ShareEels with special guests The Inspector Cluzo performing their Lockdown Hurricane Tour at Rock City Nottingham on Sunday 26th March 2023.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
On Sunday night at Rock City, the main room was filled with dedicated fans and no doubt some adventurous newcomers who had been waiting for a couple of years to see American rockers, Eels. And they were not disappointed.
But first up was The Inspector Cluzo, a duo of French farmers who have been tirelessly touring Europe for a few years now, and the energy that they brought to their show on Sunday was simply exhilarating. Touring to promote their latest album, Horizon, their too short set list comprised solely of new songs.
Opening with Act Local Think Global, they started with an intensity that demanded the crowds full attention. With drummer Mathieu Jourdain (Phil) and guitarist Laurent Lacrouts (Malcolm) slamming out riffs that left nothing to the imagination on the likes of The Outsider and Rockophobia they showed the calibre of their excellent music.
Leaving the drums, Phil went crowd surfing on occasions and with set closer Put Your Hands Up, they had played the most amazing finale.
Walking on stage dressed in suits and bow ties, Eels finally made it to the Rock City stage to deliver a good old fashioned rock show and they went down a storm. Having been around since the mid 90’s, the band has seen members come and go with Mark Oliver Everett (E) being the only consistent member.
Delivering a blistering set that focused on the boisterous side of their catalogue, they gave a live debut to Steam Engine from their latest album, Extreme Witchcraft. Front man E had a great rapport with the crowd from the off and his transitions between songs was flawless.
Other new songs included Amateur Hour and Good Night On Earth which were really well received, as were oldies such as the aggressive Dog Faced Boy and fans favourite, Novocaine For The Soul, a song from their debut album, Beautiful Freak.
Finishing their set with a cover of Argent’s God Gave Rock And Roll To You, they had rounded off a gig that had just kept giving.