Eagles Of Death Metal
Mr. Jesse Hughes, frontman of beknowned Eagles of Death Metal is to Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age what Bootsy Collins is to George Clinton – not just a mere sidekick but a force on its own. The man whom they call «The Devil», abandoned a career in politics, some years as school teacher and a nasty habit for coke and speed to become one of rock n roll's coolest cats.
I listen to a lot of hillbilly music. That’s my roots, like Carter Family or Blind Boy Fuller. But when I wanna relax I listen to Gospel, I listen to Mahalia Jackson. And there’s a particular song called «How I Got Over» recorded live in 1965 in Sweden of all places. If you’re feeling down, if you’re tired or wanna relax it makes you feel like home. Because me, I’m a very religious person – believe it or not. I just don’t need the rules to be wrong in order to break them. I like the fact that it’s hotter in hell for me than everyone else. I don’t need to pretend like hell doesn’t exist to know that I’m going there. Religion plays a big part in my life and therefore when I wanna relax or come down I wanna remind myself that shit ain’t bad and that there’s something else in control and that there’s a little justice left in the world. And that way I get to pretend like I’m a good dad: «Here you go, son. There’s your religion and listen to this song here. It’s better than going to church».
I’m normally listening to my son going: «Dad, slow down!». But I also listen a lot to my headphones. I often listen to «Our Day Will Come» when I ride my bike. You’re just like in the sunshine on your bike. Actually I just got this re-issued classic Schwinn Coronado Beach Cruiser. So I cruise listening to Ruby & The Romantics and life just don’t get much better than that.
When you’re out in the desert I bring my guitar. So that’s what we do.It’s funny how when you’re drunk and loaded and high on speed there’s only three or four songs you know how to play all of a sudden. And that’s: «Parachute Woman», «Brown Sugar» and probably every Carter Family song ever written. For instance «No Telephone In Heaven». Thta’s the way we end up playing country songs. Which is great...
Then I’d probably be gay and we would be in a different band. Clubs are such meat markets! They might as well just put all the women on meat hooks and drag them around by their toes so that a bunch of big Euro looking fucking Slovenian dudes can intimate you into staying away from them. It’s just a bummer. I like places where the girl-dude ratio is like one dude for every six or seven girls. And I like them to be gay, cause then it’s less competition. But I like to go to bars. You know in America we go to bars. Clubs are discos. «White Trash» in Berlin is fucking amazing. But if I should go to a club I like to hear «Music» or «Higher State of Consciousness». I love Prodigy. I love shit like that. I also like old school hiphop.
What was I playing the last time I ran naked thru a cornfield? Ah yes, «Run To The Hills». And then I put on «Rocky Mountain Way», and then Edie Brickell & The New Bohemian’s «What I Am». And then I like to throw on «Tiny Dancer» by Elton John. Only in case it’s cold...
First of all I have three greek boys come over and trim my moustache and then apply essential oils. Then they van me with palm fonds for 35 minutes.... Haha! Just joking! I don’t like to overthink anything. I think you can think too much and I have a preponderance, I have a predisposition towards obsession. So I do what I do. There’s no reason to think too much about getting dressed up... I basically just wear jeans, boots and a fucking black shirt. That way I can get a really nice pair of jeans and a black shirt. I don’t have to think too much about it. Going out with a girl, the preparation is gathering your intelligence on the objective. The objective is a female. You wanna know what kind of relationship she had with her father. You wanna know how important her mother is in her life. You wanna know what sort of friends she has and if she relies on their advice on life or if they are the type to gossip. You wanna know if you fucked any of her friends. You wanna know all of this information. So before I go on a date I spend about two or three days gathering all my intelligence. Then I formulate my course of attack, if you will, and then I execute my plan and leave it up to chance to see how it goes. But with a little bit of preparation you can basically predict the general behaviour of just about any one. I learned that in politics.
