Elvis Presley at 80: 2015 Celebrations and Events in the UK

2015 is looking to be a big year for Elvis fans! January 8th 2015 would have been his 80th birthday and there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate this fact in the UK this year. I am going to highlight 5 big events that are taking place over the next 6 months for Elvis fans across the country. Most of these are annual events but will take on extra significance this year because of the King’s upcoming birthday.

We at Alterego Fancydress have a lot of love for Elvis Presley and his fans – always making sure that we have a variety of costumes available. We are the only fancy dress retailer in the UK selling a plus size Elvis costume. So this is a reminder to those of you who might be attending one of these events – make sure you’re kitted out appropriately (or you might end up being the only rhinestone-free fan around!!)

European Elvis Championships, 2nd – 4th January 2015, Hilton Birmingham Metropole

This event is held annually on a weekend around the time of Elvis’ birthday. The weekend itself is recognised as the No. 1 European Elvis Tribute Artist Convention. Tribute acts travel from around the world to compete to become ‘European Champion’.

There is plenty here for both die-hard and casual fans alike: Live bands, Elvis showcases, rock n roll, Elvis Merchandise, Elvis Disco, Elvis Video, Elvis Gospel Contest, Elvis Novice Contest and of course the main event The European Elvis Championships.

More info at www.elviscontest.co.uk

Elvis Easter Spectacular, 4th & 5th April 2015, Hilton Birmingham Metropole

Another event now from the same company at the same location. However his time instead of the focus being around a competition the event will instead showcase some of the best Elvis performers from the UK and USA. The organisers promise 100% Elvis day & night, along with the Best Bank Holiday Elvis Event of the year…no pressure there!!

More info at www.elvisspectacular.com

Elvis Party Cruise 13th – 18th April, Harwich to Aarhus, Denmark

Celebrate Elvis’s 80th birthday year on the Elvis Party Cruise, featuring award-winning Elvis tributes Ben Portsmouth and Ben Thompson as well as Elvis discos, film shows and a great Elvis party at sea! Plus there’s an optional visit to Graceland Randers where you will see some amazing original Elvis related artefacts and there’s an American Diner for that authentic lunch.

There is an optional excursion available during the cruise to Graceland Randers, Denmark.  It is inspired by Elvis Presley’s Graceland home in Memphis and is the ultimate tribute to the King. Graceland Randers sees itself as helping to nurture the Elvis legacy, his life, music and memory. As well as the Elvis Museum and Elvis Shop, there’s also Highway 51 (an American Diner), Ballroom, and Mini Movie Theatre. The collection of original artefacts from Elvis’ life is truly amazing and worth a visit.  These include all the Sun records, the trousers that Elvis wore during the I Want You, I Need You, I Love You recording session, a jacket that Elvis wore in 1959, one of Elvis’ guitars from 1975, shoes, documents, letters, concert belt and so much more.

More info at www.arenatravel.com

Europe’s Tribute to Elvis 3rd – 5th July, Winter Gardens, Blackpool

Visit this for an amazing festival honoring the life, music and fans of Elvis Presley.  The third annual Europe’s Tribute to Elvis Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest preliminary will be held here.  The event will be hosted by Tees Events Ltd and will feature the Ultimate Elvis preliminary contest, the winner of which will represent Europe’s Tribute to Elvis in the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest finals in Memphis in 2015.

The festival will also feature Elvis themed shows, including some of the world’s best Elvis tribute artists on stage in the The Empress Ballroom. Plus there are special guests, merchandise stalls, after-show private parties, raffles and much more.

More info at https://elvisfestival.co.uk

Porthcawl Elvis Festival 25th – 27th September, Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl, Wales

Claiming to be one of Europe’s biggest gathering of Elvis artistes and their fans, this event offers three days of fun and music all over the normally sleepy seaside town of Porthcawl, roughly halfway between Cardiff and Swansea, near to Bridgend.

The feature events are the Official Shows taking place in the Grand Pavilion. These include The Elvies the World’s premier event for Elvis Tribute Artists. In addition, The Hi Tide host over 100 shows over the weekend, many with free admission.  Additionally over 20 venues in and around the town form the fringe festival.

