QOTSA's Homme Explained Why He Fired Nick Oliveri

Josh Homme has revealed for the first time why he fired longtime friend Nick Oliveri from Queens Of The Stone Age in 2004. Speaking to Zane Lowe on July 6 on BBC Radio 1, Homme said he ordered Oliveri to leave the band after he independently confirmed Oliveri had been physically abusive to his girlfriend.

"A couple years ago, I spoke to Nick about a rumor I heard," Homme recalled. "I said, 'If I ever find out that this is true, I can't know you, man.' Because music and my life are the same thing, there's no rules until something massive happens. [Nick] was over here [in England] with [QOTSA vocalist Mark] Lanegan and something happened again, and he almost didn't make it out of the country. That's not music anymore."

Read more at Billboard.com.

In other news, QOTSA are to release an exclusive 7” inch signed single to every fan who turns up to their Somerset House gig in London this week, according to NME.com. The band is set to play the venue today (July 7) and are offering the unique vinyl to every attendee.

The release will feature the non-album song "Fun Machine" as the lead track with "A Commentary" (five minutes of singer Josh Homme speaking) on the flipside.

Comments

[pats88]

i would have fired his ass too!

[tydhurst]

I wonder if that's true. It'd not be smart to make up something like that, so i figure it must be. He looks like the type to be violent.

[Diabolic Clown]

Queens of the Stone Age are pretty good, and it's finally good to know why he kicked Nick out. But damn, I would have done the same thing.

[6your_mother9]

wouldn't mind getting that special 7" single.

[Liamy]

Bah that's a shame, but I think Josh made a good call on it. You just can't have people that volatile in a band as huge as QOTSA.

[Chestaufissen]

I agree with you guys I'd do the exact same thing.

[[NIN]_ROCK!]

^^you have to "separate the waters" between personal life and professional life.....but in this case,I'd do the same thing.

[HarmlessLilF*ck]

For the past few months i've been hoping Nick would be allowed to come back but if this is true *** him

[zepplinmike]

good reason

[Greenfinger182]

Good enough reason for me. You have enough to worry about when you got a band, even more to worry about if you have to bail your friend out of jail in a different country.

[gonstathis]

At least I appreciate his strenght to do that,It's not common to fire such a big name.H e as some principals in his life.Bravo

[equal_heights]

woah. and i heard it was because olivieri was "partying too much". this makes more sense, i reckon anyone in their right mind would do the same.

[Nexu]

Hey is that gonna be 'The Fun Machine Took A **** Then Died'? I sooo.. want that! A song i was bitterly dsiasappointed they lost. And yeh i agree with kicking Nick out, but did they not say he might re-join soon?

[clazz]

Eesh, Nick was awesome, but assuming that's the truth, I'm glad he was kicked out.

[mike1991]

bye bye nickolas

[Pinkfloydguy]

QOTSA arent "huge" theyre merely big

[firdaus125]

Josh Homme is an idiot anyway

[ad_lib_oz]

clazz:
Eesh, Nick was awesome, but assuming that's the truth, I'm glad he was kicked out

Yeah, I kinda hope it's not true, but at the same time I do.

Sigh.

I love Nick, he was a fantastic element in the band in my opinion. He gave it a sharper edge.

And QOTSA are pretty big these days, but it's true, they're not "huge" quite yet. Best freakin' band in the universe these days though.

[theonlybman]

He should have abused Nick's girlfriend right back.



Just kidding, good call Josh.

[Calvin000]

Long live QOTSA, even though we will all miss Nick.

[puncturedlung24]

dat may nt b tru, ne hu i gt songs 4 def. it shit

[moobear666]

wait, im confused, was nick violent towards josh's girl or was he violent towards his own girlfriend, either way thats unacceptable

[r_lightning]

good news

[Nexu]

wait, im confused, was nick violent towards josh's girl or was he violent towards his own girlfriend

I think Nick abused his own, otherwise i rekon Josh woulda kicked Nicks **** if it'd been his, and wouldnt that of been Brode?

[Scourge441]

If you beat your girlfriend/sexually assault a 14 year old girl (Tripp Eisen), then you deserve to kicked out of your band.

[neev]

wot an ass!

[Soulbleed]

Woot, go Josh.

