QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE: ALIVE IN THE CATACOMBS AUDIO RELEASE SET FOR JUNE 13th LIMITED EDITION VINYL AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW
“One of the most stunning bunch of songs that I have ever seen shot” – Marc Maron
“Fascinating and unique” – Stereogum
“starkly beautiful” – NME
“These rock icons just made history” – PARADE
By popular demand, Queens of the Stone Age are releasing the audio of their spellbinding Alive in the Catacombs performance. Appropriately, the music arrives this Friday the 13th across all digital platforms via Matador Records.
The band has also announced a limited vinyl edition of the AITC audio. Only 5,000 copies will be pressed of this special one-sided vinyl edition. Housed in a gatefold jacket with foil print inside and out, the AITC vinyl edition contains an exclusive 24-page booklet of behind the scenes photos taken by long-time collaborator Andreas Neumann. Each copy will be individually stamped and numbered. Pre-orders are available now at qotsa.com for a release date of August 22nd. The AITC film and subsequent audio release is QOTSA distilled down to their most elemental form—Joshua 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. Entirely unfiltered, as every song was recorded live in a complete take with no overdubs or edits. The audio was recorded by Mark Rankin, François-Xavier Delaby, Henri d’Armancourt and Alban Lejeune, and was produced by Mark Rankin. Final mixes by Mark Rankin, Joshua Homme and Michael Shuman.
The tracklisting is as follows:
Running Joke/Paper Machete Kalopsia Villians of Circumstance Suture Up Your Future I Never Came
Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs, the film, was released on June 5th to much anticipation and critical acclaim. The film and accompanying behind the scenes documentary, Alive in Paris and Before are available for purchase at qotsa.com Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs was produced by La Blogothèque and directed by Thomas Rames, and was filmed and recorded in July 2024 in Paris, France.
“It’s an astonishing version of an already acclaimed album. B-Real and Sen Dog jam at the front of the stage, while DJ Lord rips away at his turntable and Bobo beats up on the drums. At the orchestra’s front is Troy Miller, who commands his musicians like an army… it’s a testimony to Cypress Hill’s ever-alluring sound.” – THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
“A blistering, badass collaboration that’s no joke… CH’s reefer-drenched repertoire is not only elevated to a higher level by the LSO, it’s reworked, recharged and reimagined without losing its edge” – LOS ANGELES Magazine “… will go down in modern recorded music and motion picture history… There is conclusively no negative critique to be had here — only kudos, congratulations and gratitude to be handed out freely to all who were involved in making this project come to fruition… dope as f**k!” — GOLDMINE
At long last, Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra have released the feverishly anticipated Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall — a full length live album and concert video immortalizing the hip hop icons’ now legendary collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra, available now at https://mercury-studios.lnk.to/CypressHillLSO.
The release of this epic live album and video is marked by the single / video orchestral rendition of the Cypress classic “Insane in the Brain.”
Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra: Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall is available on multiple physical and digital formats, with physical formats including DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD, limited edition 2CD, 180g Half-Speed Mastered black vinyl, 180g Half-Speed Mastered colored vinyl (limited edition D2C exclusive available for all territories), and limited edition cassette. Fans watching the film on Blu-ray can experience the concert in Dolby Atmos audio, offering an immersive sonic experience that puts the viewer inside the hallowed grounds of the Royal Albert Hall.
“Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra is a combination that shouldn’t make sense on paper, in the Royal Albert Hall no less — but it not only worked, it was a life-changing honor and an artistic triumph for everyone involved. It was truly two worlds colliding to create something that exceeded any and all expectations. And now we get to share it with the world.” — B-Real
Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra: Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall brings the unprecedented collision of the trio’s multi-platinum1993 masterpiece with one of the world’s most renowned orchestral ensembles to the eyes and ears of music lovers everywhere. A historic spectacle previously witnessed only by the thousands of Cypress devotees who packed Royal Albert Hall on July 10, 2024, the live album and feature-length video release of Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall will allow the world at large to witness the intoxicating dark magic conjured when Cypress Hill and the 70-strong LSO bring this timeless opus to life together to create an unforgettable audiovisual experience.
