Ben Portsmouth is Taking Care of Elvis
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
19th February 2017
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
19th February 2017
Ben Portsmouth is the UK's No 1 Elvis Tribute artist and has been touring with his band, Taking Care of Elvis for 10 years. Ben, 35, who comes form Berkshire, kindly took some time out of his busy schedule to have a chat with Southend Theatre Scene about his forthcoming show at Southend's Cliffs Pavilion. He also tells us how he'd like to a bit of acting, his appearance on the David Letterman Show in the States and how he'd love to be able to play at the Royal Albert Hall one day.
Interview: Kim Tobin
Interview: Kim Tobin
Hi Ben, thanks for chatting to Southend Theatre Scene. You’ve been really busy with the Elvis Tribute Tour. It looks like you haven’t stopped all year.
Not for the last 10 years I think, but yeah I am very busy. I’m very lucky - I enjoy going to work, so that’s not a problem.
You played in Southend last year, so what’s going to be different about the show this year?
I’m going to look older [laughs]. The show I do is pretty much all of Elvis’s era - so from the Sun Studio to his movie years. I’ll do the 1968 comeback with the leather outfit. The first half is more like a story of Elvis’s life and what he was doing in his career at the time. The second half is just like an Elvis 70s concert, so possibly what it would have been like to have seen Elvis is the 70s.
Do you still get all your costumes flown out from the States and are they very expensive?
Yeah they’re all from America and yes they are. You can get a jumpsuit and it’s $3,500-$5,000.
Do you have a favourite?
I like the peacock jumpsuit - that’s a nice one!
One of the endearing things about Elvis, I think, was that he had a really good sense of humour didn’t he?
I think that’s why people like him so much because you know he was just a people person. He was just a simple country boy who liked his cars, his food and all the rest of it. When he got on stage he was quite a character wasn’t he?
Not for the last 10 years I think, but yeah I am very busy. I’m very lucky - I enjoy going to work, so that’s not a problem.
You played in Southend last year, so what’s going to be different about the show this year?
I’m going to look older [laughs]. The show I do is pretty much all of Elvis’s era - so from the Sun Studio to his movie years. I’ll do the 1968 comeback with the leather outfit. The first half is more like a story of Elvis’s life and what he was doing in his career at the time. The second half is just like an Elvis 70s concert, so possibly what it would have been like to have seen Elvis is the 70s.
Do you still get all your costumes flown out from the States and are they very expensive?
Yeah they’re all from America and yes they are. You can get a jumpsuit and it’s $3,500-$5,000.
Do you have a favourite?
I like the peacock jumpsuit - that’s a nice one!
One of the endearing things about Elvis, I think, was that he had a really good sense of humour didn’t he?
I think that’s why people like him so much because you know he was just a people person. He was just a simple country boy who liked his cars, his food and all the rest of it. When he got on stage he was quite a character wasn’t he?
Yeah, he really was. Do you ever play around with any of the songs he sung or do you stick to how he would have done them?
I suppose I generally copy what he did. I do a couple of songs in the show that I think that Elvis would have been great at singing. One of them is Nessun Dorma and another one is To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before because I really think it would have suited Elvis, you know, having a lot of lady friends! [laughs] There’s a few songs I’ve done in the past another song was a Bee Gees song, To Love Somebody, I think he would have done a great version of that.
So during your show, you are basically being Elvis all the way through?
I suppose it’s like a form of acting and to some degree you are trying to channel that person, his persona; but also I put a bit of my own humour into it as well. I try to put my own character and sense of humour into it.
I love the live version of Are You Lonesome Tonight, where Elvis starts giggling, with the background singer. It’s very funny.
Oh yeah, that’s just great isn’t it, you can just put that on and that soon cheers you up.
Have you ever had anything like that happen to you when you’ve been on stage?
You’ve put me on the spot here, let me think…well for instance that joke that he did about the guy with the bald head well the guy that helps me out he pretends to be the Colonel Tom Parker and he has the cowboy hat on and we sort of joke and if I’m a bit late I’ll say, ‘Sorry I’m late but the Colonel had to do my hair,” and then I’ll say, “and I had to do his too.” Then he’ll take his hat off and he’s completely bald (unfortunately), so yeah, we always try and have a laugh when we can and we always have fun.
I suppose I generally copy what he did. I do a couple of songs in the show that I think that Elvis would have been great at singing. One of them is Nessun Dorma and another one is To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before because I really think it would have suited Elvis, you know, having a lot of lady friends! [laughs] There’s a few songs I’ve done in the past another song was a Bee Gees song, To Love Somebody, I think he would have done a great version of that.
So during your show, you are basically being Elvis all the way through?
I suppose it’s like a form of acting and to some degree you are trying to channel that person, his persona; but also I put a bit of my own humour into it as well. I try to put my own character and sense of humour into it.
I love the live version of Are You Lonesome Tonight, where Elvis starts giggling, with the background singer. It’s very funny.
Oh yeah, that’s just great isn’t it, you can just put that on and that soon cheers you up.
Have you ever had anything like that happen to you when you’ve been on stage?
You’ve put me on the spot here, let me think…well for instance that joke that he did about the guy with the bald head well the guy that helps me out he pretends to be the Colonel Tom Parker and he has the cowboy hat on and we sort of joke and if I’m a bit late I’ll say, ‘Sorry I’m late but the Colonel had to do my hair,” and then I’ll say, “and I had to do his too.” Then he’ll take his hat off and he’s completely bald (unfortunately), so yeah, we always try and have a laugh when we can and we always have fun.
