| March 1999 - Psycedelic Fanzine: Queens of the Stone Age
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by Hegedüs Márk, Tóth Bence, and Greff Andrew |
The roads and the members of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE have just finished smoking a joint as we arrive at the Arena Club in Vienna / Austria. The properly, slacky Josh Homme / guitarist, vocalist of QOTSA was very helpful by answering our questions.
The tour began over a month ago, so I guess you can already value the shows. What kind of feedback did you get about the concerts and the album? Are you satisfied with it ?
Yes, I’m absolutly satisfied. You know, there are some people, who don’t like, what we do, because they have awaited a new Kyuss, but to be honest I’m satisfied herewith too.
Let´s go back to the start of Queens of the stone age. ‘The Burn one up !’ - song and the Gamma Ray sessions were recorded with a totally different line-up. What happened to the old members and what do they do nowdays ?
In my opinion there weren’t QOTSA members, just a few guys, session musicians to play with and we just named us Queens of the stone age. We became a proper band at the time we started to record our debut album.
The song on the ‘Burn one up !’ complation album was recorded with the additional help of Eva on drums. When did you hook up with her and the Beaver guys and what do you think of Beaver´s albums ?
Every time we toured with Kyuss in Europe, we travelled to Amsterdam to spend there a couple of days and I know from there the Beaver guys and Eva. Shortly we recorded with them a 4 track split vinyl, so I like what they play, they are good friends, good people...
Let´s go more into the full-length. There we hear three ex - Kyuss members and so the uninvited fans would say the album goes in the direction of Kyuss, but I don't think so. Where do you see the differences between Kyuss and Queens of the stone age ?
People scream Kyuss - songs, but you know, we don't do that. What can I say ? I think the difference between Kyuss and Queens of the stone age is very linear. Except there is a 3 years gap and where the one ends and the other begins. And 3 years is a long time, it's a lot of days and in these allthose over a 1000 days a lot of happened. I think we are still playing the line, what Kyuss was, it's just growing, moving, we are not the same people we were three years ago. And hopefully that's a good thing. For me it's a good thing.
Music is when you are done whit your job, you're done whit a shitty day, and you turn it on and it works. And I wanna be a part of that. I want to tell you a story about shit, what happened. I won't tell you exactly what it's about, I wanna tell you in my own way and you gonna get it like as you read a book. There is not the author sitting next to you going like "What meant this ?", fuck that ! I just want to play stuff and listen, you know.
I see the difference in the fact that we play more diverse, you know, and the music stays still heavy rock music. I don’t sing like John Garcia ( ex - Kyuss, ex - Slo Burn, Unida ) plus the half of our songs is sang by Nick Oliveri ( bass ) and he has a total different vocal, like a sick punk rock one... So, we have two vocalists and we are supported live by Dave Catching from the Earthlings? on keyboard. All of these give us the opportunity to play a more diverse music.
Many fans, I talked to, discovered alternative / early Nirvana influences on your debut album. Is it a real inspiration for your band ?
I think, everybody, who listens to the recording, discover a different inspiration. You can feel that the album sounds like early Nirvana or early Sabbath. The reason for it is that you like these bands. On the other hand, I see it totally different...
I’m not really much into Nirvana...
You don’t like early Nirvana ??? They were fucking great !!!
By the way, what kind of music are the members of Queens of the stone age listening to ? And what are your five favourite recordings every time ?
I like a lot Hendrix, he was a genious. I also enjoy from Stooges, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Tom Waits, GBH, Discharge, early Misfits, Tricky, Elvis...I don’t think I can point out five...
I am on the opinion, that the lyrics are a very important part of the music. Due they aren´t find on the cover, please speak about them by picking up a few songs.
All the songs are about the last three years, in these times lots of things happened... I think, the lyrics are very important for the music, a crap lyric can bungle the whole song, while I don’t like to emphasize any. If somebody pays attention to it, he can understand what are the lyrics all about.
You are running some projects beside Queens of the stone age, just like "The desert sessions". I have only listened to the last part and it was impressive. Tell us some words about each part of these sessions.
It will be a session of 12 parts. We have already done 4. It’s like a musical experience, we don’t need to tour, we don’t need any advertising. It’s about to come together with musical friends in the desert and to write some good songs...
In the last times there come tons of bands trying to copy the sound of Monster Magnet, Fu Manchu and the mighty Kyuss. It is a new hype, discribed as stoner rock. Are you proud, that you inspirated lots of bands in this way and what do you think of this "Kyuss - Syndrome" ?
Well... Lots of bands copy Kyuss. I’m happy, if I inspire people to write original songs. I think to copy a sound is like to be a cover - band ! You know, lots of people ask(ed) me : „Hey, how did you make this incredible guitar sound ?”, but I have tried and played in this sound through the years, why should I tell them now ? As if it would be such a big secret, but...
Let’s speak a little bit about Kyuss. We didn’t heard so much about the split, would you tell us please what happened ?
The time has arrived quite simple to split up Kyuss. I’m very good friends with each member, so that wasn’t the reason. Maybe we could have written some new albums, but we want to split up until we are still good, so we said : „Come on, split up !” And that happened so easily...
Do you miss to play the Kyuss songs ? Do you think it will come once to a reunion ?
Yes, I miss a lot to play the Kyuss songs.. Concerning the reunion, we already got a few good offers, but we don’t have any concret plans. As I told you, we are still good friends, we see often each other, the reunion can happen once, but I don’t know, when... QOTSA is my new band and I want to concentrate now on QOTSA...
Have you heard the new band of John Garcia ?
Yeah, they are called UNIDA and have a kick ass bassplayer. The music is very near to Kyuss.
What is your opinion about Slo burn ?
I like it. You know, I’m a big fan of John Garcia and I like everything, what he does. But I am happy, the band split up, ‘coz the other members were just girls in my opinion...
What do you plan to do after the European tour ?
More tour, we want to make a new Desert Sessions. Next year we play on more festivals, we will play on Dynamo in Holland.
At last, do you see any chance to play in Hungary ?
In the future we aim to play in Eastern - Europe. A friend of mine, Billy Gould (ex - Faith no more) has been often in Eastern countries. He just found a production office, who may organise us a few concerts in the future too. In the summer we will be again in Europe and we try to play in your country too.
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