THE ELO ENCOUNTER
Roll over Beethoven, because the greatest tribute to Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra is here! In an all live show featuring soaring strings, striking vocal harmonies and playing all the much loved songs from ELO’s hit-filled library including Evil Woman, Telephone Line and Don’t Bring Me Down. The ELO Encounter tribute band promises a night filled with rock, roll and Blue Skies that would make even Mozart mambo and Bach boogie! So Hold On Tight because Rock and Roll Is King in a show that is guaranteed to have you partying All Over The World.
As a recent reviewer remarked, “Not really a tribute, that cheapens what this band do, which is to transport you back to those days. So sensitively and authentically done, at times it felt like it was actually ELO being mirrored up there on the stage”.
That's what The ELO Encounter tribute show is all about.
MEET THE BAND
The ELO Encounter represents the coming together of some of the finest professional musicians in the UK, with one goal in mind, to create the ultimate live tribute to the brilliant music of Jeff Lynne's Electric Light Orchestra. The band are all huge fans of ELO's music and dedicate themselves to accurately and faithfully reproducing all of ELO's classic hits.
Jack Rownes – vocals/keys
Jack is The ELO Encounter’s Musical Director, Lead Singer and Pianist. He originally taught himself to play the piano, before progressing to a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Production and Performance.
Jack has performed in theatres around the UK and beyond, before creating ELO Encounter, a project that stemmed from his love of ELO’s amazing string arrangements and pioneering synthesisers.
Jack is continually striving to improve the sound of the band through his own practice; sourcing the best musicians; and widening the repertoire of the show.
Martin Donald – guitar/vocals
Life in music has provided Martin with some unique experiences and memories that have included radio, theatre, touring, writing and teaching plus numerous television shows. He’s had the good fortune to play with many talented artists and in situations as diverse as the QE2 and The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. A small selection of highlights have included Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, The Honeycombs, Freddie Cole (Nat’s brother!), Bob Monkhouse, Little & Large and many musicals from Cats to Cabaret. Work at The Barbican with The Royal Shakespeare Company and television on The Frank Skinner show as a Skinnerette has also kept him on his toes!
Dacre Peck – drums/vocals
Brought up in a musical family, Dacre “The Baron” Peck has been performing on stage from an early age. A passion for drumming was fired up by his early influences, Rush, Genesis, Yes, Queen, Supertramp and of course ELO – and this moulded his drumming style and the type of bands he spent many years gigging and recording with. After a number of years away from the music scene to raise a family, the last fifteen years has seen Dacre forge ahead with his career in music, becoming a full-time musician and freelance music tutor. He works with local youth projects delivering music workshops in Community Education Centres, Pupil Referral Units and local schools and has worked with kids with special needs and vulnerable adults.
Joining ELO Encounter held many challenges not least filling the considerably talented shoes of his predecessor, Simon Dove! It's a privilege and an honour to take over the seat from such an accomplished musician… Such a brilliant band to be a part of! Come and see for yourselves!!
Henry Rownes – bass/vocals
Henry was the youngest member of The ELO Encounter until Max joined, but is definitely no stranger to the stage, having toured with The Blues Brothers Experience in the past and Doobie Dan.
He moved from sound & lights to bass & vocals in 2018, and provides many of the high harmonies for the band including covering the operatic start of Rockaria, as did Kelly Groucutt in many of ELO’s classic live performances.
He is an avid ELO fan, being one of the first bands that sparked his love for music. Given his family connections, it was probably inevitable he would develop a love for the music of The Electric Light Orchestra.
Henry is also a talented mixing / lighting engineer, providing tech cover for the show. Is there no beginning to his talents!
Mary-Kate Ingram – violin/vocals
Mary-Kate studied viola at the Royal College of Music in London having started learning when she was 3 and a half years old. She lives in Suffolk and plays with the local Prometheus orchestra and the Arioso String Quartet. She also does soundtrack recordings with the English session orchestra at various studios including Abbey Road and her other musical work includes backing various pop/classical artists such as Alfie Bow, The Kingdom Choir, Gregory Porter, Emilie Sandé, Paloma Faith and many more. Last year she took part in the Ukraine fund raising concert on ITV along side artists such as Ed Sheeran.
