Queens of the Stone Age to play biggest NZ shows yet

Josh Homme is bringing Queens of the Stone Age to New Zealand.

They were just here a year ago, but Josh Homme is planning a quick-fire return to New Zealand with Queens of the Stone Age.

In August, the Palm Desert rockers are set to play their biggest headlining shows in New Zealand yet, with shows scheduled at Auckland's Spark Arena on August 23, and Christchurch's Horncastle Arena on August 25.

They'll be playing on the back of Villains, the Queens' well-received sixth album released last year, which has been backed by a tour that kicked off in New Zealand.

Previous Queens tours here haven't always gone to plan, with the group suffering a main-stage power cut at the Big Day Out in 2003, and enduring a heatwave in the Logan Campbell Centre in 2013.

The band played the same venue last year and seemed in fine form, with TimeOut reviewer Chris Schulz saying they were in the kind of "ragged and rowdy form" fans had been waiting for.

The Villains tour hasn't been without controversy, with Homme apologising after kicking a female photographer in the face during a December show in California.

"I would never intentionally cause harm to anyone working at or attending one of our shows and I hope Chelsea will accept my sincere apology," Homme said afterwards.

Playing support at both New Zealand shows will be Australian blues singer CW Stoneking.

Tickets are on sale from May 3, with pre-sales beginning on May 1.