The tracklist for Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra: Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall is as follows (all formats):
I Wanna Get High I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That Insane in the Brain When the Shit Goes Down Lick a Shot Cock the Hammer Interlude 3 Lil’ Putos Legalize It Hits From the Bong What Go Around Come Around, Kid A to the K Hand on the Glock Break ’em off Some Dr. Greenthumb Illusions Money Cuban Necktie How I Could Just Kill a Man (Rock) Superstar
Queens of the Stone Age: Alive In the Catacombs and Accompanying Documentary Alive in Paris and Before Out Now
Photo Credit: Andreas Neumann
“These rock icons just made history” – PARADE “Awe-inspiring” – DIY Magazine “completely unique” – CLASH “incredibly special”– Kerrang! “Revelatory”– Uncut Magazine
Queens of the Stone Age have released Alive in the Catacombs and an accompanying behind the scenes documentary, Alive in Paris and Before. Both films are available now via qotsa.com.
For the next 48 hours, fans who purchase Alive In the Catacombs for download or stream will also receive Alive in Paris and Before:an exclusive behind the scenes chronicle of the tumultuous days leading up to the Catacombs performance. An unflinching document of an emotionally charged period that included the agonizing decision to postpone the remaining The End is Nero tour dates due to Joshua Homme’s medical emergency, Alive in Paris and Before is essential viewing that gives deeper context to the triumph that is Alive in the Catacombs.
Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs is the cinematic realization of a dream 18 years in the making, an audiovisual document of the band’s long-rumored performance in the tunnels of the famed Catacombs of Paris.
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 carefully selected setlist spanning the QOTSA catalog, each song chosen and epically reimagined for the Catacombs. The result is an unprecedented incarnation of QOTSA at their most intimate, yet surrounded by literally millions of human remains—“the biggest audience we’ve ever played for,” says Joshua Homme.
Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in Paris and Before and Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs combine to form a distinct arc: The documentary finds the band at its most vulnerable, while the performance captures one of the most triumphant moments in QOTSA’s storied history.
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-rumored 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.
The June 4th Los Angeles screening will be held at Brain Dead Studios and will feature an exclusive appearance by Joshua Homme who will introduce the film and follow the screening with Q&A. Select tickets are available here.
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 carefully selected setlist spanning the QOTSA catalog, each song chosen and epically reimagined for the Catacombs. The result is an unprecedented incarnation of QOTSA at their most intimate, yet surrounded by literally millions of human remains—“the biggest audience we’ve ever played for,” says Joshua Homme.
The film has already been tipped as “awe-inspiring” by DIY Magazine, “completely unique” by CLASH, “incredibly special” by Kerrang! and “revelatory” by Uncut Magazine.
The Catacombs of Paris is a sprawling 320km (200 miles) ossuary beneath the surface of Paris. With a foundation of several million bodies buried in the 1700s, skeletal remains are largely exposed, with much of the walls built of skulls and bones.
Homme had dreamt of staging a QOTSA performance in the Catacombs since his first visit nearly 20 years ago. The city of Paris, however, had never granted permission to any artist to play within the sacred tunnels. QOTSA, being law-abiding citizens, waited until their vision was sanctioned.
Hélène Furminieux (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.”
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.
Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs was produced by La Blogothèque and directed by Thomas Rames, and is being released by Queens of the Stone Age and Matador Records. The film will be available to rent or purchase via qotsa.com where pre-orders are currently available. Fans who purchase Alive In the Catacombs by June 7th will receive exclusive access to behind the scenes footage in addition to full streaming and download access. An audio only version will be announced in the coming weeks.
To learn more about the Catacombs of Paris visit: https://www.catacombes.paris.fr/enTickets for Alive in the Catacombs global screening events are available here.
Alive In The Catacombs Global Screening Dates
June 3rd MK2 Quai de Loire, Paris, France The Royal, Toronto, Canada Kino Konepaja, Helsinki, Finland
June 4th Prince Charles Cinema, London, UK Brain Dead Studios, Los Angeles, US Kino Central, Berlin, Germany Sphinx Cinema and Cafe, Ghent, Belgium Cineclub Cortina, Sao Paulo, Brasil Cinema Barberino, Rome, Italy Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
June 5th Cinema Nova, Melbourne, Australia Cine Tonala, Mexico City, Mexico MONA / Dark Mofo – Hobart State Cinema, Tasmania (HOBART), Australia Double Whammy, Auckland, New Zealand Empire Bio, Copenhagen, Denmark Irish Film Institute, Dublin, Ireland Sala X, Madrid, Spain CGV Grand Indonesia West Mall, Jakarta, Indonesia EMU Cinema Space, Seoul, South Korea Cinema Oasis, Bangkok, Thailand
METALLICA a/k/a THE BLACK ALBUM CERTIFIED 20X PLATINUM MASTER OF PUPPETS CERTIFIED 8X PLATINUM
Metallica is as surprised as anyone to learn that two of their landmark albums have attained new RIAA certifications:
Metallica’s self-titled fifth album a/k/a The Black Album has been certified 20x platinum for sales in excess of 20 million copies, while the band’s third full length, Master of Puppets, has been certified 8x platinum having crossed the eight million mark.
