Queens Of The Stone Age Cause Wallet Discontent

Fellow ChartAttack writer Shehzaad Jiwani and I have seen Queens Of The Stone Age (at least) a combined 17 times, and have produced no less than nine reviews for ChartAttack, including this one. So instead of a fawning take from me on what a cool idea it was for QOTSA to play the El Mocambo and how exciting it was to see them in such a small venue, we decided to come at it from a different angle and give a conversational review.

I attended the show for free, while Shehzaad paid for his ticket. No matter how you feel about a band, it's difficult to distance yourself from the monetary value of the ticket, especially when said ticket costs $70 and the band plays for over an hour. In a way, this show was a complete bonus for me. Shehzaad had a much different take.

Shehzaad Jiwani: You'd be right about that. Seeing one of my favourite bands at a tiny venue added some legitimacy to the hefty price tag, but this was negated by the almost offensively short, impersonal set. After expressing my dissatisfaction with some expletives following the gig, an audience member suggested that we were "paying for the ambiance." True, but isn't that a moot point when the band themselves do very little to make the set an intimate one? Frontman Josh Homme hardly said 10 words to the crowd, apart from chastising us for having a "stick up our ass." Pot calling the kettle black, Homme.

NL: This was a weird set. It was dominated by songs from Era Vulgaris, with an epic break in the middle that featured cuts from QOTSA's self-titled debut. It seemed like they were trying to pander to both the hardcore fans and those who paid $70 to hear "Make It Wit Chu." Still, I thought the new stuff was played a lot more emphatically than it was last year at The Guvernment, and any Queens set that features "If Only," "Avon" and "Mexicola" in quick succession is going to go over as a winner with me. It seemed like there was an 11 p.m. curfew though, and "Regular John" and "How To Handle A Rope" were cut from their regular set list. That means we almost heard the entire debut album on Friday night.

SJ: I certainly can't argue with the amount of old material in the set, but considering many of the same tracks were played the last few times the guys rolled through town, I'd have to say the novelty was starting to wear off. I hate to slag the boys when they were still, by anyone's standards, exceptionally solid, but I can't get around how ineffectively the environment was used. It's not wrong to assume that those in attendance were not just average fans, and Queens are certainly not a group who keep their obscure songs obscured. Would it have killed them to pull out "Infinity" or "The Bronze" for the diehards? The gig was clearly supposed to be a fans-only affair, and the set should have been tailored accordingly. I'm never one to dictate what a band should and should not play, but considering QOTSA have been exceedingly interactive with their audiences in the past, I was expecting a far more interesting performance for my money.

NL: I'd say my favourite part of the show didn't revolve around the set list at all. It's just so rare to see such a popular band play in such a small venue. Although Homme was a little ticked that the Toronto crowd did its usual stand-around-and-head-bop thing rather than go bat-shit crazy, there was an unreal energy in the room caused simply by QOTSA being there. The stage looked massive, the lights were arena calibre and the sound was near perfect, which is a rarity at the El Mo. So I guess the definitive question here is: If you hadn't paid to get in, do you think you would have perceived the night in an entirely different way? Or do you think you would still feel like you were slighted as a diehard fan?

SJ: That's a loaded question. On one hand, you're absolutely right, and I couldn't possibly front on the idea of seeing one of my favourite bands at a venue they're not likely to ever play again. QOTSA are always a delight to see anywhere, and I admittedly found myself getting excited for songs I'd seen performed a half dozen times before. In this regard, there are no complaints, as the experience, not to mention the bragging rights, is priceless. On the other, more rational hand, when I look past the rarity of the occasion, I can't help feel that QOSTA's collective hearts just weren't in it that night. This is the main reason I'd have to say yes, regardless whether or not I paid to get in, I'd still be somewhat miffed. The giant hole in my wallet only serves to amplify my discontent.