“Can I dig it, ayymen?!” cries singer/guitarist Jesse ‘The Devil’ Hughes during tonight’s hard, desert rock’n’roll set.
As the band tear into Cherry Cola, he scarcely needs to boom: “Is everybody doin’ OK?” A toned, tattooed lothario with a magnificent moustache, Jesse juts and struts around the stage like a horny, funky chicken. Most of his chat goes out to “all the beautiful ladies”, his hip-shaking gets wonderfully silly, he beams at the heaving crowd in infectious delight… It’s almost enough to distract you from Josh Homme’s presence behind the drums.
Almost: people whoop as Josh appears, in a relatively rare live appearance with his QOTSA alternative. Eagles Of Death Metal – no more a death metal band than Jesse is a shy, retiring sort – make a riotous return. In the run-up to their first LP in seven years (due in October), they’re a hot ticket here in Camden. Everyone has turned up, it seems; hell, even Duff McKagan is here.
From Jesse’s bluesy soloing in I Wanna Be In LA to party-thumpers like I Want You So Hard, it might be a one-dimensional affair but that dimension sure is fun. Closer Speaking In Tongues sprawls into a jam, guitarist Dave Catching gets some slide going, Josh Homme smokes a fag… it’s all fair game as the party breathes its last.