I put on «Bird Of Fire». Or I put «Dropout Boogie» on a loop! Naaanaaaanaaaa..... Over and over and over again! Because I’m a dick when someone calls the police on me for a noise complaint. That’s an outrage! My attitude is: «You could just knocked on my fucking door and I would had turned it down! But now you called the police and they came but they’ve left and I’m still here and I’m fucking pissed. I dare you to call em again!». I turn my speakers, lay ‚em on the floor in my two stories appartement and I put on Captain Beefheart with the bass turned up and the treble midded out and just loop it. Then I go outside and smoke cigarettes and put my headphones on. But generally I believe in respecting people. And when you live in an appartement situation the reality is: I’m maybe a Rock n Roller but that doesn’t have to mean shit to anyone else. That’s what I do and I like people and I respect people and there is a certain level of common respect that everyone must get. And everyone must give. A lot of people don’t, especially in the rock business. Everyone’s personal space is just as important as mine is. Sometimees I have parties, yeah. And parties are meant to get out of control. Okay, you got me. And if someone knocks on my door and says «Come on dude, I’m trying to sleep». Fuck, I know what it is like to wanna sleep. So I’ll take it somewhere else or I’ll calm it down. Or I give him asanciacs and go: «Take this, you won’t hear anything!»
A lot of times. A lot of the times it’s also «Don’t Bring Me Down». Cause it’s just such a cruising song where you just gonna kick back with one hand on the stearing wheel and look at chicks and then you’re telling them: «Don’t bring me down..., so let’s do it! Otherwise I’m gonna be really sad...»
Sung by my church choir. There’s nothing more soreful and touchung than that song sung by a chorus of voices of people who aren’t really professional singers but they’re earnest and sincere in what they’re doing. That is a joyful noise to the lord. And what a better way having my spirit commended into the firy flames of hell or – lord willing – into the pearly gates? «Amazing grace, oh how sweet the sound to have a wreck like me. I once was lost but now I’m found...» What a fucking great sentiment!
Funny that I get asked this question! Cause I collect Legos with my son. We normally listen to Black Sabbath when we play Legos. Music that you can focus to. My son’s favorite Black Sabbath album is «Volume 4». That’s what he tends to put on. He is 7 years old now. He is the sweetest child in the world, he really is. Shame, I can’t take him with me all the time, when we’re are on tour for instance. But I don’t like to expose him too much to this life. Because this ain’t no fucking bible study, after all it’s rock n roll. I like to be reasonable and understanding about that. I don’t ever want to be the dad who has a child with a lot of fucking problems or a difficult time relating to women because his father fell asleep at the wheel and let him get exposed to too much shit. I love the kid enough to keep him away from shit sometimes to. That’s why we have a rating system. Some things are just for adults. But I love my son more than anything else, so not having him with me on tour is very difficult for me. Cause I’m not one of those dads who just visits his kids on the weekend. When I’m home I’m having him half week. I fucking raise my kid, you know.
There is so many songs when I’m love sick, man. Cause I’m love sick a lot. In fact I got a touch of the love sickness right now... But just a touch! When I’m down I don’t wanna get even more down. Sad songs are cool and I love to listen to them when I’m in a stable frame of mind. But I never understood someone going: «I’m really sad, I wanna be even more sad... I don’t wanna escape my sadness right now...» For me, I really listen to up music when I’m down. I love to listen to «Golden Years». You wanna smile the second it fucking comes on. I like listening to Alice Cooper. I wanna hear fucking bad boy rock n roll when I’m down. When I’m really love sick I put on «Shake Appeal». And then I go and kill that dirty bitch! (raps:) «Did you hear about the bitch who got shot? Fuck her! Do you think I give a damn about a bitch? I ain’t a sucker! This is the autobiography of the E....». One of the greatest rap records ever, «Straight Outta Compton» by NWA. Speaking of, do you want a bit of rock trivia? When this record came out it actually set new standards in bass! That album achieved a fucking fullness of sound, a complete spectrum of sound that includes some of the deepest bass tones ever recorded. And to get that sound Dr. Dre went to this dude who was the exclusive mastering agent for Creedence Clearwater Revival. Now think about that.... CCR is really shooky and really bass heavy. It actually makes sense that Dre would go to that fucking redneck... «We want a lot of bass, boy. So get on in here!» It’s kinda funny though. It just goes to show that Rock n Roll can bring anyone together.
