Them Crooked Vultures...

On Monday night I went to see Them Crooked Vultures at the Roseland Ballroom (just off Times Square)... they were INCREDIBLE!

Them Crooked Vultures is a super-dooper group made up of Joshua Holmes from Queens Of The Stone Age (he plays guitar and sings), Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters (he plays the drums) and John Paul Bloody Jones from Led Zeppelin (he plays every instrument in the world!). Their stuff's quite heavy - it's definitely heavier than Foo Fighters, but I think quite a lot of it sounds like Cream, you can tell John Paul Jone's Led Zeppelin days have influenced the sound... then again it's very varied, they play really powerful riffs and then have a funky bassline with it - whatever it sounds like, it works.

I arrived at the Roseland around 7ish, when the doors opened - I didn't think there'd be too much of a queue - I looked and saw a smallish queue so I went to go and get some food, but as I walked down the road a realised that the queue had been split into bit (to keep an entrance clear), the rest of the queue was huge... it went on... and on... and on... it literally went round the block!

It moved pretty quickly and I finally got in, after being frisked and having ID checked (the security's a bit tighter here than gigs at home)... although despite frisking people there seemed to be an awful lot of people who managed to get their 'erbal cigarettes in...

I went to the bar to get a Jack Daniels and Coke and nearly fell over when the the barman gave me my change from a $20, the drinks were just a wee bit expensive...

$9 ($10 including tip) for a tiny plastic cup! Luckily I think he'd got the measurements the wrong way round, it was 3 parts Jack Daniels and 1 part Coke... I took my drink and found a good spot behind the mixing desk. Looking around I could see a lot of more 'mature' men around, I think they were fans of Led Zeppelin - then later when John Paul Jones came on stage and the whole place erupted it was clear that he was drawing a large portion of the crowd. Everyone was loving it when he was doing his mini bass solos too.

The Roseland Ballroom's not quite as grand as it sounds - it doesn't feel like a ballroom, but it is a good venue, these pictures were taken on my phone, so it looks like I was a long way away, but it still felt quite intimate really.

I was absolutely amazing seeing Dave Grohl playing the drums again - the last time I saw him play drums was during the very first Foo Fighters gig I ever went to with Benj in 2000! He hits them so hard, I can't believe he doesn't break the sticks more or the skins, he's just like Animal from the Muppets. Joshua was a brilliant front man, he kept saying how much fun they were having - they all looked like they were enjoying themselves... and John Paul Jones was quiet but incredible!

The sound the produced was deafening, I don't think I've ever been to a gig that was so so loud, there were times when they went off on one and they were all making a big noise together and I thought my ears were going to fall off! They played for about 2 hours and my ears have only just recovered... I think I must have been yelling at the cab driver when I was telling him where I wanted to go afterwards.

It was a bit funny going to a gig like that on my own - it was even stranger seeing them without Tom, hopefully we'll get to see them together soon - maybe next year?!

I bought myself a little reminder of the gig - a limited edition (signed and numbered no less, 130/300) screenprint... it's not the prettiest print in the world, but I've always wanted an artists print of a gig poster from a gig that I actually went to! It's now framed outside my bedroom.

It was a fantastic night. I hope you get the chance to see them soon Tom - until then, here's a little taster for you (this is from the gig)...