Seeing an Elvis impersonator wasn’t something I had really thought about as a potential new experience, but when a friend invited me to a tribute night for The King of rock and roll, I thought I’d give it a go.
I Was In Suspicious Minds About This New Thing.
Firstly, I’m not exactly a big fan of Elvis. I appreciate his music and the influence it still has. Yes, I know he made a big impact on so many people, and had an iconic voice that has graced the charts in several decades. I don’t change the station if he comes on the radio, but I haven’t felt compelled to purchase his songs.
Secondly, I’m a bit dubious about tribute acts. Dressing up and impersonating someone famous seems a bit odd to me. It’s always on my mind that surely nothing is as good as the real thing? Tribute acts of people who are still alive seems especially bizarre. Though for some actual artists who perhaps don’t tour all that much, it is a way for people to experience a live performance of material from their favourite performers.
Of course, there is no way I’d be able to actually see the real Elvis perform, I’m a few decades too late for that, so a tribute act is the nearest we can get. However there seem to be so many tribute Elvis’s that I did wonder whether any of them are actually any good, or if they’re just jumping on the band wagon.
Viva Scarbados
Performing as Elvis at the Spa Theatre in Scarborough was Tony Skingle. I hadn’t heard of him, but found out he’d made a bit of a name for himself during lockdown.
Tony had been performing as an Elvis impersonator for many years, and during the pandemic he brought some shake, rattle and roll to the residents of Scarborough, and beyond, by performing in his front garden. These events became a bit too popular at a time when social distancing was enforced, and sadly he had to cancel his last garden gig as he didn’t want to end up in the jailhouse rock.
Two years later when social gatherings were allowed once more, he was bringing his act back to the stage, and my friend had a spare ticket and invited me along. It was now or never to see an Elvis impersonator!
All Of A Quiff-er Seeing An Elvis Impersonator
The show was a sell out. Waiting for it to begin I looked across the audience. There were slicked back quiffed hair dos, sequins, sideburns and sunglasses. Elvis t-shirts, Elvis belts and even Elvis leggings were being worn with gusto. Clearly some big fans were in the building.
There was a little less conversation from the audience as the lights went down. The spotlight shone, and strutting onto the stage in a wide legged, blue, jewel-encrusted jumpsuit, Tony Skingle arrived as Elvis. He belted out the first song with an uncanny similarity to the man I have only ever seen in videos and heard on the radio.
Supporting his fantastic voice were the brilliant ‘Do Be Do’ Girls on backing vocals, and The Julie Hatton Dancers provided some slick moves. It was an extravaganza of an evening.
From the upbeat to the ballads, it was one leg shaking hit after another. Tony seemed in his element, interspersing the songs with humour and chat, reminding me of comedian Lee Mack. His jumpsuit must have been super elasticated as it remained completely intact, despite the frequent leg flinging and thigh thrusting.
Can’t Help Falling - A Little Bit - In Love With You
I feel bad about the reservations I had before hand, as it really was a great night of entertainment. I hadn’t appreciated just how many big songs Elvis had until I heard so many of them in one night – and that was only a selection!
Tony didn’t seem to take himself too seriously, yet clearly had a great admiration for the main man. He came across as a talented, friendly guy, who genuinely wanted us all to have a great evening. Judging by the reaction from the audience he clearly succeeded. There was a lot of (burning) love for him that night!
Did you spot them?
You might have noticed some Elvis songs seamlessly, *ahem*, woven into this post.
Did you find them all?
Want To Try It Yourself?
- To see Tony Skingle performing as Elvis, take a look at his website, or find him on facebook for details of his latest events. He usually has a New Year’s Eve party in Scarborough!
You don’t have to say you love tribute acts, but why not give one a go?
There are lots of tributes and impersonators around for lots of different acts, often with entertaining puns on the name!
Keep your eyes peeled for any performances near you that might take your fancy.
Cost Of Experience
Tickets to see Tony Skingle as Elvis were £19.
It will depend who you are seeing and where they are performing as to how much it will cost.
Recommendations
- Don’t be cruel about tribute acts. If you’re like me and a bit unsure about seeing one, why not give it a go with an open mind!
- The quality of the performer, might vary quite a lot, but it’s likely they are passionate about the act they are impersonating so will put on a great show.
- It’s often the nearest experience we can get to a live show from performers who are no longer with us. Why not enjoy hearing songs we know and love played loud and live with the audience singing along?
- If you’re going to see a tribute act that you don’t know, at least make sure you know whether you like the genre of music.
- Let me know about your experiences of impersonators, the good and the bad!
- Don’t forget your camera!