Last night (December 9), Queens of the Stone Age performed at KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas in Inglewood, CA. During the set, frontman Josh Homme behaved erratically, insulting the audience and kicking a photographer in the head.
Photographer Chelsea Lauren was in the photo pit shooting for Shutterstock when Homme aimed a kick at her. He hit her camera, which knocked the camera back into her face. She told Variety, "It was obviously very intentional."
She added, "He looked straight at me, swung his leg back pretty hard and full-blown kicked me in the face. He continued performing, I was startled, I kind of stopped looking at him, I just got down and was holding my face because it hurt so badly."
She went to the hospital after the show and plans to file a police report today (December 10). People who saw the incident have encouraged her to press charges, but it's not clear if she will. Watch footage of the kick below.
UDPATE (12/10, 7:45 p.m. EST): Homme has now issued a statement concerning the incident. You can read it below.
Photographer Chelsea Lauren was in the photo pit shooting for Shutterstock when Homme aimed a kick at her. He hit her camera, which knocked the camera back into her face. She told Variety, "It was obviously very intentional."
She added, "He looked straight at me, swung his leg back pretty hard and full-blown kicked me in the face. He continued performing, I was startled, I kind of stopped looking at him, I just got down and was holding my face because it hurt so badly."
She went to the hospital after the show and plans to file a police report today (December 10). People who saw the incident have encouraged her to press charges, but it's not clear if she will. Watch footage of the kick below.
UDPATE (12/10, 7:45 p.m. EST): Homme has now issued a statement concerning the incident. You can read it below.
— QOTSA (@qotsa) December 10, 2017Homme's unsettling behaviour during the show didn't end there. A few minutes after the kicking incident, the singer apparently drew what appeared to be a knife and cut his own forehead, leaving him dripping blood for the remainder of the set. He also called the audience members "retards," encouraged the crowd to boo him, and insulted the evening's headliners Muse by saying "Fuck Muse."