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Thousands of ripped, stained, and faded t-shirts were dusted off yesterday in preparation for a concert at Challenge Stadium in Perth. These t-shirts, undoubtedly as important to their owners as their first born children, bore the names of rock n roll royalty: Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters, and even Kyuss. However, none of these bands or their songs were present last night at Challenge Stadium. Instead the crowd settled in to welcome Them Crooked Vultures to Australia.

After only five months of touring and playing select shows throughout Europe and the U.S.A., Them Crooked Vultures have garnered more attention than any new band in recent memory. Considering the rave reviews of their debut album, countless interviews, each member’s distinguished musical background, and the endless internet banter, expectations were high walking into Challenge Stadium Tuesday night.

As the stage lights went up, the Vultures casually sauntered onto stage, paused, cradled their instruments, and gave a smiling wave to the crowd.

Homme addressed the crowd with the question ” You ready for a good time? ” His calm and welcoming demeanour towards the crowd was felt instantly. As a front man, he is able to transform the largest shows into intimate events; This show was no different. Before Homme even struck a chord, the crowd inside was drawn to his welcoming persona and casual stage presence. Joking with the crowd during each song break, Homme became quite modest when addressing the other Vultures: “Did I mention that Dave Grohl is our drummer? ” Continuing through the band, the largest applause was saved for John Paul Jones’ recognition. When Homme repeatedly yelled Jones’ name, an endless roar erupted from of the crowd. Following fellow Queens of the Stone Age alumnus Alain Johannes’ introduction, He played himself down by saying: ” You all know me, I’m Joshua.” Despite his affable stage presence, Homme’s intense vocal ferocity and menacing guitar riffs revealed an intimidating side of the Vultures. When He spoke, the crowd the crowd of nearly 5,000 listened and when he demanded they stand, all obeyed.

Grohl’s drums started the night off with the catchy opening beat of Nobody Loves Me & Neither Do I but it was the mid-song breakdown that threw the crowd into a frenzy. This tempo shift is one of the highlights of the debut album, so hearing Nobody Loves Me… first up set the volume at 11 for the entire night. What followed was a relentless punishment to the eardrums and an adrenaline shot to the heart, which will go down as one of the most memorable concerts of 2010 in Perth.

As Grohl’s drumming and Homme’s personality quickly became the highlights of the show, Jones’ arsenal of rarely seen musical instruments added original overtones, both visually and musically, to the Vultures’ performance. Breaking out a mounted lap-steel guitar for the opening number, a Hammond organ reminiscent of his Zeppelin days, and a strapped 80s retro keytar. Standing next to a guitar-less Homme during Interlude with Ludes jamming on his bass heavy keytar, grooving back and forth, Jones worked perfectly with the lead singer to create an eerie cabaret mood onstage. Jones, as he did in his Zeppelin days, stood in the darkness using his endless skills with an array of instruments to make his presence known. His bass guitar work is expectedly great, considering his years of experience, but for readers planning a future date with the Vultures there is no way to prepare for the bass which awaits you. No matter how many times one listens to the Vultures’ debut release or the catalogue of Zeppelin, Jones’ true craft can only be witnessed live. Combining his blues background with hints of heavy metal groove, and Homme’s stoner rock influence, and the description of Jones’ monstrous bass sound is still incomplete. Combine Grohl’s drums with this outerworldly bass and the best rhythm section existing in today’s music awaits you.

You’ve seen the pictures, watched the YouTube videos, and listened to the album but are you prepared for the return of Grohl behind the drums? In similar fashion to Jones’s bass, there is no way to prepare for the juggernaut named Grohl. A veritable hurricane of hair, sticks, arms, and sweat, Grohl is the ultimate showman behind the kit. His drums are like a cage trapping a wild animal endlessly trying to escape by smashing every cylinder in sight. Nevertheless, Grohl managed to stay within the rhythm of the Vultures’ bluesy, stoner rock by never getting too far ahead of his band mates. The former Nirvana drummer was entertaining on all tracks, however he peaked when offering back-up vocals for the best song of the night: Mind Eraser, No Chaser. Echoing his recognisable Foo Fighters vocals, Grohl ripped through his lyrics: “All I wanna do is have my mind erased, drug company where’s a pill for me, I could really need one of everything, Dulling the edge of a razor blade.” This vocal pairing sounded as perfect live as it does on CD. Seeing these two trade vocals back and forth gives you the feeling that you’re experiencing rock and roll history.

Fellow Queens of the Stone Age guitarist, Johannes completes the Vultures on stage. Sharing utility duties with Jones, Johannes alternated between keys and guitars. He maintained order during the other three members’ jamming and solos, especially during Homme’s endless solo on show closer Warsaw or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up. Without Johannes, the Vultures’ live performance wouldn’t have been as effective. Their blues driven, jamming style needs a constant rhythm. With Johannes on board, the other three were able to fulfil their musical cravings. Often improvising throughout the night, they stretched their set to an hour and a half. Considering their single release, the boys relied heavily on extending each song as long as possible.

While Johannes rounds out the most skilled new band in music today, there still remains a lingering suspicion that the Vultures will not be around for too long. After seeing them live you’ll exit the stadium sacrilegiously hoping for the Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age to both take a longer hiatus. Regardless of Homme, Grohl, Jones or Johannes’ future endeavours, one must admit that Australia is the luckiest country in the world this week.

That awesome gallery again