Seasick Steve just had the best weekend ever. Once a busker on the Paris Metro, the Third Man Record-signed, three-string guitar-playing blues musician found himself joined on stage by Jack White, Alison Mosshart, and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones in London on Saturday night. He then followed that up with a guest appearance at Foo Fighters’ show in Buckinghamshire, England last night, where he, Jones, and Dave Grohl played the track “Back in the Doghouse”, from Steve’s recently released LP You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks. Video evidence is yours to check out above.

In related news, Dave Grohl stays winning.

Here’s a video of Dead Weather bandmates Jack White and Alison Mosshart teaming up with former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and three-string guitar maestro Seasick Steve for a performance of Steve’s track “Write Me A Few Of Your Lines” at London’s iTunes Festival yesterday. One or more also did it while hungover.

World, you’re officially forgiven.

After that, Grohl will likely head into the studio to begin work on the Foo Fighter’s next studio album, while Homme has already begun mapping out late summer tour dates with Queens of the Stone Age. The band is also rumored to be re-releasing its self-titled debut. As for the third member of the super group, Mr. John Paul Jones? Well…

Tickets for Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Windsor, and Ottawa can be had starting Friday, March 26th, Toronto on March 27th, and Chi-Town on April 2nd. Visit Ticketmaster.com for more info.

Them Crooked Vultures 2010 Tour Dates:
04/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia
04/16 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/17 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
04/19 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore
05/13 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotia Place
05/15 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
05/16 – Winsdor, ON @ Colosseum at Caesars
05/17 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Egyptian Room
05/18 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon
06/04 – Nurnberg, DE @ Rock Im Park
06/06 – Nurburgring, DE @ Rock Am Ring
06/07 – Luxembourg @ Den Atelier
06/10 – Amsterdam, NL @ Heineken Music Hall
06/11 – Donington Park, UK @ Download Festival
06/30 – Arendal, NO @ Hove Festival
07/01 – Borlange, SE @ Peace & Love
07/01-04 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/02 – Roskilde, DK @ @ Roskilde Festival
07/30-08/01 – Niigata Prefecture, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival

The super group, which (as everyone should know by now!) consists of Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl (drums), Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones (bass), and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme (guitar/vocals) (plus touring guitarist Alain Johannes), delivered as solid of a performance as you’d expect from three legendary rock stars, even despite the suspect setting of SNL’s Studio 8H and early sound problems (turn up Homme’s vocals!). Of course, it helped that the outfit chose not to throw any curveballs, sticking to the well-known and utterly fantastic singles, “New Fang” and “Mind Eraser, No Chaser”.

What’s more, there was a bit of a treat on top of the good performance — Grohl appeared in a sketch with Kutcher, Fred Armisen and Bill Hader as an aging rock band performing at a wedding. The sketch was surprisingly funny (Grohl should totally host SNL!), or maybe it just seems that way when surrounded by…well, SNL sketches (need I explain?).

Thus, by night’s end, we received yet another example of the fact that Them Crooked Vultures just seem to make a lot more sense live than they sound on record. Um… for some people.

Hat tip to The Audio Perv for video support…

Update: It turns out that Them Crooked Vultures, as well as The Roots’ ?uestlove, appeared in an unpaired sketch about Kutcher’s new social media network, “Tooter”.

We should also note that if you were disappointed by the unimaginative song selection, the band will be on TV again next Saturday for a more extensive performance. Be sure to check out Them Crooked Vultures on Austin City Limits on PBS (check your local listings for air time).

Them Crooked Vultures 2010 Tour Dates:
02/08 – New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
02/10 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
02/11 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
04/16 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
06/11-13 – Leicestershire, UK @ Download Festival

This will be the band’s second TV performance in two weeks, as the guys will be the musical guests on Saturday Night Live the previous Saturday. As you know, musicians not named Kanye don’t normally perform on TV twice in the same year these days, let alone twice in the same month, so this will be a treat. I still want my MTV back, though.

Check your local PBS affiliate’s listings for the Austin City Limits showing, and watch the band’s performance of “New Fang” here. The setlist is below, along with upcoming tour dates.

“We went out for a bite to eat afterwards and Dave [Grohl] told me he was starting this band with Josh [Homme]. I asked him who was playing bass and he rather sheepishly told me he’d approached John [Paul Jones]. So you read it here first; Paul McCartney was nearly the bass player in Them Crooked Vultures. Actually, I’m sure it wouldn’t have happened but it’s an interesting project.”

