Tuesday, March 29, 2016


Imitation, flattery… and Going Your Own Way

If you’re going to do something, do it well… and leave something witchy - Charles Manson

If your going to do a tribute, remember that you’re still you, but you now have the responsibility of taking people back to a place that they cherish and remember (sometimes with surprising degrees of reverence and emotion). I am not Lindsey Buckingham. My music sounds nothing like Fleetwood Mac. But consider myself very fortunate to have found this group of musicians and relish every time I get to get up and play these amazing songs.

As the newest member of Fleetwood Mask (and perpetual “FNG”) I can still clearly see the starting point of this journey in the rear view mirror. For an original musician (such as myself), the thought of joining a tribute band can be foreign and more than a little intimidating. I can play the guitar, sure. Sing? Meh, a bit. But play the guitar and sing like Lindsey Buckingham?! That is scary. This was really going to challenge me but in a way that I found attractive. I’ve never looked back. I’ve never had more fun. I’ve never regretted my choice, even for a minute.


He that loves to be flattered is worthy of the flatterer - William Shakespeare 

Sometimes people will pay you great compliments. The trigger is often a simple matter of giving them what they were hoping for, and that’s what Fleetwood Mask tries to do. It’s not hard, if you know how to shut up and listen. The world is always telling you something. We get it. We’re fans too. We try to put on the kind of show that, as a fan, we would like to see, but in a venue that’s just a little more personal, almost private. 

Small secret - from the stage we can still hear you talking. Shhhh… we won’t tell anyone.

We want to thank you for all your kind words. Night after night we give it all we’ve got. Fingers bleed, voices get taxed, drumsticks break, and we’re loving every minute of it. A lot of blood sweat and tears have gone into this project and we are forever thankful for the love and support we’ve received and the ever growing circle of wonderful people we’ve met and befriended along the way.


Make it so - Capt. Jean-Luc Picard

Still, in the end, when it’s time to rock, rock we must. Beyond all the rehearsals, costumes, custom equipment and stage props, we are a band, and when the curtain goes up, it’s just us doing what we love. From there on, there’s no thinking, we just do it the best we can. 

I thoroughly enjoy every time Don and I get to fool around on World Turning. That’s not Mick and Lindsey, that’s Mark and Don. That’s real, improvised, jam-session style playing. Yeah, we do that too. We love the mighty Mac, but we’re not them. We’re us, and being us is a lot damn fun!
See you out there! - Mark Blasquez / Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mask.