By PAUL MILLAR
THERE will be no contemporary songs when Max Pellicano performs in Geelong this month.
The standard classics have more than stood the time since the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll died in 1977 – and one of the world’s best Elvis impersonators knows what draws in the crowds.
Pellicano, who is based in Detroit, will shake, rattle and roll at Geelong Performing Arts Centre on 13 September as part of a tour of Australia and New Zealand.
His Elvis to the Max show is a re-creation of the King in Concert, with the costumes, moves and songs that always make the karaoke list.
This show, however, is as close to the real thing as it gets.
“It does not matter where you go, Elvis fans are Elvis fans,” said the much-travelled entertainer, who has been visiting Australia since 1989.
Pellicano tries to live the part while on stage, from the looks to the humour and style.
He said that, while Presley’s songs were eternal, he expected a resurgence in popularity as the years go by.
Frank Sinatra and the rat-pack had experienced a boom in popularity in recent years and had become cool again, so he expected the same with Elvis.
The Monte Carlo-born performer has an uncanny resemblance to the Memphis legend and his stage costumes are exact replicas made by Elvis’s personal tailor, Bill Bellow.
Pellicano is regarded as one of the best Elvis tribute artists in the world and he tries to cover all bases.
“What we do try and do is mix it up, Elvis in Concert, Elvis’s Greatest Performances, the Aloha from Hawaii concert,” he said.
Pellicano’s schedule while in Australia and New Zealand is daunting, with 24 performances from August until the end of September.
