Queens Of The Stone Age Reveal Live Concert Film Playing For The Dead

Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme has never felt more alive than when he performed for the dead in the Catacombs of Paris.

Alive In The Catacombs, the band’s audiovisual presentation of their long-rumoured performance in the tunnels of the famed Catacombs, will be released on Friday, 6 June, via Matador/Remote Control Records.

Filmed in July 2024, the film (and upcoming audio-only version) captures the band like fans have never seen or heard them before. The rockers carefully curated the setlist to be reimagined for the location as they played their most intimate show, despite being surrounded by millions of human remains.

Singer Josh Homme described the crowd as “the biggest audience we’ve ever played for,” and said: “If you’re ever going to be haunted, surrounded by several million dead people is the place. I’ve never felt so welcome in my life.”

According to a press release, Homme had dreamt of a Queens Of The Stone Age performance in the Catacombs ever since he first visited 20 years ago. However, the city of Paris had never granted permission for any artist to play within the sacred tunnels, so the band waited until their vision was approved.

Hélène Furminieux of Les Catacombes de Paris said, “The Catacombs of Paris are a fertile ground for the imagination. It is important to us that artists take hold of this universe and offer a sensitive interpretation of it.

“Going underground and confronting reflections on death can be a deeply intense experience. Josh seems to have felt in his body and soul the full potential of this place. The recordings resonate perfectly with the mystery, history, and a certain introspection, notably perceptible in the subtle use of the silence within the Catacombs.”

The band performed with a three-piece string section, using chains and chopsticks as makeshift percussion instruments. It’s not even “unplugged,” as there were no electrical outlets the band could plug into; however, they did make a car battery power an electric piano. Each song was recorded live in one take, with no overdubs or edits applied.

Homme explained, “We’re so stripped down because that place is so stripped down, which makes the music so stripped down, which makes the words so stripped down… It would be ridiculous to try to rock there. All those decisions were made by that space. That space dictates everything; it’s in charge. You do what you’re told when you’re in there.”

Alive In The Catacombs is available to rent or purchase via the band’s website.

Fans who purchase the live concert by Saturday, 7 June, will receive exclusive access to behind-the-scenes footage, plus streaming and download access. An audio-only version is coming soon.