Tribute singing acts are in popular demand, as reflected by those coming soon to Eastbourne theatres, usually as a stop off on a multi-date tour.
Living legends Elvis Presley and Whitney Houston are particular favourites – and no wonder!
These stars are still idolised many years after their deaths. Presley’s official Instagram account has 1,937,153 followers alone, according to Instagram. In addition, his official YouTube channel has 4.27 million subscribers, according to YouTube and there are countless others.
Whitney Houston has approximately 13.2 million on Facebook, 1.9 million on Instagram, 1.2 million on TikTok, and 9.6 million YouTube subscribers. She also has 11.3 million Spotify followers.
Eastbourne can boast two Whitney tribute acts in quick succession.
Kieshia and her ‘million dollar band’ presented ‘I’m Every Whitney LIVE’ at the Royal Hippodrome Theatre on Saturday, August 23rd.
Her show featured Whitney’s greatest hits, including I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Greatest Love of Alland I Will Always Love You.
Then, on Saturday, September 20th, the stunning Belinda Davids pays her tribute to the great icon at the Congress Theatre with ‘The Greatest Love of All’ show. Belinda will be accompanied by her live band and backing vocalists.
Emilo Santoro (pictured above) is another great impersonator. Crowned ‘2024 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist World Champion’ by Elvis Presley Enterprises at Graceland, Emilio brings his award-winning ELVIS PRESLEY show to the Royal Hippodrome on Saturday, September 27th.
Performing with his authentic 50’s live band, The Creoles, Emilio celebrates Presley’s younger years in spectacular style with Put on Your Blue Suede Shoes, Get ‘All Shook Up, Jailhouse Rock, Devil in Disguise, Can’t Help Falling in Love, Hound Dog, Suspicious Minds and many more.
There are a host more tributes at the Congress Theatre, including ‘That’ll Be The Day’ on Sunday. September 7th, ‘Uptown Girl – The Billy Joel Collection’ on Sunday, September 14th and ‘Roy Orbison & The Traveling Wilbury’s Experience’ on Tuesday, September 23rd.
Meanwhile, there’s another slice of nostalgia on Saturday, August 30th, when the Royal Hippodrome presents ‘The Ultimate Tribute Show, Pop Gods of the 80s & 90s’.
Eastbourne also plays host to more local tributes such as John Lane (Neil Diamond), Joanna Rose Barton (Amy Winehouse), Mary Grace (Kylie Minogue) and Sam Hughes (Elton John). The Red Lion in Stone Cross regularly feature such shows, so you can even see popular tributes for the price of a pint!
Two other venues that occasionally offer a more upmarket tribute act and meal package are the Hydro and Langham Hotels, both in Eastbourne.
It’s perhaps understandable that audiences flood to tribute shows that portray stars who are no longer with us or groups who have disbanded. See our previous reviews of Absolute Bowie and The Illegal Eagles, for example. But there are many tribute acts for artistes who are very much alive and, in some cases, still touring their own shows. I can understand the appeal of visiting a comfortable and conveniently located local theatre, such as the Congress or Royal Hippodrome in Eastbourne and paying a fraction of the price to see a more than passable interpretation of ‘Rag’n’Bone Man (there are several already) Oasis (Glasgow’s No Way Sis) or Coldplay (Coolplay), etc.
As there are often several tributes for the more popular bands, I wonder whether the more amusing names capture the public’s imagination the most. Some names are quite inspired, others pretty hilarious: Proxy Music (Roxy Music), By Jovi (Bon Jovi) and the Liverpool Crowded House tribute – Crowded Scouse!
The trend shows no signs of abating. Heck, there are even management companies that focus purely on booking tribute acts and such acts tend to command higher fees than regular bands.
But what does this inclination toward copy-cats mean for the future of today’s original acts? Are we heading for a world in which the only talent we value is one of reproduction?
Rocket to the Future – Elton John: Fri 29 August
Man In The Mirror – Michael Jackson: Thu 4 September
Bootleg Beach Boys: Sat 13 September
Emilio Santoro as Elvis: Sat 27 September
Ultimate Tribute to Tina Turner: Sat 4 October
ELO Encounter: Sun 5 October
Taylor Swift Tribute: Fri 24 October
That’ll Be The Day: Sun 7 September
Uptown Girl-Billy Joel: Sun 14 September
Greatest Love of All-Whitney Houston: Sat 20 September
Roy Orbison & The Travelling Wilbury’s Experience: Tue 23 September
The Australian Pink Floyd Show: Fri 17 October
Waterloo-A Tribute to Abba: Sat 25 October
