That includes Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme and ex-Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Them Crooked Vultures have been one among rock’s nice one-and-done supergroups. In 2010, shortly after they launched their self-titled debut (and solely) album, Basic Rock jumped talked to the trio about their all-star union – although not earlier than being stored ready for a number of days…
“You’re kidding, proper?”
She’s bought to be kidding.
“No, I’m afraid not. Actually sorry.”
“However I’ve flown all this approach to meet the band! And also you’re saying it’s not going to occur?”
“Actually, it was by no means really confirmed that they’d do it. Sorry.”
Absolutely they can provide me a while, I purpose, desperately clutching at a fats metaphorical straw. Is there something they will handle? What about tomorrow?
“There’s no room within the schedule both tomorrow or the day after,” she counters.
I’m on account of fly residence the day after.
“There’s an opportunity I’d have the ability to get Josh on the telephone on Sunday.” (Heavy emphasis is positioned on the would possibly.) “Or I’d have the ability to get Dave someday on Monday, although I actually can’t ensure.”
I’m attempting to remain serene on the skin, trying to stem a fast-rising tide of inside panic and rage. This actually wasn’t purported to occur. A part of me – the illogical, eternally hopeful a part of me – thinks it should be some type of perverse joke, some grand comedic document firm/administration sting.
Solely it truly is true. I’ve travelled over 6,000 miles, throughout continent and ocean for the most effective a part of 24 hours to satisfy and interview Them Crooked Vultures, the latest, largest and most profitable of that much-maligned über-style of rock: the Supergroup. Solely it’s not gonna occur. In any respect.
It’s mid-April and I’m standing outdoors Membership Nokia, a wise stay venue within the newly-generated leisure advanced that fringes downtown Los Angeles. It’s an space that additionally serves a 7,000-seat enviornment – Nokia LA Dwell – in addition to lodges, eating places, luxurious condos, a Cineplex and the Staples Centre. Tonight Membership Nokia is enjoying host to Them Crooked Vultures – the trio shaped amid a lot stealth and secrecy final 12 months by Foo Fighter/Nirvana man Dave Grohl, Queens Of The Stone Age/Eagles Of Dying Metallic magus Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones.
Per week earlier, your Basic Rock scribe had met with the affable, eminently likeable Jones in a London resort room, speaking up his Vultures residency over that almost all English of afternoon delicacies: biscuit assortments and a pot of Earl Gray. Now I’m in LA to satisfy the opposite two as properly, possibly hang around collectively for a bit, get a way of what makes them motor. There’s a lot pleasure on the prospect. This interview has been one thing of a marathon to organise, involving a lot heave-ho’ing between administration camps and a slew of conferences and telephone calls. Even Ross Halfin’s photoshoot, I’m advised, was an arseache.
So right here I’m. The lady I’m speaking to is Kristen, supervisor of all issues Josh Homme and, due to this fact, one third of the decision-making workforce that oversees the Vultures. She’s well mannered and completely amiable however, it transpires, this complete proposal has fallen sufferer to some type of misunderstanding or communicative blip. I can get in to see the present tonight, however that’s as a lot entry as I’m going to get. The band’s UK PR had advised me earlier within the day that there’d been a couple of “points with scheduling” over the previous 24 hours. However even he hadn’t anticipated this. Somebody, in some way, someplace – I perceive later – has determined that the band aren’t going to satisfy me in any case. It was a call apparently taken whereas I used to be mid-air, mid-Atlantic.
Days go and, because of a sure bloody-minded volcano in Iceland, I discover myself in LA for over per week. I nonetheless don’t hear as a lot as a peep.
Again in England a fortnight later and I lastly get to speak to Josh Homme, on the telephone from his residence in California. I ask if he was conscious of the LA hoo-ha. “I came upon yesterday that you just have been there,” he replies. “Yeah, I’m sorry to listen to about that. I believe one of many issues that’s been nice in regards to the Vultures is that it’s been much less discuss and extra rock. And what occurred to you appears to be a by-product of the ethos of this band. In some respects, there isn’t a lot to say. The make-up and scenario is obvious from a distance.”
