Live Review: Eagles Of Death Metal

For those among us who may not have yet considered what the experience of attending an Eagles Of Death Metal gig post-Bataclan might be like, the hand-held metal detectors and screening measures at the door drive it all home. There's also thorough bag searches.

What would be the best possible intro tape for Jesse Hughes and co? Ladies Night by Kool & The Gang, of course. Genius. The curtains start opening, then close again before actually opening; the art of tease by Eagles Of Death Metal. Hughes tells us we're about to have so much fun it's almost illegal, but just on the right side of legal. He wears a black 'Pigeons Of Shit Metal' T-shirt and red suspenders, and that famous mo' evokes Yosemite Sam. Hughes is in high spirits. He seems okay. We breathe a collective sigh of relief. I Only Want You is our opener and this rock injection has an immediate impact. A chick in about the third row brandishes a red megaphone, which drummer Jorma Vik spies and we lip-read his reaction: "What. The fuck. Is that?" Complexity sounds insane and guitarist Darlin' Dave Catching is the absolute master of his instrument.

Hughes is in full Father Badass mode tonight, telling us there are only two rules in place: "ladies only" and "stay horny". He constantly scans the crowd, ogling and pointing out those who catch his eye. "I eat Tim Tams every day of my life," he then claims. A French flag is held up midfield and Hughes observes, "Baby, that flag goes a long way with me," before initiating a moment's silence for the victims of the Bataclan attack.

Hughes hilariously tells us Catching just got voted "best beard In the North Pole". Eagles Of Death Metal's Stuck In The Middle With You cover is all swaggering perfection and makes Hughes pull shapes like a go-go dancing mum. Hughes sculls a Melbourne Bitter to symbolise his love for our fair state. "The boy's bad news," is something Hughes tells us Catching warned the frontman's current flame, Tuesday Cross, when they first started dating and I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News) is definitely Jesse 'The Devil' Hughes' official theme song.

There's a solo segment of the show, which gets a little preacher-ish ("Can I have an Amen?") then Hughes says, "I'm gonna do one more and then I'm gonna bring them back out to work like the whores that they are". Hughes nails Brown Sugar and the audience is riveted, shouting along: "I said, Yeah/Yeah/Yeah/WOO!" The whole awesome band return to the stage for I Love You All The Time then Duran Duran's Save A Prayer (which has become synonymous with the Paris attacks). "I want you to help heal this band," Hughes shares and we're sure to focus all our healing energies. After thinking we'd be deprived of Speaking In Tongues, out it's rolled in all its debilitating-riff glory.

It's wonderful to see Eagles Of Death Metal haven't let the Bataclan massacre tarnish the joy their live performance spreads. The last couple of years have been filled with tears for Hughes and we hope his future will be punctuated by that trademark up-to-no-good laughter from here on in.