Eagles of Death Metal takes its rock 'n' roll to the people

Eagles of Death Metal takes its rock 'n' roll to the people

Eagles of Death Metal started as a goof -- Josh Homme writing a song that crossed the Eagles with death metal -- and over 10 years and three albums, it has remained, well, pretty goofy.

Led by Homme, of Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss fame, and Jesse "The Devil" Hughes, Eagles of Death Metal is a sloppy, sleazy rock 'n' roll caricature -- the Stones on Steroids, with all the fun that would bring. The band's latest outing, "Heart On," marries Stonesy riffs and Prince-ly funk with a bit of industrial grind on songs like "(I Used to Couldn't Dance) Tight Pants."

The band gets plenty of love from critics, video game designers and companies from Nissan to Budweiser. The band's most notable detractor is none other than Axl Rose. Opening for Guns 'N Roses in the fall of 2006 in Cleveland, EoDM got a harsh response from the crowd, at first at least, prompting Axl Rose to hit the stage asking them if they enjoyed "the Pigeons of S--- Metal."

EoDM were finished after one show on that tour, but the joke lives on, with Hughes sporting a Pigeons tattoo, to go with his mustache and tank top, and Pigeons T-shirts outselling the Eagles ones.

Tonight, Hughes brings the band to Mr. Small's (minus Homme, who doesn't tour much with the band). In advance of the show, Hughes, a journalism major who once worked for late Republican U.S. Rep. Sonny Bono, talked about soaring with Eagles of Death Metal.

How happy are you that you chose rock 'n' roll over journalism?

It chose me, baby. I chose journalism, it chose me. Honestly, it was like I was a werewolf my whole life. I just didn't see my first full moon till I was 30.

Now, you guys obviously grab from the Stones and New York Dolls. Are you cool with people saying that?

I wouldn't say I grab from them. I would say I sadistically rape from them. The album is more like a savage raping with DEVO of the Rolling Stones.

Is the idea to try and keep that kind of thing going?

There's nothing new under the sun. And I think you could look at it like, who owns the lyric, "Squeeze the lemon till the juice runs down my leg"? Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, or Jimmy Page? It's more like a thing you possess and if you wield it properly, then you can pull the sword from the stone.

Yeah, lately you have Joe Satriani saying Coldplay's song sounded like his, when so many songs sound like so many other songs.

But, to me, the crime's like not in the honoring of the gods by enjoying their fruits, but it comes in pretending like you made the stuff up. It's like a kid with chocolate on his face saying he didn't eat the candy bar. It gets irritating after a while, know what I mean?

Do you think "Heart On" showed some growth over the first two?

That was exactly, deliberately, what we were trying to accomplish. Joshua and I both felt like we have grown and he is one of the finest producers in the world and I think now finally that I didn't [stink] as badly on the first two records, I wasn't limiting what he could do. Like I said, I saw my first full moon and the first two records was just to keep me from biting people. Now, I'm comfortable with all the hair. We were trying to make the best record possible and show we were not a fluke. Really, EoDM is about two best friends having the time of their lives and not being ashamed.

You have this ode to L.A. ("Wannabe in LA"). How would you assess the rock 'n' roll it's produced?

Well, you know, in different spurts it produces some of the best. It really can be a hotbed, for lack of a better term, for real rock or all things art/culture/bohemia getting wrapped into one. But it can also be a den and cesspool for people who aren't from L.A. coming there to be famous and pretending like they aren't. And it makes for the weirdest scenario in the world. The whole album is kind of this weird love affair with L.A. I never really want to be in L.A. I live in Palm Springs. To me, that I would come to L.A. to find the best examples of friendship, loyalty, trust and decency in Hollywood is the greatest irony I'll ever experience in my life.

Do you bring a little bit of South Carolina to what you do as well? I know you were born there.

I bring a little bit of South Carolina to everything. There's nothing wrong with coating your tongue with sugar, and liking ladies and being a gentleman about it.

So, you made this record on the road?

Yeah, we made it everywhere. We spent one glorious month in Holland, even Amsterdam, doing it. It was bliss. Our touring schedules dictated this road schedule, so we took advantage of it. Jimmy Page is to both Josh and I an idol. There's a lot of musicians running around, there's very few wizards and Jimmy Page is a wizard to us. We got an opportunity to live out our best Led Zeppelin fantasy.

So, what did you think of "Chinese Democracy"?

If it were like a New World, Euro, light jazz, adult contemporary album, it would be pretty mediocre.

Is it true that you sold more Pigeons of S--- Metal shirts?

Yes. And I'm proud of that fact, very much. It's like having a letter from Hitler that says "You [stink]" You'd hang it up. It would be like winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Pigeons is like the same thing, but for rock and roll.

View Original>>>