All shook up at the Cossie

LONG LIVE THE KING: Elvis Presley tribute artist Brendon Chase relives the legend’s hits, complete with jumpsuit. Picture supplied

The bling, the White American Eagle jumpsuit, the voice — Australasia’s 2017 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Brendon Chase will be the King when he performs in Gisborne next month.

No one comes close, past or present to Elvis Presley’s voice, Chase once said. The tribute artist’s main goal is to be true to someone the artist considers to be the greatest entertainer that ever was. Chase’s reputation as one of the world’s premier Elvis performers is backed by several awards over the years.

“There is a difference between being a fan of course and being able to sing like him, because technically he had such a distinctive voice,” he told country music blog, Jolene.

“I can’t actually even imagine how you go about that process. When you first started to sing, obviously you have your own sound and then how do you go about technically recreating his sound, because you sound so much like him.

“It does take quite a long time and, if you are going to ask me how you do it, well, you have to train yourself with better people and study and study and study. Until you want to do that, until you get the motivation to do that, it just doesn’t happen.”

Asked if he prefers the white jumpsuit Elvis or 1968 Comeback Special Elvis, Chase said Presley was all about the leathers but the King only did about 20 songs in that gear.

“I am lucky. I have the same height and the same colour eyes and same weight as Elvis, and I can pull it off. A lot of people can’t. They also remember Elvis in the last six months of his life. So the white jumpsuit is a winner. Everyone recognises Elvis in the white jumpsuit. If you haven’t got a white jumpsuit, you are not doing Elvis properly.”

Elvis Presley tribute artist Brendon Chase rocks the Cosmopolitan Club on August 3, (8pm), Members $15, non-members $20.