You mean when I watch the hot little girl I just woke up with making breakfast for me? Haha, just kiding... When I make breakfast I listen to The Sonics. My son loves the Sonics and The Hives. So whenever I’m cooking my son goes: «Dad’d cooking, now go over to listen to the music...» and he puts on «Psycho». He also really loves «Have Love Will Travel» – cause he loves to do the «Woah!». It’s crazy, it’s very enduring. It’s just amazing what happens when white kids get obsessed with Little Richard – they invent punk rock!
I normally put on the «Payback» album. Or «Clones Of Dr. Funkenstein». Those are the two sexiest fucking albums you ever gonna listen to, man.
It’s awesome! It’s the greatest feeling in the world. And actually I listen to Van Halen’s «Jump». First time I jumped out of an airplane we listened to it. It was radical, fucking awesome! My first jump was with a Russian paratrooper who had over 15'000 jumps. Since then I jumped out of my fair share of airplanes. It depends on if you do a 7'000 foot jump, that’s a very dangerous night flying job, 12'000 is about the average but occasionaly I’ve gone from a couple of high altitude jumps. That’s scary because it’s longer free fall. And there’s a bizaree disorentatiuon of time, cause you automatically fall at about 200 miles per hour, that’s your 200 miles per hour squared, that’s your ratee of accelaration, that’s fucking fast! That’s before the parachute activates. You also need a different sort of outfit that you’re able to breathe. When NASA was experimenting with pressure shots for the astronauts they would put a man in a little bucket and they’d fly with him to the edge of the atmosphere and he would stand up and jump out and he would free fall for like 4 or 5 minutes. It’s insane! And then hit his parachute. Those motherfuckers have balls of steel. They can probably fuck for 4 hours without Viagra.
The first time was when I was 28. They were the two scientists that hatched me in the lab. Haha, just kidding! My father was a Rock n Roller. He was in an early incarnation of the Marshall Tucker Band. And my mother is a disco queen. Almost everything I know about dancing and Rock N Roll comes from my mum. So when I’m with my mother we listen to all kinds of music, man. For instance my mother loves The Eagles. When I’m with my parents we nomally listen to Rod Stewart... or Parliament.
I normally listen to the outrageous fucking stinking breath of the big fat asshole sitting next to me. I’m just kidding! No, I normally watch «South Park» on my iPod when I’m on an airplane. Because I really hate flying. If god wanted us to fly he would’ve made us birds. It’s just the ignorance of man to think that he could defy god’s will... Planes get the fuck out of me. I mean when I’m on a boat where there’s more water around me than I can drink I’m fucking scared of drowning. And if there’s more air than I can fly in... then you know, I watch «South Park». It makes me: «Ignore the turblence! Hihihi...». I’m just a big Muschikatze...
I’m dancing in a spooky hotel! There’s a reason why they call me «The Devil», I got demons running all thru me! I feel right at home in a spooky hotel. But I normally listen to «Edelweiss». I love that song! That song puts me at ease. My mother used to sing it to me when I was a child. So when I’m nervous or scared I sing this tune repetetively.
I don’t ride the subway because people are really filthy on the subway and I don’t know where they’ve been. Nah, I’m just joking! I live in the desert, dude. There ain’t no subways. There ain’t even a bus! It’s a small town. I have a 1966 Volkswagen Variant which is a rear motored little waggon. It’s got a pancake dual card Porsche engine. And I only go out in the dark anyway. So when I’m on the subway I’m normally listening to whatever beautiful English, Italian or whatever European girl I happen to be on the European subway with. I’m happy listening to the song of her voice.
I honestly listen to «Fix Up, Look Sharp» every morning – because it’s such a corny tune. I’m a dad, I’m a single father and so I tend to get into habits with my son. And putting on that song... boom doodat... boom doodat... And it’s fix up, look sharp! That’s what you’re doing in the morning, right?
Once every three days that is. Because it’s not too good to wash your hair too much. It will strip it. Since I use a lot of grease, smoke a lot and am on stage sweating I gotta take care of it. But I don’t really listen to music in the shower. Because if I ain’t with a girl I don’t wanna be in the shower naked with myself that long. I wanna be naked with myself and someone else – artistically of course.
