Queens of the Stone Age cancel European tour due to Josh Homme’s “emergency surgery”
Queens of the Stone Age have cancelled a set of dates on their current European tour due to singer Josh Homme needing “emergency surgery”.
The American rock band have spent the last month on the road across Europe, notably playing festivals such as Download and Rock AM Ring. They were set to continue on the continent until the end of August, but have now been forced to cancel a series of shows planned for the rest of this month.
Shows affected include their performances at the Sohoda Festival in Slovakia, Athens Rocks in Greece, and two headline shows in Zagreb, Croatia. Queens of the Stone Age have also pulled concerts in Germany, France, Slovakia, Romania and the Czech Republic.
Taking to social media to share the sad news, the band said: “Queens are gutted we aren’t able to play for you. We apologize for any inconvenience and share in your frustration and disappointment.”
They continued: “QOTSA regret to announce that Josh Homme must return to the United States immediately for emergency surgery. Every effort was made to push through and play for you, but it is no longer an option to continue.”
For headline shows, fans will be contacted about refunds from the point of purchase with further information about how to secure their money. Meanwhile, Queens of the Stone Age have said ticket holders will need to visit the websites of specific festivals for information on refunds for festival performances.
At this stage, there has been no further news on Homme’s surgery and the specifics of the situation. Positively, Queens of the Stone Age are still scheduled to resume their European tour on August 8th at the Way Out West Festival in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Last year, Homme revealed he’d received the all-clear from cancer after being diagnosed in 2022. Sharing the news of his health problems with Revolver, the singer said: “I never say it can’t get any worse. I never say that, and I wouldn’t advise it. But I do say it can get better. Cancer is just the cherry on top of an interesting time period, you know?”
Thankfully, a year later, Homme told ITV that “I’m good, I’m all clear” and he “feel[s] the best I’ve felt all year”.
The rock vocalist added: “It’s OK to be broad and say ‘Dark times come’, but I guess more than ever I’m just trying to look for the light, you know?”
Queens of the Stone Age returned in 2023 with their latest album, In Times New Roman. In a three-star review, Far Out said of the LP: “In Times New Roman has darkness woven into its DNA. But Homme’s never been one to feel sorry for himself. The anger and confusion that has coloured his life outside of music doesn’t really find its way into either the music or the lyrics of In Times New Roman.”
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