Elvis Presley was the prime innovator in rock 'n' roll music, setting the standards for aspiring rock stars for half a century. Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi. Richard Atkins IS the new Elvis, king of rock 'n' roll. Fortunately, he is also British. The producers of the smash rock tribute show Rockin' on Heaven's Door have put together a show that duplicates Elvis' groundbreaking venture of the late 60s. The original concept was that Elvis would perform in 15 different cities on 15 consecutive nights, in order to revive his flagging career. This was followed by lengthy seasons in Las Vegas, where his performances became legendary. All the glitz, all the glamour has now been transferred to captivate British audiences. The original King Everything is there. We have the backing singers, Divine Inspirations. Divine they certainly were. We also had the luxury of the Heartbreak Horns, brass section. These were complimented by a superb band of Rockin' on Heaven's Door regulars. It is worth mentioning that John (Hot Fingers) Healy now takes the playing of lead guitar in a rock band to heights that Bert Weedon would never have dreamt possible. John is ably aided and abetted by Andy Sneddon, bass player supreme, who excelled on the rendition of Patch It Up Baby. John's guitar speaks a universal language, understood by everyone in the world. It just makes you want to get up and dance. Richard wore a variety of suits throughout the performance, in the manner of the original king. In the first half, he was dressed in a spectacular silver and white beaded-suit. After the break, he appeared in gold, whilst the cape emerged for the fantastic finale. Elvis classics We were treated to most of the Elvis classics. I was particularly impressed by Richard's renditions of songs made more famous by other artists. These included Promised Land (Chuck Berry), Bridge Over Troubled Waters (Simon and Garfunkel), plus Let It Be Me (Everley Brothers). The ladies in the audience were ecstatic as Richard strolled amongst them during his rendition of Love Me, whilst distributing red silk scarves to a lucky few. My wife, Barbara, was delighted to be amongst these. I found this particularly pleasing, as Elvis had presented her with a bouquet of a dozen red roses, almost five years ago to the day, when we lived in the Shetland Islands. This was just three days before our marriage. As usual, with a large repertoire of the King's songs, we went through a range of emotions. The Wonder of You had always been a personal favourite, whilst Why Can't They Leave Him Alone? is quite a tear-jerker. I always find that You Gave Me a Mountain to Climb is very moving, and Richard does not disappoint. This, relatively recent, classic preceded an awe-inspiring rendition of the gospel song How Great Thou Art. The ballads always touch the heart. Amongst these, I was impressed with This Time the Girl Is Gonna Stay, You Were Always on My Mind and Funny How Time Slips Away. Rock 'n' roll will never die On reflection, I like to look back and decide what were the high spots that, in themselves, would justify the admission price. Under my, disabled, circumstances, Walk a Mile in My Shoes is very thought-provoking, In the Ghetto is another tear-jerker, as is You're All I Have My Boy. Regular keyboard-player, Kevin Hartnett, came to the fore on Big Hunk of Love, whilst the piano playing throughout was reminiscent of Jerry Lee Lewis. In summary, as Rockin' on Heaven's Door approaches its 10th anniversary, having filled the London Palladium, and being performed triumphantly around Europe, it is clear that rock 'n' roll will never die. We must all hope there is a dauphin-in-waiting, ready for the day when Richard hangs up his cape. Vive le Roi! | 