— Paul McCartney (via The Daily Mail) on how he, and not Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, could have ended up a member of Them Crooked Vultures. Of course, while we love Macca, we’re kind of glad he didn’t.

Fortunately, it does not appear that we’ll have to go through that roller coaster ride of “will they” or “won’t they” again. Speaking in a recent interview with BBC6, Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones shot down rumors of another reunion.

“Jimmy and I rehearsed a bit with Jason Bonham and we couldn’t really agree on singers and that fell by the wayside. Then this came along and to be honest, I’m really happy.”

The “this” being referenced is of course Jones’ involvement with the Them Crooked Vultures supergroup, and with the band’s self-titled debut studio album set for release on November 17th and more tour dates likely to follow, it does not appear that this involvement will end anytime soon.

In other words, a Led Zeppelin reunion, at least one involving John Paul Jones, probably isn’t all that likely for the foreseeable future.

What’s more, fans can expect an onslaught of tour dates to support the release in the coming months, including December dates in the UK and Europe and a January trip to Australia and New Zealand. No word yet for the Americas (after all, they were just here), but stay tuned.

In the meantime, mark those calendars, folks.

Them Crooked Vultures tracklist:
01. No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
02. Mind Eraser, No Chaser
03. New Fang
04. Dead End Friends
05. Elephants
06. Scumbag Blues
07. Bandoliers
08. Reptiles
09. Interlude With Ludes
10. Warsaw or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up
11. Caligulove
12. Gunman
13. Spinning In Daffodils

Them Crooked Vultures 2009 Tour Dates:
12/10 – Plymouth, UK @ Pavilions
12/11 – Portsmouth, UK @ Guildhall
12/13 – Blackpool, UK @ Empress Ballroom
12/14 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
12/15 – Edinburgh, UK @ O2 Academy
12/17 – London, UK @ HMV Hammersmith Apollo

In a matter of hours, Them Crooked Vulture‘s upcoming schedule went from bare and mysterious to chock full of dates across the globe. In addition to its six-date U.K. tour and appearance(s) at Austin City Limits, the super group of Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones have also planned a small North American club show for this fall.

According to Billboard, confirmed dates include Oct. 8th in Detroit, Oct. 9th at Toronto’s Sound Academy, Oct. 11th at Boston’s House of Blues and Oct. 12th at Philadelphia’s Electric Factory. Live Nation pre-sales for the Detroit and Philadelphia shows start this Friday.

The band has also confirmed an a September 30th taping on Austin City Limits TV to be aired at a later date TBD.

Still no word on the band’s rumored debut release, but a late 2009/early 2010 release date is still expected.

Them Crooked Vultures 2009 Tour Dates:
10/01 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs
10/02 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/05 – Nashville, TN @ War Memorial
10/06 – Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion
10/08 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
10/09 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
10/11 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
10/12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
10/14 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
12/10 – Plymouth, UK @ Pavilions
12/11 – Portsmouth, UK @ Guildhall
12/13 – Blackpool, UK @ Empress Ballroom
12/14 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
12/15 – Edinburgh, UK @ O2 Academy
12/17 – London, UK @ HMV Hammersmith Apollo

No sooner did they unveil their first ever tour have Them Crooked Vultures announced another date to their upcoming itinerary. On Thursday, October 1st, the super group will take to Austin, Texas to play an Austin City Limits (pre) aftershow at Stubbs. If you remember, the high-profile trio made its official debut a similar event in Chicago during Lollapalooza last month.

Tickets will go on sale beginning Saturday, September 5th via Front Gate Tickets.

Between December 8th and 17th, about six weeks after its rumored full-length debut is scheduled to hit stores, the collective will embark on a six-date U.K. tour. Included will be stops in Plymouth, Portsmouth, Blackpookl, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and London.

Tickets for the tour will go on sale beginning Friday, September 4th at 10 am BST and will be limited to four per applicant.

Them Crooked Vultures 2009 Tour Dates:
12/10 – Plymouth, UK @ Pavilions
12/11 – Portsmouth, UK @ Guildhall
12/13 – Blackpool, UK @ Empress Ballroom
12/14 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
12/15 – Edinburgh, UK @ O2 Academy
12/17 – London, UK @ HMV Hammersmith Apollo

According to multiple reports, the super group of Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and John Paul Jones will serve as support (yes, they’ll be the band opening) for the Arctic Monkeys at their O2 Academy Brixton gig in London tonight.

