Queens of the Stone Age playing in Darwin

Queens of the Stone Age playing in Darwin

IF you want to test how tough a rock band is, introduce them to a croc.

American rockers Queens of the Stone Age fulfilled their wish to meet their dinosaur equals ahead of their opening Australian concert in Darwin on Sunday night.

While frontman Josh Homme held his own with the juvenile crocodiles, some of his band mates were less enamoured of the reptiles.

A regular visitor down under, both with his band and his Australian rocker wife Brody Dalle, Homme had insisted the band add Darwin to their short tour for the Splendour In The Grass festival in Byron Bay next weekend.

Ahead of the tour, Homme told News Corp Australia he wanted to indulge in some croc’n’roll and get up close and personal with crocodiles.

His wish was our command.

While drummer Jon Theodore admitted he wasn’t keen to get too close, Homme appeared relaxed and comfortable around the unpredictable pair of ancient animals.

“Those are dinosaurs, they are so perfect at what they do and it is only now we get that and let them own that,” Homme said.

“Even 60 years ago, we didn’t get it.

“Anything that you cannot negotiate with, that you can’t go ‘whoa, whoa, whoa, wait ... wait deserves respect.

“And I’m thinking ‘OK, Jon Theodore tastes much better.’ Jon is surfing in the chum bathing suit I bought him.”

Theodore joked that his nickname is decoy. The band recently revealed the upcoming details of their seventh album

Villains, which will be released on August 25. Their loyal Australian fans will be among the first to get a live preview with QOTSA performing current single The Way You Used To Do

and album track The Evil Has Landed during their shows here.

They perform at the Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday and Festival Hall in Melbourne on Thursday before heading to Splendour to headline on Saturday night.

The band are expected to return for a full national tour in 2018.