“We finally made it. Sorry for the delay,” deadpans Eels frontman Mark “E” Everett early during the band’s highly energetic, hugely entertaining Roundhouse gig.
It has been a minute — and not just since the band visited the UK. In fact, their London show is (almost) a night of firsts. It’s the first full gig they’ve played in four years (apart from Nottingham last night). It’s the first time they’ve ever played songs like Steam Engine, Amateur Hour, The Gentle Souls, and Good Night on Earth to an audience (apart from Nottingham last night). It’s the first time they’ve played the sublime title track of 2018’s The Deconstruction (apart from — well, you know the drill by now).
The Nottingham comment becomes one of several running jokes during the frontman’s stand-up-comedy-level between-song banter, but points to something far more important for Eels fans: Everett’s been cooped up since 2019 and time’s a-wastin’. (They haven’t called the tour Lockdown Hurricane for nothing.) The set kicks off with five scuzzy all-out rockers, including three from the all-out rocking new album Extreme Witchcraft, a tornado take on NRBQ’s Me And The Boys, and a hopped-up rendition of The Small Faces’ Whatcha Gonna Do About It.
“We’re proving that you can be old as fuck and still rock like fuck,” Everett declares at the end of that run. He’s not wrong. But it’s not long before the self-deprecation kicks in and he jokes about needing a 15-minute break. Admittedly they do take a breather of sorts, diversifying into what the singer may previously have described as “bummer rock”.
There are several beauties from 2020’s pandemic release Earth To Dora, which (before Nottingham, of course) had only ever been performed in public at a US radio session. The quietly optimistic title track (written about, and tonight dedicated to, their lighting designer), hopelessly devoted Anything For Boo, self-doubting Who You Say You Are, sleazy soft rocker Baby Let’s Make It Real (“Baby you’re a full meal/ The way you make me feel”), and almost smiley Are We Alright Again are all a perfect fit in a set that also digs deep into the “old shit”.
It’s A Motherfucker still floors with its quiet, brutal honesty. The scuzzy Peach Blossom has guitars as fuzzy as the titular fruit. That Look You Give That Guy captures the increasing distance in a relationship with heartbreaking accuracy. Dog-Faced Boy swings like something ZZ Top recorded in the ’70s. Individuality anthem I Like Birds can’t help but bring a smile and prompt the audience to shout “birds!” in unison.
Wonderful, Glorious is, well, wonderful and glorious even without the familiar glockenspiel. Novocaine For The Soul still shows no sign of sputtering out. Last Stop: This Town clearly doesn’t need the original’s ’90s record-scratching effects to get the audience moving. And endearing Shrek soundtrack hit My Beloved Monster undergoes its usual transformation, this time performed to the tune of The Kinks’ You Really Got Me. (Don’t laugh; it really works.)
The songs are interspersed with recurring bits parodying peoples’ obsession with counting their daily steps, band therapists, and the artificiality of encores. There’s some loose-limbed dad dancing courtesy of Everett, who’s dressed in the type of pink suit jacket favoured by 1940s big bands. The longest-serving Eel, The Chet, even has a go at telling a joke. Needless to say, he’s a better guitarist.
Rather than detract from the music, elements like these give the show a real human touch often missing from gigs this size. Everett’s “feud” with his guitar tech, Sarah, is especially effective at adding charm and offers something to remember beyond the songs. She’s someone to root (and chant) for, and his good-natured struggles with various guitars has a clear message: this is real live music performed by real live people, who sometimes make mistakes. (Plus it acts as a clever cover for any rough edges that are to be expected — and welcomed — after such a long break from the road.)
The wait was worth it. There’s nothing to apologise for, Mark.
Eels
Roundhouse, London
27th March 2023
Photo: Simon Reed
- This article originally appeared on Louder Than War.
Nils van der Linden 