The Black Album‘s 1991 release not only gave Metallica its first #1 album in no fewer than 10 countries, including a 4-week run at #1 in the U.S., its unrelenting series of singles — “Enter Sandman”, “The Unforgiven”, “Nothing Else Matters”, “Wherever I May Roam”, and “Sad But True” — fueled the band’s rise to stadium headlining, radio and MTV dominating household name status. The album’s reception from the press was similarly charged, building over the years from the top 10 of the 1991 Village Voice Pazz & Jop national critics poll to becoming a constant presence in the likes of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. The Black Album’s impact and relevance continue to grow with successive generations—it remains unchallenged as the best-selling album of the Luminate era, outselling every release in every genre over the past 30+ years.
Metallica’s 1986 breakthrough third LP Master of Puppets has attained 8x platinum status, having sold more than eight million albums. The heaviest rock album ever to be selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant,”Master of Puppets has long been regarded as a watershed moment in the history of rock music. The album’s peerless balance of sheer power and complex song craft would earn Metallica its first gold record, elevating the band to new heights of critical acclaim on the strength of enduring favorites including “Battery,” “Orion” and of course the title track, speaking of which…
… “Master of Puppets” recently followed “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters” as the third Metallica song to join the billion streams club, becoming the second longest song to do so. Clocking in at 8:36, “Master…” now sits between former second longest billion streamer “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin (8:02) and reigning champion Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).”
Metallica is currently in the midst of the third year of its M72 World Tour, which has seen the band play to more than three million fans across the globe. The M72 shows have been breaking attendance records from Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium to the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse NY, while generating some of the most positive critical notes of the band’s career — and in one case, actual seismic activity, thanks to the unbridled enthusiasm of 70,000+ fans attending the first-ever concert at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg VA.For M72 tour dates and more, go to Metallica.com
ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF FOUR VERY SPECIAL ONE-OFF PERFORMANCES
REVISITING ICONIC ALBUM LIVE SHOWS
August 29th – GORILLAZ (DEBUT) LIVE August 30th – DEMON DAYS LIVE September 2nd – PLASTIC BEACH LIVE September 3rd – MYSTERY SHOW
COPPER BOX ARENA, LONDON
Gorillaz today announced details of four very special one-off limited-capacity live shows taking place at Copper Box Arena, London on August 29th, August 30th, September 2nd and 3rd 2025.
The shows take place during the closing week of House of Kong – the new exhibition running from August 8th to September 3rd at Copper Box – and will see Gorillaz revisit iconic live shows from across the band’s first three album eras, performing each record in full, from beginning to end, in a limited-capacity setting.
Starting with the band’s first ever live outing at Scala, London; followed by Harlem’s Apollo Theater; and an island in the South Pacific by way of Camden, the run will see Damon Albarn joined onstage by the full Gorillaz live band, with visuals by Jamie Hewlett, as albums Gorillaz, Demon Days and Plastic Beach return for one night only, alongside a not-to-be-missed Mystery Show. More details on each show below.
House of Kong exhibition ticket holders will have the priority access to purchase tickets to the four Gorillaz shows at Copper Box Arena. Exhibition tickets are on sale now.
Friday August 29th: GORILLAZ
The creative collaboration of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett blew up a pre-digital world with the release of their eponymous debut album in 2001. The subsequent tour took in the band’s now legendary first-ever shows at Scala, London and La Cigale Paris, performances which tore up the rule book on the live music experience, putting band members Murdoc, Noodle, Russel and 2D front and centre via Hewlett’s extraordinary visuals, with Albarn and a full live band in silhouette behind a screen.
This August 29th show is a recreation of these early Gorillaz shows which saw the band perform their seminal debut album in full. A rare, not-to-be-missed opportunity for fans to step back in time and immerse themselves in the earliest iteration of Gorillaz live.
