My first gig of 2023 and truth be told I am really not feeling it tonight. It is a major struggle to leave the house and I take with me some heavy thoughts but I arrive in time for the end of the Unholey set. Unholey are twin sisters Charlotte and Stephanie from Newcastle. I recognise them straightaway. They are the backing singers for Elvana and although they can sing, I have a rational (or irrational depending on your opinion) hatred of Hole, and anything associated with Courtney Love. I won’t wax lyrical here about my love of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana but his death when I was just 14 had a lasting and profound effect on me. Call me a conspiracy theorist if you like but the evidence is there of foul play (suggested reading “Who Killed Kurt Cobain?” by Ian Halperin and Max Wallace) and if Dave Grohl doesn’t like her then that says it all to me… 

Anyway, all that aside tonight is my first time in this venue I am a little disorientated. I head up to the balcony, navigating around the crowds, and find a seat up at the top with a good view. Unholey play through a few tracks, ending with the inevitable ‘Celebrity Skin’ and depart the stage. In all honesty I don’t pay them much attention, but I think this act suits them better than their poppier stuff that they performed when I last saw them in June. We hit a 30-minute interval so I do some people spotting and see a sea of white, middle aged, possibly middle class (if there still is such a thing?) people. Most of the men are wearing checked shirts and combats. There are a few younger people doted around but without getting a proper look at the crowd downstairs I imagine much of the same. The venue is stunning. Amazing stained-glass windows, tiled walls, seats… arrh tonight definitely requires a seat/ bench.

We are treated to a 2 hour-long set from the simply wonderful Elvana. Hailing from Disgraceland this rather quirky ensemble were unleashed on the world in 2018 and played Download and Glastonbury Festivals in 2019. Last time I saw them (and reviewed them) it was at The Lowry last June, when they did the full Nirvana Unplugged set. But tonight, we get the hits and a far more modest stage set with a few artificial flowers thrown here and there, obligatory pom poms and frilly dresses, Elvis outfits (obviously), some impressive lighting and strobes, and the rest of the budget seemingly being spent on a huge Elvis… with In Utero wings, no less, as the pictorial backdrop! 

They dive straight into ermm… ‘Dive’ which then merges into ‘You’re the Devil in Disguise’ and it is the perfect start to the show. Next up is ‘Stay Away’ and the volume is well up as Elvis screams at the top of his lungs. Around this point Elvis speak directly to the audience for the first time and tells us the last time they played in Manchester they did not even fill Gorilla (albeit in pandemic times). Yet tonight they play to a sold-out, packed house and despite my sullen mood the overall atmosphere is charged with excitement and fun, and I know we are all in for a treat. 

I said it in my last review, but I’ll say it again Nirvana mashed up with Elvis on paper seems like something that definitely should not work, but in reality, it really does! I wonder what Kurt would make of it? I think he would be suitably impressed as next up we get a few bars of ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ before the band launch into ‘Lithium’. There is lots of psyching the crowd up, clapping, frantic arm-waving and a glorious guitar solo. It’s easy to be distracted by Elvis parading around the stage, with his hips gyrating and working the audience but the rest of the band truly are very accomplished musicians, who make the performance seem so effortless. 

The next curveball is ‘Rape Me’ into ‘Love Me Tender’ crazy right? But it sounds great and the pit is clearly loving it as they are going wild before we move hastily onto ‘Little Less Conversation’ then into ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. At which point Elvis descends into the crowd and shakes as many hands as he can grab. Around this point I am regretting being so far from the facilities, so take a quick comfort break and am momentarily confused on my return to hear the last few bars of a Nirvana song I do not immediately recognise. Upon checking it looks like it was ‘Spank Thru’ from their “Live on Air 1987” Album, which would explain it. I am, however, glad I didn’t miss ‘Dumb’ into ‘Always on my Mind’. This was a highlight of the show last year but this time it comes with bubble strobe lights creating a spectacle all around.

The set is littered with little quips and jokes throughout, and Elvis goes into the crowd as much as possible (at The Lowry show he was sitting on people’s knees but that is sadly not possible tonight). We then get a change of outfit, with a stunning fluorescent pink number to accompany the song ‘Burning Love’. A few songs later another brilliant mash-up of ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ with plenty of phones held aloft, which then becomes ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ and still the tracks keep coming. ‘Always on My Mind’ turns into another lesser known Nirvana track ‘You Know You’re Right’ and ‘Suspicious Minds’ turns into ‘Heartbreak Hotel’. The night comes to a close with a barrage of smiley faced beach balls heading out into the crowd and everyone is jumping on the ground floor (us older folk are a bit more serene on the balcony but still dancing away). As it’s gone 11pm it looks like that is it but wait… they promise one more song and we are treated to Elvis… sings Nirvana… singing David Bowie with ‘The Man Who Sold the World’. That is how you end a show. 

Having seen Elvana three times now at Download Pilot, The Lowry and now in a completely different setting yet again, it just shows how versatile they are, and they never disappoint. It’s just pure entertainment. I liked the intimacy of The Lowry show last year, which worked really well for the Unplugged set, and I loved dancing with my mates in a circle pit at Diddy Download, but they put on another epic performance tonight too. Next time I see them, if it’s not in a field, I am definitely taking friends with me. 

As I mentioned at the start of this review, I really did not want to go out tonight, so this review is also a nod to this weeks’ Time to Talk Day. Mental health problems clearly affect many in the music industry and our community. If you are struggling please know you are not alone and help is available and if you are worried about someone please do take the time to check on them and make sure they are okay. For more help and support please see the Manchester Mind website. 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!

Elvana