Natasha Shneider
On July 2nd, Natasha Shneider passed away peacefully in her home. On that day, at 11:11 am, cancer took Natasha from us all… Temporarily… Only for her to begin a new challenge and chapter in her eternal existence. This world lost a woman whose intelligence, individuality, talent, and aura was so incredibly powerful, that even if you only ever briefly encountered her, there’s no way that you could possibly ever forget it, or not have it affect you somehow. For those who didn’t have the pleasure and blessing of knowing, or just meeting Natasha in this lifetime, she will surely inspire even more souls once we’ve all met up with her again on the other side.
Natasha was not only undoubtedly one of the most gifted musical talents we’ve ever had the honor to cross paths with, but beyond her extraordinary gifts as a musician, songwriter, producer, etc., with awe inspiring artistic abilities… Such as the most PERFECT pitch that anyone could possibly be blessed with… She was also a vibrant and electrifying whirlwind of inspiration, who blended her outspoken and fearless nature, with a grace and panache unlike that of any other person we ever have… Or ever again will encounter.
Natasha was always able to see the talents and abilities within each of us, that even we were unable to recognize. Whether it was performing before thousands of people in bands such as Eleven, or Queens of the Stone Age… Or producing young, wide-eyed bands such as Wires On Fire in her home with Alain… She never gave any less than everything she had, and made sure that she pulled the same out of everyone else around her. One way or another, Natasha brought the best out of us all.
Please, PLEASE, help alleviate the financial burdens accrued over the course of Natasha’s fight against cancer by donating whatever you possibly can to the Natasha Shneider Memorial Fund here: The Natasha Shneider Memorial Fund. Anything great or small is deeply appreciated.
Also, as a celebration of Natasha’s life, Queens of the Stone Age will be performing a show on August 16th at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, California. Please don’t miss this opportunity to honor, and pay tribute to Natasha by way of what she herself respected so very deeply throughout her entire life… The beauty and power of song. All of the proceeds from this event will also be donated to the Natasha Shneider Memorial Fund.
Our apologies to those who have sent in emails, etc., informing us of their plans to travel distances near and far, to see us perform at festivals we were scheduled to play around this same time in Europe, such as Pukkelpop, Frequency, etc. But obviously some things in life are more important than others. Besides that, it’s times like these that make us all realize just how fragile life really is, and how meaningless or petty many of our worries, grievances, and day to day woes really are. So… here’s to keeping your chin up, and making the best with what you’ve got, with what little, precious time we all have here.
- jubilee
Continuing with the mini misadventures of the SoD, I present to you the newest Mini Squires. Here, Squire North comes to terms with life’s changes such as a cracking, squeaky voice, hair growing in places they never grew before, and a new wardrobe. He explains his coming to terms with the tallest fellow Squire who appears to be having a rather difficult time accepting that he is no longer a squireling in a white button-down shirt, but instead, a squireling in a band T-shirt.