Legend lives as Elvis Express departs
SEQUIN jumpsuits and Vegas showgirls outnumbered shirts and ties at Sydney’s Central Station yesterday as hundreds of Elvis fans boarded a train bound for a festival dedicated to The King.
Peak-hour travellers were serenaded by tribute acts performing on a stage erected on the platform, while poodle skirts twirled at one of the city’s busiest commuter hubs as fans danced away the wait for the 9.20am Elvis Express to Parkes, a 4½-hour drive from Sydney.
The annual Parkes Elvis Festival, which last year attracted more than 20 000 people and pumped $100-million (R1.35-billion) into the New South Wales economy, features five days of tribute concerts, memorabilia exhibits and even a Priscilla Presley lookalike competition.
Johnny Angel, one of the hundreds of tribute acts from all over performing at the event, said: “It’s unique, especially if you’re an Elvis fan and you love Elvis. You’ve got to do this once in your lifetime.
“You should put it on the bucket list.
“For those fans I’m going to sing Viva Las Vegas, because that is the theme – so I’m gonna sing that one, Don’t Be Cruel, Teddy Bear and some love songs,” he said.
Held in the small rural town of Parkes, the festival began 25 years ago as a modest Elvisthemed birthday party and has since ballooned into a tourism boon for the area, with more than 120 events scheduled over the five days.
From behind her gold Elvis-signature sunglasses Michelle Campbell, 50, asked what she planned to do, said: “Absolute flat-out dancing and partying – every concert, every movie and every karaoke [song].”
For others, the excitement of five days in the Australian countryside, embracing the Graceland legend, was difficult to put into words.