Latest news with #AliveInTheCatacombs
CBC
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Why Josh Homme wanted to film a concert inside the Paris Catacombs
Last summer, Queens of the Stone Age became the first-ever band to perform inside the Paris Catacombs, where the remains of more than six million people are held. That performance was captured in a new concert film and five-song EP, Alive in the Catacombs. In an interview with Q 's Tom Power, frontman Josh Homme says the concert is something he's been trying to make happen for 20 years, but he's been fascinated by the Catacombs since he was a kid. WATCH | Official trailer for Alive in the Catacombs: "When you're young, you never think you're going to die," he says. "It all seems so far away. And people never talk about things like that unless it happens, and it's terrible. So I just think the taboo nature drew me in close. And I think the art of it — the way these bones were so lovingly, respectfully stacked — it just caught my eye. I just couldn't believe that that was OK." The first time Homme had ever been in the Catacombs was to perform with his band, though he had tried to see them before. "For the better part of 20 years, it was just something that every time we would go to Europe, I would say, 'Hey, let's try to play the Catacombs again,'" he says. "It was almost a joke to myself because it had not happened." But after finally getting permission to hold a concert there, Homme got incredibly sick. Immediately after his performance in the Catacombs, he had to fly back to the U.S. to get emergency surgery. "What are the chances that I myself would be in a very dire situation at the same time, after all those years of waiting?" he says. "They're so small that it felt meant to be. And again, you know, there's some that would say, 'It's just a pile of bones and nothing is meant to be, everything's chaos.' And that's OK, too. I'm fine with someone saying that. I don't care about that. I'm saying it feels meant to be for me."
Forbes
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Queens Of The Stone Age's New Top 10 Is Unlike Anything The Band Has Released Before
Queens of the Stone Age's Alive in the Catacombs debuts at No. 10 on the Official Album Downloads ... More chart and No. 24 on the Rock & Metal Albums ranking in the U.K. FUENGIROLA, SPAIN - JUNE 23: Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age performs on stage at Marenostrum on June 23, 2024 in Fuengirola, Spain. (Photo by Bianca de Vilar/Redferns) Queens of the Stone Age return to the music charts in the United Kingdom this week with a brand new project, and the group's latest EP is a special one. Alive in the Catacombs was not easy to create. It took a long time to get off the ground, and though the project only features a handful of tunes, it's clearly meaningful to the band — and to fans, who have collectively turned it into another bestselling effort for the rockers. Alive in the Catacombs Debuts Inside the Top 10 Alive in the Catacombs manages a top 10 start on the Official Album Downloads chart. On that ranking, the project enters at No. 10, just narrowly becoming the Grammy-nominated act's fifth top 10 success on the list of the most-purchased titles on platforms like iTunes. The EP also reaches the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart, which is focused specifically on those genres. Queens of the Stone Age kicks off its time on that roster at No. 24, snagging an eleventh career win. Queens Of The Stone Age's Unusual Concert Alive in the Catacombs was recorded almost exactly a year ago, in July 2024. As its name suggests, the EP features the band performing in the actual catacombs beneath the city of Paris. The group asked the city for permission several times and was initially rejected, but eventually the government relented, allowing Queens of the Stone Age to become the first musical act to perform live – legally, that is – within the eerie setting. The band released a film of the show, as well as a documentary titled Alive in Paris and Before, which details how the musicians prepared to play in such an unusual space and the process it took to get there. Queens Of The Stone Age's Upcoming Tour Queens of the Stone Age seems so captivated by this venture that later this year, the group will embark on The Catacombs Tour. Beginning in Chicago on October 2, the outing will feature only a handful of dates throughout the U.S. and Canada, with the band performing at special venues — though none will rival the ambiance of the Parisian catacombs.
