Some 17 years ago I had the opportunity to join an Elvis tribute band. It was a dream come true. I was a drummer who loved all sorts of rock songs but Elvis’s music was special. As a youngster I had been raised on the holy trinity of rock: the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Elvis.
Sometimes I would play a game in my head. What if I could only choose one artist for the rest of time? The Beatles and Stones tied in the group category, but if it were to be just one single artist Elvis would be my choice hands down.
I loved everything about him. His look, his voice and his generous spirit. And now here I was playing the same music on stage! I remember as a teenager watching Elvis TV specials from Vegas and marvelling at his acrobatic drummer, Ronnie Tutt. That cat could play! At every twitch, snarl or eyebrow lift, at every bump and grind performed by the King —Tutt would hit a tom or the perfect cymbal crash.
Our band, on the other hand, was a mixed bag. Many of us were inexperienced and, truth be told, we were really undeserving of the attention that we received. Some of us had only played a couple years. Others were working on their third decade as touring musicians.
What I saw, however, is that we got crowds quicker than most bands because of the Elvis brand. Unwittingly, we had tapped into a bona fide Elvis personality cult. It is strange to perform on stage to an enthusiastic audience and know at the same time that you have little to do with generating their enthusiasm.
One particular experience I want to relate took place at one of the very first concerts our tribute band gave. It was outdoors at the Island Stage in downtown Kelowna, in August 2003. With 14 members in the band, we were the largest Elvis tribute ensemble in the country. (Later we even grew to 17) Unfortunately, we were not very good that night.
Our singer, our rhythm section, our 5 piece horn section, our backup singers —we all took turns screwing up the notes, the timing, our solos and tempos. At times we were off key. More embarrassing than that, sometimes the band was on a different section of the tune than the lead singer. We had no business getting any applause and should not have taken the gig.
Just the same, some 1200 people sat on a hill in front of us and behaved like we were the real deal. Their deference to us really demonstrated something I still think about to this day.
Not just that Elvis had such a sway on people that virtually anyone donning a jump suit and lip-synching his tunes would be guaranteed an audience. This is absolutely true because the Elvis brand is powerful**, but there was another thing that I noticed that night. Namely that human beings appear so fragile and that they are hungry for leadership of any kind. When I looked out into the audience i saw people looking for hope and direction. They enjoyed the music but strangely had also come for something akin to a spiritual revival.
In the late eighties I was attending UBC in Vancouver. During this time I would walk to my classes across the vast campus and on my way I would hear improvised speeches and view presentations given on actual soap boxes. Christians and members of other religions, members of the Atheist Club, the Communist Club or Fascism Club, gays and lesbians, you name it — all sorts of individuals and groups asked for your attention and support on the spot. Some would give out leaflets and others would invite you to a coming event.
What I noticed then was that anyone —and I mean anyone—who held some type of firm conviction would gain an audience of some kind. The validity of the ideas presented did not seem to matter. People were just impressed that someone could be so sure about something that they themselves had not considered. This sureness alone seemed very important to the individuals that stopped to listen.
My university experience coupled with my stint in the Elvis band taught me that each of us has a fragile compass needle on the inside. We are not super sure of ourselves. We are doing the best we can with life’s challenges, but we are vulnerable to the influence of people who speak with force and conviction. We are not necessarily naive but we are definitely prone to follow someone who “knows the way.” For some, facts presented in a leaflet look official enough to believe. To others, the charisma and talent of a person like Elvis are enough to win their trust.
Three more years passed and then our Elvis tribute band ended in typical rock fashion. Some members left and the band evolved into another cover band. Eventually we all lost interest and went our separate ways. My Elvis experience had ended but I have never forgotten what I learned about human nature and its frailty.
** I have seen grotesque characters wearing home made jump suits mangle Elvis songs with a Karaoke machine and women still line up at the end of the show to get a sweat-drenched lei from the tribute artist as if he were Elvis himself!