WHEN a group of session musicians got together to record an advert for an American root beer company, they had no idea they would still be working together 14 years later, playing to more than half a million people around the world.

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, internationally recognised as the leading tribute band to Fleetwood Mac, start the UK leg of their latest world tour on Monday and will be coming to Salisbury City Hall on February 22.

Drummer and promoter Alan Cosgrove said it was down to chance that their journey began together in a recording studio almost 15 years ago. As session musicians they were asked to record an original track in the style of 70s band Heart for a Rolling Rock advert.

When the producer played it back he realised they sounded incredibly like Fleetwood Mac.

Cosgrove said: “Back then bands like the Bootleg Beatles were playing festivals and things. As session players we found that really crazy but it captured people’s imaginations and we thought ‘wouldn’t it be great if someone brought the Fleetwood Mac catalogue to audiences?’.

There’s so much diversity within their body of work across five decades of music; so many different genres.”

They began recording some songs together and through record company contacts got some recordings to Mick Fleetwood to see what he thought. “He could have sent us to the lions but he gave us the thumbs up, which was great.

“Salisbury is the holy city for us – Mick’s mum lived there and she came along to the show because he told her to check it out, and years later Mick came along and he played in the show with us.

“Salisbury has always been great to us from day one; people always go the extra mile there.”

The band has gone from strength to strength and Cosgrove says it’s very humbling that audiences around the world continue to come out in force to watch them. “It’s a tribute show,” he adds. “We’re not a look-a-like group, and we don’t mimic. The challenge is to make it the best it can be, make it an emotive performance.”

Choosing a playlist for their gigs is always tough, because there are so many classics to choose from and every fan has their own Fleetwood favourite.

“There’s things you can’t move from the set, like Dreams, Albatross, Man of the World, but we try to introduce tracks that people might have missed or forgotten about too. And if you are new to Fleetwood Mac we will take you on a journey from the 1960s to the present day, show you all the big hits and you can live it with us. We love playing it and we feel very honoured. People aren’t there to see us, they’re there to hear the Fleetwood Mac catalogue so we have to stay on the ball.”

* Rumours of Fleetwood Mac will be at Salisbury City Hall on February 22. For tickets go to cityhallsalisbury.co.uk or call 01722 434434.