New York Post
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Queens of the Stone Age announce ‘Catacombs Tour,' NYC show. Get tickets
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. There's no place like with Homme. Queens of the Stone Age announced they're striking out on their 2025 'The Catacombs Tour' in support of their recently-released five-song EP 'Alive In The Catacombs.' While out and about, the 'No One Knows' rockers will hit 'intimate' theaters and symphony halls all over North America from October through November. They're currently slated to close the first leg of the two-month U.S. and Canada fall run at New York City's Beacon Theatre on Friday, Oct. 10. The band shared on Instagram that these concerts will be 'a limited series of very special one-night-only evenings at a curated selection of North America's most historic theaters…comprised of all-new arrangements crafted specifically for the occasion and enhanced by assembled ensembles, the end result will be a precious few unique and intimate performances unlike any previous QOTSA tour.' At the moment, the Seattle natives are currently wrapping their ongoing 2023 'The End Is Nero Tour' — which was extended in February — after taking a brief respite in 2024 when the band cancelled (and subsequently rescheduled) a number of shows due to lead singer and frontman Josh Homme needing emergency surgery. Fans Cavepeople can purchase tickets for all upcoming Queens of the Stone Age shows on sites like Vivid Seats; the official on-sale for 'The Catacombs Tour' is Friday, June 27. Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event. Queens of the Stone Age tour schedule 2025 A complete calendar including all North American (and a few European) dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below. Queens of the Stone Age set list Most recently, Homme and the band rocked Chicago's Huntington Bank Pavilion on June 21. According to Set List FM, here's what they took to the stage that night. 01.) 'A Song for the Deaf' 02.) 'No One Knows' 03.) '3's & 7's' 04.) 'Paper Machete' 05.) 'Smooth Sailing' 06.) 'My God Is the Sun' 07.) 'Emotion Sickness' 08.) 'If I Had a Tail' 09.) 'Time & Place' 10.) 'Carnavoyeur' 11.) 'Kalopsia' 12.) 'Misfit Love' 13.) 'Make It Wit Chu' 14.) 'I Sat by the Ocean' 15.) 'Little Sister' 16.) 'Go With the Flow' 17.) 'A Song for the Dead' Queens of the Stone Age new music On June 13, QotSA dropped the five-song EP 'Alive In The Catacombs.' The mini-album is a stripped-down, string-heavy vulnerable affair that starts slow before building to a softer climax than the group is typically known for. Think 2004 'Funeral' era Arcade Fire but led by Homme and you're not a million miles away from what the band is bringing to the table here. Standouts include the powerful, sea shanty-esque album opener 'Running Joke/Paper Machete,' gentle, lilting 'Kalopsia' and the pitter-patter-y 'I Never Came' closer. Each is unexpectedly beautiful in its own unique way. To hear for yourself, you can find 'Alive In The Catacombs' here. Huge rockers on tour in 2025 Prepare to jam out like never before. Many of the biggest and heaviest acts around are playing venues all over North America these next few months. Here are our five favorites you won't want to miss live. • System of a Down • Primus • The Who • Stone Temple Pilots • Sex Pistols Who else is on the road? Take a look at our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2025 to find the show for you. This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change
ABC News
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
How Josh Homme overcame a health crisis for Queens of the Stone Age's Alive in the Catacombs
Josh Homme has held a life-long fascination with the Paris Catacombs, the world-famous ossuary sprawling across a 320km maze of tunnels and chambers 20 metres beneath the streets of the French capital. "I heard about the catacombs as a boy in history class," he tells Double J's Dylan Lewis. Consecrated as the Paris Municipal Ossuary in 1786, the remains of an estimated 6 million people lie there, their skulls and bones lining the walls. What could be cooler to a kid intrigued by the taboo of death? "I think the fascination with death, trying to live your life in a way that makes dying seem like you understand it by the time you're there, has always been there since I was a little boy." As the 52-year-old frontman of world-renowned rock band Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA), Homme is now celebrating Alive in the Catacombs, a short film and accompanying five-track album documenting the group's subterranean performance. Released (fittingly) on Friday, the 13th of June, the project's inspiration came to Homme "on a day off in Paris around 18 or 19 years ago. I tried to go to the catacombs and the line was like three-and-a-half hours long. "So, it's got an even more entitled beginning," he jokes. "How can I skip the line!?" It took a lot of patience and "conversations over many years" with French authoroties to secure the necessary permissions, says Homme. "It's a shame the French don't have a word for bureaucracy," he deadpans. "[Also] they thought our intention was … to take advantage, maybe. But quickly, we were able to dispel that." With a little help from local producers to grease the wheels, QOTSA were able to convince the powers that be, becoming the first band to gain legal access to the catacombs. "But definitely not the first people to play there," Homme points out. From orchestral concerts in the late 1800s to rumoured underground raves, the Catacombs