Queens of the Stone Age – 3Arena – Review

Queens of the Stone Age – Live at the 3Arena, Dublin 22/11/23

Deep Tan started the night at 7pm, with a short set to showcase their sound. They’re a three-piece led by vocalist/guitarist Wafah. There was a surprisingly large crowd to watch them, especially in the standing area (possibly to get up the front for the main act).

The Chats were the second support act on the night and another three-piece. They’re a punk rock band from Australia, or the ‘ Sunshine Coast, Queensland’ as we were proudly told at the start of their set. They’ve developed a following from Tik-Tok (and other sources) and their sound is reminiscent of many punk bands before them, especially Green Day. The gaps between songs were minimal as they focused on playing the hits. There were brief introductions between songs, as we were told ‘This is a song about a car’ (for 6l GTR) and other insights! The crowd were anxious to dance, and a small group was moshing through this early set.

Queens of the Stone Age were on stage just before 9pm. The band has gone through many changes in line up but they were a five-piece on the night, with Josh Homme leading the line, along with guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen and drummer Jon Theodore. They opened the set with a powerful version of No One Knows, with a wall of guitars and an impressive light show.

The set featured songs from throughout the band’s career which now spans 8 albums, the first self-titled album released in 1998. Josh said he formed the band 27 years ago, so they have earned their status as veteran rockers.

It was the last night of the tour and Homme was in good form, talking to the audience and calling to the higher regions of the arena. He said there was no better place to end their tour than in Dublin, and despite it being rhetoric the crowd lapped it up.

There was a special mention for the ‘poet’ Shane McGowan and the song I Sat by the Ocean was dedicated to him. Josh told us that when all the poets are dead, you’re just left with the c*nts. It’s hard to argue with his logic. They ended the set with Little Sister from their fourth album Lullabies to Paralyze.

They returned for a four-song encore featuring a number of songs that Mark Lanegan originally performed. Mark sadly passed away in February of last year, and Josh said that he still thinks about him every day. The first song of the encore was In the Fade from their second album, Rated R. The final two songs of the evening were Go With the Flow and an epic version of A Song for the Dead. They’re a band with some great anthems that perfectly suit their stadium rock setting. This performance will ensure that their reputation only continues to grow.

Setlist

No One Knows
The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret
Smooth Sailing
My God Is the Sun
Emotion Sickness
If I Had a Tail
Burn the Witch (Chosen over Into the Hollow… more )
Carnavoyeur
The Way You Used to Do
Better Living Through Chemistry
Sick, Sick, Sick
I Sat by the Ocean (Dedicated to Shane MacGowan)
Paper Machete
Make It Wit Chu (Dedicated to Deep Tan and The Chats)
Little Sister

Encore:
In the Fade
God Is in the Radio
Go With the Flow
A Song for the Dead