Live Review: Eagles Of Death Metal, Rocket From The Crypt

Rocket From The Crypt have returned to the live circuit after an almost ten-year hiatus having lost none of the raw power that first brought them to prominence. Plus they've splashed out on some fancy, new mariachi shirts for the band, which is nice. They played an ear-meltingly loud set; at times it was almost flabbergasting quite how loud they managed to get. Unfortunately The Hi-Fi's sound system frequently struggled to keep up and the instrumentation too often slipped into an overdriven morass, it's just noise, man. That said, who needs to hear the lyrics when you're rocking this hard? They performed like a band who still love doing what they do and the songs were belted out with barely time for breath between them. This was a set characterised as much by volume as it was by energy and giddy enthusiasm. They even played On A Rope, as if we needed reminding of how awesome they were back in the day.

What Rocket From The Crypt had in decibels Eagles Of Death Metal had in good, old-fashioned, down-home, nasty rock'n'roll groove. Jesse Hughes, frontman of EODM strutted onto the stage to thunderous applause from the crowd in The Hi-Fi. Strutted, of course, because that is the only acceptable way to come onto a stage when you are one of the world's foremost purveyors of balls-out, hard-rockin', sleaze'n' roll. Hair slicked-back, moustache and eyebrows teased into place and aviators put on EODM launched into a blistering rendition of I Only Want You that fired the crowd up from the get-go. Rock shapes were thrown, guitar solos were wailed, cowbells were thrashed and hearts were undoubtedly broken. Eagles Of Death Metal are an unashamedly big, loud, hard-rocking band, with the finest possible musical heritage. This was the kind of experience that reaffirms your faith in rock'n'roll and makes you quit your job, get a tattoo, buy a guitar and run away from home. The ringing in the ears might still be there next week but that'll just serve as a memento of an awesome night.