Queens Of The Stone Age surprise, delight and own Reading Festival

Queens Of The Stone Age headlined Reading and Leeds a few years ago and they smashed the proverbial out of it. They’ve got nothing to prove today. That said, they haven’t had much to prove for a while but that doesn’t stop them from attacking each and every opportunity like it’s make or break. Popping up on the NME stage, their set is meant to be a surprise but they get a heroes welcome as they swagger out. Irony alarms flashing, they’re celebrating new album ‘Villains’. Kicking straight into ‘No One Knows’, this is a band that don’t only mean business, they deal it out with a devilish grin. 'Feel Good Hit Of The Summer’ swiftly follows, somehow finding another level of excitement and disbelief to exploit. Two of the greatest to start, the band aren’t slowing things down. This is a band who don’t rely on bangers, they’ve got an arsenal to play with. ‘If I Had A Tail’ and ‘My God Is The Sun’ stand shoulder to shoulder with the giants while the flamboyant glee of new track ‘The Way You Used To Do’ (introduced with an, “is it alright if we play a new song please?”) already lifts the set to new, exciting places. Carefree but electric. ‘Little Sister’ finishes things off with a nod, a wink and QOTSA safe in the knowledge that this is one of those moments that will define the weekend and beyond.