We had the good fortune of connecting with Billy Derian and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Billy, what is the most important factor behind your success?
In entertainment, music, live stage performance..it is best to find a niche. Folks love “exciting, surprising & different”! We designed TWISTED GYPSY, Fleetwood Mac WITH A TWIST! To appeal to a new demographic..younger audiences who have discovered 70’s classic rock. We go louder, faster and harder with explosive energy and mash-ups so that when crowds leave our shows, it sticks with them..it is all about sharing with your friends and building fan base.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Our vision for a tribute to Fleetwood Mac starts with capturing the pure essence of the original band when they were in their youthful heyday. We studied live shows from the 1970’s so we could really get a feel for each character on the stage. Then we TURNED IT UP TO 11! The band turmoil, romantics antics and sexual tensions were such an integral part of the hit making…so we tapped into that. It isn’t just about the notes, chords and harmonies, it is about emoting through your music. We have been producing music and television content for over 30 years so it was a good foundation for creating an act folks would not just love, but relate to..it is all about relating to the artists..we want to see our audience laugh, dance, spin, cry, feel alive for 90-120 minutes. A TWISTED GYPSY show is an experience that really touches your soul, not just a live band to watch.

The road was rough and took over a decade to become “known”. When we started there were 2-3 Fleetwood Mac tributes on the West Coast and many were doing their best to be “authentic” to the original band. Now there are about 10-12 acts doing The Mac so we had to be different…our brand really focuses on a “REIMAGINED” version of the 70’s supergroup….we don’t try too hard to emulate what is already being done…we blast past that with an explosive live experience and fans have been reacting well. Our following is massive and loyal and it was really fun watching it grow year by year to. sell-out band.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had an out-of-town buddy visiting…I would do the following, in no specific order:

1-early morning walk any of the piers along PCH or Ventura county to see the sun rise..we have the best sunrises/sunsets anyplace I feel
2-cruise Venice beach boardwalk on a weekend to see how nothing really changes..it is stuck in the 1970’s in all the best, weird, dirty ways
3-find some concerts in the park, almost every city has them and they are always full of every demographic of music lover..parks with 3-5K local folks just letting go
4-food trucks in downtown LA, then Olvera Street for authentic Mexican grub and vendors
5-SOHO house in WEHO for dinner and drinks ..members only , swanky but casual…really interesting and best view of Hollywood and LA looking South
6-walk along Hollywood Blvd looking down, seeing all those embedded star plaques..it is a very unusual stretch of the city..ending at Grauman’s Chinese Theater to see the tourists enjoying pictures with all kinds of costumed characters
7-Universal city walk is fun, tourist laden but really fun
8-walk in the harbors of Marina del Rey and a bowl of spicy broth with shrimp at “KILLER SHRIMP” on the marina
9-LAX just to know where you don’t want to hang out…a kind of anti-destination…but it’s intense seeing all those jumbo jets landing minute by minute

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Every band needs the trust of bookers, agents and most of all the venue owners who absorb the financial risks of booking acts. Without owners who believe in your project, it will stay inside a studio in a vacuum without ears & eyes experience your art. Huge shout out to the mavericks who run and own these clubs, casinos, music venues, theaters….it all starts with their dream!

Website: https://www.twistedgypsyband.com

Instagram: @twistedgypsyband

Facebook: @twisted-gypsy

Image Credits
watermarked , if not we took them internally

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