Elvis had his fill of hound dogs crying all the time, but at least he never had to contend with an eastern brown snake named Frank.
American Elvis tribute artists Cote Deonath and Taylor Rodriguez were more twinkle-toed than usual on Friday morning, watching out for the reptile during a photo call at the Parkes Elvis Festival in rural NSW.
Frank - apparently even-tempered despite his dangerous reputation - is the resident snake at the CSIRO Observatory, set amongst farmland 20km out of town.
CSIRO staffers warned the artists and media about Frank's occupancy of a grassy culvert on a tree-lined road.
The group was reassured the snake usually enjoys a sleep-in, preferring to come out when frogs are active in the evenings.
Frank was always on the artists' minds as they posed for photos in front of the 64-metre wide radio telescope, Murriyang.
"Taylor, that's the most dangerous snake in the world," Deonath told his offsider with a laugh.
Rodriguez replied: "I'm more scared of spiders."
The pair was unscathed by the uniquely Australian experience and will go on to play a series of hotly anticipated headline shows.
Charlie Gaylard, a 15-year-old tribute artist from Colac, Victoria, posed alongside the American duo in a shimmering blue velveteen shirt.
With a remarkable resemblance to baby-faced 1950s-era Elvis, Gaylard connected with the king through 18 viewings of Baz Luhrmann's 2022 biopic.
"That maybe put a spark in me to want to continue his legacy," Gaylard told AAP.
"It's a strange passion to have, I'll admit, impersonating someone, but it's something I get a lot of enjoyment out of."
Gaylard hopes to one day compete in the Ultimate Elvis tribute artist contest in Memphis.
"That is a big dream of mine," he said.
"There could be something else that comes along that I find a little more suitable for a career path, but at the moment it's this that I'm really focusing on."
The main street of Parkes is jam-packed with Elvis and Priscilla lookalikes, classic cars, swing dancers and buskers as the festival ramps up for the weekend.
The festival, which is celebrating its 31st year with a Jailhouse Rock theme, triples the population of the town at the height of summer.
James Webb, a 79-year-old farmer, wandered through town wearing a red jumpsuit adorned with plastic gold jewels.
Mr Webb said Elvis's music is alive and well in his home of Dunedoo, a village near Dubbo.
"It doesn't make any difference whether it's Dunedoo, Sydney or Tasmania, wherever you go it's Elvis," Mr Webb said.
"I've been an Elvis fan all my life."
