When you hear ‘Elvis tribute’, you think dark shades, fake wigs and Vegas weddings. Well, Ben Portsmouth will change that.

I went along to see his show, called ‘This is Elvis’, and I was blown away.

I went with my mother and before we made our way to the Villa Marina, she asked to put some of Portsmouth’s music on so she knew what to expect and for four songs she thought I was just playing the King himself, and not a tribute from Reading.

When I saw the actual show, I was glad to see it wasn’t a straight theatrical performance of Elvis Presley, more of an impressive homage and a true tribute to the King of Rock and Roll.

The crowd was a mix of ages, from young children going with their parents to more mature Elvis fans looking to relive their memories of experiencing his records in dance halls.

Major eras of Elvis’s life were represented by different outfits, such as an Army uniform from the film G.I. Blues to represent his service in Germany and his acting years, Elvis’s iconic leather suit from his 1968 comeback special and the second half of the show showed off a white jumpsuit, showcasing his Las Vegas residency period.

Between each outfit change, a newsreader voice-over could be heard, narrating the change in Elvis’s life.

The tone was set from the start with ‘Let’s have a Party’ kicking off the performance.

For the second act, Portsmouth called 77-year-old Jenny, from Ramsey, to the stage and serenaded her with ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love with You’, which the crowd joined in with.

The crowd started to swell around the stage and got lively when Portsmouth broke out the leather suit and belted out a medley of Heartbreak Hotel, Hound Dog and All Shook Up.

The iconic sound of See See Rider welcomed the second half, which featured a few covers that Elvis performed over the years, including My Way, Proud Mary and Unchained Melody among other Presley hits. The show ended with Always On My Mind, which you could hear through the hall thanks to the crowd chorus.