Queens of The Stone Age

I caught about half of the set of first-on support Snake River Conspiracy.On record they consist of Tobey Torres on vocals (She's a girl….why do Americans have to persist in giving girls Boys Names??) and Jason Slater, one of the founder members of Third Eye Blind, being Mr. Studio Wiz . For their live show they added two guitarist and a drummer, with keyboards being run from a backing track/sequencer. Tobey was every bit the sexy leather clad bombshell rock chick but they had to rely on that dimension far too much, since the more delicate parts of the songs were lost in the lumpen nu-metal chugging of the guitar players. OK…the sound wasn't ideal, but I'm pretty sick of this trendy but ultimately luddite approach to guitar music. Maybe it's time the rock frat realised that Beavis and Butthead were never meant to be creative role models! This music required a more refined approach, more light and shade. I wished that I could have heard her vocals more clearly. I would like to hear the record, because though the songs weren't really very well executed by the touring band, and the sound was unforgiving, they had some good ideas, especially the lovely breaks where it was just vocals over keyboards. Live, their version of* 'How Soon Is Now'* by the Smiths was a bit ham fisted, but it could be good on record. . One final thing….. click tracks, loops and having a machine call the shots… it's old news….been proven to be a straightjacket consistently in the last ten years…why do people still do it??? Get a keyboard player!!!!

Backyard Babies put the work in, put the blood sweat and tears in….but it can't glaze over the fact that they're half the band the Wildhearts were. Equally Danny McCormack's Yo Yo's , Jef Streatfield's Plan A or the Silver Ginger 5 can all kick ass just as much, but with good songs thrown in to the equation.…. Perhaps that is the danger with pursuing an established genre…. What you do has been done before, and usually better.

Like most of the people here I am here principally to see Queens of The Stone Age.They come on firing with pacy punk rock, looking somewhere between The Knack and Warrior Soul… preppy looking Joshua Homme does most of the lead vocals and lead guitars, sounding somewhere between Michael Hutchence and Ozzy, while shaven headed goatee monster bass man Nick Oliveri does the growly rock voice and strange whispery backing vocals. Highlights of this part of the set would be Quick and To The Pointless' * and * 'Feel Good Hit of The Summer' , which was as goddamn rock and roll as watching Motorhead do Ace of Spades, a CLASSIC mosh!. After five or so episodes in the saga of kicking ass, we hear the new wavey* 'Monsters in The Parasol'* and the angular Elastica-like 'Lamb Chop' and the band begin their more dynamic experimental music…. though the jamming on 'I Think I lost My Headache' often came across as self indulgent rather than taking us on any kind of musical journey …. I think the thing with QOTSA is they don't care!…. just having fun playing music….The main set ended with a great rendition of 'The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret', which rocked a great deal, coming across a lot heavier live, and getting the mixed audience moving more than any other track. After going off and returning with Nick Oliveri_ butt naked_ they began to play my personal favourite track from 'Rated R', the lyrically and musically trippy * 'Better Living Through Chemistry'*, surrounded by psychedelic projections. A great way to go.

Compared to what is around today, they are a breath of fresh air and I am glad that someone is doing this kind of thing and carving a bit of an individual identity in live music. I hope they don't fall into the trap of believing their own copious hype and continue to improve as a band, 'cause then maybe a few years and a few albums they could be up there with the maverick legends like Jane's Addiction