As rock fans spilled out of Queens of the Stone Age’s concert at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, they found themselves in the front row of another kind of rock show.<\/p>\n
From the back of a rented U-Haul truck, the local metal outfit Hemorage unleashed a wall of sound that drew dozens of concertgoers who had just left the marble-clad venue for the Queens’ one-night-only Catacombs Tour stop in the Bay Area.<\/p>\n
A spontaneous mosh pit broke out\u00a0 as more spectators gathered on the sidewalk near the corner of Grove Street and Van Ness Avenue. A woman even climbed atop the U-Haul, headbanging under the glow of the city lights as the band tore through its set.<\/p>\n
For a few chaotic minutes, cars slowed and pedestrians stopped to film or jump into the mosh pit.<\/p>\n
“I saw the listing of the show last night,” Hemorage frontman Jon Orc told The Chronicle. “So I was like, \u2018Queens of the Stone Age at the Symphony Hall sounds pretty awesome, we should pull up and play,’ and that’s how we end up here.”<\/p>\n
Going on five years as a group – Orc on vocals and guitar along with guitarist Bona “Toby” Pak, both 36, and drummer Ron Roussell, 41 – the San Francisco trio has found success playing guerrilla-style shows<\/p>\n
“A year or so before the pandemic, we started doing it to test the waters,” Orc said. “But post-pandemic we’ve been doing it full-time. It’s become a small business for us.”<\/p>\n
The decision to take their act to the streets isn’t just about convenience; it’s a philosophy. By cutting out traditional venues and bookers, the band found more freedom to perform whenever and wherever it wanted, connecting directly with fans on its own terms.<\/p>\n
“We actually stopped playing venues because this is more efficient,” Orc said, noting that they pay about $30 for the U-Haul and can make up to $500 in tips for a 30-minute pop-up set.<\/p>\n
The band admits its impromptu approach has occasionally drawn the unwanted attention of authorities. But Roussell calls it “good trouble.”<\/p>\n
“A lot of doors opened for us because of this,” Orc said.<\/p>\n
Hemorage’s rogue performances have earned it serious recognition, including landing the band a spot on the 2024 Aftershock bill in Sacramento – one of the biggest hard rock festivals in the country – sharing a lineup with their heroes like Slipknot.<\/p>\n
As for what’s next, the guys haven’t planned that far ahead.<\/p>\n
“We don’t know yet,” Orc said. “We’re still going week by week right now.”<\/p>\n