The Eels- E is for Existential

I'll set the scene. It was 7pm and the sun was setting, After pulling up outside of the O2, I stuck my leg out of my step dad's car, still facing the other way to say goodbye. The air was crisp and dry as it was late September, and I of course, was wearing a pair of fishnets. As I walked past the line towards the back, I took in the crowd. I then had the epiphany that I didn’t exactly fit in. The median age was about 45 and the only signs of a younger audience were a couple of 19 year olds who had been “convinced” to go by their dads. Clinging to their denim jackets to shield themselves from the cold, all looking at me with an expression which could only be described as, ‘I'm too old for this shit’.

Forming way back in the 90’s, The EELS are an American Rock group, currently consisting of E, Koool G Murder and Big Al. With E being the only consistent member of the group to date. The group's music can only be described as a melancholy, hidden under the guise of fun beats and riffs. This tone is present in most of the bands work but most notably in their first album, ‘Beautiful Freak’ which contained the songs ‘Novacane’ as well as ‘Your Lucky Day in Hell’, which have famously tormented lyrics behind them. However, this tone can be especially seen within the aptly named, ‘Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues’. A song that is apparently painting the picture of a beautiful day, with such comforting visuals as polluted skies and murderous clowns. Almost sounds like heaven.

After about 15 minutes of entering the hall. the lights dimmed and The EELS entered the stage. The crowd erupted in fits of screaming, trying to get the attention of the band. Teenagers turned into 90 year olds trying to hide their embarrassment as their parents had turned into teens. You could see the excitement build on the faces of the grownass men and women of the crowd, enjoying the music, basking in it, I don’t know which was more entertaining, the band itself or Bob the Bricklayer screaming his lungs out to ‘I Like Birds’. Beginning with a cover of ‘Out in the Streets’ by The Who, within the first minute of performing, they managed to get everyone singing and enjoying the music. But it wasn’t until ‘My Beloved Monster’ that the crowd was truly alive. It was just a sudden surge in energy and they began jumping and screaming again like they hadn’t just jumped on spot for the past 20 minutes straight. It was magic. And then it began… my favourite song… the best song- ‘Novacane’. A song with such a sad underbelly, but such an engrossing track. You can’t help but sway along… at least I can’t.

And so it ended as it began, with a cover, ‘The End’...wait that didn’t make sense… any hoo, after two encores they decided to call it quits and head home for the night. And I think that was for the best, the entire room was still recovering from the mosh pits and vigorous ‘exercise’. As the lights came back on I discovered I was no longer standing on the ground, but swimming in a pool of alcohol and other mysterious fluids; that for my own sanity I do not want to know the origin of.

As I exited the building, and past the man selling knock off merch. I found myself replaying the same three songs, ‘Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues’, ‘I Like Birds’ and ‘Novacane’. After careful consideration and the continuous process of writing down what I've been listening to, I’ve discovered I listen to some sad shit. And most of the time it's not even on purpose. But with The EELS, at least for me, I never feel sad when listening to their music, even with the melancholy tone. I always find it so uplifting and it’s hard to explain why, it’s the melodies, the lyrics and you can somehow hear E’s passion and love of music through the tracks, it’s empowering. That’s why, even if you’re not a fan of rock, you should give them a listen, because even just hearing this guy’s soul is worth it. Now if you'll excuse me, I need some sleep…. I really do crack myself up sometimes.