It's Life in the Slow Lane Now
Author: John Elder
Publication: The Sun-Herald
Date: November 15, 2004
Abstract: In material taken from the Australian press conference, the Eagles talk about their lifestyle changes since the old days. Joe's Viagra comment is of course included.
Life is good without the cocaine, brawls and police problems, the four remaining members of US rock band the Eagles said yesterday.
Looking more manicured than mummified, the four remaining Eagles sipped spring water as they gave a press conference at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne.
"Things are a lot calmer now," said Glenn Frey, 56, looking like an old-fashioned matinee idol with his slicked-back hair.
"It's like a morgue back stage. We're a lot more professional now so there's not all the drama and chaos that there was in the '70s. We're still here."
"I've been sober for 10 years now," said Joe Walsh, 56, the best-humoured of the group, which plays the Sydney SuperDome on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and on December 4.
"A lot of the people I used to run with didn't make it. When you look at your life it seems like random chaos, but looking back it looks like a finely crafted novel. We're just grateful we're still alive."
Don Henley, 57, looking almost urchin-like, declared: "We're husbands and fathers. We show up at school, we'll put on the Eagles hat [when required], it's something we do part of the time."
"We do normal things - we take out the garbage, " said Timothy B. Schmit, 57, the only Eagle still wearing his hair long.
When asked if the love has been flowing more easily in the band since they fired rowdy guitarist Don Felder in 2001, Frey said there was "a lot more love".
Henley wasn't sure about "love" so much. "Peace is more like it," he said.
Asked how they felt about becoming the new stars of old-folks' radio like the Glenn Miller Band 10 or so years ago, Frey noted that when the band broke up in 1980, Eagles tunes began a long rotation on golden-rock radio. "The Eagles never went away," he said.
Henley added: "I like Glenn Miller. I don't mind being in that company. I don't know if there's anything coming out today that's gonna last like that."
The Eagles said they were not aware that British rock trio Cream were reuniting for a series of concerts next year, but they felt it could only be a good thing. "The new century is starting to make the '60s and '70s look really good," Henley said.
The final question: "Have you guys experimented with Viagra?"
"Have you got any?" asked Walsh.
