The King is back at the Scottish Elvis Festival

The first-ever Scottish Elvis Festival kicked off with tribute acts from around the world, recreating the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s greatest hits.

It was a night of hysteria and hip action that left Grangemouth all shook up.

The ubiquitous mirror ball, set in the centre of the low ceiling, casts slivers of silver across a polished wooden dance floor. Disco lights project changing colours around the room, illuminating the mostly female faces that are turned towards an as-yet empty stage.

Packed to the rafters and buzzing with the sound of excited chatter, for one weekend only the central belt’s Inchyra Hotel and Spa is Scotland’s very own Heartbreak Hotel.

Dressed to kill and ready to party, the 300-strong crowd are on the edge of their seats, riding a wave of barely contained anticipation as they eagerly await the arrival of the King. It’s Viva Las… Grangemouth.

Juan Lozano serenades a lucky bride-to-be

Put together by world champion Elvis Tribute Artist Johnny Lee Memphis – aka Jon Fleming from Coalsnaughton – the inaugural Scottish Elvis Festival featured Elvises, known in the biz as ETAs, from around the globe, with scheduled performances spanning the entire career of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Elvis himself may have stood on Scottish soil just once during his lifetime in 1960, when, travelling from serving with the army in West Germany, his plane made a pit stop at an airbase in Prestwick, Ayrshire, to refuel.

But that did not detract from his avid following here. And, almost four decades after his death, Scotland was once again in the grip of Elvis fever, with tickets to spend a weekend in the company of ten of his finest impersonators snapped up like hot cakes.

Fleming’s own love for the King goes back to his childhood. ‘My sister and I used to watch all the movies with my Aunt Helen – we’d have a picnic and watch GI Blues,’ he says. ‘I was three years old and she would comb my hair like Elvis and have me dancing, doing all the moves – I was her little Elvis doll. If she was a Neil Diamond fan, I daresay I might’ve been a Neil Diamond tribute. But I’ve got a lot to thank Elvis for – it’s taken me to a lot of great places and I’ve met some wonderful people.’

Prior to life as a full-time ETA, the Scottish singer spent a decade fronting a rock band.

Simon Patrick from Northampton rocking Elvis’ look from 1968

‘I used to throw in some Elvis, but I never imagined I’d be able to take it to this level,’ admits Fleming, who travels the world performing as his idol, recently finishing in the top 10 at the Ultimate Elvis Competition in Memphis.

‘I’m now the kind of go-to guy when it comes to Elvis fans in Scotland,’ he explains, ‘A few of them had mentioned to me that they always have to travel for this kind of thing, and I’m quite patriotic – I’m proud to be Scottish, so I sat down with my mate Graham and said let’s try and put something on here. We wanted to stage an event for the Elvis fans of Scotland that was all about a celebration of his life and legacy.’

First they needed a venue, and the hotel in Grangemouth, with its numerous separate areas, fitted the bill. Next up; the acts. ‘I put out feelers to see who was available,’ Fleming says. ‘I asked the people I knew I could work with, guys that didn’t have inflated egos or big demands, and the response was fantastic. It came together, piece by piece, and here we are.

‘The aim was to hit a whole new target of Scottish people and make it an annual event. Leading up to it I was a bit apprehensive, but as you can see, it’s rocking.’

It certainly is. With no fewer than ten Great Pretenders set to feature throughout the three-day extravaganza, the crowd are All Shook Up and ready to groove with the Big Boss Man.

Peter Storm makes one lady’s night

Finally, a quiff-topped, jumpsuit-clad ETA steps onto the stage and the band strikes up to accompanying whoops of delight. The audience goes wild and the floor vibrates as toes tap and numerous stiletto heels thump out the immediately recognised rhythms of yesteryear. As the evening progresses the ladies get bolder – the dance floor is flooded and fans advance on the stage.

‘The Scottish crowds are great,’ says award-winning ETA Bruce Stewart, who has flown in from Ontario, Canada for the gig. ‘They were great last night, and they’re gonna be great tonight, for sure. It’s wonderful.’

‘When the music comes on, you are Elvis,’ explains Stewart’s fellow performer Juan Lazano, the Welsh Valleys’ answer to the King. ‘When you put your t-shirt on at the end of the night you become you again, you can have a drink with them at the bar. But for that hour or so, when you’re up there, they react to you like you’re the real deal, wanting scarves and kisses. It’s bizarre!’

That’s par for the course at these events, according to the singer, who travelled from his native Merthyr Tydfil to take part in the festival. Now a full-time ETA, Lazano fell in love with the King as a youngster while surreptitiously playing his dad’s 45’ vinyl of It’s Now or Never and Gotta Lot of Livin To Do on the out-of-bounds record player while Lazano senior was out at work.

Johnny Lee Memphis and Europe’s Tribute to Elvis Champion, Rick Aron

‘I had a hairy moment a couple of years ago with a lady who was coming backwards and forwards for kisses and scarves,’ Lazano continues in a thick Welsh accent that is quite at odds with his Spanish name. ‘I didn’t notice, but her husband was getting more and more irked with it. When I came off stage he slapped me across the face.’

An understanding chap, Lazano was philosophical about it. ‘He could have punched me, so it wasn’t so bad,’ he says.

‘I saw him a couple of weeks later at another event and he apologised. I said it’s fine – I’ve been a victim of the green monster myself, it’s a horrible emotion.’

Thankfully there’s no such drama at the Scottish festival, which is brimming with good feeling and excitement. After posing for a snap with Juan (‘he’s lovely’, they giggle), sisters Angie Anderson and Michelle McGuckin, who’ve made the short trip from Denny for the event, try to explain the magic.

ETAs Mario Kombou, Ricky Aron and Juan Lozano check out the local sights while enjoying some downtime

‘We’ve been brought up on Elvis,’ McGuckin says. ‘Elvis is our King, and these guys are his disciples – that’s how we see it. These people bring Elvis to life for us – it’s like going to see him in concert.’

‘The whole thing is amazing,’ Anderson adds. ‘We were too young to see the real thing, I was ten when he died, and having a festival in Scotland means it’s affordable for us wee Denny lassies. I hope they come back every year.’

(This feature was originally published in 2016)

The 2020 Scottish Elvis Festival takes place on Friday 1 May, at the Inchyra Grange Hotel in Polmont, Falkirk. For more details click HERE.

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