Elvis tribute bands help to keep us wallowing in nostalgia

elvis-image

 

There is a lot to be said for nostalgia, and this love affair with all things past is personified by the way we enjoy Elvis acts. The stunning songs of the man they called The King are just as relevant, just as enjoyable and just as wonderful as they have always been, and it seems we will never grow tired of the way they transport us back in time. Elvis Presley was incredibly popular in his lifetime, but it has to be said this popularity isn’t showing any signs of waning.

 

One of the more pleasing aspects of his back catalogue is the sheer versatility of the songs it contains. When they go to watch Elvis bands London music fans know they are likely to hear everything from heart-wrenching ballads to hard-nosed rock and roll, and all stops in between. Every audience member knows that if they don’t like Are You Lonesome Tonight? they might love Jailhouse Rock instead. This is an artist who left behind an enormous canon of wonderful songs, much to the delight of everyone who fancies their chances as a tribute act.

 

http://elvistributeband.co.uk/

 

Some of the most popular Elvis Presley songs come from his early years, just after he made the successful transition from truck driver to rock and roll singer. In the mid-1950s, Presley became an overnight sensation, and in no time he became almost a permanent fixture on radio stations throughout America and across the world. Thanks to songs like Hound Dog, Blue Suede Shoes and Heartbreak Hotel, music was never going to be the same again. The almost immediate success of Elvis led to a transformation in the way we consumed music, and of course in the way the image of the teenager was perceived by the media.

 

Needless to say, Presley went on to become a major hit in Las Vegas in later life, and produced some of the most popular show-stopping tunes ever made in the process. Tracks such as The Wonder of You, In the Ghetto and Suspicious Minds gave the singer a new lease of life, and took his career in a new turn. His Vegas years became synonymous with rhinestone jumpsuits, capes, boots and some unforgettable live shows. No wonder so many Elvis tribute acts exist these days. If you decided to form such an act, you’d have a wonderful choice of songs all vying to be included in the show.

 

So much fun to be had when you see an Elvis tribute act

 

If you’ve never been to see a Presley tribute act in the past, you could be forgiven for thinking every member of the audience will be over 60, and will remember the great man in his prime. It may therefore come as a surprise to see a great many youngsters in the theatre. Even now, almost 40 years since his passing, Elvis is gaining new fans among people who weren’t even born when he died in 1977. Such is the allure of his personality and the fondness that we have for his songs.

 

When they go to see Elvis Presley bands London audiences tend to end up on their feet at some point during the show. This is music that was made to be danced to, so if you’re heading off to see such a concert make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes. There will almost certainly come a point in the evening when you feel the urge to do a lot more than just tap your feet. There are of course a number of tribute acts dedicated to all kinds of singers and bands, but surely nothing rocks quite like Elvis.

 

Elvis Presley died at the age of 42 at his Graceland home in 1977, and for a while after his death it seemed we only had his records to serve as a reminder of his greatness. Gradually, we became aware of the power of nostalgia, and of the pleasure that can come from hearing those wonderful songs again. Performed properly by high quality Elvis tribute acts, they almost give us the impression that the man himself is still with us.

 

Needless to say, tribute acts of all shapes and sizes are now doing the rounds at concert halls all over the UK. They bring us faithful renditions of songs by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and Amy Winehouse, but the trend surely began with Elvis tribute bands and singers. In many ways, it was the sad death of Elvis Presley which opened the floodgates. Whether you like such acts or not, it’s perhaps reassuring to know that, even after all these years, we can still get our Presley fix with relative ease. Nostalgia is rightly considered to be big business in the 21st century, and for music fans there is a hope that this will always be the case.