Finally an Eels review
When Mark Oliver "E" Everett stepped onto the stage at Brixton Academy alone and oddly-clad in a white jumpsuit and launched into a haunting, solitary rendition of "Daisies of the Galaxy", a collective silence fell across the audience that seemed to say "this is going to be good".
And it was - fabulously good - though E hadn't started as he meant to go on. Anyone in the audience looking for the mournful, lilting despair found in the likes of Electro Shock Blues would have been disappointed by what followed. The band, sporting Blues Brothers-style hats and spectacular beards that are worthy of a whole review in themselves, were positively and uncharacteristically upbeat as they launched into a cover of Lovin' Spoonful's Summer in the City, quickly followed by almost hyperactively cheerful versions of other favourites including the fabulously quirky I Like Birds (I'm willing to bet that most of the audience didn't suss what they were listening to until at least the second line) and a "Twist and Shout" version of the wonderful (and admittedly already pretty feelgood) Mr E's Beautiful Blues. Hot on its heals came other fast and furiously-performed numbers, from Paradise Blues to Looking Up (somewhat too Gospelly and sounding unnervingly like John Lennon doing Revolution). The Eels' versatility shone through to an impressive degree as E and his beardy mates swung deftly from the blues to what at times felt like a metal gig, to snippets of utter lyrical loveliness from the new album in the form of Spectacular Girl and the almost religiously positive Oh So Lovely, which I dare you to listen to without feeling just a teensy bit uplifted.
I won't say I wasn't disappointed when, even by the third encore, Last Stop This Town had failed to materialise, and the likes of Climbing to the Moon, in my opinion one of the most hauntingly beatiful melodies ever written, clearly wasn't going to get a look-in. But with all of the above, interspersed with a hugely original cover of Summertime, the occasional yet spine-tingling bit of solo E and an impressive drum solo from a bloke called Knuckles, how could they possibly go wrong?
And it was - fabulously good - though E hadn't started as he meant to go on. Anyone in the audience looking for the mournful, lilting despair found in the likes of Electro Shock Blues would have been disappointed by what followed. The band, sporting Blues Brothers-style hats and spectacular beards that are worthy of a whole review in themselves, were positively and uncharacteristically upbeat as they launched into a cover of Lovin' Spoonful's Summer in the City, quickly followed by almost hyperactively cheerful versions of other favourites including the fabulously quirky I Like Birds (I'm willing to bet that most of the audience didn't suss what they were listening to until at least the second line) and a "Twist and Shout" version of the wonderful (and admittedly already pretty feelgood) Mr E's Beautiful Blues. Hot on its heals came other fast and furiously-performed numbers, from Paradise Blues to Looking Up (somewhat too Gospelly and sounding unnervingly like John Lennon doing Revolution). The Eels' versatility shone through to an impressive degree as E and his beardy mates swung deftly from the blues to what at times felt like a metal gig, to snippets of utter lyrical loveliness from the new album in the form of Spectacular Girl and the almost religiously positive Oh So Lovely, which I dare you to listen to without feeling just a teensy bit uplifted.
I won't say I wasn't disappointed when, even by the third encore, Last Stop This Town had failed to materialise, and the likes of Climbing to the Moon, in my opinion one of the most hauntingly beatiful melodies ever written, clearly wasn't going to get a look-in. But with all of the above, interspersed with a hugely original cover of Summertime, the occasional yet spine-tingling bit of solo E and an impressive drum solo from a bloke called Knuckles, how could they possibly go wrong?
posted by RLS at 8:24 pm
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