Review
Review
Queens of the Stone Age turn Sheffield’s Rock N Roll Circus into their kingdom for two nights
Joined by three stages of support acts, QOTSA close out their European tour with a Steel City double-header at the glorious Don Valley Bowl
Opposite Sheffield’s 13,600-capacity Utilita Arena lies the Don Valley Bowl, which has today been transformed by Rock N Roll Circus into one of the UK’s most impressive outdoor settings. A glorious hillside view, efficient bar queues and three neighbouring stages means an evening of constant live music, sealed off by Queens of the Stone Age, who will headline the Big Top for two consecutive nights.
Following five years away, Josh Homme and co. have blessed the UK since the 2023 release of In Times New Roman…, stopping by on numerous occasions that included a debut headline slot at Download, Halifax’s Piece Hall, London’s O2 Arena and this time, a two-night stint in South Yorkshire. They mark QOTSA’s first shows in Sheffield since 2000, and the last of this European leg – before attention switches to a unique intimate tour for their haunting concert film Alive In The Catacombs.
Armed with an entourage of different supports on both Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 August, such multi-night takeovers are becoming commonplace in the musical landscape. Just look at Metallica’s continuous M72 Tour – where the band play two nights in each city with zero repeat songs and different openers – or July’s edition of Wireless Festival, where Drake headlined all three nights. Bristol punks IDLES joined this trend at their Queen Square homecoming shows, performing different setlists across both nights.
Photo credit: Jacob Flannery
Wednesday begins on the Carousel Stage, where Fuzz Lightyear’s thunderous noise-rock can probably be heard back in their hometown of Leeds, before Jehnny Beth brings some equally brooding, bass-heavy horror to the Big Top. But it’s Fat Dog who steal the show, inciting savage mosh pit mayhem from the get-go with their batshit jazz-punk that seems to constantly warrant new band members (there are two drummers today). ‘Vigilante’ and ‘Running’ book-end the set with their most unhinged cuts, as hooded frontman Joe Love joins the frenzied crowd at the barrier.
The choice of two options (So Good headlined the BBC Introducing Stage against Fat Dog) eliminates any restlessness before QOTSA, making for an incomparable rush of momentum when the iconic drum groove of ‘You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire’ opens proceedings. The ‘No One Knows’ and ‘Burn The Witch’ riffs are drowned out by the faithful, who are made to feel at home all night by our host, Josh Homme.
“We’d like to announce that Queens of the Stone Age are running for mayor of Sheffield,” he teases. “Will you vote for us?” Their lighting rig might be minimalistic, but the sharp flashes during ‘Sick, Sick, Sick’ and Homme’s domineering 6’4 stature creates a real sense of effortlessness. An impromptu rendition of ‘Hangin’ Tree’ – in tribute to the late Mark Lanegan, after Homme spots a sign – brings these rock gods back down to earth. “We’ll do something completely different [tomorrow],” he promises, before Sheffield rises to the challenge of embracing the immortal ‘Song For The Dead’.
Unlike the well-oiled productions of Bring Me The Horizon and Muse, the QOTSA live show thrives off impulse – meaning they can radically shake up the setlist for round two. But first, The Murder Capital remind Don Valley Bowl why they’re one of the most vital voices in Irish guitar music, roaring onto stage with ‘The Fall’ and ‘Can’t Pretend To Know’ before dedicating ‘Love Of Country’ to the Palestinian people. “Every day you wake up and continue to use your voice is a good day in the world” – well said, James McGovern.
Over on the BBC Introducing Stage, ‘princess punk’ outfit So Good make sure the crowd have the giggles (“This next song is about a really disappointing dick pic”) and whine about the dire state of UK politics in ‘I Hate It Here’. With slick choreography to match, So Good inject the feel-good factor into punk unlike any other act on the bill. Apart from, perhaps, Viagra Boys, who play an identical slot to Wednesday – crooning onto stage with ‘Man Made Of Meat’. Introducing himself as “21 years old,” Sebastian Murphy’s childlike swagger makes him instantly likeable, as the Swedish punks wrap the Sheffield crowd around their finger over the course of the hour.
Before QOTSA hit the stage once again, Demob Happy play the slot they were always destined to play. The Newcastle-via-Brighton trio wear the Queens influence proudly on their sleeve through ‘Succubus’ and ‘Autoportrait’, the latter of which sends pints flying all over the BBC Introducing Stage. Though the drums do feel overpowered, you can’t help but feel that Demob are the perfect QOTSA support act, with one fan visibly researching their Spotify discography before a song has even finished.
‘Regular John’ raises the curtain this time around, with ‘Smooth Sailing’ and ‘Paper Machete’ soon announcing themselves after Wednesday’s omission. “My name is Alex Turner,” quips Homme, who ‘visited Arctic Monkeys landmarks’ during the daytime, much to the amusement of AM drummer Matt Helders. Though Turner was spotted in Sheffield this week, there’s no guest appearance to send Sheffield’s jaw to the floor – the QOTSA live show makes sure of that on its own.
Photo credit: Jacob Flannery
‘Feel Good Hit Of The Summer’ gets only its seventh outing since 2018, with rarity ‘Suture Up Your Future’ adding to Homme’s list of treats. Sporting the same Chevy Metal tee as Wednesday, you’d hope drummer Jon Theodore has given it a quick wash, blasting through ‘Little Sister’ and ‘Go With The Flow’. After a fan needs medical assistance during ‘Song For The Dead’, QOTSA break tradition and offer one last hurrah in the form of ‘Mexicola’, confirming why you should always expect the unexpected from this legendary band.“Tonight is f*cking amazing,” beams Josh, who is gently spoken across multiple outpourings of gratitude. Their long-awaited return to Sheffield brings three consecutive summers of European touring to a conclusion. No matter what comes next for Queens of the Stone Age, three things are certain: they came, they saw and they conquered.
Queens Of The Stone Age play London’s Royal Albert Hall on 29 October. Check here for resale tickets
Photo credit: Jacob Flannery
