Live Review

Queens of the Stone Age – Carling Academy, Liverpool

• 26th Nov 2007

Somebody throws at Josh Homme what appears to be a tiny stuffed mouse and it all comes out, like a runny nose, right there on stage. Halfway through second encore track, Songs for the Dead, proceedings grind to an embarrassing halt, but an insight into the rockstar ego of Josh Homme is given.

“Which muthafucker threw this at me?” says a pissed Homme. “I’m working hard up here. I’m trying. I know I ain’t been too amazing…but this! Come up here and I’ll tear your face off” He continues to berate the “buttfucker” in an awe insipring deadpan southern almost drawled tyrade. “To that person and that person only. Fuck You!” And the middle finger is extended into the crowd. Whether they planned on more songs will remain unknown, or until they play tonight in the next utterly excited UK city.

Liverpool’s top venue, Carling Academy, tonight kitted out with festive chandaliers, was rocked by and felt the wrath and potent strength of the 6ft plus Josh Homme and it was possibly the closest we got to the mean muthafucker: The ex-Kyuss legend who held ‘his band’ together and who, over the years has replaced every last member of QOTSA, which as seen no fewer than 21 members, permanent or guest.

The days of Lanegan and Grohl are past and with them maybe the title of ‘supergroup’ but names aside QOTSA haven’t lost anything in sheer power. The set tonight in Liverpool opens with Regular John, including the extended duel guitar leads and licks, and closes with Songs for the Dead with the tremendous drum intro written by Grohl and played to perfection by Joey Castillo, pumping energy into the wild crowd and if anything Castillo hits the skins with more power. In between these tracks we have the riotous Sick, Sick, Sick, the gloriously rapid Go with the Flow, the sickeningly sweet Little Sister, the pogo-rythmic Do It Again, and the cigarette accompanied Feel Good Hit of the Summer.

All your favourite Liverpool music icons are here because this is an influential band and when they play there’s always big rock ruckus. “I want to see you go f88king crazy” announces Homme on his arrival, and his crowd duly obliges.

Add to the show, support from Eighties Matchbox b-line disaster who appear drafted last minute by order of the Hommester, all these shows sold out long ago, as a lucky bonus for those who arrive early. But for those new to these southern long-haired fairies in glam makeup, this is the Eighties Matchbox of six years ago as reverted to the humble band they began as before war, timeshifting and alien invasion altered their states into super mad goth punks you became used to. Mcknight legs spread wide, rooted into the stage and in truth they don’t sound great but these guys are better than an opening act. See them in their own turf which is anywhere headlining and you’ll see and hear a different band.

The whole thing swells and immasculates into a rock filled testosterone pit, a hairy noise barrage buried under the weight of these classic QOTSA tracks, and it lives up to everything it sets out to promise, unless of course you were expecting the big hits The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret and No One Knows.

PHOTO: STEVE GOUDIE [mail]