JOSH HOMME Is 'Thankful' For His Health Struggles During Making Of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's 'Alive In The Catacombs'

In a new interview with Booker and Stryker of ALT 98.7 FM, Josh Homme of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE reflected on how he was battling mounting illness related to surgery for his 2022 cancer diagnosis in the lead-up to the band's July 8, 2024 performance in the tunnels of the famed Catacombs Of Paris. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think what's interesting is that place, because it's so dominating, and because it felt like we were there to serve the place, it's not depressing or sad, but it's not happy either. It's just intense. And I think the fact that I was having some health struggles… I feel great, and I was told that I would be out of commission for a while, and I'm not. And so I'm thankful. And I think the fact that I was dealing with some serious health things, at the end of the day, it actually makes it better. It's better. Because things that are good are not simple. And also the pain side of that, the physical side of that, is momentary because I never think about that anymore. And even in the moment, it's, like, 'So what? So it hurts. So what?' I wanted it so bad. I'd been working on it so long. And we were so close. And I'm gonna turn and I'm gonna quit because it hurts?! What would I do then, if I quit? What am I supposed to do? Like, get up in the morning and fucking make coffee and… What do I do?"

Homme continued: "It doesn't always come up that you get to show what you're made of and who are you, what are you willing to do. And so I do think that it makes it more intense and it makes it worth it. And I know that there's people that care about you, and it's wonderful to have them say, 'We shouldn't do this, and we should go.' And I understand that. But I'm just sort of, like, 'No, we're here.' I like moments where it's, like, 'Are you gonna fucking do it or not? No more talking.' It's very much, like, 'Shut up and fuck me.' Like, , are you gonna do it or not? And actually, I sometimes I long for moments like that where it's, like, 'Are you gonna do it or not?' I just think they're important… It's okay that things are difficult sometimes. And I had a number of moments where I just was, like, 'I'll be back in a minute. I have to just like walk off.' But also I enjoyed being there. And I think it's okay those things exist at once."

Josh added: "I think the main part of this isn't if I was ill or not feeling well or not. It's that there's this moment that's up for grabs, and it's kind of like I've been dreaming about this. It's been a dream of mine for years, and actually I'm thankful that I was not well because I learned so much. We came together. We got closer because of it. And it had strange benefits. We just agreed, because it was just this type of environment. 'Let's not say anything.' He'll say, 'Action,' and we'll just sit there for 30 seconds. And you're listening to the ceiling drip and you're looking at everybody. And I just remember thinking, like, 'I'm fucking do this. This is the moment.' And I wasn't thinking about anything else. There was nothing else. And that moment of being present is a good moment. So I'm glad to have moments like that because that's what I'm looking for. I'm looking for that."

"Alive In The Catacombs", an audiovisual document of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's Catacombs performance, was made available earlier in the year. 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," Homme previously said.

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."

"Queens Of The Stone Age: Alive In The Catacombs" was produced by La Blogothèque and directed by Thomas Rames, and was released by QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and Matador Records. The film is available to rent or purchase via qotsa.com.