My boyfriend died last year...

Anyone who knows me knows that I have an unhealthy obsession with the music of Josh Homme - so much so my friend's say he is my boyfriend. This isn't true but I have a long time love of his music starting with Kyuss and then an incredibly intense love for Queens of the Stone Age. How intense? Multiple copies of the same album (vinyl, special edition cds), about twelve gig posters (including one signed by the band from the Rated R tour) and I've seen them in concert about thirteen times. I guess if I was going to have a boyfriend (not really my vibe though), Josh Homme would be the closest I'd get to it.

So it was with some dismay to read that Homme died on the operating table last year during a knee operation (he was successfully revived). I don't pretend to know the musicians I follow and any understanding of their lives is through the superficial prism of the media. However, I think I'd be genuinely upset if Homme had not survived. Firstly, Homme is the same age as me and is married with a small daughter which would be a personal tragedy. Given the death of some of my friends far too soon, I think at an empathetic level I'd find it quite distressing.

But for the purposes of this blog (which is about music), on a musical level there are few artists whom I connect with completely (apart from Homme, I'd name Bob Mould as the other). The idea of no more music from Homme is totally depressing to me - not depressing, almost terrifying. The reason I love Queens is that it brings the rock action but it can be sensual and it can be funny too. There is also a playfulness and experimentation to the music amongst the balls out adrenalin. Many fans of Queens gravitate to a particular record because they change sonically from album to album but I like them all in their own way. Even the last album Era Vulgaris (which was disliked by some fans) had some great tunes and at least one stone cold classic. Further to that, seeing them in a small club on the Songs of the Deaf Tour stands out as my favourite concert experience - ever. I also adored Them Crooked Vultures and despite have the best rhythm section in the world, the music was largely driven by Homme's musical imprint. To say Josh Homme's music live large in my imagination is like saying polar bears like tearing seals limb from limb... dude, like it, they love it.

This is not the first bit of bad Queens related news for me this week. I missed out on tickets to their Sydney sideshow which was crushing and now I'm faced with near death of my musical hero. That's quite a week but all this has taught me a few things:
1. I am a hopeless fanboy for even writing this,
2. I long suspected Josh Homme had superpowers and now that he has risen from dead like a red haired Jesus, I think it'd be pretty hard to dispute this.
3. I don't really want Josh to be my boyfriend. I just want him to come round to my house, have some beers and play some vinyl.

Whatever the case, God save the Queens and long may Josh Homme live.

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