Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme has discussed his requests for when the band are on tour, and revealed the “strangest” things he has on his rider.
The topic arose during a recent appearance from the frontman on the Dish From Waitrose podcast, where he looked back at the band’s extensive run of tour dates and fan response to their most recent work.
In the discussion, Homme was asked about what he requests on his rider when the band hit the road, before revealing that being the headliner at a major festival allows him to get away with some pretty unorthodox choices.
“I always say that elitism sucks, when I’m not included,” he joked with hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett. “I think over the years, one of the things that keeps you young, other than injections, is to have a good sense of humour. So, as the years have gone on, and we had access to more and more outrageous requests being honoured, it starts to make you ask for strange things.”
He continued: “For a while, I used to ask for chocolate-covered ants and a map of Ireland to be put on the wall. People would ask me, ‘Josh, why do you have chocolate-covered ants and a framed map of Ireland?’, and I would say, ‘Wouldn’t you like to know, mind your damn business’.”
While Homme’s list is far from the usual supermarket snacks and drinks that artists usually request, it seems like the choices are more of an experiment to see just how far he can push his luck rather than out of any serious demand.
It is also relatively straightforward in comparison to some others. For instance, as per Far Out, back in 2022 Paul McCartney demanded that all items be made from animal-free material, the whole place be dry-cleaned a day before his arrival, and all lamps in the backstage area be installed with a dimmer switch.
Also in the interview – which was recorded before QOTSA axed a number of tour dates due to the frontman needing “emergency surgery” – Homme also opened up about when fans can expect to see new material.
The band shared their latest LP, ‘In Times New Roman…’, last year, and the release marked their eighth studio album and long-awaited follow-up to 2017’s ‘Villains’. However, according to the vocalist, the members have no intention of waiting another six years for the follow-up.
“There was too much time in between the last record and this one,” he said. “The goal is to make things and enjoy that process and so I’m going to roll up my sleeves and jump right into this.”
The comments made by the singer reflect those shared by guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen and drummer Jon Theodore while at Download this summer, when the two hinted to NME that they had new material in the works.
“I think we’re going to take a little break. I know we have some plans for next year that are loosely being talked about,” Van Leeuwen said when asked about the band’s future plans.
Theodore also added: “There are definitely some aces in some sleeves so to speak…”
On the topic of their future, their frontman Josh Homme said: “I think we should be making something. The mantra of the last five years was, ‘It won’t be long now!’ That needs to pertain to making things too. I certainly think we should make more, faster-er, better-er.”
Now, following news of the emergency surgery, it remains unclear whether the band’s remaining dates across August will go ahead as planned. No update has been shared about their forthcoming dates in September and October, and it is expected that more details will be shared soon.
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