EODM
– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER –
It’s Monday and I’m still wondering where did I lose my last handful of neurons, but hey, breakfast with philosophy: life is just so serious to take it seriously, innit?
Flashback to Saturday night. The Ritz is packed and a cheerfully anxious crowd waits for Eagles Of Death Metal’s entertaining show. I assume a great deal of people expect to see Josh Homme tonight. But no, Jesse Hughes bursts into the stage instead, taking off an odd cape like a magician revealing his trick. Homme’s absence might be disappointing for some, but it doesn’t seem a problem at all for our kinky lead singer: “That way, people just look at me”, a sarcastic Hughes once said. Before the show starts with a mesmerizing ‘I Only Want You’, Hughes AKA ‘Boots Electric’ lip-syncs Pilot’s ‘Magic’ background music, and encourages an already smiling crowd to sing along the seventies anthem.
The burning ‘Don’t Speak (I Came To Make A Bang)’ is well received by passionate fans who clap for Reverend Hughes – he became an ordained minister with the Universal One Church back in 2012! He doesn’t take long to start flirting with every female he scans with his devilish red tinted glasses. Feminists might not like what I’m gonna say, but cheeky-but-still-sweet Hughes knows how to raise a woman’s ego. “Yes, you, I’m looking at you. I love you, girl”, and that kind of stuff. What a man… Take Chuck Berry, Chuck Norris and Little Richard, mix them in the oddest rock n’ roll cocktail. Then add a little bit from Woody Woodpecker. Yeah, you’ve got Jesse Hughes.
The mosh-pit spreads like a shock wave with ‘Secret Plans’. Someone from the crowd throws some black knickers at Hughes, who doesn’t hesitate to smell them and keep the souvenir tied to the mic stand. He seems to get nervous though. He laughs, the crowd laughs. In fact, this is the kind of show to enjoy with a permanent broad grin. EODM is a powerful painkiller. Hipsters and posers, please hold off. You too, Axl Rose.
Time for the catchy, super-cool hit ‘Complexity’, from the brand new album Zipper Down. Temperature and enthusiasm continue rising. I’m pretty sure that anyone from the crowd would happily ‘Kiss The Devil’ by now. You can’t help feeling sympathy for the Devil. All those girls with fake moustaches can tell you that. Rowdy guitars and stomping drums bring us to a hectic dessert, probably the same one they come from. Gandalf-bearded Dave Catching battles with Hughes, both armed with their respective killing guitars.
‘Complexity’ Video
For some reason Hughes mentions Viagra and two guys behind me hysterically shout “Alleluyah, Minister!!”. ‘The Reverend’ puts us now in the middle of an electric storm. “How nice it sounds when we fuck it up!”, he admits.
After ‘I’ve Got A Feeling (Just 19)’, the womanizer speaks to the female once again and gently offers his particular counselling services. “Girl, if you feel lonely tonight…”.
We all cool off with ‘Cherry Cola’ and The Devil’s funny choreography. Soon after I enjoy my guilty pleasure: EODM’s cover of Duran Duran’s ‘Save A Prayer’. Sublime.
Rollin’ and tumblin’ with the dirty and sexy ‘Whorehoppin’ (shit, goddamn)’, the anti-hipsters ‘Silverlake’ and the final frantic ‘Got A Woman’.
Suddenly, it starts to rain at The Ritz. Don’t even think that this acid rain is the product of the sweat of all of us. Just don’t. The encore treats us with a Hughes’ solo followed by ‘I Want You So Hard (Boy’s Bad News)’ and ‘Speaking In Tongues’. The show is about to end but the naughty magician has one last trick. Where’s Hughes? There he is, at the balcony, adored by lucky fans, happiness written all over his victorious face. Endless guitar duel between Catching and Hughes.
I dare to say that the lead singer gets a bit emotional every time the crowd shouts out his name. There’s a talk between Homme and Hughes, where the latter tells the time they were supporting Iggy Pop and the Iguana blessed him with an OK thumb-signal behind the speakers. “That was like winning an award”(*). Indeed.
At this point I remember a scene from the recent documentary about Hughes (‘The Redemption of the Devil’), where he wonders what happens when a rock star turns 40 years old. Well, Link Wray (who else?) easily solves the dilemma: “Rock n’ roll has no age. If you’ve got the spirit…” And yes, Reverend Hughes has the spirit, definitely. Amen.
Encore’s corner
Just a quick mention to hot-as-hell White Miles couple. Where does all this sound come from? Just from a guitar and a drum kit? Really? They’re loud and gorgeous and describing them as ‘energetic’ wouldn’t be fair enough. Wild contortion on guitar and thunderous bonfire on drums. I really can’t think of a better warm up for EODM!
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Good karma brought me here to Manchester, my second home, where you can stay healthy (despite the weather) and young forever, as you can breathe live music in every corner of the city. I do believe in the healing power of music (rock is my life vest) and I'd be so glad to share my passion with you rockers of the world!
