Neither the freezing rain nor the -2 degree temperatures could spoil the mood of the crowd at the Tramshed tonight.
It promised to be something special. The coming together of two of the greats of modern rock and roll. Elvana are a bit of a revelation. It shouldn’t really be, but to paraphrase the King, you can’t help falling in love with them!
Since forming in the North-East around 2014, Elvana have toured in the UK and Europe, played Glastonbury three times and even the main stage at Download!
Tonight, they make a triumphant return to Cardiff and a sold-out Tramshed. This was going to be my first time of witnessing this conjoining, but many others in the crowd had been there before.
Their entrance greeted by a huge roar from the eager crowd, Rob Novoselic’s bass thunders the intro to “Dive” before being joined by Bobby Grohl’s pounding drums and the wonderfully distorted guitar of Danny Cobain.
The identical twin backing singers sway with the music as the King arrives on stage, resplendent in a black jumpsuit adorned with sparkling green cannabis leaves.
“Dive” blends well with “Devil in Disguise” before we are treated to “Stay Away”, “That’s Alright Mama” and “Sliver”. All the while, Elvis is bouncing around the stage and throwing poses like no tomorrow.
“Are y’all having a good time?” drawls the King.
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“Rape Me/Love Me Tender” is next, with Elvis serenading the crowd at the barriers, before belting into “A Little Less (Conversation) / (Smells Like) Teen Spirit”. Backing singers Charlotte and Stephanie wield the pom-poms as the strobes punctuate the chorus.
“Spank Thru” follows, with suitable accompanying actions from the King, before “Dumb/Always on My Mind”. At this point, Elvis leaves the stage (but not the building) which allows Danny and group to give us a blistering rendition of “Been a Son”.
The King returns, now dressed in a fetching pink jumpsuit and cape, proclaiming him to be The King of Hearts. Honestly, you couldn’t wish for much more from a frontman. The way he engages with the crowd, constantly on the move, he wore me out just watching him!
The tunes keep coming, alternating between Nirvana and Elvis, all of them classics… “Aneurysm”, “About a Girl”, “All Shook Up” along with another stand out as the classic “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” blended wonderfully with “Heart Shaped Box”. The band are tight, the sound perfect, the crowd loving every weird, wonderful second.
“Are you Lonesome Tonight” brings the tempo down briefly as Elvis once again mingles with the crowd before picking back up with “Jailhouse Tourette’s”. “Suspicious Minds” gets everyone singing before the rounding off with “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Lithium”.
The energy this band brings to the stage is phenomenal to see first-hand, but more so, they bring fun by the truckload! From start to finish, an Elvana show is one big rollercoaster of surreal, unadulterated fun and for that we thank you, very much!