[reidy]

its a pity tonights gig is cancelled like, i wonder what they'll do with all them free CDs. Bloody Al-quaida

[Juneau]

I heard that Josh Homme was pretty shallow, the type of guy to put down anyone with no real reason. I guess this proves whoever said that is wrong.

[THC-Llama]

puncturedlung24 are you purposely trying to mispell every ***ing word in your sentence

[any14doomsday]

I would have rather this been kept private caus eif its true I lost alot of respect for nick man ALOT !

[Emenius Sleepus]

if it's true, good call. seems like it came out of the blue though...

[evening_crow]

puncturedlung24:
dat may nt b tru, ne hu i gt songs 4 def. it shit

^^^ hey that's annoying.

[BassBeats098]

was nick that bass player?

[Lostprophit9]

yea man, he was a helluva bassist too, he inspired me with "rater R", that album kicked ass, but if he is gonna go do something like that, then **** him

[white_waltz]

Homme you sly devil, although he says he wontt let nick back in hes calling attention to this now so that nick will have to publicly prove he is no longer like that, making it a whole lot eaasier for homme to forgive him and let him back in.

[tomobrien]

good call he deserves to be kicked out afta that

[snake_eyes31]

with or without him, they still suck

[no1misfitfan]

Im not a fan of QOTSA but there new album is amazing!

Spam deleted.

[guitarghetto]

Nick Oliveri is an awesome bassist. Good for Josh, to kick that crazed man out. He played bass naked. He must be crazy. Turns out that QOTSA sounds even better without him. Yes, the bass on Lullabies To Paralyze did not have as big of an impact as previously, and none of Nick's ghoulish wails could be heard. However, the substance was much better.

Regardless, Nick,
Everyone Knows That You're Insane.

[guitarghetto]

Everyone Knows That You're Insane.

Nevermind, I ment:
Everybody Knows That You're Insane.

[no1misfitfan]

Spam deleted.

[Vinura]

yeha thats pretty horroible thing to do

they are a good band

better than most of the others out there

[RIPdime]

puncturedlung24 Songs for the deaf is f*cking class album!!

[daniel010101]

yeah queens of the stone age r proberly better off wi out a woman beater, hopefuly Oliveri will soon b found in a gutter sumwhere, beaten up by sum butch, built woman (sorry im not trying 2 b sexist feel free 2 tell me off)
D.

[vantage4]

i've heard that they sort of made up and nick might rejoin them, but josh made the right call. i don't think nick's an evil guy, he just made a bad, bad mistake. in an interview he did a while afterwards he seemed pretty down from not being in the band, maybe he just needed a wake-up call.

[duncang]

Nick was QOTSA. Josh has destroyed Queens by kicking out Nick, although he didnt have a choice really, if its true. But I read an interview with Nick, and he seemed totally honest when he said he didnt do anything, but I don't think Josh would make up something like that to kick out such a kick-ass bass player....

[kjohnson08]

evening_crow wrote:

puncturedlung24
:
dat may nt b tru, ne hu i gt songs 4 def. it shit

i bet he's like 11 or somethin.

^^^ hey that's annoying.

[msbones]

DON'T PASS JUDGEMENT ON NICK(or any one) BASED ON HEARSAY. JOSH LIED TO NICK ABOUT SOME PAPERS TO SIGN- NICK JUST SIGNED THEM WITHOUT READING THEM BECAUSE HE JUST SIMPLY TRUSTED JOSH HAVING BEEN FRIENDS SINCE CHILDHOOD. HE WAS UNAWARE THAT HE HAD JUST SIGNED OVER HIS RIGHTS TO JOSH. NICK IS NOT THE MONSTER JOSH HAS MADE HIM OUT TO BE. HE IS THE MOST KIND, LOYAL, JUST, SINCERE, THOUGHTFUL,BRILLIANT BAD-ASS MANIACS I'VE EVER KNOWN. HE GOT SCREWED BAD ENOUGH AS IT IS, TO HAVE THE PUBLIC THINKING HE'S A TOTAL CREEP ON TOP OF THAT IS JUST A FUCKING SHAME.

[frusciante_50]

^How does that salvage Nicks reputation if he beat/sexually assaulted someone? It doesnt, and if the rumours are true, then your argument has no relevance.

[NickOliveri]

with friends like you folks! Ya'll kinda suck