When it comes to “supergroups”, let’s face it: the majority have been disappointing at best. But then again, none of them had the calibre of talent that Them Crooked Vultures has at its disposal. On drums, the legendary Dave Grohl (tonight playing in the same venue he played with Nirvana back in 1992). On guitar and lead vocals, Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme. On bass guitar, the keytar and keyboards – Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Fucking
Jones. Not to mention longtime Homme collaborator Alain Johannes ripping up the guitar in live performances.
On record, this is a force to be reckoned with – rock and roll at its purest, most enjoyable form, performed by the finest talents in rock music today, each having the time of their lives. And on stage, this becomes a truly breathtaking experience. For everyone in the Hordern Pavilion, at least one the Vultures on stage would have been an idol (or close to it), and to see men of such calibre doing something they clearly love doing – and WELL – is something no one who appreciates rock music (of any time period) should miss.
With a show clocking in at 1 hour and 40 minutes, the concert was an impressive feat by the standard of any band, let alone one with but a single LP. Suddenly, the bands that come on and argue “but we don’t have any more material!” won’t get off so easily. The time, naturally, was filled with jams to blow your mind. Dave Grohl thrashing the drums to pieces – making it look easy, but leaving us in awe all the same. And you wouldn’t have known it, but he actually smashed up one of his fingers in the first minute of the set! Now that’s rock and roll.
Josh Homme, meanwhile, was unstoppable on the guitar – remaining the dominating force that he is in Queens of the Stone Age. This is definitely his band. But you couldn’t have argued that to the crowd – their eyes glued to John Paul Jones, who showed us all how it’s done. What awesome power he brings from that bass. It growls. Oh how it growls. And the keyboard solo during “Caligulove” (and later preceding “Reptiles”) let us all, for just a moment, feel like we were experiencing Led Zeppelin in their glory days.
As for the setlist, “No One Loves Me & Neither Do I” opened the set, with “Scumbag Blues” following closely behind, the latter carried with enough bass solos to make your head explode. A drum solo led into “Elephant,” a track which makes you want to take a bath of Jim Beam and crank the song up to 11 while getting a massive tattoo on your arm. It’s rock and roll and I like it.
They went on to play the entire album, plus a track called “Highway One”, so all would have left incredibly satisfied with what they’d experienced. I’ve got to say, in addition to the piano solo before “Reptiles”, the final track “Warsaw or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up” served as a highlight of a night. In what must have lasted 20 minutes, the Vultures gave us a truly spellbinding jam, that literally froze my feet to the floor in awe of what I was witnessing. Was I really this lucky? Was I really there at this moment? I can’t even being to verbalise the experience.
There was no encore, but they truly had nothing else to play. And when you build up an hour and 30 minutes of momentum to that final epic experience that is “Warsaw…” – that’s just something that you can’t maintain after an encore break.
Before I complete this review, I can’t forget to mention the support band, Melbourne’s Fangs – whose opening lyrics of their first song: “should I wake up or should I sleep in?” was a feeling most in the room could relate to. And it was these down to earth lyrics, with a basic rock and roll mentality (cranked up to 11, alongside the main act, of course), that made the band a perfect prelude to the main attraction. They have great presence and totally dominated the stage, playing through tracks which included “Victim or Volunteer”, “Rain” and “My Cousin Todd”, which ended the set.
They loved the spotlight, were no doubt humbled by the honour of supporting such a band, but didn’t let the nerves get to them. As such, they showed that their spotlight won’t be dying anytime soon. And I don’t think the spotlight will be ending anytime soon for the main event, either – reports are that they’ll be recording a second album. And could you blame them? They’re having the times of their lives. Getting paid (a lot) to jam to sold out crowds around the world… If that’s not the rock dream, I don’t know what is.
Full Setlist:
1. No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
2. Dead End Friends
3. Scumbag Blues
4. Elephants
5. Highway One
6. New Fang
7. Gunman
8. Bandoliers
9. Mind Eraser, No Chaser
10. Caligulove
11. Interlude With Ludes
12. Spinning In Daffodils
13. Reptiles
14. Warsaw or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up
Header Photos by David Cullen
