Eagles of Death Metal rolled into Brooklyn this Sunday 16th and stormed the Music Hall in Williamsburg in the first of two nights in New York City.
Accompanied by London band The Duke Spirit - EoDM showed that they were superstars in their own right. Even though the band still consider Joshua Homme, producer and lead singer of Queens of The Stone Age, a prominent member of the group – he clearly was not missed as Jesse more than happily stepped up with a slick moustache in tow.
It was certainly a family affair for the group in the musical sense - Brian O’Connor who has contributed to Queen’s Dessert Sessions stepped up on bass and Queen’s Joey Castillo’s mission was to tear up the drums. Playing for over two hours, it was a great mix of new, old and very old Duke Sprit’s Leila Moss helped Jesse not to ‘fuck up’ Wannabe In LA and after 2 hours of non stop rocking, Eagles finally bowed out to an over-enthusiastic crowd who clearly felt Death by Sexy
I caught up exclusively with Jesse Hughes aka Boots Electric/The Devil and talked about the new album, Old Dirty Bastard, being a devout Catholic and sheep’s hearts :
>So, tell us about the new album, Heart On
JH: It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever done, it’s the third album from our band, but it’s the first album where really, Joshua [Homme] and I were making equally, Eagles of Death Metal.
>Do you feel this is your best album?
JH: This is the closest thing we’ve ever done to a concept album if there is one, there’s an underlying theme to album. I mean, first of all the cover is a picture of a beautiful female hand clutching a heart, a sheep’s heart by the way. The joke is that the hearts of all men are really just sheep and are in the clutches of women everywhere – especially rock n rollers.
> How did you come up with the title?
JH: We were in the middle of America, talking shit and making jokes about hard ons and pretty soon it was hard on, then heart on. It’s an innuendo…
> Do you feel you’ve done Little Richard proud with this record?
JH: Ha-ha - I think I would never be so presumptuous to ever make a statement like that, I would like to think so. I really do love little Richard and I hope he knows we still love him.
> Have you ever met him?
JH: I’ve seen him a couple of times; I wish I could meet him I really do – maybe one day.
> We all have our idols, I mean we all have that one person we’ve always wanted to meet right?
JH: Yes, and I think there’s idols on different levels for us rockers, there’s philosophical idols and some idols take it all in and go from being idols to Gods and Little Richard, he really did something man, he really did.
He did something when it wasn’t cool, imagine – MTV didn’t exist back then, so imagine when TV was just starting and you came out as a rocker and there were no MTV’s and the CNN’s of the world and Walter Kantite is breaking your record, I mean it was evil and it scared the world and he didn’t care – now that’s balls. And he was a gay man in a pink suit singing about chicks; even that man didn’t forget about ladies, I mean come on.
> So the last record you were influenced by artists such as Captain Beefheart, who or what was your inspiration when making the record?
JH: Music wise, weird stuff like The Outfield because I was going to bars a lot and I loved it when ‘Your Love’ played and every girl started singing along and I was like ‘what the fuck have these guys got’ I listened to a lot of Classic Rock radio, I know it sounds almost cliqued and corny, I’m still mining the fields of the classic rock era there’s still a lot of nuggets to be found.
> I’m into my classic rock at the moment; I’m re-listening to Zeppelin and Floyd on repeat now. I met David Gilmour once and he was really disappointing and now I never want to meet any of my idols, it put me off.
JH: See you hit the nail on the head, baby. But I think instead of being disappointed those people can somehow make you become them, hatred is a poison and anytime you get attacked psychologically by someone - it’s a nightmare and I think it’s a great example to see how wrong you can be, like you haven’t done right to be a dick or appreciate everything we do – we [as rockstars] have had a magic life.
I have not lived anywhere near the decadence that someone like Gilmour has lived to – but come on, it’s a fucking great job, no ones entitled to anything, we’re merely an ingredient in a conspiracy of circumstances and that’s it. It’s a great honour and privilege to get to be the dancing dick-shaking monkey, I mean, fuck I’ll take it – you mean I get to eat sweet fruits all the time and lounge around all day – come on give me a break.
> And how has the new record been perceived live?
JH: Well, that was very nerve racking at first and it’s the most deliberate album we’ve ever put out – but I just shake my dick harder.
> When are you are playing the UK again?
JH: Soon, I mean I fucking love England, I was raised in the part of the South that was very traditionally English and my mother’s house in Georgia, we still have the Kings Highway and it’s still called that – it’s stuff you don’t hear in England about America. The South probably wanted to stay more England than any other part of the world. That being said I fucking love English girls and getting crammy in a hot, dark strip club with nothing but England’s finest – it was a hot night for old boots lets just say that.
> Tell us a random fact about yourself that no-one knows.
JH: I got to church every Sunday, you gotta know the rules if you wanna break them, but also you have to honour God. I think everything is right about being a Christian, I mean everyone is screwed. I’m always pretty happy, you’ll have to be damn pressed to find me upset and angry, I have a wonderful son, a great mother and amazing friends – I really am happy.
> And how do you like Williamsburg Music Hall?
JH: It’s great I love this place; we’re in the middle of fucking Brooklyn, girl. I almost want to come out with some Old Dirty Bastard, some Dirt Dog.
> So, there’s been talk of a solo record...
JH: Its happening, Fabulous Weapon
> And are you working with anyone we might know?
JH: Yes…
> Ha! Ok, I’ll leave it at that! You’ve often said you have the best job in the world, if you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?
JH: I’d be a delta force agent somewhere in Afghanistan right now, fighting for freedom, real freedom!
> Well, thank you for this short but sweet interview.
JH: It was really beautiful darling.
For more information on Eagles of Death Metal check out their website
