Up for auction are two Them Crooked Vultures packs, each containing:

- A blown speaker signed by Homme, Grohl, Jones and Johannes
- Drumsticks signed (& used!) by Dave Grohl
- 2010 Australian Tour Poster
- Australian tour shirt
- Official Tour Merchandise stubby holder
- Official embroidered tour patch
- Official “Working Pass” from the tour
- Set List from show
- Letter of Authenticity signed by Them Crooked Vultures’ Tour Manager

The two packs will be auctioned separately on Ebay here and here, from Wednesday 3rd to Saturday 13th February 2010. All proceeds will be donated to the Australian Red Cross Haiti Appeal.

Let me give some context – because it’s deserved here. My presence at TCV’s Melbourne show was for review purposes only. Before I was offered the spot, I must admit, I only knew the rudimentaries – the major players. Beyond that, the album, the hype and the adulation of this definite super-group completely passed me by. I’m not a complete doofus though – I may have never had the urge to listen to a TCV track prior to the night before the gig (…half-arsed research, you know?), but Josh Homme – dear Lord, has my eternal respect. And seriously, for the entire duration of my 16th year, I listened to almost nothing apart from Led Zeppelin (I broke my cd stereo in a rage [note: it was shit, and deserved it], and had to listen to vinyl until my father took the cd player to be fixed – it took him a year). If we push the personal history back just a little bit further, from ages 11 to 13 I harboured an intense obsession with Nirvana. Grohl lost me entirely with the Foo Fighters, but the magnitude of the band’s music domination meant they were impossible to avoid.

It was effing hot on Friday night. And Festival Hall is no cool oasis. I’ll never forget a story a friend told me about seeing the White Stripes there in 2006. Again, it was a balmy evening; the temperature inside the hall, with all those mushy, sweaty, uber-hyped bodies squished and squirming against each other. At one point in the evening, as the temperature peaked and sweat started to evaporate, a mini-weather phenomenon occurred within the very room. Above the main portion of the audience, the evaporated sweat conglomerated into a rain cloud of sorts, and began whisping down on the people below. Now, whether such a phenomenon can occur or not, it certainly highlights Festival Hall’s ‘issues’ with ventilation. And needless to say, I kept safe and clean towards the back of the room.

As soon as the band took to the stage, the temperature soared by at least six degrees. I’m not even slightly exaggerating. The room was packed. And though I had no real expectations, in that short moment before the band took to the stage, I truly felt excited to be witnessing an act of this size. True, I may have been to a lot of shows in my time, but I can’t quite remember going to one as huge as this. It took me around 20 minutes to even get in the door – every single person was being patted down by security, as well subject to full bag searches. Is this just procedure at Festival Hall now, or is it indicative of the act playing?

The first few songs were pretty effing great. No. Let me correct that. The opening track (let me find the name of it…)… was killer. K-I-L-L-E-R. A beautifully abstract construction and West Coast desert-y guitar riff dominated the composition, it was delivered crystal clear and encompassed everything wonderful about Josh Homme’s unique style of songwriting. It weaved in and out of tempo changes, melded solos with a quirky solid hook, and was topped off by Homme’s magnetic voice. The crowd – not just for this track, but the entire set – lapped it up. And, you know, so did I. Instinctively, I reached for my mobile phone, texting interested parties that TCV were amazing – how glad I was to be there. The second track, much of the same. John Paul Jones switched from the guitar he was playing on the first song to bass, and bridged throughout with a slap-bass routine that the crowd went absolutely wild for.

Let it be known that, execution-wise, nothing could be faulted with TCV’s performance. Dave Grohl was a powerhouse vision behind the drums. Homme looked as comfortable and swanky as he always does. And who’d expect anything less than perfection from John Paul Jones? Really? I’m wondering if there is a line I should be carefully walking here though, because after the first couple of tracks, I kind of lost interest. It was hot in there. It was bloody loud. And I kind of felt I’d heard it all before. To me, there’s something really valuable about imperfection in a live performance. It’s what turns a show, a performer or a song into an experience – a unique moment shared only by those who were there. And while, of course given the subjects we’re discussing in TCV, proficiency is a given, compared to a QOTSA show, there was something primitive, intuitive and visceral missing. TCV are not QOTSA. Duh. But their music isn’t very different. If I had to part with over a hundred bucks, and had the choice between Them Crooked Vultures and Queens of the Stone Age, I know who I’d choose to see. Super-group or no super-group.

Punk rock band The Novocaines will help kick off the tour in their hometown of Perth. The Novocaines were ‘unearthed’ by, and later featured as a ‘next crop’ artist on Triple J radio. They have gained wide recognition for their ferocious on stage presence.

Both Melbourne shows will see Sailors and Swine bring their dark rock style to the stage. Said to harbour “blood soaked narratives and twanging guitars” (Time Out Brisbane), their performance will no doubt leave audiences enthralled.

