High-octane rock outfit Eagles Of Death Metal will venture back to this side of the world after a prolonged absence for a run of shows through Australia and New Zealand kicking off on July 25.
After making their recording debut in 1998 when they appeared on The Desert Sessions Volumes 3 & 4, Eagles Of Death Metal – Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age) and Jesse Hughes – have gone on to release four hugely successful albums and a string of hit singles including I Want You So Hard, WannaBe In LA, Complexity and Miss Alissa, with a fifth album due out later this year.
Known for their killer rock’n’roll and infectious feel-good vibes, Eagles Of Death Metal will be celebrating their 24th anniversary while on tour, with Hughes recently taking the time to field some questions from HEAVY.
HEAVY: In just a couple of short months EODM will touch down in Australia for an 8-date run of shows starting in Melbourne on July 25 before finishing in Wellington on August 6. Are you excited yet or is it still too far out to let yourself go?
Hughes: I’ve been chomping at the bit so hard to come down to Australia that the second I knew we had a tour being planned, I went nuts with excitement. I’m so excited. I’ve been watching the movie Stone on a 24-hour loop.
It will be your first tour Down Under since 2016. What has changed with the band in that time?
We have a new drummer – Leah Bluestein – and guitarist – Scott Shiflett – and for some inexplicable reason now, I’m left-handed.
The press release says you are celebrating the band’s 24th Anniversary… Now I am always up for a celebration or party for any excuse, but I have never heard of throwing a party for a 24th anniversary before…
Like penicillin every day the fact Eagles of Death Metal exists is a cause for celebration, and the interesting thing about this celebration is that we’re going to celebrate our 24th anniversary for 25 years.
Eight shows on the other side of the world aren’t an easy thing to do. How do you prepare yourself mentally and physically for a tour like this?
Have you ever seen “Rambo First Blood Part Two? The scene where he puts all of his gear on that incredibly cropped close, cut sequence of scenes where he’s getting ready to go out and do battle. We literally get ready like that.
What can Aussie fans expect from the shows?
Permanent, safe, and effective inoculation against anything that may threaten to ail you. Improved circulation, and increased manual dexterity are just a few of the benefits the fans can expect from an Eagles of Death Metal show as well as one of the dick shakinest , titty quakenist, and ass rumblinist good times ever.
EODM have earned a strong reputation for your energetic and engaging live shows but how much planning and practice goes into what we see on stage?
I’m truly so dedicated and so completely into what I do that my preparation regimen is literally a 24 hour a day thing what you see on stage is exactly what I am all the time.
You and Josh formed EODM back in 1998. What was the musical climate like back then that gave birth to the band, and where did you fit in?
The climate was like one long cold winter, but we caused the original climate change. We were a welcome change to what was going on in the scene but then again, we could fit into any kind of scene and we can stand out.
What was your early vision for the band, and how has it changed since?
My earliest visions were a bit cryptic and difficult to understand. I would go into a trance-like state, and I would begin to say weird things like “I see an eagle with two talons and a ram with a mighty horn, and upon the back of the ram sat 2 mighty warriors with helmets of red fire…. and they will unite the children of Rock’n’roll in eternal celebration.
You have a new album coming out later this year. What can you tell us about that?
It’s going to be very interesting because I made a commitment that I would never come out, not ever, not out of the closet not out of anything. So having any sort of record come out is always a little bit tedious for me, but I’m learning to become more secure about things. Joshua and I love to make records. This has been an incredibly difficult year for the both of us, so I know we’re both looking forward to it.
Musically is it what fans of the band would expect or have you experimented a little?
Well, I moved past my experimentation phase when I was about 16 (see above). But as with anything, new experiences breed new reactions and new inspirations. I’m an entertainer, dedicated to the entertainment, and the joy of the people that make this beautiful career of mine possible. You can expect more firmness and dedication, more absolute obsession with bringing the goods to the people. One thing I did differently, though is everyone’s always so obsessed with writing new songs. I tried something a little different on this album I’ve written a collection of old songs that no one’s ever heard before. I’m going to prove that in fact, they are timeless.
Will you be playing any or many new songs live?
I stated above, I’m onto something new. For the first time in the history of rock ‘n’ roll, there will be a collection of recently written old songs. So, I think yes, I will either be playing some of them, none of them, or a lot of them.
Tickets here: https://www.frontiertouring.com/EODM
