Elton tribute band to perform on April 7-8
April 03, 2017, Bengaluru, DHNS
Ultimate fandom
Paul Bacon (centre), the lookalike of British pop rock star Elton John, and other members of the tribute band, Ultimate Elton and The Rocket Band.
Fans of Sir Elton John, the British pop rock star with a five-decade career, are in for a treat as the tribute band, Ultimate Elton and The Rocket Band, is performing in Bengaluru later this week.
Sir Elton John’s lookalike, Paul Bacon or Ultimate Elton, dresses like him, with the trademark sunglasses and has a voice very much like that of the pop star who rose to fame for hit numbers like ‘I’m Still Standing’, ‘Rocket Man’ and ‘Candle In The Wind’. His tribute band has the distinction of being the Official UK No 1 Winner of The National Tribute Music Awards 2016.
What distinguishes them from all the other Sir Elton John tribute bands is that Sir Elton’s estranged mother, Sheila Farebrother, invited Ultimate Elton to perform at her 90th birthday party. “Sheila came to see us in a concert and loved the show. She then had the idea of having us perform at her 90th birthday party. It was a great privilege for us and of course very nerve-racking!” Bacon told DH in an e-mail. Bacon has kept the handwritten list of songs, which Sheila wanted them to play, as a memento.
Bacon has been a true Sir Elton fan for as long as he can remember. He first performed as the pop singer in college way back in the 1980s. “Back then, a lot of people encouraged me to continue with it. However, tribute bands didn’t really exist back then and there wasn’t really a market for them,” he said. It was only about nine years ago, when he performed as Sir Elton a couple of times, that he started receiving calls for shows and he realised there was opportunity for tribute bands.
When Bacon is dressed as Sir Elton, his mannerisms come naturally to him, owing to the time he has spent watching live and recorded performances by the singer. “When I am dressed as Sir Elton, I do sometimes get mistaken for him. I do try to let people know that I am not really Sir Elton, but they still enjoy having a photo taken with me!” Bacon said.
The band will be performing at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Malleswaram, on April 7 and at MLR Convention Centre, Whitefield, on April 8.