Eagles of Death Metal @ Carling Academy Birmingham

Mar 2 2007 By Paul Castles, Birmingham Mail

THE Eagles of Death Metal hit the stage in Birmingham last night with their charismatic frontman sporting a 'tache that Lee Van Cleef would have been proud of.

These American guitar-wielding gunslingers arrived with both barrels loaded to an appreciative, but not sell-out, house.

The EoDM play high energy riff-driven rock n roll and much of the set came from their most recent Death By Sexy album.

The band were essentially put together as a side-project for various members of Queens of the Stone Age but while that band's singer Josh Homme produces their work and often doubles up on drums there was no sign of him last night.

Among the crowd-pleasers were Cherry Cola and the machine-gun delivery of I Love You Baby, with a cover of Stuck in the Middle With You thrown in.

With Californian journalist-turned-crooner Jesse Hughes, who could always double up as camp hairdresser, the Eagles can't be accused of taking things too seriously.

If you look beyond the showmanship you're still left with a decent bunch who can pump out a rattling good song.