30 YEARS OF THE ILLEGAL EAGLES!
Thirty years after creating The Illegal Eagles, founder, producer and director Phil Aldridge reflects on the show’s remarkable journey and the people who have supported it every step of the way.
It really doesn’t seem possible that The Illegal Eagles first climbed onto a stage back in the balmy summer of 1996, but here we are celebrating our 30th anniversary.
There’s certainly been a lot of water under the Seven Bridges since then.
When I first put the show together, I’d mapped out what I thought was a fairly ambitious five-year plan.
I certainly never imagined we’d still be touring three decades later, playing to packed theatres and meeting
so many wonderful people along the way. Somehow, those five years have turned into thirty - and we’re still loving every minute of it.
Well... almost every minute!
Like everyone else, we were forced to hit the brakes during the pandemic, and being kept away from live audiences wasn’t something any of us enjoyed. We weren’t about to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves
though. Instead, the boys got to work recording two studio albums, Under the Influence Volumes 1 and 2,
while we also ventured into the world of live-streaming. To our amazement, more than 75,000 people tuned in to watch our online concerts from around the globe.
It wasn’t quite the same as hearing your applause in a theatre, but it reminded us just how lucky we are to have such fantastic supporters.
Since getting back on the road, the show has gone from strength to strength.
Our audiences have continued to grow, our social media family has now passed 150,000 followers, and it’s wonderful to see so many familiar faces returning year after year - along with plenty of new ones discovering us for the first time.
I’m especially proud of the current band. Garreth, Greg, Tony, Trev and Mike have now clocked up well over 55 years between them as members of The Illegal Eagles. Individually they’re outstanding musicians, but together they’re something rather special.
Every night they remind me why this show has stood the test of time, and why audiences keep coming back.
Of course, none of this would have happened without you. Whether you’ve seen us once or fifty times, thank you for buying a ticket, supporting live music and continuing to believe in what we do. Your loyalty over the past 30 years means more than you could possibly know.
As I write this, the next tour is already taking shape, new ideas are being worked on, and we’re as excited about the future as we were back in 1996. One thing cer- tainly hasn’t changed: we’ll keep giving every show absolutely everything we’ve got and doing our very best to make the next one even better than the last.
Thanks for being part of the journey - and here’s to the next chapter.
Best wishes,
Phil x
