| The Cure for Itchy Feet |
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Iain Duncan has managed to pack a lot more in to his 44 years than most people, but his passion for music has remained constant throughout his many adventures. Today, as he relaxes on a warm spring afternoon sipping a coffee in a pretty pavement café, it’s not hard to see why he considers himself a lucky man. After leaving his native Aberdeenshire many years ago, Iain toured with his band and experienced life in lots of different countries. Despite confessing that he is “easily bored,” Iain has been happily settled in Mallorca for the past 16 years. His explanation is simple: “I love the island. Something as simple as sitting in our apartment overlooking the sea listening to the splash of the waves on a summer’s evening is enough to remind me why I love living here.”
Iain decided to make the move in 1991. “I was the lead singer in a successful band called Flame, playing regular gigs across Britain, but I felt I’d reached a point where I just couldn’t take the band any further. Although I loved performing, I knew I was ready for a fresh challenge. I’d visited Mallorca several times as my brother was working here, so, along with other members of the band, we took the plunge and flew out. “At first, things were quite hard and we spent a lot of time scoping out venues and looking for gigs. We even ended up sleeping in the car at one point when the money ran out! After a year, the other band members had moved on, but I'd fallen in love with the island and decided to stay.” Seduced by the warm climate and beauty of Mallorca, Iain knew he’d found his new home, a world away from the cold winters and overcast skies of his native Scotland. And as well as benefiting from an improved quality of life, Iain has had continued professional success. “I do consider myself to be very fortunate to have a job I love in the place I want to live. Performing still gives me the same buzz today as it did the first time I sang on stage, and when the audience sees how much I genuinely love to sing, then they enjoy themselves too.” Iain was working on the popular ‘Pirates’ show in Magalluf when a friend suggested that if he cut his long hair, he could perform as Elvis. “I was devastated about my hair, but I haven’t looked back since. Like Elvis, I was a truck driver before I was a professional artist and I share his love of music.” But don't confuse Iain with the more extreme Elvis fans, although he’s met his fair share of them. “Every year I visit Las Vegas for a month to perform at Elvisarama and I have met some performers who are so obsessed with the King that they have had plastic surgery to look like him. I could never be like that. I have also performed as Neil Diamond and Showaddywaddy and have eclectic musical tastes, I don’t just sit at home at night listening to Elvis LPs.” He did, however, marry his German wife, Anke, in a Las Vegas Wedding Chapel, but ask whether he was dressed as Elvis at the time and he rolls his eyes. “People are always asking me that. No, the sequins and jumpsuits are strictly work wear.” Anke originally moved to Mallorca from her home town of Hermsdorf to open a restaurant in Santa Ponsa and she and Iain met in 1999, marrying in 2001. Moving to either of their native countries after the wedding was never an option. “Although we both like to visit family and friends in Germany and Scotland, we’re always pleased to come back to our apartment overlooking the sea at El Toro. The warmer evenings here mean that people have more of a social life too. I work flat-out in the summer, but in the winter I have more free time and we follow the Mediterranean tradition of going out most nights for dinner or drinks with our Spanish, German and English friends.” Iain loves the diversity of the island. “The scenery is spectacular. As well as the beaches and sea views, the interior of the island is a beautiful place with almond and orange trees and it’s surprisingly green, even in high summer. Most Sundays I meet up friends and we head off exploring the islands on our motorbikes. There's no better feeling than being on the road on a sunny day. We like to find some sleepy little village and park up for lunch in a traditional Mallorcan restaurant – we could eat at a different one every week for the rest of our lives and still not have visited them all! The menu del dia is a great invention and it adds to the fun – you never know what you're going to eat until you get there.” “I am also a big fan of water sports and Mallorca is one of the best places in Europe for water skiing and windsurfing. In fact, I have even taught water skiing since I've lived here. I've also recently taken up fire eating,” Iain smiles, adding, “Well, as I said, I’m easily bored, so I'm always on the lookout for a new challenge. I also like to keep my show fresh and unpredictable.” Think of Elvis, and chances are it’ll be Memphis not Mallorca that comes to mind, but when the 2005 final of Europe’s Number One Elvis Tribute was held on the island, it seemed like destiny. “There was some stiff competition,” says Iain. “I was sure the Spanish guy would win but I concentrated on having a great time and was just pleased to get down to the final 14. When I got up on stage to sing Suspicious Minds, the atmosphere created by the 14,000-strong crowd was incredible. It was such a thrill – I never get nervous about performing, not even in front of such a huge audience. When I learned I’d won, I was over the moon. It wasn’t about the prize, although we enjoyed the trip to Memphis, it was the whole experience. Fantastic.” Then the British press got hold of the story of this guy from Aberdeenshire winning the European Elvis Tribute Final in Spain. Iain continues, “I was in all the papers and I even made TV appearances, so as well as the prestige of winning the competition here, it’s been nice to know I'm appreciated back home too. I can’t see myself moving back to Scotland, though as I've made my life here in Mallorca now and I don’t think I could adjust to the cold and the rain again. Spain is a great place to live and I've never regretted settling out here.” Iain thinks for a moment, “You know, Mallorca must be special because it’s cured my itchy feet. This is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place.” |
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