At what point of your life did you actually realise that you could make a living out of doing an Elvis tribute?
I just started off at home at a young age working out the chords on the guitar and then eventually I took it a bit more seriously and I got a band. I’ve always been a musician and wanted to do it with a band. I started in the pubs and the clubs, festivals and theatres.
You’ve done your ground work then?
Oh yeah, I paid by dues.
So what do you think you’d be doing as a career if you weren't doing the Elvis Tribute?
I’ve always been involved in music so before this I was playing session guitar for people in the music industry so I’m sure it would have been something musical. Either that or the building site!
I just started off at home at a young age working out the chords on the guitar and then eventually I took it a bit more seriously and I got a band. I’ve always been a musician and wanted to do it with a band. I started in the pubs and the clubs, festivals and theatres.
You’ve done your ground work then?
Oh yeah, I paid by dues.
So what do you think you’d be doing as a career if you weren't doing the Elvis Tribute?
I’ve always been involved in music so before this I was playing session guitar for people in the music industry so I’m sure it would have been something musical. Either that or the building site!
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You said earlier that your performance is like acting as Elvis, have you ever been asked to be in a movie or show? Yeah I have, I was in something not so long ago called Autopsy. I was in London just last year they wanted me to be in this film which had Harrison Ford in it, I think it was a remake of Bladerunner, which unfortunately I couldn’t do because the dates they wanted me I was on tour in Brazil. Is it something you’d like to do in the future, if you get the chance? Yeah definitely, I’m a performer one way or another |
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What’s the craziest thing anyone’s done at a gig or do they behave themselves these days?
I’ve had a few where they jump up on stage and they grab you and stuff, things like that. There is a bit of audience participation, though, and there’s a song I do in the ‘movie years’ part of the show from the movie Viva Las Vegas and the songs called What I’d Say. I get a girl up to come and dance and pretend to be my co-star Ann-Margret. I give out teddies and usually the Colonel tries to find a couple of kids to come on stage and I give out scarfs like Elvis did in the 70s, so yeah it’s quite interactive.
What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
Well, playing in Southend!
Hahaha, yeah of course - good answer!
Well going on David Letterman was great. It was at the renowned Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York and I’m used to playing in theatres but obviously, once I started singing the song and looking into this camera and thinking what’s beyond - it was quite daunting.
And it was live too wasn’t it?
It was, I was being introduced and then off I went!
I’ve had a few where they jump up on stage and they grab you and stuff, things like that. There is a bit of audience participation, though, and there’s a song I do in the ‘movie years’ part of the show from the movie Viva Las Vegas and the songs called What I’d Say. I get a girl up to come and dance and pretend to be my co-star Ann-Margret. I give out teddies and usually the Colonel tries to find a couple of kids to come on stage and I give out scarfs like Elvis did in the 70s, so yeah it’s quite interactive.
What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
Well, playing in Southend!
Hahaha, yeah of course - good answer!
Well going on David Letterman was great. It was at the renowned Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York and I’m used to playing in theatres but obviously, once I started singing the song and looking into this camera and thinking what’s beyond - it was quite daunting.
And it was live too wasn’t it?
It was, I was being introduced and then off I went!
When we spoke last year you said you were working on some of your own writing and music, is that something that’s happening?
Yes, when I go back to the States on Saturday - I’m lucky I have a Green Card now - I’ll do the cruise and then I’m off to Nashville to continue with that. I’m still working hard away on that.
What sort of genre of music is your original stuff?
I would say it’s more sort of guitar based because really I’m a guitarist, like pop, but I wanted to give it a slight country slant which is obviously why I went to Nashville. I like that kind of sound - it’s cool.
What do you listen to when you’re chilling out?
I do listen to Elvis, obviously; I like Fleetwood Mac and like listening to Enya…
Really??
Yeah I really like Enya - especially if someone’s giving me a massage - it’s amazing! I like the blues - anything that’s got a good tune. Anything that’s got a bit of heart and soul in it really.
Yes, when I go back to the States on Saturday - I’m lucky I have a Green Card now - I’ll do the cruise and then I’m off to Nashville to continue with that. I’m still working hard away on that.
What sort of genre of music is your original stuff?
I would say it’s more sort of guitar based because really I’m a guitarist, like pop, but I wanted to give it a slight country slant which is obviously why I went to Nashville. I like that kind of sound - it’s cool.
What do you listen to when you’re chilling out?
I do listen to Elvis, obviously; I like Fleetwood Mac and like listening to Enya…
Really??
Yeah I really like Enya - especially if someone’s giving me a massage - it’s amazing! I like the blues - anything that’s got a good tune. Anything that’s got a bit of heart and soul in it really.
What’s the future hold for you?
I’m just trying to finish my own album in Nashville; and with the Elvis thing, just to take it as far as I can get it. I’d really love to play somewhere like the Royal Albert Hall. I’m still trying to work on that - it’s just getting round to convincing the people to let you do it.
I’m just trying to finish my own album in Nashville; and with the Elvis thing, just to take it as far as I can get it. I’d really love to play somewhere like the Royal Albert Hall. I’m still trying to work on that - it’s just getting round to convincing the people to let you do it.
For tickets to see Ben as Elvis with his tribute act Taking Care of Elvis go online to www.southendtheatre.org.uk or call the Southend Theatres Box Office on 01702 351135
For Ben's website go to www.takingcareofelvis.co.uk
For our interview with Ben last year click here
For our interview with Ben last year click here