Eels in the City but thankfully not jellied ones as frontman awarded the Free­dom

It wasn’t too long ago that Eels frontman Mark “E” Everett found himself on the wrong side of London law, after he was mistaken for a terrorist in Hyde Park in 2010 – well yesterday he was awarded the Free­dom of the City of London, quite the turnaround.

 

Everett was decorated with the Freedom ahead of Eels’ performance in The Barbican – their first gig in the Square Mile. And the frontman was definitely in the mood for a lark, as he posed with his new certificate and red book of rules.

 

“Well, I was told it came by direct order from her majesty Queen Elizabeth – she’s a great Eels fan – I don’t think it’s a big surprise,” he told The Capitalist. “And I was also just informed this honour means I can do whatever I damn well please in the City from now on. I can walk down the streets in my underwear.” Oo, er.

 

 

The singer was also keen to help out another musical legend in securing the same privileges.

 

“My first order of business is going to be to nominate someone else for this great honour. A little-known En­g­lish musician that I’m trying to spread the word about called Pete Towns­hend,” he told us. Who?