Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme blatantly ignored venue regulations and a potential $10,000 fine by lighting a cigarette on stage during a recent stadium performance.
The incident occurred on August 6 during a tour stop at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, where Queens of the Stone Age are currently performing as the main support act for Foo Fighters. The 65,000-capacity stadium enforces a strict smoke-free and vape-free policy across all indoor spaces, suites, and seating areas. According to reports from the Metro Times, Josh Homme told the crowd that the venue threatened the band with a $10,000 penalty for smoking backstage. He also expressed his frustration about having to wander around the massive facility just to find a place where they were actually permitted to smoke.
By the end of the band’s 11-song set, the singer decided the hefty fine was worth paying. Just before launching into the closing track “A Song for the Dead“, Josh Homme delivered a fiery speech urging fans to push back against corporate mandates.
“Don’t let these f**kin’ corporate a**holes tell you what to do, do whatever the f**k you want,” he declared to the crowd. “F**k that s**t. You paid for parking, and you’re paying for overpriced drinks, these f**king scalpers. F**k having some corporation tell you what the f**k to do, you guys do what you want!”
Immediately following the speech, he added, “And f**k Flock cameras too,” directly referencing controversial surveillance cameras that log identifying information from passing cars into searchable databases, before lighting up a cigarette on stage. It currently remains unclear whether the venue actually issued the $10,000 penalty to the band.
The rebellious stunt capped off a hit-heavy setlist that featured staple tracks including “Little Sister“, “No One Knows“, “My God Is the Sun“, “Paper Machete“, “In My Head“, “I Sat By The Ocean“, and “Go With The Flow“. Before playing “I Appear Missing“, Josh Homme took another jab at the stadium’s exorbitant concession pricing, jokingly telling the audience that the song was about “ponies that swim and beautiful things and candy and … $45 beers.”
The Detroit concert marked the second date of the North American stadium run, which officially kicked off in Toronto on August 4 alongside opening act Mannequin Pu**y. The current trek represents the first major North American outing for Queens of the Stone Age since their orchestral Catacombs tour in April and May.
Before the tour began, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl publicly shared his personal reasoning for bringing Queens of the Stone Age on the road, highlighting a friendship that stretches back over three decades to the early days of the desert rock pioneers Kyuss.
“What better way to share the view than with close friends. In 1992 I first saw the legendary Kyuss perform at the Off Ramp in Seattle and met Mr. Josh Homme. The band were friends of a friend, and before long their album Blues for the Red Sun became the soundtrack to that summer. 33 years later and with many miles behind us, I have shared some of my life’s most rewarding musical moments with my dear friend, Josh,” Grohl stated at the time.
He added: “A lifelong bond that goes far beyond the sound we’ve made together. So it is with great happiness that we can share this next chapter together with his almighty Queens of the Stone Age. Take cover.”
The “Take Cover Tour” will continue across North America through September 26. In a separate but equally cheeky move, Queens of the Stone Age recently launched their own fan complaints hotline, promoting the service with the slogan: “No b**ching too big. No whiny too tiny.”
