LAST year's Queens of the Stone Age's gig in Newport Centre might have been the loudest, most pounding affair to happen to South Wales this century but trying telling that to bassist Nick Oliveri.

"I heard a bootleg of the Newport show and thought, 'man, this is terrible,' so it has to be better this time," he opined amidst crazy-dwag laughter. "Britain and Europe are our biggest supporters, I love coming here and messing with a few people's heads."

He's hyper critical. The show was supercool, moody and loud to a level most bands don't even know is there.

Green and yellow lights swept the stage which billowed with dry ice through which Messers Oliveri and vocalist Josh Holme twisted and squalled.

The opening thuds of Feel Good Hit of the Summer played a thousand fold would have made a better gig than most.

In fact the only disappointing thing about the concert was the poor turnout and the presence of the loathsome and thankfully departed King Adora.

Since that night the Queens have shacked up with former Nirvana drummer/Foo Fighters' guitarist Dave Grohl and recorded the album Songs for the Death, their follow-up to the genre-defining Rated R.

And the genre they defined was stoner rock, the bass heavy, casual, high times aware rock with one foot in the 70s, the other one step ahead of the rest, recently emerged from the States.

Oliveri and Holme make up the Queens' core to which former Screaming Tree's vocalist Mark Lanegan has been added, but extra members tend to come and go; Grohl will not be in Cardiff tomorrow night.

As Kyus (former, now split band) they effectively introduced the masses to the sludge-dreams of stoner rock and brought some well-needed panache and devil-may-care attitude back to a trend heavy rock'n'roll scene.

l Queens of the Stone Age are back in South Wales on Saturday, October 19 for a night in Cardiff University Students' Union. Dial 029 2078 1458 for more information.