FANS of The King got their wish for a little less conversation and a little more action over the weekend, when around 10,000 people descended on Lake Macquarie for the fourth Hunter Elvis Festival.
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Event organiser Sheldon Kidd said 40 years after Elvis Presley died in August 1977, the singer, musician and actor could still draw a crowd ready to rock around the clock.
“It boils down to one thing – the music,” Mr Kidd said.
“It was timeless and there are so many classics from one guy. If you talk about number one hits, well there’s 40 of those. There’s another 40 or 50 that people know.
“There’s lots of froth and bubble in the industry, but he was music personified. He was a rock star, movie star and when America needed a hero he could speak to the rest of the world.
“He’s a one of a kind and I don’t think we’ll see anyone like him ever again.”
Mr Kidd said most of the 10,000 attended the free five-hour event at Speers Point Park on Sunday, which comprised a classic car show, market stalls and concert. Queenslander Stuey V took out an Elvis tribute artist competition.
“A good tribute artist has to sound like him, have the hair and the sideburns – throw in the jumpsuit, lip curl and hip wiggle and they’ve perfected it.”
Mr Kidd said some families had several generations attend, while about 200 fans travelled from interstate.
The three-day festival also included tribute entertainment on Friday, karaoke, trivia and rock and roll dancing lessons on Saturday and a Mark Andrew concert on Saturday night. There was also an Elvis meets The Beatles show on Sunday afternoon.
Helen Gregory
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
