Play The Hits: Queens of the Stone Age

Posted on Monday 14th August 2023 at 16:00

Written by
Jimi Arundell

Stoner rock band Queens of the Stone Age are renowned for their innovative style, drawing on aspects of alternative metal, desert rock and grunge. Their driving hard rhythms, falsetto vocals and psychedelic influences have been met with tremendous international success, reaching platinum record sales on such critically acclaimed albums as Songs for the Deaf and …Like Clockwork.

Formed by songwriter Josh Homme following the implosion of former pioneering group Kyuss, the Grammy-nominated band frequently rotates their members to accelerate the evolution of their sound. This has included the brief inclusion of the legendary Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl to reprise his role as a drummer recalling the glory days of Nirvana, plus a collaboration with Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan on QOTSA’s breakthrough record Rated R.

This summer saw the release of their brand-new record In Times New Roman… which Homme and co. unveiled with a worldwide tour, including an explosive headline set on the final night at Glastonbury. They now announce their intention to return to the U.K. for The End Is Nero Tour in November, which sees them joined by special guests The Chats and Deep Tan to play The O2 Arena in London, Windsor Hall in Bournemouth, and Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena.

To celebrate the upcoming tour, we decided to take a look back through their impressive discography through our Play The Hits series and highlight some of the band’s biggest and best tracks that we can’t wait to see live.

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“The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret”

Queens of the Stone Age had proven to be a true creative force on their eponymously titled debut album but failed to truly connect with audiences. It wasn’t till the release of the single “The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret” that Homme first met with mainstream success. Arguably their greatest-ever anthem, it was just a taste of what was to come.

“No-One Knows”

Following a 90s infatuation with indie, tastes changed during the advent of the 21^st century as audiences began to lean more towards hard rock, pop punk and emo. Frenetically charged yet dark and atmospheric, Songs for the Deaf lead single “No-One Knows” chimed perfectly with the tastes of the time, seeing QOTSA move from underground heroes to celebrated world leaders of rock.

“Go With The Flow”

Second Songs for the Deaf single “Go With The Flow” was accompanied by a visually stunning video, tapping into Ballardian themes of eroticism and car crashes, which saw win Best Special Effects at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. It was also nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 2004 Grammys.

“Little Sister”

Recorded live in a single take, “Little Sister” had initially been demoed for Songs for the Deaf and then resurrected as a single for the Lullabies to Paralyze LP. Inspired by an Elvis song with the same name, it accentuates The King’s sexual undertones and explores lust and secret desire.

“Negative Space”

“Negative Space” is taken from QOTSA’s latest offering In Times New Roman… and reveals Homme at his lowest emotion ebb. The accompanying video was filmed by Liam Lynch and sees a stranded leather clad Buck Rodgers-esque character desperate to make contact for the outer limits. Director Lynch explains: “Acceptance is lonely, messy, and tough, especially when it’s all that is left. This video takes place between the end and a beginning. It’s the desperate and lost, message-in-a-bottle emotions that are tossed out and let float away. No action required.”

📆 November

15/11 Queens of the Stone Age – The O2 Arena, London

16/11 Queens of the Stone Age – Windsor Hall (BIC), Bournemouth

19/11 Queens of the Stone Age – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham