Yesterday, even the biggest supporters of Queens of the Stone Age called on the band’s leader Josh Homme to apologize after footage surfaced of him kicking a photographer’s camera at the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas show. The photographer, Chelsea Lauren, ultimately wound up going to the hospital after the camera hit her in the head. Homme apologized via social media, stating that he was “lost in performance” when he did it, and that came off as insincere, to say the least. Last night, he offered a second apology, stating that he “was a dick,” echoing many of the comments from fans. here’s the transcription of what he said:
“Last night at a Queens of the Stone Age performance, I kicked the camera of a photographer, and that camera hit the photographer in the face, and the photographer’s name was Chelsea Lauren,” he says in the clip. “I’d just like to apologize to Chelsea Lauren. I don’t have any excuse or reason to justify what I did … I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, and last night was definitely one of them. And I apologize for that to you.”
“I want to be a good man, but I think last night I definitely failed at that,” the guitarist continued. “That means I failed my family and my friends as well,” he continued. “I don’t want them to ever be ashamed or embarrassed about being around me or knowing me. And so I apologize also to my bandmates, my mom and my dad, my wife, my brother and my kids. I’m gonna have to figure out some stuff, I think, ’cause rock and roll is a wonderful thing. It’s supposed to save and help people, not mess them up. So Chelsea Lauren: I hope you’re OK, and I’m truly sorry. And I understand you have to do whatever you have to do. I just want you to know that I’m sorry. Goodnight, godspeed.”
This is the first time he’s said that he might need to get help, and with many suggesting he might need to seek some sort of treatment, perhaps the immediate backlash he’s facing from fans for the incident suggests that he’s taking it to heart. The band’s 2018 tour dates don’t start until January 22nd, so he’s got over a month to thing about things.