Saturday August 30th: DEMON DAYS
The band’s acclaimed second album has only ever been performed in full around the album’s release when a limited run of ‘Demon Days Live’ shows took in five nights at Manchester Opera House in November 2005, followed by another five nights at Apollo Theater, Harlem in April 2006.
Until now.
This summer will see the groundbreaking Demon Days Live show recreated for the first time – to include Jamie Hewlett’s venue specific visuals created for the original shows.
Tuesday September 2nd: PLASTIC BEACH
September 2nd will see the band’s third studio album performed live in full for the first time since two shows at London’s Roundhouse kicked off the release of Plastic Beach in March 2010.
The album sessions had seen Murdoc, Russel, 2D and Noodle take up residence on the most deserted spot on the planet – Plastic Beach. A secret floating island deep in the South Pacific, made up of the detritus, debris and washed up remnants of humanity opening up a whole new world of creative possibility and innovation across the work of Jamie Hewlett.
Wednesday September 3rd: MYSTERY SHOW
Gorillaz will close House of Kong with a fourth and final mystery show on September 3rd and fans can look forward to another memorable night with Damon Albarn and the Gorillaz live band joined onstage by special guests, all under the watchful eye of Murdoc, Noodle, Russel and 2D. Don’t miss it!
This summer, the iconic gates of Kong – the fabled home of Gorillaz – will open for the very first time when a new exhibition House of Kong comes to London’s Copper Box for a limited run from August 8th to September 3rd 2025.
Visitors to House of Kong will take a jaunt behind the curtain of Gorillaz’ extraordinary world. A journey through the band’s life of misadventures, musical innovation and ground-breaking virtual ways since these four outsiders – bassist Murdoc Niccals, singer 2D, drummer Russel Hobbs and guitarist Noodle – first came together to blow up a pre-digital world with the release of “Tomorrow Comes Today” in 2000. An exhibition like no other, House of Kong is an experience for the brave and bold.
Created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs and Japanese guitar prodigy Noodle, Gorillaz were formed following a collision of mishaps, meetings and pure luck to seize the title of biggest virtual band in the world with the release of their eponymous debut album Gorillaz in 2001. Based at Kong Studios in West London, the band settled into a life of musical innovation with an extraordinary roster of collaborators, a list that includes musical legends, geniuses and future stars from Elton John to Little Simz, MF DOOM to Jean-Michel Jarre, Grace Jones to Bad Bunny, Kali Uchis to Sidiki Diabaté, plus so many more. Gorillaz is a truly global phenomenon, achieving success in entirely new and unique ways, touring the world and winning numerous awards including the coveted Jim Henson Creativity Honor, along the way. The band is recognised by The Guinness Book Of World Records as the planet’s Most Successful Virtual Act
The band has released eight studio albums: Gorillaz (2001), Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010), The Fall (2011), Humanz (2017), The Now Now (2018), Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez (2020) and Cracker Island (2023).
“I must have been dreaming… I fell down the well.”
That surreal refrain, whispered in the unmistakable voice of St. Vincent, embodies the tone for “Tiempos Violentos” – a striking reimagining of her song “Violent Times” now reinterpreted as a bilingual duet featuring Latin alternative powerhouse Mon Laferte.
Released May 23, “Tiempos Violentos (featuring Mon Laferte)” doesn’t just translate the original – it expands it. With Mon’s unmistakable emotional grit and St. Vincent’s sharp-edged lyricism in dialogue, the song becomes something new: a tense, hypnotic meditation on time, identity, and longing across two languages and two visions.
Says St. Vincent: “Collaborating with Mon gave the song new shape, new blood, new depth. Like a dream falling into another dream.”
Originally appearing on All Born Screaming – one of 2024’s most critically lauded albums – “Violent Times” took on a second life with Todos Nacen Gritando, the Spanish-language edition of the record. It was that version that caught Mon Laferte’s attention and ignited what would become one of the year’s most inspired cross-cultural pairings.
“When I first heard the Spanish version, I felt a deep pull,” Mon recalls. “It was beautiful and haunting. I wanted to give it my own voice, to make it mine too – and to do it alongside an artist I’ve long admired.”
And she does just that. In “Tiempos Violentos,” Mon delivers a stirring, intimate Spanish verse that reframes the song’s emotional arc from within, while St. Vincent’s English refrains echo like distant memories, creating a spectral call and response that’s as cinematic as it is raw.
