Queens of the Stone Age @ Lowlands Festival

Queens of the Stone Age are said to be the best rock band on earth and they came to Lowlands to once again prove that. And that statement wasn’t said by just anyone either. When Dave Grohl himself says it, it must not only be true, we must go and experience it for ourselves.

When Queens of the Stone Age walk onstage, you know you’re in for something more than just a rock show. You’re signing up for nearly two hours of sleazy grooves, pumping beats and just enough good ol’ rock ‘n roll to keep things unpredictable. At Lowlands in the Netherlands, the band, fronted by Josh Homme, delivered a set that balanced crowd-pleasing hits with darker, more experimental cuts. Queens seemed to be there to remind everyone why they’re still one of the most powerful live bands on the planet.

Starting with “You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar, but I Feel Like a Millionaire” as the opener for tonight, it’s clear. No slow builds, no easing in, just a blast of noise that throws the audience off into the deep end. These guys have no time for easing into anything. It’s this, and if you don’t like it, you can leave.

Doubling down by dropping “No One Knows” second is an almost audacious move, throwing their biggest hit at the start of the show. The gamble works. The song’s iconic sound piqued the interest of new fans and immediately had the diehards feeling satiated and ready to go. By the second track, Queens had already proved they weren’t here to play games.

After the high-energy opening, Queens of the Stone Age steered the set into murkier territory. “Burn the Witch” is another fan favorite, especially at festivals, and its insanely pressing groove makes for a live song that gets the crowd even more worked up.

Then came “Paper Machete,” one of their newer tracks, and it held its ground against the old favorites. It’s fast, venomous, and tight, Queens of the Stone Age is in attack mode. Live, this is the kind of song that makes you forget you’re hearing it in a crowd of thousands of people, and instead feel like you’re at a sweaty garage gig.

“Smooth Sailing” was pure fun, snapping the tension with a song that got everybody dancing. The song’s funky strut had the crowd moving as if the entire venue had been turned into a late-night dance floor with an open bar.

From there, the set widened. “My God Is the Sun” is one of those songs that shows off Queens’ ability to make a song easy on the ears, but still with a uniqueness that defies everything you’ve ever heard before. The work of both drummer Jon Theodore and bassist Michael Shuman tear through this track like a fever, a little dirty, a little hot, and giving you the chills.

Newer track “Made to Parade” followed, and while not everyone on the field seemed familiar with it, the hypnotic rhythm quickly drew them in. Queens are at their best when they balance precision with danger and urgency, and this one walked that line beautifully. Simmering, heavy, and ready to boil over.

Queens of the Stone Age shifted gears with “In My Head,” letting the audience breathe for a second while still keeping the momentum rolling. Plunging back into darker waters with “The Vampyre of Time and Memory,” Homme moved to the keys for this one, and suddenly the show turned intimate, pulling the energy inward. For a few minutes, the chaos gave way to stillness. As the other band members joined in, the song built up to an emotional but strong rock ballad that left the crowd captivated. They can do this too.

Just as the mood threatened to get too heavy, the cowbell hit and “Little Sister” blasted over the festival grounds. If “Vampyre” was the confession, “Little Sister” was the release. Fast, sharp, and full of confidence, this absolute crowd pleaser sent people right back into movement.

“I Sat by the Ocean” followed, shimmering and heartfelt, a reminder that Queens can do longing just as well as fury.

The centerpiece of the night came with “Straight Jacket Fitting.” Long, strange, and experimental, the song spiraled out into a stroll around the festival for Homme. Halfway through the song he ventured off stage and went crowd surfing while singing. When he landed somewhere halfway to the back of the field, he walked even further out, all the way through the crowd, singing, shaking hands, having someone’s beer and speaking to everyone like a wicked priest telling his following what life really is about. This was Queens stretching their legs, showing they could still push boundaries after all these years.

Then came the seduction. “Make It Wit Chu” always carries a smoky, late-night, almost X-rated vibe, but this version came with a little surprise. Midway through, the band slipped into The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You.” The crowd howled recognition, singing the falsetto hook back at him while the band fused it seamlessly into their own groove. It was playful, a wink at rock history, and one of the night’s highlights.

With the night reaching its end, the band tightened their grip. “Go With the Flow” hit like a bullet train. The kind of track that pulls even the most casual fan into a full-on scream-along. The band was fully unchained and tore through the song like a herd of wild horses. This was peak Queens of the Stone Age.

As the band looked like they were nowhere near done with us, it was already time for the last song of the set, “Song for the Dead.” This was full-on artillery fire. Queens of the Stone Age were set to show us that they were here and they meant business. The slow and threatening opening of the song made everyone in the audience feel anxious, like there was something about to break loose and they couldn’t run from it. When the song went off, it went off. Thunderous drums, intense bass lines and jagged riffs. “Song for the Dead” live is brutal, urgent, relentless, and simply left the audience gasping for air. When the last note finally dropped, there was no encore needed. They’d said it all and everyone understood. No more questions.

Queens of the Stone Age don’t just play shows, they orchestrate controlled chaos. With a setlist balancing fan favorites, deep cuts, and fresh material, they managed to keep things unpredictable while not for a moment losing momentum. Queens of the Stone Age are still easily proving that rock can and should be dangerous, seductive, and loud.