Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age performed at Merriweather Post Pavilion last night (Thursday, July 17th) and were beyond amazing. Josh Homme is a born performer and a born musician. He is charismatic and engaging and his riffs are tight and clean. Best of all, the music (thankfully) does not suffer from the disease that a lot of guitar-heavy music does. It crashes down on you, absolutely, like a wall of glorious sound but never once loses technical precision. You never lose sight of the core melodies. A lot of hard rock distorts when played live: it all smushes together, every instrument fighting all the others like some chaotic race for volume, and it just sounds like noise. QotSA is different. so, so different. The crescendos make the music more powerful. Moments that isolate building drum parts or that isolate haunting guitar riffs make the crashing sound of all of them together feel like the culmination of a lifetime of work. You waited for that drop and so it feels really, really satisfying. QotSA know how to put a song together and then they just know how to play it live.
Their newest album is the most melodically complex of all their albums, straying slightly from the grittier sound of all their previous albums there is a sadder note to it. ...Like Clockwork is composed beautifully, with each song playing off another. Some albums feel like an eclectic mix of ideas spewed out musically whereas ...Like Clockwork plays like a concept album, each song threading into the next with all of them sounding like siblings (and no, not ever like twins) of the others. The lights they used just added a pulse to the whole venue, opening with this bright neon green weaving through thick smoke, and then using flashing bright purples on the down beats of their rougher songs really brought the whole show to a new level of awesome.
The whole band is high energy except Josh, but that's okay. While the bassist and second guitarist jump around and really get into it, Josh has this sleek, drugged-out savoire-faire and you just want to watch the whole of them forever. I was actually in the front row so I got to see what was happening on the wings of the stage while opener Brody Dalle played a set, so I saw Josh Homme with his kids in his arms and around his leg watching her perform and it was so adorable. not that that matters to anyone else, but to me it was an endearing sight.
Listen to them because you'll love them and once you love them, go see them, because then you'll love them even more.

Last year I managed to see QOTSA a whopping five times in very different settings. The smallest show I saw was in Rough Trade (East London - maybe 150 people) and the biggest I saw was at Wembley Arene (13,000 people). I also travelled from London to Berlin to see the play in an outside castle named Zitadelle Spandau. Why did I bother going to all these shows? Quite simply there is no better live band then Queens of the Stone Age. Every show is subtly different, yet every show is always spectacular, QOTSA don't do "off" nights. It's rare to find a band that's so well refined on record but yet is able to take that and expand on it and actually be better live. Songs are often jammed live and broken down to their bare elements before coming back to the song with a truckload of added enthusiasm, always absolutely 100% note perfect and spot on. QOTSA aren't afraid to play songs they haven't played in years, however you will always hear the staple songs from Songs For The Deaf and Rated R as well, they aren't ashamed or bored of their back catalogue like so many bands.
Every member of QOTSA is exceptionally talented at their instruments, such as Dean Fertita, who's other band The Dead Weather happens to include Jack White, or Troy Van Leeuwen who used to play in A Perfect Circle, or newest addition Jon Theodore who used to play drums in The Mars Volta. QOTSA are practically a supergroup in their own right. Part of the reason why QOTSA always sound so good live is down to their soundman, Hutch. Josh hasn't played a show without him since he was 18 years old, no matter what band he's been in (Kyuss, Them Crooked Vultures etc). Hutch knows QOTSA's sound probably better than the band themselves and has even appeared in promo photos with them. In an interview with Hutch I recall him saying soundcheck is all well and good but he know that QOTSA always come bolting out of the gates a hundred times harder for the actual performance, so he has to adapt that into his day to day sound desk work. He is effectively a band member behind the sound desk, not something every band has. Queens of the Stone Age know their audience and Josh is never afraid to interact and really put on a show without acting and pretence. There is something very genuine and pure about QOTSA which is hard to find in music these days and if you have the opportunity you should definitely explore it because if you miss it, you will well and truly miss it.

Last night I saw Queens of the Stone Age at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, NY. His was the second show I have seen at this venue and the second time I have seen QOTSA. The venue is nothing more than a large open general admission gymnasium with a balcony, around the perimeter. What makes this place a great place for shows is that it is never really crowded and all sight lines are good. From center stage in the balcony, the sound quality is a little muddy due to reverberations off the back wall, but from any where on the main floor, the sound is great. Enough about the venue... The show started with a darkened stage and several "clocks" counting the seconds down from 60. Once at ten, and the band was seen taking the stage, the crowds fever rose as we counted down to 0, at which point the stage came alive with a fury as QOTSA launched into "You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, but I Feel Like a Millionaire". From this point the band launched into a steady, pulsing, throbbing fusillade of sonic intensity that left the senses reeling. Song after song, old and new, popular to obscure, we, the privileged audience were certainly given a show. High energy, non stop rock for a continuous hour plus, before taking a shot break followed by a 2 song encore. All in all 1.5 hrs. of an outstanding and very entertaining show. Will definitely go see QOTSA again, hopefully not another 14 years later next time. Also will revisit The Main Street Armory again as it is a great venue. Only down side is that the beer lines move very slowly...small price to pay.

