In July 2024, Queens of the Stone Age did something no other band had done before: they descended below Paris's cobblestone streets to perform an intimate, stripped-back set live from the Catacombs. Now, the band has announced that the recording of that performance will be released as an audiovisual album on June 5, titled Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs.
Frontman Josh Homme referred to the six million bodies buried in the Catacombs as "the biggest audience we've ever played for." On the nature of playing rock music in such an unconventional place, Homme had to say, "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."
QOTSA had reimagined everything about their live performance to complement the Catacombs' beautifully haunting atmosphere, resulting in a visual and auditory treat. The recording sees the band joined by a three-piece string section, performing a setlist that features selections from across their catalogue.
Hélène Furminieux (Les Catacombes de Paris) shared, "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."
Alive in the Catacombs was produced by Paris-based company La Blogothèque and directed by Thomas Rames. The film will be available for rent and purchase, and can be pre-ordered here. More information about an audio-only version will be announced soon.
Watch the official trailer below.