June 29, 2008
Tonight, Lee ‘Memphis’ King is Elvis Presley who, backed by an eight piece orchestra, delivers roaring classics such as ‘Viva Las Vegas’ along with some lesser known songs like ‘Just Pretend’ to detect the die-hard fans. King has an understanding of the passion the Legend inspires in people and does justice to the loyalty of the fans. The show is truly offered as a tribute as King has crafted his art to echo the movements and mirror the breathing of the famous singer. At times the funny asides seem deprecatory but King’s laid back attitude towards performance is shared by Elvis and both performers have a flow of witty comments that melt with the lyrics. During ‘Hound Dog’ the tribute singer shoots mercilessly from the hip and expresses sexuality as Presley did through his dancing. The honesty of King’s performance makes it easy for the audience to bond with the truth of the lyrics. During ‘In The Ghetto’ King visibly contemplates what Elvis would be feeling whilst singing the same song. Whilst King is vocally impressive during power ballads such as ‘Hurt’ it is his easygoing relationship with the audience that is the joy of the evening. King has a sparkling personality full of charisma and it is no wonder that he has found much success in competing as an Elvis tribute act both in the UK and abroad.
For ‘Elvis On Tour’ King has assembled some amazing musicians. Fiona Ford and Jill Schoonjans are the two backing singers. Wearing sequin shift dresses they move with gusto to the music and project breathtakingly powerful vocals particularly to the gospel songs. ‘Amazing Grace’ has the audience singing uncontrollably because the sound from the stage is so moving. ‘The Brass Monkeys’ provide the horns for the orchestra as three main time periods of Elvis’s career are portrayed: Elvis’s early career is played out through black and white film footage projected onto two screens either side of the word ‘Elvis’ (spelt out in lights and forming the backdrop to the concert). After the interval the screens are used to project in colour Elvis’s later career but during the show footage of King’s live singing is relayed to the screens so the suggestion of the experience of seeing Elvis sing live builds. The early rock ‘n’ roll or ‘Sun Records’ years are marked with a costume of a glittering cream jacket. The come back year of 1968 is shown with King clad in black leather as he sits on stage with his three guitarists to form a quartet. The Vegas period has King reaching for the blue sequinned jump suit, bringing the show to a close with a handful of corking songs that tonight raises the roof. The crowd has been baying for ‘Suspicious Minds’ all night and this is performed brilliantly along with Elvis’s favourite, ‘My Way’. When the standing ovation has subsided, strangely it is the lesser known desolate tunes such as ‘Softly As I Leave You’ that leave the lasting impression long after Elvis has left the building.
For ‘Elvis On Tour’ King has assembled some amazing musicians. Fiona Ford and Jill Schoonjans are the two backing singers. Wearing sequin shift dresses they move with gusto to the music and project breathtakingly powerful vocals particularly to the gospel songs. ‘Amazing Grace’ has the audience singing uncontrollably because the sound from the stage is so moving. ‘The Brass Monkeys’ provide the horns for the orchestra as three main time periods of Elvis’s career are portrayed: Elvis’s early career is played out through black and white film footage projected onto two screens either side of the word ‘Elvis’ (spelt out in lights and forming the backdrop to the concert). After the interval the screens are used to project in colour Elvis’s later career but during the show footage of King’s live singing is relayed to the screens so the suggestion of the experience of seeing Elvis sing live builds. The early rock ‘n’ roll or ‘Sun Records’ years are marked with a costume of a glittering cream jacket. The come back year of 1968 is shown with King clad in black leather as he sits on stage with his three guitarists to form a quartet. The Vegas period has King reaching for the blue sequinned jump suit, bringing the show to a close with a handful of corking songs that tonight raises the roof. The crowd has been baying for ‘Suspicious Minds’ all night and this is performed brilliantly along with Elvis’s favourite, ‘My Way’. When the standing ovation has subsided, strangely it is the lesser known desolate tunes such as ‘Softly As I Leave You’ that leave the lasting impression long after Elvis has left the building.