Some call their sound grunge, others call it punk but Zeahorse are determined to break all moulds. The band is lined up to warm the Brisbane crowd with their spontaneous energy and bone rattling sound.

Formerly known as The Follow, The Art have finally returned home from their USA stint raring to go. The Sydney rockers have captivated audiences home and away with their high energy rock performances and at the Sydney show on January 26th, you’ll see just how much they have grown.

Crowds at the second Sydney show best stay alert, Melbourne rockers Fangs are taking the stage. Praised for their “highly animated and impassioned performance” style, their suave showmanship and anthemic tunes will knock you off your sensibilities and into the mosh pit in no time.

Kiwi band Cairo Knife Fight will open the show to audiences in Wellington and Auckland. Their unique sound is best described as a mix of rock, soul and beats as their songs grow, twist and turn against a solid rhythm section.

Anticipation for this tour has been building for months, from the stir generated by the ‘Follow What’s Heard’ campaign to the extra shows in Melbourne and Sydney to cope with popular demand. The addition of these bands cements this tour as too hot to miss in the New Year, or ever.

Tickets to the first Melbourne and Sydney shows sold out weeks ago and the rest will surely follow, get yours now.

Tuesday 19th January
Perth, Challenge Stadium
with The Novacaines
Tix: Ticketmaster 136 100 or www.ticketmaster.com.au

Friday 22nd January
Melbourne, Festival Hall SOLD OUT
with Sailors and Swine

Saturday 23rd January
Melbourne, Festival Hall
with Sailors and Swine
Tix: Ticketmaster 136 100 or www.ticketmaster.com.au

Monday 25th January
Brisbane, Riverstage
with Zeahorse
Tix: Ticketmaster 136 100 or www.ticketmaster.com.au

Tuesday 26th January
Sydney, Hordern Pavilion SOLD OUT
with The Art

Wednesday 27th January
Sydney, Hordern Pavilion
with Fangs
Tix: Ticketek 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au

Friday 29th January
Wellington, TSB Arena
with Cairo Knife Fight
Tix: Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz

Saturday 30th January
Auckland, Vector Arena
with Cairo Knife Fight
Tix: Ticketmaster 09 970 9700 or www.ticketmaster.co.nz

Perhaps the most anticipated Supergroup of them all, Them Crooked Vultures consists of the eccentric Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age, among other groups) on guitar and lead vocals, Dave Grohl (Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, among others) on drums and the legendary John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin. Yeah, that’s right) rockin’ the bass and keys.

In theory, this mixture of three brilliant musicians should result in a band so powerful and brilliant that your ears squirt sticky liquid. Fortunately, one listen to their self-titled album proves this to be true, as the trio combine to produce an explosive, albeit highly produced sound that will no doubt serve to satisfy all lovers of things loud and obtrusive. Unfortunately, the actual album is a royal cock-up.

There is no doubt that the actual band is fantastic, but the actual album is quite a disappointment. Why? It’s complicated. Them Crooked Vultures is home to thirteen rockin’ tracks that will undoubtedly shake the foundations of every venue in which they are played. Grohl’s beats are powerful and typically millisecond-perfect. Homme’s guitars are layered and wonderous, while his timeless nasal wail has lost no juice, and Paul Jones’ bass grounds the band whilst his various other musical inputs turn the music into another genre of cool altogether. HOWEVER, almost every song laid down on the album is essentially a Queens Of The Stone Age song. I wanted something different!

As Homme solemnly sings in Bandoliers, “Prepare and take aim/Then fire.” Okay, I will.

The first four songs, while all a foot-tappin’ hunk’o’fun, sound like they belong on the next QOTSA album. The only defining characteristic of each song that remotely sets them apart from Homme’s previous work on QOTSA is Paul Jones’ extra-curricular musical inputs, such as his slide guitar in New Fang or his keyboard solo in Mind Eraser, No Chaser.

It isn’t until Elephants that we see the band break the QOTSA mould and demonstrate more of what they are capable of. Almost seven minutes long, the song moves through tempos and melodies like Ari Gold moves through personal assistants. Forget about Wolfmother – THIS is the modern day Led Zeppelin!

Unfortunately, Them Crooked Vultures then reverts back to the old QOTSA safety-net, and if not for Paul Jones’ boogie-woogie-esque keys in Scumbag Blues or his best Richard Wright impression in Bandoliers, they too would be a classified as disappointing.

Thankfully, the album finishes strongly with songs like the psychedelic Interludes With Ludes, the epic shuffle of Warsaw Or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up, which provides another glimpse of what else these guys are capable of, and the mysterious Spinning In Daffodils.

