Anyone who ever doubted Eels were a bona fide rock band will have come away convinced. E is a surprisingly charismatic and confident stage presence. In his butcher's garb (that white ensemble he has appropriated for this album, "Tomorrow Morning") he literally shone out on stage. I had a really great spot near the front, only intermittently tarnished by a tall, gangly nerd enthusiastically swaying from side to side. Incidentally, the Eels crowd are a very nerdy bunch, not a dancey sort but more a contemplative sort: very white, young professionals, very polite and not too young or fashionable. The security people were as always seriously irritating and petty, ugh they always threaten to ruin an evening. Kept telling me to step in more and put my top back on (that last bit is a joke - but would have made their nasty attitude more justified, possibly.)
I should have written down the setlist... hmm let me think. There were THREE encores, which is just as well as I had been upset to have not heard a few favourites. They of course played several of their beautiful songs from the new brilliant album. And a few shouty ones from Hombre Lobo, including an ear- bleeding note that was left on for a good few minutes for maximum impact before the song resumed - this incident was exarcebated by a styled nerd (brandishing a paperback as if it were the latest handbag) who insisted on loudly clapping throughout the note. Also strobe lighting intensified the discomfort. I must admit Hombre Lobo and Eels shouty stuff are not my fave, however even I must concede that it certainly worked well live. A rock version of "I like birds" fell flat, I do not think that it really added anything. I would have liked to hear the new, "I'm a hummingbird", with its myriad of layered sounds, but unless I missed it he didn't play that. He played his single "Spectacular Girl" which is a nice song, sung close to the style of the album, perhaps a little slower, but that is my least favourite of the new tracks. He played a song from Beautiful Freak but now I can't remember which one (not the eponymous one) perhaps My Beloved monster? and some songs from End Times. They also played The look you give that Guy, which was great too, but a bit old dad-ish. Can't put my finger on it but something abit doddering about it live. Maybe all those beards.
All in all, it was a fantastic show (Alice Gold the supporting act was ok, better than I expected but I had very low expectations.) However, I do not feel it has enriched my listening of their material. It was of course a joy to hear him, and be breathing the same air (indeed it was heartbreaking not to be able to meet him afterwards, E is literally one of the few people I long to meet, and possibly give grandchildren to, or well at least chat about it) but the songs, aside from the aforementioned "I like Birds", were all fairly much the same as in the album versions... not that this is a bad thing, but I do think live performances are a chance to play around with the formula, and E often claims this is his driving goal too.
I hope E enjoyed his time in London. In interviews he doesn't seem particularly enamored with UK; whether this is because he was here accused of being a terrorist, or whether because Princess Diana's death interfered with his 90s heydey (Top of the Pops made some hoohah apparently) or whether there are other reasons, or indeed that this impression is not true, I do not know. I think the set could have been longer, but that was mostly amended by the three encores. There could have been more audience patter, but again, E is known as being notoriously taciturn so one cannot say it was expected.
It has been 4 years since Eels last toured. E ended by saying "Let's do this again sometime". I really hope they come back sooner rather than later. He is a very prolific artist who never disappoints. I would recommend seeing him in person, but look forward to his next enterprise such as was "Eels with strings", which would give the show a twist that would take it to a different dimension.
Show 8/10
Album "Tomorrow Morning" 9/10
pic from this site