And if that wasn’t enough, there is also a rumor that the band will make a special surprise appearance at this weekend’s Reading and Leeds Music Festivals. Homme is already confirmed to play at the festivals with another of his bands, Eagles of Death Metal.

Word of the day = jealousy.

That was until last weekend.

This past Saturday, the band made a surprise appearance at the Lowlands Festival in Biddinghuizen, the Netherlands. And because restricting cameras and recorders at a major music festival isn’t as easy as to do as it is a 1,100 person venue, quite a few recording quality recordings of the performance have popped up.

Video #1 shows Them Crooked Vultures making their way through a track titled “Gunman”, while video #2 hears a performance of something called “Caligulove”. Based on the aforementioned teaser tracks, we previously described the band’s sound as bombastic and gritty, basically Queens of the Stone Age meets Zeppelin. Based on the below videos, it’s safe to say this description remains accurate.

Still no confirmation on Them Crooked Vulture’s debut release, rumored to be titled Never Deserved the Future and due for release on October 23rd. However, we do know the trio likes to sell pricey t-shirts.

Well, Sunday has come and gone and thanks to the glories of technology, now everyone can check out what all the fuss is about. As you’ll see below, two clips of the band’s debut performance have surfaced and do a pretty good capturing both the mayhem and the gritty, Zeppelin meets QOTSA sound.

In case you were wondering, that’s longtime Homme affiliate Alain Johannes holding down rhythm guitar.

Of the 12 songs performed during their Sunday night set, one track, titled “Nobody Loves Us and Neither Do I”, has since been sampled in a 14-second newly released promo video.

This song and others will likely find their way on to the band’s forthcoming debut which is rumored to be titled Never Deserved the Future and due for release on October 23rd.

And now you know what Them Crooked Vultures sound like…

Hat tip to Justin for the links…

What we don’t know is… everything else. But thanks to a recently released new promo video (via Antiquiet), one more answer now might be known. In the video, as you’ll see below, Them Crooked Fingers make reference to something called Never Deserved The Future and the date of October 23, 2009. Now, common logic will tell you that the former is a pretty decent name for an album title, while the latter could be its release date — though, October 23rd is a Friday, as opposed to Tuesday when most albums are released.

Either way it certainly looks like something is coming.

As for the question of whether the band will support the release with a tour, nothing is confirmed, but current rumors say dates are on the way for both the U.S. and U.K.

So, last month, we told you about a nifty little rumor concerning a recently formed supergroup featuring the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones. They called themselves Them Crooked Vultures and have reportedly been working on a studio album for three years now.

Turns out that nifty little rumor is quickly become an unbelievably awesome reality. At least that’s if you put any stock in a last minute Lollapalooza aftershow announced today that lists three symbols on the bill… three symbols which look quite identical to those of Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin (more specifically, Jones’ symbol), and Queen of the Stone Age’s logos.

The show is scheduled to take place Sunday night, August 9th at the Metro. Tickets go on sale Thursday, August 6th at 10:00 am CST (internet only) via etix.com.

We’re still trying to confirm the aftershow really is definitely featuring The Crooked Vultures. When we do, we’ll let you know.

He’s an Uncle to the industry — the music industry, or what’s left of it. When he’s not throwing out albums and ripping up the road with the Foo Fighters, he’s usually hard at work with something else (Probot, Queens of the Stone Age, NIN, etc, etc). This time around, he’s found a new crew to build another clubhouse with, and it’s full of familiar faces.

Antiquiet confirms that Grohl is indeed working with QOSA’s Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, who both kick, well, major rock ass. The rumors of the three working together date all the way back to 2005, when Grohl had just finished his band’s double album, In Your Honor, and told Mojo magazine: “The next project that I’m trying to initiate involves me on drums, Josh Homme on guitar, and John Paul Jones playing bass. That’s the next album. That wouldn’t suck.”

Writer Johnny Firecloud of Antiquiet spoke with Homme’s wife, Brody Dalle of Spinerette, who told him, “I’m not at liberty to talk about it… but I think [the project] is pretty fucking amazing. Just beats and sounds like you’ve never heard before.”

Do you know what this means? Well, neither do we. But, one can only dream of the quaint, lush sounds (or could they be verbose and crude?) that the three are cooking up. Until then, we’ll have to wait and wait and wait some more, but hopefully not another four years. Perhaps they’ll use our proposed band name: Uncle Dave & the Super Pals? Seems apropos.

We’ll keep dreaming.