They pioneered the stoner rock movement in the Californian desert, heavy riff heroes who influenced countless other bands, including Australian acts such as Silverchair and Magic Dirt. Now Palm Desert rockers Kyuss have reunited for an Australian tour – without, however, one of their most important founding members.
John Garcia, Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri will visit Australian shores in May 2011 under the new moniker Kyuss Lives!, the name slightly amended to reflect the fact that founding member Josh Homme – the man behind Queens of the Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures – won’t be a part of the reunion. Kyuss first formed in the hot sands of Palm Desert, California, back in 1989. With four full-length albums released in just five years (including their break-though, seminal hit ...And The Circus Leaves Town in 1995), the band called it quits, Homme inviting Oliveri to join his band QOTSA (a friendship that later splintered).
Last year Garcia, who has enjoyed a successful solo career since Kyuss’ demise, toured across Europe on a planned one-off performing Kyuss tracks under the title Garcia Plays Kyuss. Former bandmates Oliveri and Bjork joined him onstage at France’s Hellfest Festival... and the idea of a reunion was spawned.
Homme isn’t a fan of reunions. Back in May he commented, “The offers come in all the time,” talking of a Kyuss reunion. “They’re getting more and more expensive, and more and more elaborate. The money is crazy, but I’ve never been tempted – I don’t really care about the money, I never have. That’s not what Kyuss was about, so to punctuate the end of our sentence with that would be blasphemy.”
Tickets are on sale Thursday 25 November, and dates are:
Wednesday 4 May – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast, QLD
Friday 6 May – The Tivoli, Brisbane, QLD
Saturday 7 May – Metro Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Sunday 8 May – Billboard, Melbourne, VIC
Tuesday 10 May – Fowlers Live, Adelaide, SA
Wednesday 11 May – Capitol, Perth, WA
