Anything but soft — Queens of the Stone Age have put up with their share of bad journalism and rhythmically challenged crowds

Usually, stories of breakups, meltdowns and betrayal are reserved for TV tabloid shows discussing the latest scoop on Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson, not a niche rock band with modest commercial success. Queens of the Stone Age, however, breaks that mold. Despite their unique sound and the consistent variety in their albums, the band tends to get more attention for its rotating membership and the love life of frontman Josh Homme than for its music. It’s a hassle, but according to guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen, it’s more the case south of the border than in Canada.
            “Queens (always) has some drama,” Van Leeuwen says. “There’s always that thing of ‘what happened to the old members?’ and ‘I heard that Josh did this and that.’ It’s info-tainment questions. It doesn’t seem like that with the Canadian press. I think there’s more valid questions.”
            Perhaps this is why the band comes through Canada so often. After all, it’s rare for a band from Palm Desert in the southern United States to spend so much time with us Canucks.
            “I think Canada has always been there for us,” he says. “The crowd seems to know more of the music. And I’ve noticed this thing about Canadian audiences — they really can clap in time. And that’s actually true. Americans, they just don’t have the time, man. That sounds silly, but, to be honest, (Canadians) really do know more about the music.”
            Knowing about Queens’ music isn’t an easy task. The band has one of the most schizophrenic catalogues in recent alt-rock history, covering heavy metal, punk and prog-rock territory, sometimes all in the same song. For Van Leeuwen, who joined the band as it was following up on its biggest commercial success with 2002’s Songs for the Deaf, keeping the music unpredictable is a great way to avoid becoming stagnant.
            “The philosophy of the band has always been ‘never repeat yourself,’” he says, “so the way every record is approached is different, and that’s what I love about it. For (Lullabies to Paralyze, the band’s 2005 album), the only thing that was par for the course was that the making of that record was very fast. For Era Vulgaris (2007), it was completely different. Nothing was prepared, we had no songs and we created something in the studio, so it was fresh, and it took a long time in comparison.”
            Having been with Queens through the recording of two studio albums, you would think that Van Leeuwen would be confident with his status in the band. Given the many lineup changes throughout the years, though, it’s hard to be certain about anything.
            “I don’t think (I can get too comfortable),” he says. “I say that in a positive way, because, you know, nobody wants to really get comfortable. We’ve got to be fluid. Things change, and you’ve got to roll with those changes. There’s nobody sitting back and thinking they can kick back. It’s more or less a work ethic thing, so nobody’s going to get bored, and that translates to the music.”
            That work ethic has led Queens to embark on another Canadian tour, coming through Calgary on Thurday, August 30. When they hit the stage, it’ll be a perfect chance for fans to forget about the drama behind the scenes and focus on the drama in the music.