I saw Queens of the Stone Age last night at Bud Gardens in London, Ontario. It was my second time seeing them and it was unreal. They are and always will be my favourite band of all time. I may have a biased opinion because I love them so much but a friend of a friend found an extra ticket last night and decided to come along last minute. He was totally impressed with the show and the energy of the crowd. He even mentioned how horribly mundane it is to go back to 'reality' after such an amazing time. The set list was the best mix of songs that I've ever experienced, and I have been to many shows. Josh and the boys gave it all they had for us you could tell they were very into it, even though Homme mentioned he hadnt been feeling well. I was so close I witnessed how the energy of the crowd made him play even harder and play past whatever sickness he was feeling. They even played "You think I ain't worth a dollar but I feel like a millionaire", a song that I never thought I'd hear live, which is the opening song on one of the greatest albums of all time, Songs For The Deaf. All around amazing show. "Little Sister" and "Go With The Flow" rocked my friggen socks off. There is nothing better than a night with your favourite band!

Queens of the Stone Age @FestivalPier was one of the best concerts I have been to! The opening Royal Blood produced great psychedelic tones on a bass and the drumming was absolutely fantastic! I definitely reccomend checking out their debut self-titled album! Queens of the Stone were also great, playing classics like Go With The Flow and Smooth Sailing, while also playing newer tunes like Domesticated Animals and The Evil Has Landed. I was impressed with the live presence and energy of the band, especially from Troy Van Leeuwen and Josh Homme. The average age of the crowd was older than most of the shows I've been too, but many were still very nice. An unexpected feature was the moshing that took place towards the end. A circle pit was formed during the last few songs and there were a few crowd surfers, including myself. Overall, the only complaints I have would be the exclusion of Feet Don't Fail Me and the bad handling of crowdsurfers from the audience. But other than the entire show was brilliant. I definitely want to see them again!

Queens of the Stoneage were Amazing,I have seen them Twice in the UK but this Gig was so much Better,Josh Homme & the Band were on Top Form Playing All their Big Singles Aswell as Tracks which they would not Normally Play like Songs From The Deaf & Millionaire which were Amazing,We came to the Gig Because Royal Blood were Supporting & we are Massive Fans of Theirs After Seeing Them Live in Cardiff on Their How Did We Get So Dark Tour Last November in Cardiff,I would Love to See Queens Of The Stoneage Play in the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff as on this Album Tour they only played London & Manchester which was a Real Disappointment as we always try to see them,we Seen them on the Era Vulgaris Tour in the 02 in Bristol when Josh Homme was not well & the Like Clockwork Tour in Birmingham 21/11/13 which they were good,I would love them to come to the Capital of Wales to play as they do have Loads of Fans here too,Fingers Crossed.

I am unbelievably disappointed having spent £120.00 that I only saw some of The Hives. I left the festival in 30 degree heat, unable to get a drink unless I was prepared to queue for up to, or over 2 hours. This was unfeasible given the temperatures and the fact that I would miss the bands.

I was then told I was not allowed to re-enter the festival if I left. THIS WAS OUTRAGEOUS! We were not allowed to take refreshments inside the festival. We COULD NOT get a drink inside the festival and then were penalized for getting refreshment outside the site. Why was there no re-entry? This policy should have been immediately changed when you realised you were unable to provide adequate refreshment.
I would expect a refund as this was a terrible experience and one I will never repeat. I missed the bands I wanted to se because of your dreadful lack of planning.
I expect a reply please at your earliest convenience.

Royal Blood opened in style and kicked some Royal Butt! Queens took the stage and delivered an energetic, dynamic performance with an amazing set list. The crowd was into it and singing along with riffs the whole way.

I’m not sure if it was the venue or the sound guys, but the volume was at a point where you couldn’t make out the leads and solos, and sometimes even the vocals. It’s like turning your cheap Radio Shack stereo up to 11 when it can only handle 7 or 8. Sure it’s loud but you can no longer make out what’s happening. I’ve heard loud rock shows at that venue before and never had that complaint before (Metallica, Judas Priest...to name a few)

Queens and Royal Blood both delivered the goods though with a very high octane performance. Can’t wait to see them both again!

It was a pretty poorly organised affair if I am completely honest.

The queues for the bars were totally ridiculous and some of my friends left early as they were just so fed up with waiting for a drink.

That said, the bands were staggeringly good. I've been following QOTSA since 200 and have lost count of the number of times I've seen them but can honestly say that this was amongst the best I have seen them. Josh was on good form and the crowd were loving it. (Iggy had warmed them up nicely).

Before that we saw Brody Dalle, whose new stuff is excellent and benefited from the drummer and guitarist from Savages helping her out.

Deap Vally were excellent, as were Skinny Girls Diet but somehow, Miles Kane didn't fit into the line up.

Nice shows, shame about the organisation!

Once again Queens Of The Stoneage were everything I hoped and more!!! They ended my summer last year with a bang and this year started my summer off with the same, a glorious bang!! I feel so privileged to have been able to see them 2 years in a row after having to wait years (which by the way felt like forever!!) I read recently an interview with Josh Homme and was so excited to read that he might do more work with his other band, Them Crooked Vultures; another band I am totally into! Josh always keeps his talent flowing with everything he does and I am in total awe of his work. He keeps me intrigued with his non stop, effortless musical talents and I will forever be a hardcore fan of everything he does.
Thanks for a awesome start to my summer boys!