was prepared to get posters of the concert put up in the area as it was a shame the event was so poorly supported last time, however she told me she had none to give me and anyway, that no shop or business would put them up.
I find this difficult to believe.
So if you can indicate whether you can forward some posters to me for display I would willingly sort it.
Yours,
G Bisset.
Hi Gordon, Thanks for getting in touch … I will see to it you get some of our Flyers and Posters personally, we really do appreciate the feedback and your very kind offer – I will send you a separate Email to ask for your address.
I am just about ready to send The Terry O Toole Theatre their marketing pack too.
Gordon, your generous offer is much appreciated and you are right to question the theatre manager’s comment. When we’re playing nearer to where one of us lives, we put up posters and leave leaflets around the town and nearby towns. Some of the big chains may say no but local retailers, charity shops, takeaways, cafes, pubs and of course libraries are usually happy to promote local events.
Thanks Geoff.
I found that some charity shops would not take or agree to displaying posters and the local DIY shop would not, rather surprisingly.
However, most shops and businesses with regular footfall were happy to do so.
I have to say that I feel sorry for the younger people today, and by young I mean anyone under 50, and arguably a little older, as in my opinion and that of many my age, most of the stuff out of tin Pan alley since the early 1970’s with the exception of ABBA, Olivia Newton -John, and John Denver and perhaps one or two others, is that they lack melody and a tune.
But hey-ho, if you don’t know what has gone before, you have no benchmark etc.
I attended the event at The Elgiva Theatre, Chesham yesterday.
While it was great to hear the familiar tunes and new ones, the volume left much to be desired.
You perform in the main to the older generation. I am 77, and found the volume so loud I had to move to the back rows.
“Bruce”s playing was overbearing for a back up guitar, and when they all sang, the volume of the guitars drowned out the vocals.
Basically, no volume balance.
Shame.
Harry
Sorry you found it too loud. Our sound engineer Bob is very experienced and uses a sound level meter. He keeps the levels down below the levels the Shadows themselves had on their recent farewell tours but perhaps that was loud too. As you say our audience is mainly the older generation. Apart from Tim on drums we’re all in our 60s too so something to consider.
In my 19 years with the band this is the first reply I have seen from an audience member or venue staff about being too loud. That could just be people not taking the time so it’s good of you to do so to send your feedback.
All the best, The Bootleg Shadows.
Thank you for your reply and glad to see it’s something to consider. My wife and I have been to a number of your shows, so this one was definitely different.
The size of the venue and audience is important, pure physics.
I played “Bruce” at school in the 60s, so I have some knowledge.
Best wishes
Harry