Likewise Dave Grohl, over the telephone a day earlier, appears genuinely stunned at what occurred, trying to untangle any crossed wires by means of light self-mockery: “You have been there to interview me? Oh, properly… fuck. Effectively, to be trustworthy, dude, when you get to know me I’m one of the vital forgetful individuals you’ve ever fucking met in your total life. Besides on the subject of my children. My thoughts’s simply mush. How lengthy have been you right here? Per week? I guess you fucking drank your self foolish each evening…”
Point out ‘supergroup’ to any skilled musician and it’s possible they’ll spit it again with barely-veiled disdain. It’s a phrase with its personal in-built sense of gradual dread, a default setting with connotations of monstrous egos, dysfunctional relationships and bloated extra. Even Crosby, Stills, Nash & Younger – maybe essentially the most well-known instance of all – have been detest to explain themselves as such. “We’re 4 people playin’ collectively,” griped a considerably pedantic David Crosby at their early 70s peak. “Don’t name us a gaggle and don’t name us tremendous”. Eric Clapton first heard the time period when he, Steve Winwood and Ginger Baker have been about to document as Blind Religion in 1969. “That’s once I noticed the pink mild…” he admitted later. Blind Religion ended nearly as shortly because it had begun, with Clapton sifting by means of the wreckage of two bands inside 12 months.
Supergroups have been nearly de rigueur by the tail finish of the 60s. Within the UK, Humble Pie and ELP have been stirring. The Rock’n’Roll Circus had been curated by The Rolling Stones as an all-star excuse to buddy up with Clapton, The Who and John and Yoko. Touted as “the final nice jam of the 60s”, the two-day Supershow – recorded for TV from an deserted London manufacturing unit in 1969 – featured Clapton, Jack Bruce, Buddy Man, drummer Buddy Miles, jazz participant Roland Kirk and Stephen Stills.
The latter, ever the musical gadfly, had already performed on the fabled Tremendous Session with Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield, earlier than hoofing it over to David Crosby’s gaff, inviting over some English bloke and forming CSN. This threesome got here to embody the great, unhealthy and opposite nature of your famous person combo. All three had fled problematic bands. Graham Nash had turn out to be disillusioned inside the restrictive parameters of The Hollies’ pure pop; Crosby had been unceremoniously booted from The Byrds; Stills had been crushed by the break-up of Buffalo Springfield. But as a trio – and shortly with the addition of Neil Younger – they may all pull in a single course, harmonised by devotion to a single trigger: making the type of folksy, acoustic statements that each performed to their particular person strengths and chimed with the brand new, socially-conscious era of protest and alter. However that was earlier than all of the in-fighting.
Resentment set in, magnified by attendant egos and a unstable chemistry that Crosby in comparison with “juggling bottles of nitroglycerin”. The entire on-off shebang grew to become a byword for indulgence within the 70s. Their 35-date tour of 1974, for a while essentially the most commercially profitable in US historical past, grossed over $10m. CSNY every had their very own soundman and crew and blew into city in Lear jets (other than Younger, that’s, who most well-liked his customised GMC Camper), armed with as much as 30 catering employees. The mixed tour entourage was round 85. Spinal Faucet writ giant – and really actual. It prompted a significant piece in Time journal – ‘Return of a Supergroup’ – which posited that, regardless of pulling in megabucks, such bands have been doomed to failure. The entire thing, they mentioned, was merely a “potent however short-lived phenomenon”.
Go inform that to the category of 2010. They’re all at it: Chickenfoot, Lifeless Climate, Velvet Revolver, Monsters Of Folks, Black Nation (or no matter the brand new Hughes-Bonamassa-Bonham outfit is known as). And naturally Them Crooked Vultures, essentially the most high-profile of the lot. Very like CSNY did within the 70s, the Vultures appear to embody a sea change in rock sensibility. Besides that the brand new mannequin is one among democratic utopia. At this time’s deferential supergroups declare to go away their egos outdoors the door. The songs on the Vultures’ terrific self-titled debut have been all co-writes (although Homme offers the lyrics), every member’s enter as legitimate as the following, a local weather of consensus prevailing over any self-serving notions or accusations of subterfuge. It’s a method that fits them properly, judging by stay reveals and the thunderous, metallic KO of their recorded output.
“We’re kinda like a Particular Forces Unit,” gives Homme. “We every have our personal speciality and it’s three guys who’re prepared to pay attention to one another and take a minute fairly than snap to a judgement. I imagine any one among us may flip the opposite guys to their mind-set, given the precise dialogue. The choice-making is completed by the three of us.”
