The Majesty of Queens Of The Stone Age

Well I think I've pretty much put my cards on the table with that title but there is more to say than that title. Words bubbled to the surface like watching a pan of boiling water as I replayed the show in my head on the way home.

As the lights went down a night of musical ecstasy started perfectly for me with the first 2 songs off one of my all time favourite albums Songs For The Deaf. The thumping beats just run you through, there is no escape once impaled on the rhythm, with every kick and bass lick you are thrown about. My body was moving and there was nothing I could do about it. One of the things I love about Queens Of The Stonage music is the prominence of the drums and the bass it's like an engine you can just let tick over or rev as hard and fast as you like. The guitars and vocals are steering this machine though and they take you round hairpin bends with songs like No One Knows or down lazy winding lanes as I Appear Missing seeps out and runs down your ear canals. It is testament as to how good the new album is because almost all the tracks made it onto tonights set list. Quite often bands that have been around for a while are happy to rely on their back catalogue of tried and tested tunes to appease people rather than stand by the new music but it was all in here and stood proudly next to some of the best rock riffs around. Suffice to say I was in musical Nirvana. The main set was finished off with 'Go with the flow' and after the obligatory whooping, cheering, clapping and stomping the band reappeared to deal the knockout blows in the encore starting with the wonderful 'The Vampyre of Time and Memory' a tune that starts beautifully simple on the piano and then builds and builds taking you higher and higher as the gusts of sound get bigger and bigger. The night finished on 'A Song For The Dead' which was the 'Thelma and Louise' ending we were all committed to, the band pushing the accelerator to the floor the engine at full revs and we all went off the cliff together on a musical high.

Queens Of The Stone Age delivered everything I expected and more, I'll be re-living this concert in my head for a long time to come. I suggest you go check them out for yourself you won't regret it.

You'll find everything Queens Of The Stone Age here...

http://www.qotsa.com/