Mounten wants to move audience

9:55am Wednesday 29th August 2001

Elvis is back, the king is alive in Liberty Mounten!

With a voice that tells you That's all right now Momma' the man from Graceland is gracing the Ashcroft Theatre's stage on Friday, September 7.

Mounten, previously known as Brett Stewart, admits most of his audience members are over 30 years old and has been unable to shake of the memory of Elvis impersonators trying to clamber up on stage to join him, writes Angeline Albert.

In deep American tones he tells me “This is a serious show, we're not trying to be tongue in cheek when it comes to Elvis. We want people to feel moved when they go home.

“There's a lot of impersonators around and many are too fat, can't sing or give such bad performances the only thing they generate is bad publicity.

“They're losers. It makes it harder for me to get people to remember the songs.”

Liberty began performing in 1979 and has toured the world with his show ever since, but his interest in Elvis was not helped by his Californian upbringing.

“My mom hates Elvis. She's always asking me when I'm going to get a proper job.”

“Elvis was poor but I was from a middle class family, I never lived in the crummy places he did.

“I did pick up a lot of things from watching him. It turned out I could do the stuff he did.

“I spent the night with Elvis's best friend Charlie Hodge. We sat around and talked and he said I reminded him of Elvis. I was asked to play in his theatre in Memphis.”

Liberty, who decided upon his stage name because “no one ever forgets it”, met his wife Michelle when she came to see him perform.

Liberty Mounten currently performs with 10 musicians and three backing singers but intends on adding violinists to his orchestra.

“Every show we do different songs, but there are certain songs which the fans want to hear every time.

“I don't have a favourite Elvis song and real Elvis fans will tell you they love them all.”

The show starts at 7.45pm. To book tickets for Liberty's Love Me Tender show call the Fairfield box office on 020 8688 9291.

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