The music itself takes Zeppelin as a tough repair, then canters off in any respect factors on the compass. James Brown grooves get busy with big Sabbath riffs; clavinets and keytars bulge from Metallica-sized occasion pants; Center Jap figures loom behind jagged QOTSA rhythms. There are smooth textures and unusual subtleties, however more often than not it’s plain HUGE. “We may have simply taken a extra mellow flip with that document,” explains Homme, “as a result of we additionally had three acoustic songs written. However in the long run we felt like the primary document needs to be a steamroller of eerie darkness.”
It’s clearly a symbiotic relationship that felt proper instantly. “There wasn’t a variety of dialogue, ever, about dynamic or management and even music,” explains Grohl. “If somebody didn’t like one thing, they’d simply say so and we’d transfer ahead from that. It’s a easy band to be in, since you depend on this particular person subsequent to you and you’ve got this belief with everybody. When we have now these moments the place we go off on a jam, on our approach to someplace we’ve by no means been earlier than, we’re not frightened about the best way to get again. So long as the three of us are there collectively, we’ll make it.” John Paul Jones concurs: “It’s very democratic, very natural. To be trustworthy, I’d forgotten the time period ‘supergroup’, till individuals level out: ‘Oh, you’re a supergroup!’ It’s undoubtedly simply the ‘S’ phrase for me. Everybody simply appears very pure and relaxed within the Vultures. And I believe it helps that we’ve all executed what we’ve executed earlier than. Everyone knows who we’re and none of us should show something. There’s a variety of life and vitality within the band. And everybody simply appears to know when one thing isn’t working. You don’t should pussyfoot round anyone.”
There appear to be no hidden agendas, the band as a substitute propelled by an innate sense of self-confidence. Certainly, Jones sees parallels between the pure surety of the Vultures and that different band of his. “Folks actually didn’t know what to make of Zeppelin again within the day,” he remembers. “Each album we introduced out was greeted with: ‘Oh what do they suppose they’re doing now? It’s too industrial, they’re going to lose all their followers!’ That occurred with each document, however it didn’t hassle us in any respect as a result of we knew what we have been doing. The thought was that if we appreciated it, then another person was certain to. It’s the regulation of chance. And it’s the identical with the Vultures. For those who begin worrying about attempting to second-guess the general public, you’re screwed. For those who appreciated and actually understood Zeppelin, you’ll in all probability just like the Vultures. It’s bought the identical drive and impulse.”
Jones additionally sees similarities within the simple chemistry between the 2 bands, likening the Vultures’ instantaneous rapport to that of Zeppelin’s first ever rehearsal, again in London in August 1968. “We have been doing songs that none of us knew greater than 4 bars of, however we simply began to play. And I bear in mind [manager] Peter Grant put his arms round all 4 of us on the finish and lifted us all up off the ground: ‘Boys, you have been bloody nice!’ I believe all of us knew we had one thing particular.”
So are the Vultures the very best of what a supergroup needs to be? They’re definitely conscious of the implications of the phrase. Says Homme: “I by no means flip to Brody [Dalle, Homme’s then-wife] and say: ‘Sweetie, I’m off to jam with my supergroup. I’ll be again in an hour.’ I believe it will be completely different if I lived inside a graphic novel, like Sin Metropolis or one thing. [Affects dramatic anchorman voice]: ‘Rock’n’roll is dying! It’s out within the ocean someplace! We’d like a supergroup to save lots of us!’ The phrase has a connotation of resting in your laurels, presupposing you’re tremendous. I believe it’s actually vital for a band like this to not fear about what the present development is, however simply be itself.”
Grohl is equally dismissive of the entire concept. “I do know this would possibly sound ridiculous,” he says, “however the Vultures started similar to another band I’ve ever been in. Josh and I talked about beginning up one thing and I mentioned: ‘Hey, need me to name John?’ And he mentioned: ‘Certain’. It’s not in contrast to my band Mind Injury once I was 15 years previous. My buddy Dave and I mentioned: ‘Y’know, that man Reuben’s fairly good. Let’s name him’. I assume with supergroups, there are connotations of intention that may be questionable. However on the similar time I get the truth that we’re three completely different musicians with three established careers, we’ve made three names for ourselves and now we’ve come collectively to do one factor. However I believe the time period is kinda foolish – if I didn’t, I’d be type of an asshole for pondering that I’m tremendous.”
