X Factor winner Joe McElderry is heading to Eastbourne with a brand new family show, after the sell-out success of last year’s national tour. Due to huge demand, after his 60-gig tour, Joe is hitting the road again with The Evolution Tour and bringing his 24-carat voice to the Royal Hippodrome Theatre on Saturday 7th March at 8.00pm.
Since storming to victory in front of millions of fans on the TV talent show, Joe has matured into one of the country’s most polished and popular singing stars. His 2014 tour performed to sell-out, spell-bound audiences with fans dancing in the aisles and giving him a thunderous reception.
During a break in rehearsals for his latest live shows, I managed to get to chat to Joe about his music, his fame, and possibilities for the future.
So you’re heading out on the road with The Evolution Tour.
Yes, I’m very excited to be doing it. We are less than a week away from the start of the tour so we’re right in the middle of all the preparations and getting things ready. It’s always a bit nerve wracking, but I can’t wait to get back out on the road.
What should we expect with your live show?
It’ll be a mixture of my well known songs together with some songs that people haven’t heard before because I want to take the audience on the journey of where I have been for the last five years. That gives me the chance to perform a few songs that maybe people haven’t heard for a few years but also to do some new material and some different covers as well. It’s a brand new show and, as usual, I want to make sure that it includes something for everyone.
Is it fun being on the road, or is it just really hard work?
Oh no, it’s not just hard work. If it was that hard then I wouldn’t be able to do it for such a long period of time – it’s fun, it’s actually a lot of fun. You have to be very disciplined though. You can’t go out each night and stay partying in night clubs until six in the morning, you’ve just got to do your performances, rest your body as much as you can, do your rehearsals and make sure you take care of yourself. You go into a sort of “bubble” but, to be honest with you, I really love that. I love the buzz of being on tour, being around everyone and getting to sing with the band every night.
And you get to meet your fans as well.
Yeah I do. We go out to different towns or cities and I get to meet different audiences and I get to see the different reactions to the certain parts of the show – it’s very exciting. I think any performer will tell you that that’s the reason we do what we do. To go out and do your own live show, sing your own music and just do what you really love to do on stage – it’s a great blessing.
We all watched your journey to become famous but how much harder is it to stay famous?
I think, actually, that maintaining a career in this business is a lot harder that breaking into the industry. I know that sounds really strange to say but, particularly on the back of a show like X-Factor, there is a huge expectation following the show and you are suddenly thrust into the public eye which then means that everyone has an opinion about what you do.
It is a challenge, but it’s a job like any job and it has its advantages, and it’s had its disadvantages but, if you enjoy it, then it outweighs any negatives. As long as I am working, and I am happy with what I am doing, then I’m happy. I think that’s the way you have to look at the industry because it is very tough and it’s an extremely competitive industry too.
How have you managed to stay so successful?
I’m very lucky, I have a great team of people around me and I have a very loyal fanbase and I am willing to put the hard work in and I think that it’s a combination of those things that keeps you successful. Sometimes you’re not lucky enough to have a great team of people to help you and that can often be the reason why you can’t carry on but I’m very fortunate to have people who are dedicated to helping me do what I want to do and they are on the same page with me.
How easy was it to become a classical crossover artist?
You know, I surprised myself with that. I was amazed at how much I enjoyed the Popstar to Operastar show and at how much I threw myself into it. I thought it was just going to be a bit of fun and that nothing would really come from it so it really took me by surprise that people liked it so much and were asking us to record the material.
That was the reason that we made the Classic album, because I was really nervous about releasing an album like that because you think, how will people respond to it?, will the people who bought the pop records buy it? and so it was a bit of a risk but it worked really well and it created a whole new dimension to my career, which was very exciting.
Would you ever move to musical theatre?
Well I have dipped in and out of it and, in fact, I’m doing Tommy the Rock Opera, in the Blackpool Winter Gardens at the end of the summer for two weeks so it’s definitely something I would consider but, for me, it’s more about finding a role that really excites me. I don’t want to do it just for the sake of doing it, because that’s not the right reason. I want to do it because I really want to be a part of something great.
If the right offer came along, or if someone said look, we’d like you to take on this role and I’m like “Oh my goodness, yes”, I’d be there in a second. I like to do things that I can really commit to, and enjoy, and not just do it for the sake of doing it because I think that’s where it stops being fun.
Joe McElderry can be seen at the Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne on Saturday 7th March at 8.00pm. Tickets cost just £19. There are also a few VIP Tickets left, these cost £75 each and include a meet and greet with Joe before the show, glass of fizzy wine and a goody bag as well as premium seats at the front. The VIP tickets are only available online at www.royalhippodrome.com. All other tickets are available online or from the box office on 01323 412000.
