Elkie Brooks makes a long-awaited return to Stockton’s art deco Globe Theatre having last graced the stage there back in 1960 as a teenager.
Aged just 15 years, having just won a talent contest in Manchester, she embarked on a tour of UK venues, including in Stockton, but after just a handful of shows, she returned home unable to continue singing having caught a cold.
Fast forward to 2022, and the circumstances are somewhat similar. Just two dates into her Greatest Hits Tour, Elkie tested positive for covid and had to cancel a number of dates, including Stockton which, fortunately, was able to be rescheduled for a few weeks later.
“I didn’t remember being in Stockton all those years ago,” said Elkie. “I obviously remember the tour as I had just won the contest, judged by Don Arden (manager of Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and The Small Faces). Now, being able to be back performing live after covid is marvellous. Like for many artists, it has been a very odd time – I usually do between 25 and 30 shows a year – but during 2021, I was only able to do nine shows.”
With hits such as ‘Fool If You Thinks It’s Over’, ‘Lilac Wine’, ‘Sunshine After The Rain’, ‘No More The Fool’ and, of course, ‘Pearl’s A Singer’, Elkie has enjoyed huge success over the decades. Her 1981 Album ‘Pearls’ was in the charts for 79 continuous weeks and went on to sell more than a million records, making her the biggest selling female album artist in the history of the British pop charts at the time. These are the songs people flock to hear and Elkie is all too aware of what is expected by audiences.
“I do change the arrangements of songs to keep them fresh and to keep the band interested but people come wanting to hear all the hits. I play most of them, the ones that work well live on the road. You can’t be self-indulgent because people will be disappointed and I don’t want that; I did that many years ago and I learned the lesson the hard way. I have been recording a new album with my son and we have played a few songs from that at the start of the tour, which went down well, so we will include some of those too.”
As well as achieving huge acclaim in her solo career, Elkie has enjoyed success singing jazz with Humphrey Lyttelton’s band before channelling her inner rock chick co-fronting the band Vinegar Joe with Robert Palmer.
Elkie credits Humphrey Lyttelton with keeping her in the music industry having become disillusioned with it early in her career: “I hated what I was doing and what I was being asked to do,” said Elkie. “If I hadn’t met Humphrey, I probably would have given it all up. Before meeting him, I felt very dismissed, which is the worst feeling in the world, and I felt despondent.”
Thankfully, Elkie’s love for music and singing prevailed and she has performed in almost every major UK theatre, with sell-out runs at the Palladium, Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena and Ronnie Scotts.
Having played Glastonbury back in the ‘70s, could a return to the festival be on the cards in the future? “I don’t know about that,” said Elkie. “I am not overly keen on outdoor shows, from a sound point of view, but I don’t know. I haven’t been asked yet.”
Elkie Brooks plays at Stockton’s Globe Theatre on Thursday 7th April. Tickets, priced from £13.00, are available at stocktonglobe.co.uk/shows/elkie-brooks.
