Homme et al take the Corn Exchange back to the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age: Josh Homme

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Review

Queens of the Stone Age at the Corn Exchange

The reason Queens of the Stone Age have continued to outstrip all other bands in hard rock is unquestionably down to their ever-changing line-up of musicians. For the past 18 years, frontman Josh Homme has worked with a list of musicians so long that it's visible from space and has let the talents of each musician influence the sound of the band in their own way, meaning you never hear the same idea twice. It’s musical theft really, but the kind to which the likes of Dave Grohl and PJ Harvey willingly submit themselves.

It’s also the kind of music that is born from late night desert jams and the ethos that rock music is all about dancing at sweaty gigs. And it doesn’t get much more sweaty and heaving than the crammed Corn Exchange. As soon as the first few notes of ‘Turnin’ On The Screw’ sound out the whole crowd sways and jumps in time, hypnotised by Josh ‘Ginger Elvis’ Homme’s swaying hips. New faces to the band Michael Shuman on bass and Dan Fertita on keyboards and guitars add a youthful zest to a band whose average age is just the wrong side of thirty five, but that seems in line with the age of the crowd ranging from sixteen to sixty.

The majority of the set list is comprised of new songs such as the bass-driven powerhouse ‘Misfit Love’ and the evocative ‘Into the Hollow’, with ‘You Would Know’ and ‘Better Living Through Chemistry’ popping up to remind the crowd of the older material. A vast back catalogue of great live songs and a tendency to alter, tweak and mess with much-played classics is one of the joys of seeing Queens live, so catching them halfway through a long European tour of new album Era Vulgaris perhaps isn’t the best time. The band hasn’t had time to mess around with the new material and the gig feels slightly like QOTSA by numbers. Halfway through Homme apologises for being ill the last couple of days and thanks the crowd for enjoying the band even when they’re sick.

It’s not much to ask: even on an off-day the tightness, variety and sheer power of the Queens live set is inspirational.

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