So right here they’re. Not for them the preciousness of CSNY, the inter-band sniping of Velvet Revolver, the continued cleaning soap opera that’s Black Nation or certainly the schisms that ruined Cream (twice – even their transient 2005 reunion fell foul of “a specific amount of animosity”). No, the Vultures are strong, sufficiently old and sensible sufficient to keep away from any of these frequent traps. It nonetheless feels like some idyllic three-way honeymoon.
“There are particular moments once I’m reminded that John was in my favorite rock band of all-time,” says Grohl. “It’s after we’re on stage and I’m soaking moist from enjoying for the final hour and a half, and we’re within the final jam of the evening, and he’s bought the neck of his bass beneath my Riot cymbal and we’re staring one another within the eyes, smiling and pondering: ‘OK, let’s go, let’s fucking go!’
“For the previous 20 years I’ve been recognised because the cymbal-cracking, punk-rock Muppet-Animal drummer, when actually my complete life I’ve beloved listening to funk, dance, disco and R&B. When John and I sit down at soundcheck we don’t bust into some fucking laborious’n’quick rock factor. We simply begin to fucking groove collectively. It’s one of many nice issues about Zeppelin and one of many nice issues in regards to the Vultures: it may be darkish and it may be heavy, however it may nonetheless groove.”
The components which is able to finally decide the Vultures’ long-term destiny are more likely to come from outdoors the band, fairly than inside. As highlighted by the LA fiasco, there are clearly logistical and doubtlessly destabilising points in working a gaggle with a three-way administration set-up. However the largest foreseeable hazard would possibly properly be the small matter of the best way to work across the day jobs. Grohl has plans for a brand new Foo Fighters album – “We’ve been writing and demoing Foo Fighters stuff for the final couple of months, so we’ll go into the studio in September to start out engaged on the following one” – whereas Homme has dusted off QOTSA for a bunch of pageant reveals this summer season.
After Studying, he reveals, “Queens are going to get again within the studio and start the method of attempting to destroy all people else”. So how are all these actions suitable? “The Vultures and the Foo Fighters are two solely completely different experiences, however they serve one another properly,” causes Grohl. “The drums, for me, though they’re not my first instrument, are undoubtedly my residence. However the Foo Fighters symbolize one thing greater than only a band to me; they symbolize one thing very deep and significant. It’s the factor that helped me recover from Nirvana. It’s the factor that helped me proceed to fall in love with music time and again. I don’t wish to make a silly analogy, however being within the Vultures is like taking a Maserati down the fuckin’ autobahn, with the audio system on 10. It’s actually fuckin’ thrilling. And it’s nice to go from one to the opposite. I can’t wait to return again and do reveals with the Vultures. Y’know, it’s like visiting somebody you haven’t seen in a very long time they usually’re three inches taller they usually have tits!”
Homme mirrors his bandmate’s sentiments. “I’ve at all times embraced my very own musical schizophrenia,” he says, “and the Vultures is simply one other room in that mansion of persona. [QOTSA, Eagles Of Death Metal, The Desert Sessions and Them Crooked Vultures] are all type of necessities for one another. They eternally until the soil for the opposite. Once I become involved in one thing, you get every part I’ve to present.”
It’s preventing discuss alright, however will schedules and different commitments actually enable sufficient mild for a second Vultures album? Or, because the hearsay mill has been suggesting of late, are they over earlier than they’ve actually begun? Grohl, Homme and Jones are all satisfied they’re in it for the long-term. “I actually hope there’ll be a second album,” contends Grohl. “It doesn’t really feel like a side-project, it seems like a band. It’s only a matter of determining how we are able to make it work. Personally, I believe we may stroll into the studio and make a document in two weeks. There’s no query in my thoughts that we may try this.”
Says Jones: “It’s only a query of discovering time. All of us convey various things to the combo and are all eager to maintain this going. I like it.”
Homme is especially adamant: “I really feel very comfy talking for everybody: there needs to be one other Vultures document. A part of why I really like doing it is because there’s completely no rulebook. There’s a circulation of recommendations and limitless opinions. There’s actually no approach to do that unsuitable. The Vultures has to occur, as a result of we have now an excessive amount of of a very good time doing it. What we want is to return collectively the identical approach we did the primary time. And I believe that requires a little bit little bit of air. The thriller and magic – the shock aspect – is what I really like in music. It really works so properly that there’s no purpose why we couldn’t flip up simply behind your shoulder once more. Like we did the primary time spherical.”
Right here’s hoping.
Initially printed in Basic Rock subject 146, Could 2010
