Author: Primož Novak
Location: Kino Šiška / Ljubljana / Slovenia
Concert date: March 25, 2015
Ticket price: 10€/15€/18€
Six years is usually a pretty long time between albums. A band can easily fade into oblivion in that span, but that’s definitely not the case for Elvis Jackson. To promote the album Against The Gravity (2009), they toured tirelessly and were practically everywhere, even at student parties. Last year the EP Window signaled that they were still at it, and this year they’ve finally hit us with a new album, Radio Unfriendly.
For the launch show, the band decided to present the new album right in Ljubljana, at Kino Šiška. Once again, there was no getting away without support acts. DJ Jamirko took care of the early warm-up, while the bigger crowd was pulled in by Sell Out from Kočevje, whose bouncy ska/reggae/punk rhythms nicely warmed up the audience for the headliners. Sell Out had a whopping 8 members on stage, three of them on brass. You could see the band was enjoying their set. On the big stage of Kino Šiška, every member found their own space, so the »crammed« feeling never came up. Thanks to their positivity and bounce, Sell Out are definitely worth catching, even if the patterns they use are pretty well-worn.
A good half hour later the stage was ready for the Littoral-Styrian crew Elvis Jackson, who came out swinging with the new hit Any Place To Go from the fresh album Radio Unfriendly. The band first showed their wild side with fast punk rock tracks that also carry touches of hardcore and even metal. The album Radio Unfriendly is in fact a return to their roots, to a time when the band didn’t yet stress the ska/reggae elements so much, and fast-paced punk rock songs were front and center. But the set quickly made room for mellower songs too, so the crowd in the front rows could catch their breath. And of course, besides showcasing the new album, Elvis Jackson didn’t forget the hits, like This Time, Not Here To Pray, Get Up, Hawaiian Club and Smoke the Herb.
You could definitely tell that EJ had seriously prepared for this show. The band’s tightness is undoubtedly at a high level. The energy itself is downright outstanding, too. And the mic doesn’t seem to be a problem for them either. Singer Buda jumps around the stage and does somersaults as if he were still a teenager. Guitarist Berto is just as energetic as Buda and can’t stand still. On top of his inventive playing, he also chips in with backing vocals. Drummer Soki got plenty of attention as well. With his precise playing he proved years ago that he’s a drummer of the top category, and it’s more than obvious that his playing has lifted EJ themselves to a higher level. Bassist Slavc seemed calm again this time, but his lines nicely supported Berto’s and made up a coherent whole.
With EJ it was quick to notice that the band has a ton of mileage behind them. That showed not only in their tightness, but also in how they talk to the crowd and get them singing and going wild. Among other things, Buda also made sure there were stage divers. For more comfortable »swimming« he even provided inflatable mattresses. There’s definitely no boredom at an Elvis Jackson show. With every stunt imaginable, the band made sure the gig never drags and flies by. There’s nothing to complain about in the song selection either, only an older track or two was missing.
Elvis Jackson don’t show their years. The guys are still full of energy, positivity and surprises. With great lighting and solid sound, the launch of the band’s new record was a proper spectacle. Bottom line: after all these years, Elvis Jackson are still well worth seeing live.
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