Screaming Lullabies: Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age
There are those who pose, and there are those who are the real deal. Queens of the Stone Age are by far not a group of fakes. A sold-out crowd at the Vic Theatre looked past the fact that long time bassist Nick Oliveri was no longer a member of the band and gathered for what they've come to expect of the band--a mucky cesspool of blistering metal and hard rock.
The ousting of Nick Oliveri created a stir among fans. Although Queens of the Stone Age is unmistakably Josh Homme's band, Oliveri--Homme's partner since Kyuss--was a collaborator that provided a stable face amidst a cast of changing characters. When Mark Lanegan of the Screaming Trees and Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters lent their services to the Queens the band's profile entered the super-group stratosphere with 2002's Songs for the Deaf. On stage, the band have proven worthy of the hype as torchbearers of the brand of rock paved by the likes of Black Sabbath and AC/DC. On Lullabies to Paralyze, Queens of the Stone Age head forward to a familiar grueling beat.
It would be unfair to judge the group's performance having never seen Oliveri with the group, or for that matter Grohl or Lanegan. The theatrics on stage were minimal aside from a white curtain that dropped from their ceiling as soon as "Someone's In The Wolf" ignited the show. Anyone on the dance floor that was able to keep their cup of beer from flying away deserved a medal. Pockets of moshing erupted but didn't stop the overall crowd from focusing on the stage. Well, there was a notable fan whose eagerness to have a good time became unbearable to the point that four fans grabbed him and led him to the awaiting security in the front. Sometimes being overly enthusiastic and inebriated don't sit well with others.
That lone incident aside the show never missed a step. With 50% of the set consisting of tracks off Lullabies to Paralyze, the band went to Rated R and their self-titled debut album to give the fans a mix of the past with the present. "Earlier today, I was supposed to take one teaspoon of this codeine cough syrup," said Homme regarding the noticeable vocal strains. "I drank almost the entire bottle. So, for every one of you, I see an extra four of you."
Although slightly hampered by a cough Homme did his usual howl and croon at the microphone. In between songs, Homme was loose with his chatter and joking with guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen. Homme took a moment to dedicate "Burn The Witch" to recently deceased comedian Mitch Hedberg. There was never a sense throughout the show that the band ever felt self-important but predictability surrounded their performance. In the world of Queens of the Stone Age there are two speeds: fast and faster. The transitions from the fanatically fast ("Medication") to the hypnotically fast ("Monsters In The Parasol") became almost mind numbing. It was like riding the crest of an ocean wave one second and then suddenly falling to its very bottom the next, only to be shot back to the top. Their flawless machine-like precision was explosive during "Song For The Dead," definitely a show highlight. Drummer Joey Castillo worked his drum kit like a team of oxen. If there had to be a song that epitomized the kind of flat out steady, weird smoothness Queens of the Stone Age are capable of, it was "Long Slow Goodbye." The show's closer "Regular John" could have ended the night on a high but instead saw Homme and Van Leeuwen trade off guitar solos; maybe one solo too many that didn't seem to go anywhere extraordinary.
Queens of the Stone Age may only have one trick up their sleeve but how they pull it off remains to be their strength. They are just a loud rock band, and to Homme and his bandmates, that's maybe all they want to be.
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