Controlled Chaos to Desert Rock Swagger - QOTSA Light Up Sheffield
- Desh Kapur
- Aug 28
- 3 min read
Queens Of The Stoneage - Rock N Roll Circus - Sheffield Don Valley Bowl - 27th August 2025
WORDS DESH KAPUR / QUEENS OF THE STONEAGE AND FAT DOG IMAGES DESH KAPUR - VIAGRA BOYS AND JEHNNY BETH IMAGES KEV WELLS
Rock ‘n’ Roll Spectacle Under the Big Top
Under the domed grandeur of Sheffield’s Don Valley Bowl, Rock N Roll Circus delivered on its immersive reputation—melding rock bravado with circus spectacle in a way that’s pure festival theatre. The Big Top teemed with flair: aerial artists, fire breathers, and stunts that framed the night’s music in vibrant, unforgettable fashion. It was the kind of show that lives up to being called a sensory carnival—and on 27 August, it was the perfect launch pad for Queens of the Stone Age’s return to Sheffield.
My evening began with the magnetic Jehnny Beth, setting the tone under the Big Top with a performance that was as commanding as it was uncompromising. Best known as the fierce frontwoman of Savages, Beth brought her trademark intensity to Sheffield, delivering a set that blurred the lines between performance art and raw rock theatre. Dressed in sharp, striking fashion, she stalked the stage with an aura that held the audience in rapt attention. Her voice cut through the tent with precision—by turns brooding, sensual, and defiant—while the band behind her layered dark, pulsating rhythms that built into moments of pure catharsis. It was an opening act that felt more like a statement: bold, fearless, and impossible to ignore.
Then it was time for Viagra Boys (Sweden), exploded onto the stage with a “controlled chaos” that had the crowd mugs up in mosh pits and burst into spontaneous crowd surfing. Frontman Sebastian Murphy, dripping sweat and inked in tattoos, held everyone in the palm of his hand—mesmerising, unpredictable, and utterly captivating. A birthday cake for a fan named Sid appeared mid-set—part punk feast, part performance art. Their unique disco-punk blend was raw, witty, and downright show-stopping.
Next up, Fat Dog, riding high from their debut album Woof, brought their genre-blending live show to Sheffield with ferocious impact. Front-man Joe Love commanded the stage, a potent fusion of charisma and sharp social commentary. Tracks like “King of the Slugs” and “Bad Dog” were relentless—industrial beats, jagged synths, charging guitars—every song felt like a sonic avalanche, with the crowd riding the wave of their erratic energy.
Main Event: Queens of the Stone Age — Rock Royalty on Stage
When the lights dropped and Queens of the Stone Age took the stage, the atmosphere in the Big Top shifted instantly. Josh Homme swaggered to the mic with his trademark mix of menace and charm, launching into “You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire” before hitting the juggernaut “No One Knows.” Dropping their biggest hit so early in the set was a statement: this is a band with such a deep back catalogue that they can afford to burn their ace card straight away and still have plenty left in the tank.
The setlist was a reminder of just how consistently brilliant QOTSA have been over the past three decades. “Burn the Witch” snarled with intensity, “I Sat by the Ocean” shimmered with desert-rock cool, and “A Song for the Dead” closed out with thunderous precision, Dave Grohl’s original drum parts reimagined and hammered out with brutal force. Homme was in fine form too—joking with the crowd, raising a glass, and moving from sludgy, hypnotic riffs to soaring choruses with effortless command.
What struck me most was how vital the band still feel. Even though much of their most beloved material predates the last 15 years, nothing about this show felt nostalgic or tired. Instead, it was a celebration of heavy rock at its most alive: muscular, inventive, and deeply satisfying. Under the circus tent in Sheffield, Queens of the Stone Age proved once again why they remain one of the most discerning, uncompromising bands of their generation.
SET LIST
You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, but I Feel Like a Millionaire
No One Knows
Burn the Witch
Time & Place
My God Is the Sun
Negative Space
If I Had a Tail
Monsters in the Parasol
I Sat by the Ocean
Made to Parade
Little Sister
The Vampyre of Time and Memory
Misfit Love
Emotion Sickness
(Aborted after Josh saw sign for Mark Lanegan and wanted to play a song he sang vocals on)
Hangin' Tree
(Dedicated to Mark Lanegan. In the Fade was also suggested by Josh but Hanging Tree was chosen.)
Sick, Sick, Sick
The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret
Make It Wit Chu
Go With the Flow
A Song for the Dead
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