have a long music history. Cataphiles, the community of urban explorers who illegally tour the underground networks, even established a clandestine cinema. "The police went in [2004] and there was a movie projector and all these seats. Other times, there was a full dinner table. They'd go back the next day and it's all gone, a note saying: 'Don't try to find us.'" That long history is "part of the charm", Homme continues. "It's a very intense place to be." Rather than bring their signature heavy rock show, QOTSA radically reworked material from their back catalogue to suit the new setting. Pared-back versions of 'Kalopsia' and 'Suture Up Your Future' feature a small string section, acoustic guitars, chains for percussion, and an electric piano hooked up to a car battery. Homme imagined, "What if I was writing these songs now, again, for this space? The first time I ever went in there was the night before. So, we're walking with the director and sort of improvising and listening to what the Catacombs is telling you what you could do." Uncharacteristically tender for a band famed for its grit and swagger, the lean arrangements expose and underscore Homme's lyrics and the velvety croon that's seen the musician hailed as 'the ginger Elvis'. "I imagined it would be cathedral-like, with endless reverb. But the ceiling is dripping, the floor is gravel, and the air is thick with humidity," he explains. That haunting ambience leaked into the recordings, while stark lighting and performances augment the intimacy of the concert film. "I will say playing there felt like getting on our knees and putting your head down. It had a very religious connotation to it. We were there to respectfully do our best." Working with La Blogothèque, a Paris-based production company best-known for their intimate, cinéma-vérité-style Take Away Shows, QOTSA shot each song in just a few takes. "There were more than a few times where it felt, 'Yeah, OK … we're not doing it again,'" remarks Homme. "There's no edits or fixing. It is what it is, playing down there and that's it. "We could've done eight [songs] but were just like, 'No, man, never leave them wanting less. It's OK to stop.'" The feeling, Homme believes for him and the millions of spirits listening along, was satisfaction. "You're talking about an audience that doesn't get a lot of performances," he adds with a smirk. Adding a layer of unexpected significance was the fact Homme felt like he was at death's door during filming. "My temperature was not the same as everyone else's," he confesses. "So, my experience was much different." That's an understatement. Homme was battling mounting illness related to surgery for his 2022 cancer diagnosis. In the lead-up to the Catacombs shoot on July 8, 2024, QOTSA cancelled several European tour dates for Homme to undergo emergency treatment in Venice. "I'd been asked to stop playing for days by then, and I knew the tour was over," he admits. But despite doctor's orders, he wasn't going to let a health crisis ruin a passion project decades in the making. "I just wanted it so bad, you know? … I broke out of the emergency room. "I went, 'Where's the rest room?' And I was in my gown, I grabbed the rest of my shit [and] I split." Homme's travel agent was waiting at the back door with a getaway car and a rational question. "She was like, 'Why are you doing this?!' "Because you never get the chance to show what you're really made of. I revel in [and] romanticise these moments. It felt like: 'You're here, so what are you going to do? Are you going to do it or not?'" Homme soldiered on through the Catacombs shoot while battling a 40°C fever. Peak rock'n'roll behaviour? Or purely irresponsible? Either way, Homme is clearly a man who lives by the words he sings in 'Suture Up Your Future': "I don't care if it hurts/Just so long as it's real.' The day after the catacombs, "I was on an emergency flight. I was in surgery within three hours of landing." Queens of the Stone Age ended up cancelling the remainder of their 2024 shows. The cover of Alive at the Catacombs is lifted from the film's opening shot of Homme lying dead still on an altar before rising for opening track 'Running Joke/Paper Machete'. The sequence was a matter of necessity as much as artistry. "It was more out of mere exhaustion," explains Homme, who just needed somewhere to lie down. He remembers director Thomas Rames exclaiming, "Don't move!" "And I was like, 'Good because I can't,'" he chuckles. The frontman upgraded to resting on a cot between takes. When the crew broke for lunch, Homme was unable to face the claustrophobic spiral staircase back up to the surface and instead lay down and took advantage of the deathly quiet. "I thought, 'If there was ever a moment to be haunted, this is that moment,'" he remembers. "In all honesty, I felt so held close, held fast. It felt like, 'Don't just play here. Stay here.' And I slept like a baby." His cot situated out of sight in a poorly lit hallway, Homme rose upon hearing "two young French interns … crunching on the gravel, speaking in French. "I just sat up and said, 'What time is it?' They both went: 'Arrrggghhh!' I was like, 'Pardon mois!'" Alive at the Catacombs takes pride of place on a bucket list that includes starting a supergroup with Dave Grohl and Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, and his idol Iggy Pop for 2016 album Post Pop Depression. "It was always a dream to do this. For now, I'm just going to sit in the proverbial Jacuzzi of this and just bubble. I'm not going to look forward right now, I'm just going to look straight down."
