Sound Checked?
With summer drawing to a close, if it did it ever started in the UK, it seems that bands are eager to tuck their current albums snugly away for the winter, brining a end to the current set list run before their toddle off to make a new collection to tease us with and Queens Of The Stone Age are no exception.
Playing ahead of Rage Against The Machine may have intimidated some bands, but then again not all band are led by the giant sized Josh Homme and as QOTSA take to the stage its obvious that this is going to be a pure peddle to the metal rush of rock that guarantees a white knuckle ride. A shame then that nobody let the sound guys in on the fun as the opening waves of ‘Go With The Flow’ struggle to make their way through the crowd. Sure, it may be a stripped down version, lacking the usual bite of the track but as Homme and co weave their magic throughout the track, segments are lost and what should have been an intriguingly wonderful opening to their set trickles past with a mere nod of the head. ‘Regular John’ fares little better as QOTSA attempt to inject some blood pumping beats into their set but its not until ‘Sick, Sick’ that the sound starts to pick up, or else the wind changes direction for the better. With a blues edged tinge ebbing throughout, ‘In My Head’ makes a subtle impact on the crowd who seem more intent to watching Homme’s dancing moves to hearing the music whilst ‘Little Sister’ finally delivers the ear splitting clout that QOTSA usually throw out by the bucket load as ‘No One Knows’ pummels its way through, boldly brandishing some chugging riffs alongside Homme’s blues soaked rock croons that offer a touch of seductive menace to the occasion.
Whether it was the wind direction, whether it was the influence of Rage not wanting their opening act to be louder then them or whether it merely was rubbish sound, QOTSA’s Reading slot suffered as a result. The bar room brawl raging rock was there, but sadly by the time it tiptoed its way through the crowd, it had lost its nerve and simply limped away.