ROCK'N'FUCKIN' ROLL QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
Barrowland, Glasgow, Sun 20 Oct
Queens of the Stone Age: a name that drips rock attitude. Formed from the ashes of Kyuss, the accredited inventors of stoner rock (think Black Sabbath meets the Stooges with even more pharmaceuticals) core members Josh Homme (guitar, vocals) and Nick Oliveri (bass, occasional vocals) peddled their wares in such Amercian underground rock legends as the Dwarves and Screaming Trees until regrouping as the mighty QOTSA in the mid-90$.
Homme is 6ft am of southern hospitality gone bad, the Malbroro man in rehab. Oliveri is Satanic rock made flesh: the brooding intensity of Henry Rollins, the metal beard and a propensity for performing naked. Live, they are something to behold, unspoken chemistry flickering between them as they dish out heavy licks.
Their second album Rated R set the music world alight (gaining a NME album of the year along the way). This was real rock by real rockers who had a perchance of chemicals. Just check the notorious ‘Feel Good Hit of the Summer’ with its screamed lyrics: ‘. . . nicotine,
The Dead live another day as we find out the best thing about being Livid.
Better living through chemistry
valium, vicodan, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol . . . ccccccccocaine!’ Some calling card. ‘We walk the walk, talk the talk,’ laughs Oliveri. ‘We wouldn’t sing about anything we couldn’t back up.’
‘Our drinking, fighting and fucking habits are purely peripheral to the fact we try to make great music,’ adds Homme to the debate. They do more than try. Their latest Songs for the Deaf is a rumbling testament to the power of hard rock: deep, thoughtful and roaring with intensity. An album that celebrates the highs but never glamorises the lows. An album you can return to again and again, listening to each layer and always coming out satisfied. Every element is in synch creating a monstrous whole that will forever suck you in with its lure of good times and heavy hangovers. Their liquid line-up making space for Dave Grohl to join them on the drums, his first time since Nirvana (Joey Castillo fromerly of Danzig has the unenviable position of filling in on these live outings). And of course the brooding Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) is back on board as third vocalist.
The best band in the world today, as simple as that. (Henry Northmore)
ever heard. For the uninitiated they are a three-piece (drums. guitar, violin) and make the most heartbreaking passionate music that three (or for that matter 300) folks c0uld possibly muster. As usual at festivals it‘s also an opportunity to meet folks in other bands such as the DA who I met in Edinburgh last week and are supporting us in Melbourne.
(Australia), four days into our tour.
Our first show in Sydney reunited us with our Texan brethren . . . Trail of Dead. whose much-rumoured demise I can happily refute. They were however. in a ragged state after a brutal tour of the US with Queens of the Stone Age who by some accounts are considerably less fun to tour with than listen to. Playing to 1400 folks on the other side of the world was a far cry from the first time we encountered . . . Trail of Dead when they played with Ganger at the old 13th Note and stayed at my folk's house.
That night they laughed at us for
paying people to tune our guitars (they now have two) and had to be informed
' write as I'm flying towards Perth
44 THE LIST ‘ 7—3‘ Oct 23:72
of the apprOpriate etiquette needed to avoid getting a bleaching in a Hamilton Kebab shop at 3am wearing cowboy hats (keeping quiet and not looking at anyone was a start). Sentimental tangents aside the show went fine and the usual idiotic behaviour ensued after the show with both myself and Martin Bulloch beating . . . Trail of Dead's Neil Lennon look-a-Iike Jason Reese in an arm wrestling contest.
After the double headline show we headed to Brisbane for the first of the Livid festival dates. Livid is a mobile one-day fest with several stages and bands as diverse as Oasis and the Dirty Three on the bill. Getting to see the Dirty Three is really special for me. as they're one of the finest groups I've
A few nights later I awoke at 2am. still nowhere near acclimatised to the nine-hour time difference. remembering Scotland were playing Iceland. Being of a certain the masochistic bent I phoned home only to find that in a turn of events comparable with George W Bush managing a kind thought. we had actually won. In a burst of glee and with all my band mates asleep I stoated down to the after party on my tod. There I met Warren from the Dirty Three (an Australian in Australia) who told me how he used to busk outside Waverly station. Small fucking world. We're playing on a boat in Sydney harbour with Arab Strap next week. God help us . . .
j musiCOIist.co.uk
Surface nonse All the pimps, chimps and gimps in the wonderful world of music
ELECTROGLAM PLUMS Fischerspooner have been forced to cancel their date at Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket for November. The date will be rescheduled for March 2003. In an odd coincidence, their spiritual uncles Soft Cell have also had to cancel their show at the Barrowland this month due to Marc Almond taking ill with an aggravated hernia. A new date will be announced soon. More disappointment in that Garage reprobates Oxide and Neutrino have cancelled their UK tour including an appearance at the Garage, Glasgow on 4 November.
Oxide and Neutrino - no go
SIGUR ROS FANS CAN ATTEND a playback of their new album // at Glasgow School of Art on Wednesoay 23 Oct. There is an exhibitiOn of art by students at the Art Schcd and yOu can see the film the bahd nave cernposeo the soundtrack to. The gate") opens at 60m. admission IS free. EVERYTHING’S GOING TO be all right as the Flaming Lips are coming to play the Barrowland on 15 January and Morrissey is in the same place on 3 November. Phew! THOSE HOSPITBLE PEOPLE Glasgow's own oer‘ of rock '80le Nice'n'SleaZy would wish us to draw attention to their event Octoberdose. a month-long imiitat'cn for those new to the Clt) to sample its VarIOLIS wares. There is an. event on each night be :t a gig, Quiz or their sem —Iegendary Gong Show. the .i.t:rnate sen-esteem DLllldel' fer an) undergraduate. A FURTHER REMINDER OF Barfly’s special guest DJs up coming: Lapsus Linguae this Friday (18 Oct) and Biffy Clyro the following (25 Oct).