Friday night was a homecoming for Queens of the Stone Age and frontman Josh Homme, returning to their desert roots in Joshua Tree, CA, and reuniting with former bassist Nick Oliveri for the first time since 2014.

The outdoor show on the outskirts of Joshua Tree National Park kicked off another leg of QOTSA’s Catacombs Tour. Nominally a stripped-back, acoustic affair, the band plugged in while Oliveri roamed the crowd as he sang Rated R‘s “Auto Pilot”. As Homme and Oliveri shared vocals on the chorus, Josh snuck in a shoutout for their dearly departed Queens of the Stone Age collaborator Mark Lanegan.

Related: Did You Call For The Night Porter? Remembering Mark Lanegan [Videos]

Queens hadn’t performed with Oliveri since a 2014 show in L.A., when he lent his shrieking vocals to a string of classic songs. Oliveri played bass, sang, and was a key songwriter during Queens of the Stone Age’s most celebrated period, making considerable contributions to seminal albums Queens of the Stone Age (1998), Rated R (2000), and Songs for the Deaf (2002). His history with Homme goes back even further, touring and recording together with stoner metal forebear Kyuss.

Oliveri’s time with QOTSA and Homme came to an abrupt end in 2004 when he was fired from the band, over allegations that Nick had physically abused his girlfriend. Following a period of contentious exchanges via the press, Homme and Oliveri eventually reconciled their differences, with Queens inviting Nick to record vocals on “If I Had a Tail” from the band’s 2013 album …Like Clockwork. On Friday night in Joshua Tree, Homme introduced Oliveri as “one of the people that I love dearly.”

In 2012, Oliveri told NME about getting fired from Queens, “It took me six years to figure it out, but you know what, I would have axed me too.”

Watch Queens of the Stone Age reunite with Nick Oliveri in Joshua Tree below. After the Catacombs Tour, Queens will link up with Foo Fighters for a stadium tour criss-crossing the U.S. in August and September. Find tickets and tour dates here. [Editor’s note: Live For Live Music has affiliate relationships with Ticketmaster and may earn a commission on purchases completed via the links on this page. Thank you for supporting our coverage of the world of live music!]

Queens Of The Stone Age, Nick Oliveri — “Auto Pilot” — 4/24/26
[Video: The Concert B]