Queens of the Stone Age have confirmed a limited run of international theatrical screenings for the forthcoming concert film, Alive in the Catacombs. On June 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th, these special events will take place at theatres in 20 different countries. The theatrical events will give fans the first chance to experience the audiovisual document of the band’s long-rumoured performance in the Catacombs of Paris. Full dates, details and tickets are available here.
The screenings will also include a preview of an intimate behind the scenes documentary film, revealing the emotional and physical trials Queens of the Stone Age overcame to create Alive in the Catacombs.
Filmed and recorded in July 2024, Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs captures QOTSA as you’ve never seen or heard them before. This utterly unique once in a lifetime experience features a care
Every aesthetic decision, every choice of song, every configuration of instruments… absolutely everything was planned and played with deference to the Catacombs—from the acoustics and ambient sounds — dripping water, echoes and natural resonance — to the darkly atmospheric lighting tones that enhance the music. Far from the sound-insulated confines of the studio or the comfort of onstage monitors, Alive in the Catacombs sees the band not only rise to this challenge, but embrace it.
Homme recalls, “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.”
The result is QOTSA distilled down to their most elemental form—Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman, Dean Fertita and Jon Theodore augmented by a three-piece string section, employing chains and chopsticks as makeshift percussion instruments. Alive in the Catacombs is Queens of the Stone Age stripped to their barest essence by necessity (you can’t call it “unplugged” if there are no actual electrical outlets to plug into), McGyver-ing a car battery to power an electric piano. And unfiltered, as every song was recorded live in a complete take with no overdubs or edits.
Words fail to convey the magnificence of Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs. Its truly stunning balance of subtlety and grandeur must be experienced to be appreciated. The beauty is in the struggle (both internal and external). This is Joshua Homme at his most physically vulnerable yet ultimately his most triumphant.
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