Josh Homme recalls Elton John's hilarious jibe over Glastonbury set clash
11 December 2023, 17:25 | Updated: 11 December 2023, 17:37
The Queens of the Stone Age frontman revealed what the legendary singer-songwriter whispered in his ear ahead of their Glastonbury sets.
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Josh Homme has revealed Elton John's humorous joke ahead of their performances at Glastonbury 2023.
Queens of the Stone Age were booked to close out the festival's Other Stage on Sunday 25th June, while the legendary piano man was set to play a career-spanning farewell main stage performance at the The Pyramid Stage, at the same time.
While QOTSA's set was praised by many who attended and those catching up at home, there's no doubt that Elton John's was the one to watch as it marked the last ever official UK tour date on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
Homme understood the magnitude of the event and has remarked how he's faced pretty gruelling competition from Elton John, which the icon teased him about.
Speaking to NME, Homme recalled: "He gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek and said, ‘Enjoy playing to all three people’, which I thought was amazing. I laughed, but then when we walked out I thought, 'Oh my God'."
He added of the band's Other Stage performance that year: "There was a lot of people, but normally there would probably be a lot more. It was an interesting thing to walk out to at first. That was some accurate [stuff] right there, that was a good prediction."
Elton's Glastonbury set broke records to become the most-watched headliner in the festival's history, with 7.6 million tuning into the BBC broadcast and an estimated 120,000 fans watching it at the Pyramid Stage.
It's not the first time Queens Of The Stone Age have been pit against a global icon at Glastonbury either. Their previous stint on the Other Stage clashed with Beyonce's headline appearance at the festival back in 2011.
“Other than driving the sewage truck, playing against Elton is one of the tougher jobs, as is playing against Beyoncé,” remarked Homme.
“They were both tough gigs that were really fun, but tough because you don’t know when you walk out if anyone is going to be there. Quickly all that stuff just fades away and you have a good time.
"It’s Glasto at the end of the day and people are just there to participate. Escapism is really what we’re after.”
Needless to say, QOTSA have proved their live chops in the UK and topped off the year with a headline UK dates as part of their The End Is Nero Tour.
Queens of the Stone Age - Go With The Flow
