TRIBUTE bands are always good entertainment. They either prove to be so lacking in musical
ability that they become likeable, or they display such a talent and knowledge for the band they are paying tribute to that
it is hard to distinguish between them and the real thing.
The Jerry Lee Lewis Experience fall firmly into the latter category. Both entertaining
and talented, the Perth based three-piece won over the crowd at Brennan's bar with their lively old school rock and roll.
Beginning the night covering such classics as Elvis' Hound Dog and Buddy Holly's That'll Be
The Day displayed frontman Owen Muir's dazzling ability on the keyboard, while the latter half of the night paid homage to
Lewis' famous hits.
The highlight of the night came in the form of a cover of Surfaris' Wipeout - giving Alan
Drain a chance to shine on a number of captivating drum solos. Exhausting and exciting: these guys definitely
know how to rock.
Lauren McConnell (HERALD & POST)
The Elvis Collection
MARTIN LENON
***
King's Theatre
November 12th 2006
ELVIS may well have been the most recognisable name in popular music of the 20th century. Whether or not
he was the most impersonated singer in musical history, he's surely a contender for the title. Last night at the King's, appropriately
enough, Billy J McGregor pointedly didn't impersonate the Memphis Flash, instead performing a tribute to his music.
While McGregor didn't look or sound very much like his hero, the show was very much styled after one of
Presley's. Opening with a recording of Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra, leading directly into See See Rider, McGregor took
to the stage, dressed in a replica of what Presley called "The Kitchen Sink" white jumpsuit, because it had everything on
it but.
The show continued as the opening chords of Burning Love began to show off the talents of the ten-piece
backing band.
A short, sharp Love Me found the Beale Street Horns exchanging their brass instruments for finger-snapping
and nifty footwork - a talent they would revisit regularly throughout the evening.
All of the versions and medleys presented in the show had previously been formatted by Presley himself at
one time or another, including the lounge singer introduction to Hound Dog, but of course within a few moments, the more familiar,
rockier version took its place. Swiftly followed by All Shook Up, McGregor, while not a copyist, displayed a few decent Elvis-style
moves, shuffling and whipping his arm to the music.
After one of the best songs of the evening, a big blues-ey version of Heartbreak Hotel, McGregor described
Elvis as "unique, a one-off who can't be replaced" to explain the fact that he wasn't an impersonator.
Return To Sender, a faithful rendition featuring a very authentic saxophone introduction, was followed by
two Elvis hits from the sixties - Devil In Disguise and Marie's The Name, before the band changed the pace completely for
Presley's favourite gospel song, How Great Thou Art.
There then followed a heartbreaking trio of songs, beginning with Don't Cry Daddy followed by In The Ghetto
and McGregor's own favourite, You Gave Me A Mountain. These songs were very much proof of Presley's abilities as a balladeer,
and they did the same for McGregor.
The second half opened oddly. A quartet, showcasing Alan Wearmouth on vocals and guitar, and featuring bass,
snare drum and the astounding lead-guitar playing of Nick Rickard took to the stage to play a short selection of Presley's
hits, including That's All Right, Mystery Train and Blue Suede Shoes.
When McGregor retook the stage, it was wearing a bright red jumpsuit, and it was straight into The Wonder
Of You, complete with audience on backing vocals. The sound quality had taken something of a leap in the second half, and
especially during Just Can't Help Believing, the Beale Street Horns proved the value of having a real horn section in the
band, as opposed to a synthesised one.
It was back to rock 'n' roll for a while as the band trundled through classics like Teddy Bear, Don't Be
Cruel and Johnny B Goode, which featured Rickard sliding around the stage on his knees and the horns dancing for all they
were worth.
Often in an Elvis show, An American Trilogy is poorly performed, but not here. McGregor had exactly the
right voice for the number, and the arrangement was impeccable. The famous flute solo in the middle was replaced by some the
sweetest trumpet played this side of Miles Davis, by Sean Hollis.
After a few encore numbers including Viva Las Vegas and finishing with Suspicious Minds, Elvis left the
building, or at least the stage. The King is dead, but his kingdom is in pretty good hands.
