Every year for more than two decades, Elvis Presley tribute acts have gathered at the European Elvis Championships competing to become that year’s king of rock’n’roll.
But at this year’s event in Birmingham there was one particular Elvis on everyone’s lips – hologram Elvis, set to make his debut in an “immersive concert experience” in London in November.
For all the Presley mega-fans in the room, this week’s announcement had caused a loud buzz, and there was little concern that a lifesize digital recreation of the man himself would steal the limelight from the acts in the room.
“It can only be good for tribute acts really, because it’s introducing Elvis to a new generation, and that new generation could come and support us. Anything that’s Elvis and is good, I’m quite happy for it to steal the limelight,” said Kev Wright, 70, who has been performing his Elvis act for seven years.
“Obviously, most of the people here haven’t been able to see Elvis because he died so many years ago, and that’s as near as you’re going to get to the real thing these days.”
The Elvis tribute acts (known as ETAs) competing over the three-day event, which culminates on Sunday, said they had seen a growing number of young people getting involved in the tribute scene off the back of the 2022 film, Elvis, starring Austin Butler, and the recently released Priscilla, and the hologram concert would only build on that interest.
“There’s so many more younger guys coming in and wanting to do it, so I’m taking them under my wing. More and more people are listening to him and wanting to join us,” said Charlie Harper, a 21-year-old from Birmingham, one of the younger acts on the lineup.
Like many, he said he was on the waiting list for tickets to see the Presley hologram, created using thousands of his personal photos and home-video footage, when it premieres in London later this year, before heading to Tokyo, Las Vegas and Berlin.
“But, of course, not everyone is going to be able to afford to see [the holographic Elvis], and everyone has got their favourite tribute artists – we all work in different ways and cover different eras. So I don’t think it will ever die out, I think it will boost and promote what we do more than anything.”
Elvis super-fan Tracy Lee, 58, whose son, Rob Willis, won the championships in 2019, said: “AI is the way we’re going now with this generation, and to be able to go and physically feel that Elvis is standing there in front of you will be a terrific, emotional experience.
“But I don’t think that it would ever take away from the competitions or the shows that the guys do, purely because people actually like the physical interaction.”
Harper said he was relaxed about competing after a busy Christmas season packed with shows across the country, despite going up against Elvis counterparts from across the continent.
The room was packed with Elvises in different guises – some in the iconic white sequined jumpsuit, others in classic black suits with high collars – as acts took to the stage to compete in the various heats, belting out love songs or shaking their hips.
For the ETAs and audience members alike, their main concern was ensuring the legacy of their hero did not die out.
“We have to leave it out there for the younger generation to carry on what we’re doing here,” said Tony Mclennan, 58, a relative newbie on the circuit having created his act only about two years ago.
“We don’t claim to be Elvis or anything like that, we’re just tribute acts doing something that we love doing to cheer people up. I don’t think a hologram Elvis will ruin what we have here. People will still come to these shows.
“There’s going to be people to continue this legacy long after we’re gone, that’s what it’s all about. I think Elvis is going to be the last person to die on the planet.”
