Queens of the Stone Age ditches predictability for the ‘essence of rock and roll’
In an era of meticulously curated concerts, Queens of the Stone Age jettisons the script to embrace the unpredictable.
Each performance is its own unique mystery — one that could include fulfilling song requests on the fly, mutating set lists, letting fans onstage, or watching lead singer Joshua Homme wander into the crowd to plant a surprise kiss or two. Those are just some of the ways the band pays homage to what drummer Jon Theodore calls “the essence of rock and roll”
“I think it’s very common nowadays, especially at bigger shows where people are not comfortable taking risks anymore. I think most people in an effort to be safe or successful equate perfection in terms of delivery,” he said. “The idea that if we were to clean it up and perfect it and put it on a computer grid and program everything it would just squash the life out of it.”
“That’s like going to work on an assembly line.”