The O2 Arena, London is hosting an exhibition honouring the life and legacy of The King entitled ‘Elvis at the O2’ alongside these events and birthday celebrations.  Britain will get personal insight into the life of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, through the largest Elvis retrospective ever mounted in Europe.

The nine month exhibition will showcase over 300 artefacts direct from the Presley family’s treasured Graceland Archives, some of which have never been exhibited outside of Graceland in Memphis.  It runs from 12th December 2014 to 31st August 2015 and is a must-visit!!

So there you have it – plenty of Presley going on in 2015!

Oh, and if you were considering dressing up for them then check out our exclusive plus-size Elvis costume in action here when it was used in Emmerdale last year:

Thanks

Chris J

Alterego Fancydress

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Film-inspired Fancy Dress

Whenever you might be stuck for ideas as to what costume to wear for your fancy dress bash, the movies are always a great place to start!  In fact there are  number of films that have become synonymous with homemade and store-bought costumes and are now a staple at most fancy dress parties you will attend.

Today I am going to highlight those films that have spawned a thousand poorly-made costumes!

      

For this list I am going to rule out Star Wars and Star Trek, along with superhero costumes because…well, because its just far too easy.  There are international conventions for these films & TV shows and they are so abundant it really doesn’t take any imagination to go to a do as one of their characters.  I am also steering clear of Halloween mainstays such as Frankenstein and Dracula for the same reason.

So lets begin!

8.  The Harry Potter Franchise

Ever since 2001 and JK Rowling’s incredible series of books was brought to life on the big screen the world has been hooked on Hary, Ron & Hermoine and their many adventures at Hogwarts.  Likewise, ever since 2001 its been difficult to go to to any fancy dress party without seeing someone wearing a cloak and wielding a small wooden stick about with a scar on their head.

7.  Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

“Groovy baby!”  Seeing someone at a party dressed in a plush sixties suit with fake teeth and medallions around their neck are instantly recognizable as the British spy originally brought to the screen by Mike Myers in 1997.  Two sequels and a slew of catchphrases followed.

6.  The Three Musketeers

There have been countless iterations of these French swashbucklers on the big screen.  I’m not a fan of the 2011 version, but I loved the 1993 film with Kiefer Sutherland & Charlie Sheen as well as The Man in the Iron Mask from 1998.  Plus you always look damn cool with the hat and moustache!

5.  Top Gun

This film effectively defined over-the-top 80’s action movies.  Tom Cruise in his prime, those planes and that soundtrack!!  Stick on a grey jumpsuit, leave the zipper half un-done and stick on some Ray-Bans and you’re ready to go!  There are always plenty of Mavericks on hand at most costume bashes.

4. The James Bond Franchise

Probably the most famous and iconic single character on this list.  Whether your favourite Bond is Connery, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, Craig or that Austalian model guy (heaven forbid) there is only one way you need to dress.  Party-goers need only dig out their old tuxedos and strike some dangerous poses with a gun in their hand.

3.  Grease

1978 saw the release of the first of three musicals on our list (probably not too hard now to guess the top two).  This film has a generous choice of costumes for any taste.  Whether you want to be the star and go as Danny (John Travolta) or Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) or just as a T-Bird / Pink Lady, there’s plenty of choice to be had.

2.  The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Now this choice is a cult classic!  You don’t always see them at a lot of smaller fancy dress parties but fancy dress is a big part of this film’s legacy.  Cinema showings or live stage productions often see audience members turn up in costume and sing along with this Richard O Brian musical.  Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s iconic drag get-up is iconic and easily recognisable.

1.  The Blues Brothers

This costume gets everywhere!  1980 saw Dan Akroyd and the late great John Belushi dress up in black suits and belt out some killer blues while trying to save the boarding school that they were brought up in.  These iconic black suits, sunglasses and trilbys are synonymous with these characters and this movie.  It helps that if someone is looking for fancy dress at short notice this one is pretty cheap and easy to replicate.  Just remember; it doesn’t matter if it’s dark and you’re wearing sunglasses!

