South of Salem are becoming familiar – and welcome – faces at KK’s, but never ones to stand still. Tonight, they shake things up in more ways than one. On stage, they play “Villain” in the way only they can – theatrically, confidently, and for the first time, acoustically. Off stage, there’s upheaval too. Just days ago they announced the departure of their guitarist Kodi, and his replacement, Ed, has had just two rehearsals with the band before these shows. You’d never know it.
Every time South of Salem hit the stage, they look sharper, sound bigger, and crucially, prove they’ve got the songs to back it all up.
Joey Draper has the charisma and presence of a born frontman, but it’s tracks like “Bad Habits (Die Hard)” “Demons Are Forever,” “Pretty Little Nightmare” and the colossal closer “Cold Day In Hell” that do the heavy lifting.
Even their cover of Savage Garden’s “To The Moon And Back” is pulled off with ease, their hour-long slot stretched into a crescendo fit for the arena stage they clearly dream of and who knows, may end up on. If you had to pick a perfect support for The 69 Eyes, you couldn’t do better than this South Coast mob.
Jyrki 69’s cry of “We are your favourite Helsinki vampires!” before the final song says it all. Whatever a rock star is, The 69 Eyes embody it – leather-clad, shades on, choruses bigger than just about anyone. Infrequent visitors to these shores, it’s been almost nine years since MV last saw them, but when they hit the stage tonight, it feels like they never left.
The set drips with Gothic sleaze and swagger. “Devils” sets the tone early, “Perfect Skin” is as seedy as ever, while “Still Waters Run Deep” slows things down without losing any menace.
Newer cuts like “Drive” and “Death Of Darkness” prove they’ve never lost their touch, while the anthemic “Never Say Die” and “Gothic Girl” – the latter with a fabulous solo which underlines Guitarist Bazie is in blistering form throughout, and “Wasting The Dawn” shows the band can be just as dangerous when they drop the tempo.
By the time they close with the double hit of “Brandon Lee” and the inevitable “Lost Boys,” the Steel Mill is a sea of fists and voices. Drummer Jussi69 bares his torso, Jyrki even whips off the shades for the encore, and for a moment, it’s pure, unfiltered rock and roll theatre.
As the house lights come up to the Stones’ “Paint It Black,” it’s clear The 69 Eyes—for all the fact they are like H.I.M. fighting the Cult in a back alley strip club—remain a unique proposition—a band who live in the shadows yet carry the neon glow of Hollywood sleaze. “Thank you for having us…we might just come back,” says Jyrki. On this form, they’ll be welcomed with all the love in everyone’s black hearts.
The 69 Eyes, as ever, do not, urmmm, suck.
