THE lights go down and a tall dark haired white jump-suited figure strides to the centre of the stage, grabs the microphone and lets loose with an unmistakable growl.

Uh, huh. It must be another Elvis tribute.

But not so fast.

Although the king is due to take Tewkesbury's Roses Theatre by storm next month, The Elvis Collection is no wig and ridiculously wide sideburns act, just purely about the music.

Thanks to Billy J McGregor and Alan Wearmouth; two die-hard fans of the king who scoured the country for performers who could do justice to their idol's work and longed for the chance to pay tribute - without the rhinestone and Memphis twang - as much as they did.

The pair's obsession began unglamorously in the 70s.

Alan went to see The Elvis Documentary with his gran, while Billy became captivated through re-runs of Elvis movies on TV.

But from the moment they clapped eyes on the man, they were both fascinated by his versatility, which enable him to dive headlong from a slow love ballad into the raunchiest of rock and roll numbers.

At school they started talking of their love of Elvis and his music, and with Alan able to bang out a few tunes on his guitar and Billy's voice, they would try to emulate the star.

It wasn't long before they were meeting up regularly in each other's houses to perform numbers like Blue Suede Shoes, All Shook Up and Johnny B Goode, eventually forming a band which rehearsed at the local YMCA.

But, as teenagers do, they went their separate ways and ended up touring with their own bands, only keeping in touch via the odd phone call and drink when they returned to their home town.

Until 1998.

From a few bevvies in the local amid "those were the days" anecdotes, the desire to preserve the memory of the king resurfaced and the rollercoaster ride to what is now The Elvis Collection had begun.

More than 150 musicians auditioned, which were whittled down to nine, and since then, the band has performed all over Europe and the UK to audiences of all ages, ending numerous shows to standing ovations.

The 12-piece outfit puts "heart and soul" into two hours of the king's best known recordings of the 50s, 60s and 70s, including a gospel segment for which Elvis received a Grammy, performed by three female gospel singers from the UK.

And I dare audiences not to get up and gyrate in the aisles to Jailhouse Rock, American Trilogy, Suspicious Minds, Devil in Disguise and Hound Dog.

"We're not a look alike band but a pure tribute to the music of Elvis Presley," said McGregor.

"Elvis was such a charismatic guy and too many Presley tribute shows rely on jokey impersonations that completely miss the point.

"We don't do that. Every one of our shows is a party that plays some of the greatest music ever made."

For tickets, costing £13.50, to the show on Saturday, May 8, call the box office on 01684 295074.

Curtain goes up at 8pm.