What’s disappointing about this album isn’t what they do; it’s what they don’t do. The combination of Grohl and Homme dominates almost every song and as a result the music struggles to tread any new ground. Admittedly, it sounds like they are having a downright BALL during each song and so they probably don’t care – after all, like all of us, even Grohl and Homme must be in awe of the bassist of the (barely arguable) greatest rock band of all time. Them Crooked Vultures plays host to a bunch of rockin’ tunes that gets my foot tapping every time I press play. I just wish it didn’t feel like I’ve heard almost every song on the album before.

Them Crooked Vultures having fun in the studio – ED.

Unsigned Band Of The Week
Space Project – Space Project EP

After my initial listen to the impressive debut EP from Sydney band Space Project I looked into when their next gigs were with due diligence. In my hunt, I stumbled across an article written by Musicfeeds’ very own Jesse Hayward in which, regarding future gigs post-EP release, he reported Space Project frontman Adrian Barr saying: “It depends what happens with our drummer’s next baby which is due in October. We may have something come up in September but nothing has been finalised. Our EP launch might be our last show in Sydney for a while.”

This is disappointing, because regardless of how impressive the self-titled EP is (released in July), I’m guessing you really need to see the songs performed live to truly ‘experience’ them.

On first impression, Space Project sound like Tool thrown into a blender with Reel Big Fish. I know, right? Pretty damn cool.

The standard trio at the heart of the band – Matthew Robinson behind the kit, Jed Maisey on bass, and Adrian Barr on guitar and vocals – combine to create a dizzying array of psychedelic melodies and tonal colours that move through tempos and time signatures like Sally moves through toey tourists on a humid night in Patpong. However, the real edge Space Project have on the competition is trumpeter and flutist Holly Harrison. Her talents allow for the addition of a sophisticated tonal colour that allows Space Project to transcend the realms of ‘prog-rock’ and into that of psychedelic-jazz-prog-rock-fusion. Or something.

In my opinion, one thing about Space Project that I noticed, and I can’t stress this enough, is their similarity to Tool. Right from the get go, in first track Atlantis, Barr’s reverberated guitars imitate that of Tool guitarist Adam Jones. Moreover, Barr’s voice is – while obviously not as powerful (NOT an insult, by any means) – eerily similar to Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan’s. One section of the EP that bares particular resemblance to Tool is the finale of Horizon, where the band’s syncopated hits coupled with Harrison’s fast-pace to melodic-outline-following melody offer a climax comparable to those provided by, well, perhaps Sally.

Honestly though, the four track EP is a musical journey not segmented into tracks, but rather moods, and should be experienced in a dark room (with the optional addition of mental ‘stimulants’) or at a live gig.

In short, it’s a very impressive offering from a very impressive band, and if Robertson wasn’t so selfish as to trouble the rest of the band with a newborn, we could all experience this where it could be appreciated most – live.

Goddamn children.

You can purchase Space Project’s EP on their website or Myspace.

Riding high on the #4 ARIA chart debut of their self-titled album this week, Them Crooked Vultures can add another feather to their cap with the announcement that their Sydney and Melbourne concerts have sold out.

But there’s great news for fans of Dave Grohl, Joshua Homme and John Paul Jones with confirmation that second shows have been added in Sydney and Melbourne to meet demand.

Pre-sale tickets to the new shows will be available via frontiertouring.com from 2pm AEDT on Wednesday 2 December. General on-sale tickets are available Friday 4 December at 9am AEDT.

NEW SYDNEY & MELBOURNE SHOWS
Pre-sale: via frontiertouring.com from 2pm AEDT Wednesday 2 December
On-sale: from 9am Friday 4 December

Tuesday 19th January
Perth, Challenge Stadium
ON SALE NOW
Ticketmaster 136 100 or www.ticketmaster.com.au

Friday 22nd January
Melbourne, Festival Hall
SOLD OUT

Saturday 23rd January
Melbourne, Festival Hall
NEW SHOW!
Ticketmaster 136 100 or www.ticketmaster.com.au

Monday 25th January
Brisbane, Riverstage
ON SALE NOW
Ticketmaster 136 100 or www.ticketmaster.com.au

Tuesday 26th January
Sydney, Hordern Pavilion
SOLD OUT

Wednesday 27th January
Sydney, Hordern Pavilion
NEW SHOW!
Ticketek 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au

A cursory glance at the above dates makes one thing fairly clear – Them Crooked Vultures are almost guaranteed a spot on the BDO lineup. That, or they’re trying to split ticket sales with the national festival tour. Either way, I’ll be waiting, atomic clock at the ready, to try and score tickets to see this epic supergroup when they go on sale September 22nd.

We’ve seen a couple of snippets of music make their way onto the ‘net, and with two shows of totally original material now under their belt it shouldn’t be too long till a long player sees the light of day. For now, check out the videos below.

The first one is a leaked demo of a song called Paved Death. Now, that song hasn’t been on their live setlists, and it sounds remarkebly like an earlier version of the second video. That is an officially released studio snippet of live show closer Nobody Loves Me and Neither Do I. Both sound fuckin’ wicked if you ask us.