Venue: Cvetličarna Mediapark, Ljubljana
Concert date: 25.03.2009
Attendance: 900
Ticket price: €15 in advance, €19 on the day of the show
The almost legendary “rockers” from Ajdovščina, Elvis Jackson, have stepped into their teenage years. They’re twelve. And they treated themselves to the best present possible: their fourth studio album “Against the Gravity”, made with producer Bill Gould (bassist of the reunited Faith No More) and plenty of other big names. Rich Veltrop (Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Slayer, Toto, Rage Against the Machine, System of a Down …) took care of the mixing and extra recording, and the mastering was left to John Cuniberti (The Grateful Dead, Aerosmith, Dead Kennedys …). And who’s the party for? Crowds all over Europe. But the real party always happens on home turf. The guys, who over more than a decade together and over six hundred gigs have developed a refined blend of ska, punk, rock, hardcore, reggae and metal, conjured up summer at the end of winter on Thursday, March 26, at Cvetličarna Mediapark in Ljubljana.
Inflatable plastic fish, beach balls and similar summer props hanging from the ceiling told you the moment you walked in that this gig would be something unforgettable. Just like their latest record, with which Elvis Jackson defy gravity. Layered, energetic, dynamically playful, melodic and in places slightly “trashy” songs, the fruit of a mature, technically polished crew on one side, and some older, childishly mischievous hits on the other. Something for everyone, and a good time for all. Only a few minutes late, the guys kicked off with the opening title track from their latest baby, which had come out just fourteen days earlier together with RSQ magazine. Innocent dancing to the rhythms of that musical mix soon turned into the first moshpit. And there was no shortage of “kamikazes”, as singer Buda dubbed the stage divers, either. One of them was guitarist Berto, who clearly couldn’t resist the temptation.
Over the more than two hours the Elvises gave the crowd, they played the vast majority of their songs. Starting with the aforementioned “Against the Gravity” and “Wake Me Up!” from the latest album, they swam off toward the older releases, where “You and I” (“Summer Edition”, 2004) was the first to get the biggest roar. The temperature climbed another few degrees with their latest single “Not Here To Pray” and the already legendary “Get Up!”, also from the second-to-last album “Summer Edition”. Of course there was no skipping the first single off the new record, “This Time”, and (who doesn’t know them?) “Hawaiian Club” (“Go Home And Practice”, 2000), “Go Elvis” (“Move Your Feet It`s One O`clock”, 1999) and “Market Sweets”. To this wild “splashing” through all their albums, the guys added four (!) encores, the first of which they closed with the indispensable, everybody-sings-along “hit” that goes something like this: “Smoking ganja, smoking ganja, smoking bla-bla-bla …”.
Elvis Jackson, known for their incredible interaction with the crowd, lived up to that reputation once again at Cvetličarna. What better could the crowd have asked for than Buda wading in among them, Soki leaving his spot behind the drums to plant himself at the edge of the stage with his hi-hat, Buda and Berto swapping roles, and Berto going up on the hands of a crowd hungry for a good time? Probably nothing, except for the guys entertaining the crowd for at least as many years again.
Photos: Barbara Milharčič
Setlist
»The 12 Best Years Live« 1. Against the Gravity 2. Wake Me Up! 3. My Beer 4. Dry Your Tears 5. Dreams 6. Rangeros 7. You and I 8. Loser 9. Not Here to Pray 10. Breaking the Silence 11. Johnny 12. Morning 13. Get Up! 14. Don`t Go Too Far 15. Salvation 16. This Time 17. A Glass of Tequila 18. The Burned Out Flame 19. Hawaiian Club 20. My Van 21. Go Elvis —– encore —– 23. Market Sweets 24. Running 25. Beer & Weasel 26. Ganga Manđa —– encore —– 27. This Song 28. If You Came 29. Weakies 30. Doubts 31. Fear Off —– encore —– 32. Boyz And Girlz —– encore —– 33. Sitting In 34. Just Give Me One
Photo Gallery