Claire Bostock – cello/vocals
Whilst being classically trained, Claire loves nothing more than exploring a range of musical styles and has loved getting under the skin of the music of ELO.
As a classical musician, she has been lucky enough to perform in many major concert halls including the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican and the Royal Festival Hall. She has also played for theatrical performances in London and across the East of England, and featuring on recorded tracks for new upcoming Musical Theatre works. As a recorded musician and string arranger, she has appeared on albums for numerous folk and alternative musicians. She also finds time for teaching and playing for weddings with her cello/guitar duo, Duetto Arpeggione.
Malachi – cello
While classically trained, Malachi is prolific in many genres ranging from Pop to Folk to Jazz.
Malachi is equally at home with Orchestral scores and free improvisation and has worked at a range of music studios from Abbey Road to his private home studio. He has performed at some of London’s most prestigious venues including Cadogan Hall, Hammersmith Apollo, Union Chapel and the Dublin Castle as well as at numerous music festivals around the UK.
Ezme – cello/vocals
Ezme is a very talented cellist, vocalist and performer.
She has been touring theatres in the UK and abroad as a professional musician since 2008 with her own show called Bowangles, combining music, movement and comedy.
She is a big ELO fan and really brings the classic attacking cello sound to The ELO Encounter, with all the energy and movement of the original performances.
She works closely with Jasmine to provide the beautifully authentic string sound of the show and deliver vocal backdrops that are so much a part of the ELO sound.
Karl Younger – guitar/acoustic guitar/vocals
Karl is an experienced multi-instrumentalist, equally at home on guitar, acoustic guitar or bass.
He provides the essential driving electric guitar rhythms and acoustic guitar sheen that is so much a part of ELO's sound.
Karl is also a fine vocalist, and provides a key part of the harmonic richness that gives ELO it’s distinctive sound.
Simon Rownes – tech/bass/vocals
Simon moved from bass/vocals in ELO Encounter to sound and lighting tech in 2018. Having someone mixing the show’s sound who has a in-depth knowledge of ELO’s music and how it is meant to sound is vital for what ELO Encounter are aiming for.
Simon studied bass at BassTech in London and took private lessons with Joe Hubbard. His first professional work was with a Rock ’N Roll trio called the Rockabilly Rebels, touring throughout the UK.
He later played with a number of original bands including The Human Zoo, playing the London club scene. Simon has recently been touring the UK theatres with The Blues Brothers Experience.
He has been a life-long fan of ELO, and playing alongside Bev Bevan was an encounter he will never forget. Simon's the one on the right 🙂
Max Rownes – photography/graphics
Max Rownes is the fourth of the Rownes family, and the youngest member of the ELO Encounter Tribute band.
As a photographer he has a keen eye for the arts, making the posters and videos for the band. He also takes most of the photographs you see on the ELO Encounter Facebook page and website.
Simon Dove – drums (in memoriam)
We recently lost Simon to cancer, he was a great friend, musician and father. He was a founding member of the band and we all miss him and his wonderful smile.
I have been playing the drums since I was 11 yrs of age, my mothers biscuit tins took a real battering i’m afraid. Im self taught, spending my youth locked away in my bedroom playing along to anything from Genesis to Frank Sinatra!
Since those days I’ve played in many bands including a Police tribute, a successful 60’s covers band, and I dep for colleagues bands. So I’m lucky to play a wide selection of music genres. I have been a DJ for some 40yrs. and still doing that at a local night club and I’m also a presenter on a local radio station which I really enjoy.
Being asked to play drums for the ELO Encounter was a real privilege as I have always loved the music of Jeff Lynne and ELO. It was an honour play alongside Bev Bevan last year, at the time he was playing for The Move. Those ELO tunes are etched on everyone’s memory and to play them live is a great opportunity.
The ELO Encounter – ELO Tribute Show
Greater that the sum of it's parts, The ELO Encounter recreates the experience of an Electric Light Orchestra concert from the heydays of Jeff Lynne's ELO. A truly out of this world tribute show, both musically and visually, including all of the fantastic ELO hits. So come along and see The ELO Encounter live, you won't be disappointed!
Our upcoming live shows are listed here.