How did I do?  What did I miss off the list?  Tell me in the comments section below…

Thanks

Chris J

Alterego Fancydress

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Spooktacular 2014: Our Night Out

   

On the 1st November 2014 six of us from Alterego Fancy dress attended the annual Spooktacular scare event at the Heart of England Centre, Meriden.  The event itself consisted of a three course meal, disco and games, along with a unique themed scare attraction set within the forest-land surrounding the site (more details on that later).

Many of our team had been to one of these shows before however this was my first time.  I, along with my wife, have been to ‘scare-fests’ before so had some idea of what to expect….and yet we saw none of it coming!

   

We all kitted ourselves out with top costumes….as did everyone who was there.  When we arrived it was obvious that no expense was spared – the centre lavishly decorated with Halloween staples such as cobwebs, tombstones & ghouls along with horror props and characters from films.  All tables surrounded a stage which was book-ended by two large movie screens showing iconic scenes from classic horror films whilst all of the ‘victims’ mingled and meandered their way to the tables.  A mixture of Death & Heavy Metal boomed through the speakers to complete a ‘Horror-Assault’ on the senses!

I find Halloween parties a surreal experience at the best of times, due to the experience of seeing so many people in-character as something generally frightful or unpleasant.  The feeling of fun and freedom is addictive and contagious – and there was no lack of it here!  The atmosphere that was created was palpable!  Where else would you see an 8 foot animatronic spider drop from the ceiling to dangle above the stage throughout the celebration?!

     

So…the scare event was structured to take enough people from two tables at a time.  This means that throughout the night two tables at a time disappear for half an hour whilst the others have their delicious food served.  This kept the flow of the evening going nicely (however we were all very glad that we weren’t on the last tables that finally got their turn at nearly midnight).

       

We were on table 12 which was pretty much bang in the middle.  When our number was called we were led outside to a large truck (or, as we were told, an amphibious vehicle).  We were driven deep into the forest towards an unknown building.

At this point its probably apt for me to set the scene!!  At the start of the evening a compere, dressed as a Military official, stood and introduced the night’s festivities.  We were all attending for a specific reason.  In 1944 a number of brave soldiers died in this area of the forest due to the war – but their deaths had only recently been unearthed.  We were all descendants of these soldiers and were legally obliged to pay our respects to them.  The compere was brilliant, shouting at people from the stage and generally setting the tone of the evening “Be quiet!  Treat this evening with dignity and respect, dammit!”

       

So we were on this truck to see where our loved ones departed this earth, so many years ago.  The compere accompanies you as your guide…again shouting for order and quiet – very believable! Once off of the truck we were led into the compound, and this was where the fun (and fright) really began!  Zombies begin bursting through doors and windows as we meandered our way through twisting corridors and rooms, frantically trying to find an exit.  Towards the end we encounter the mastermind behind the undead – Dr Vivian Mortus.  He explains that our dearly departed never really died – and that we were next in order for him to create an undead army of super-soldiers….no thanks!!

A mad dash to the exit ensues – everyone screaming as zombies advance on our position.  Finally we got back on our truck and head back to the party although its not quite over.  The zombies burst through the doors to the compound and ran after the truck almost all of the way back…phew!

       

When we got back to the centre the evening was in full swing with the disco up and running – so we were able to dance the night away….safe in the knowledge that the zombies were securely locked outside!

       

Everyone had a fabulous night.  It was clear that no expense was spared for the scare event and the theme / story line really padded out what can sometimes be quite a repetitive affair.  The compound was chock full of really believable zombies and scary moments.  Absolutely loved it! I would recommend this evening to anyone who fancies immersing themselves deeper into Halloween, so next year watch out here for details of the upcoming event!

Thank you to the Heart of England for having us there, although we will be happy if we never have to go back to that compound ever again!!

Thanks

Chris J

Alterego Fancydress

Enjoy this post? Follow our blog for more ideas and coverage of fancy dress events.  And please join our Social Media family on Facebook & Twitter.  Check out our pinterest page for more costume inspiration.