The recent controversy involving foxy adultress Brody Dalle and Josh Homme that has splattered itself all over the music press of late is now finally to subside. In the space of a year, the former has gone from “Tim Armstrong’s bird what’s in that band that no-one’s ever heard of” to lead singer in one of the most critically acclaimed rock bands in the world today. The fact that she was photographed eating the face of the lead singer of the other most-critically-acclaimed-rock-band-in-the-world-today won’t have exactly hindered her rise to rock omnipotence.
Her ‘collusion’ with Homme is reaffirmed on this tour, as the QOTSA frontman assumes drumming duties (under the pseudonym Carlo von Sexron) with first support act Eagles of Death Metal. Not a band to be taken too seriously, this trio act as something of an ice-breaker and seem to have no desire whatsoever to market themselves as credible musicians. This is illustrated not least in the comedy falsetto voice of singer Jesse ‘The Devil’ Hughes, who squawks and jibbers his way through ‘Speaking in Tongues’ which, owing to a killer stop-start grungy riff, is ironically their best song. Homme’s sticksmanship is, as expected, basic, but he shares vocal duties with the moustachioed Hughes (who, incidentally, bears an uncanny resemblance to the policeman from The Village People), as if to make up for it. I am dutifully reminded by ‘The Devil’ for the eighth time that I am watching “EAGLES OF DEATH METAL!!!” before being subjected to a tedious set closer ‘I Only Want You’. Just for the record, EODM are quite an amusing band and keep a large portion of the crowd interested, but openers they are, and it shows. That said, this is the trio’s first tour, so to write them off at this early stage would be unfair. Keep one eye on them and a festival spot this summer might just give them the kickstart they need. Just don’t pay good money to see them on the sole basis that their drummer is a rock-god.
Just as The Distillers are about to take to the stage, drama ensues as the fire alarm is set off. Members of security look nervous at the thought of having to herd several thousand bloodthirsty revellers out into the surrounding neighbourhood and decide that it’s worth the risk to let Brody and co. get on with it. “Wey-oh! Wey-oh!” screams the rabble in perfect unison as the band thunder through ‘Die on a Rope’. Their latest album ‘Coral Fang’ is given a good airing but we are also reminded that in the album preceding that can be found some absolute gems such as the sing-a-long ‘City of Angels’. (Alleged) publicity stunts aside, it seems that The Distillers have gotten better and better thanks to an album that is essentially Brody’s ultimate catharsis, dealing with bitter themes of betrayal, abandonment and male faux-superiority. It comes across, however, not as arrogant or even vaguely feminist but as emotionally charged punk-rock you can dance to.
Chit-chat is kept to a minimum although Brody does take the time to wish everyone Happy Valentine’s Day, causing every teenage boy in the audience to gawp like a guppy fish, before playing the excellent recent single ‘Drain the Blood’ followed by ‘Death Sex’, a 12 minute punk-fuelled apocalypse of a song which ends in a cacophony of feedback and guitar effects.
Love them or loathe them, The Distillers are here to stay. What’s more, their route to the top should not be put to down to such ‘twists of fortune’ that a certain Ms. Osbourne continues to bring up. They got where they are because they play absolutely blistering rock music that does the word ‘punk’ the ultimate justice.