“Tiempos Violentos” is much more than a remix. It’s a rare artistic exchange rooted in mutual admiration, two distinct artistic voices expanding their sonic worlds together. The result is refreshingly organic, soul-stirring and utterly unique.
ABOUT ST. VINCENT St. Vincent (Annie Clark) is a six-time GRAMMY-winning musician, songwriter, and producer known for confounding expectations with every album. Her fearless and ongoing sonic and visual reinventions have continually reaffirmed her status one of the most innovative and influential artists in contemporary music, with acclaimed works including MASSEDUCTION, Daddy’s Home, and All Born Screaming.
ABOUT MON LAFERTE Mon Laferte is a multi disciplinary audio-visual artist whose fearless songwriting, genre-defying catalog, and deeply emotional performances have earned her multiple Latin GRAMMYs and a devoted global following. Blending boleros, rock, folk, and protest music, her work stands at the intersection of tradition and rebellion – always with a voice that resonates far beyond borders.
This summer, the iconic gates of Kong – the fabled home of Gorillaz – will open for the very first time when a celebratory new exhibition House of Kong comes to London’s Copper Box for a limited run from August 8th to September 3rd 2025. Exhibition tickets are on sale now.
Visitors to House of Kong will take a jaunt behind the curtain of Gorillaz’ extraordinary world. A journey through the band’s life of misadventures, musical innovation and ground-breaking virtual ways since these four outsiders – bassist Murdoc Niccals, singer 2D, drummer Russel Hobbs and guitarist Noodle – first came together to blow up a pre-digital world with the release of “Tomorrow Comes Today” in 2000. An exhibition like no other, House of Kong is an experience for the brave and bold.
Today’s announcement comes with even more exciting news for fans. House of Kong exhibition ticket holders will have exclusive presale access to four very special standalone one-off limited-capacity live Gorillaz shows at Copper Box Arena taking place on August 29th, August 30th, and September 2nd and 3rd. More details on the shows will be announced very soon.
House of Kong will be open from 10:30 am to 10pm daily, from August 8th to September 3rd 2025.
House of Kong exhibition tickets are priced from £25 and are on sale now.
Created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs and Japanese guitar prodigy Noodle, Gorillaz were formed following a collision of mishaps, meetings and pure luck to seize the title of biggest virtual band in the world with the release of their eponymous debut album Gorillaz in 2001. Based at Kong Studios in West London, the band settled into a life of musical innovation with an extraordinary roster of collaborators, a list that includes musical legends, geniuses and future stars from Elton John to Little Simz, MF DOOM to Jean-Michel Jarre, Grace Jones to Bad Bunny, Kali Uchis to Sidiki Diabaté, plus so many more. Gorillaz is a truly global phenomenon, achieving success in entirely new and unique ways, touring the world and winning numerous awards including the coveted Jim Henson Creativity Honor, along the way. The band is recognised by The Guinness Book Of World Records as the planet’s Most Successful Virtual Act
The band has released eight studio albums: Gorillaz (2001), Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010), The Fall (2011), Humanz (2017), The Now Now (2018), Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez (2020) and Cracker Island (2023).
Queens of the Stone Age will unveil the cinematic realization of a dream with the June 5 premiere of Alive in the Catacombs, an audiovisual document of the band’s long-rumored performance in the tunnels of the famed Catacombs of Paris.
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 carefully selected setlist spanning the QOTSA catalog, each song chosen and epically reimagined for the Catacombs. The result is an unprecedented incarnation of QOTSA at their most intimate, yet surrounded by literally millions of human remains—“the biggest audience we’ve ever played for,” says Joshua Homme.
The Catacombs of Paris is a sprawling 320km (200 miles) ossuary beneath the surface of Paris. With a foundation of several million bodies buried in the 1700s, skeletal remains are largely exposed, with much of the walls built of skulls and bones.
Homme had dreamt of staging a QOTSA performance in the Catacombs since his first visit nearly 20 years ago. The city of Paris, however, had never granted permission to any artist to play within the sacred tunnels. QOTSA, being law-abiding citizens, waited until their vision was sanctioned.
Hélène Furminieux (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.”
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.
Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs was produced by La Blogothèque and directed by Thomas Rames, and is being released by Queens of the Stone Age and Matador Records. The film will be available to rent or purchase via qotsa.com where pre-orders are currently available. Fans who purchase Alive In the Catacombs by June 7th will receive exclusive access to behind the scenes footage in addition to full streaming and download access. An audio only version will be announced in the coming weeks.
THAT’S HOW WE CHOOSE TO REMEMBER ITOUT NOW VIA SADDLE CREEK
“Rilo Kiley Sound Better Than Ever” –– ROLLING STONE
“One of the defining Los Angeles rock bands of the last quarter-century…Rilo Kiley played with more muscle and panache than it needed to on Saturday in an hour-long set that showcased the band’s impressive versatility.” — LOS ANGELES TIMES
“…the biggest moment of the day…Very good things happened at Just Like Heaven as Rilo Kiley roared back to life on Saturday…feels like the comeback could be just as good, if not better, than the first time around.”— OC REGISTER
Fresh off their triumphant performance at Just Like Heaven Music Festival and the release of That’s How We Choose To Remember It ––a band-curated, career-spanning collection of songs released May 9th via Saddle Creek––Rilo Kiley is pleased to announce a new round of dates just added to the highly anticipated Sometimes When You’re On You’re Really F***king On Tour.
These latest additions include stops in Asbury Park, NJ (The Stone Pony), Port Chester, NY (Capitol Theatre), Northampton, MA (The Pines Theater), Berkeley, CA (The Greek Theatre), San Diego, CA (Gallagher Square), and Los Angeles, CA (The Greek Theatre).
Tickets go on sale this Friday, May 16th, at 10am local time…grab them HERE and be sure not to miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience live, described by Rolling Stone as “magic and energy was palpable throughout the evening…It was chill-inducing to hear those opening notes in total darkness as they entered the stage, ready to start this new era.”
Additionally, the band has added special guests throughout the tour including Waxahatchee, The Faint, Dean Johnson, Natalie Bergman, Benjamin Gibbard and more. See below for further details and the full tour itinerary.
Rilo Kiley recently made a show-stopping appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as they performed a “faithful and jubilant” (CONSEQUENCE) rendition of “Silver Lining”, with Stereogum praising the band as: “total pros, as if they haven’t been apart for the better part of two decades…sharp and clean…This looks like a band that’s in it for the long haul.” Watch “Silver Lining” HERE.
And ICYMI, the band had the great pleasure of speaking with The New York Times about their grand return…read all about it HERE.
WHEN YOU’RE ON YOU’RE REALLY F**KING ON TOUR DATES
New dates in bold
5/12/25 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren *sold out 5/14/25 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre ^ 5/16/25 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Block Party 5/17/25 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Hall *sold out ! 5/19/25 – Jackson, WY – Center for the Arts *sold out ! 5/21/25 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom *sold out ! 5/23/25 – Forest Grove, OR – McMenamins Grand Lodge *sold out ! 5/24/25 – Seattle, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle *sold out ! 8/30/25 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony & 8/31/25 – Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre & 9/01/25 – Northampton, MA – The Pines Theater & 9/03/25 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall *sold out & 9/04/25 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia *sold out & 9/05/25 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17 *sold out & 9/07/25 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway *sold out & 9/08/25 – New York, NY – SummerStage @ Central Park *sold out “ 9/10/25 – Washington, DC – The Anthem “ 9/11/25 – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theatre *sold out “ 9/13/25 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond 9/14/25 – Grand Rapids, MI – Meijer Gardens Summer Series *sold out “ 9/16/25 – Saint Paul, MN – Palace Theatre *sold out “ 9/17/25 – La Vista, NE – The Astro “ 9/19/25 – Chicago, IL – Riot Fest 2025 9/21/25 – St. Augustine, FL – Sing Out Loud Festival 9/23/25 – Nashville, TN – The Pinnacle % 9/24/25 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater + 9/26/25 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern *sold out % 9/27/25 – Asheville, NC – Asheville Yards % 9/28/25 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company % 10/10/25 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Music Festival 10/10-12/25 – Las Vegas, NV – Best Friends Forever 2025 10/16/25 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre # 10/17/25 – San Diego, CA – Gallagher Square # 10/18/25 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre #
^ w/ Ben Gibbard ! w/ Morgan Nagler & w/ Natalie Bergman “ w/ Dean Johnson % w/ The Faint + w/ The Mountain Goats # w/ Waxahatchee
