Queens Of The Stone Age vocalist/guitarist Josh Homme isn’t yet ready to spill the beans on the nature of the illness that forced him and his aforementioned alternative rock band off the road mid-tour last summer for emergency surgery. However, he has taken the time to speak on the impact his latest brush with serious illness/injury has taken on him.
The band’s decision to scrap their European tour last July in light of Homme‘s illness was a worrying development, given his 2022 battle with cancer. While the gold-certified outfit dod manage to perform a stripped-down dream set for Homme at the Catacombs of Paris in Paris, France prior to the abbreviating their plans, it turns out Homme himself had to gut out that performance due to the nature of his malady. Ultimately that unique performance was released earlier this year as “Alive In The Catacombs“.
Speaking to Consequence, Homme stated of his own physical health during the filming of that set:
“I was in a very difficult physical spot, and I’m really thankful that I was, actually. I couldn’t think about anything else but where we were. It’s better that I was unwell, because I think if I was well, we would’ve maybe been more ‘California’ about it and thought ‘Man, it’s so cool to be here…’ And something about that kind of sucks.”
He further relayed of the severity of his condition at the time:
“I performed in the Catacombs, and within about 20 hours I was being sedated and put under. Then I spent the next seven months in bed. I had a lot of time to think, you know? I was told I was gonna spend 18 months, two years there, so I was not excited.”
Homme‘s brushes with disease and illness and death, which included a 2011 near-death experience while undergoing knee surgery, have now instilled a new perspective in him: to leave everything on the table whenever he can. He said of that:
“Each thing that me and the guys are making, when we put that branding iron in the fire, I want to work on it and leave it in there until it’s red hot so I can at least, for the moment, try to beautifully scar everyone that hears it. I know other people use their brand for Vitamin Water and whatever the fuck they’re making. But I wanna burn you with mine. My brand is scarification.”
07/30 Warsaw, POL – COS Torwar (feat. So Good)
08/01 Riga, LAT – Arena Riga (feat. So Good)
08/02 Tallinn, EST – Unibet Arena Black Box (feat. So Good)
08/04 Helsinki, FIN – Ice Hall (feat. So Good)
08/07 Gothenburg, SWE – Way Out West
08/08 Oslo, NOR – Øyafestivalen
08/09 Copenhagen, DEN – Syd For Solen
08/12 Berlin, GER – Zitadelle (feat. So Good)
08/13 Bonn, GER – Kunst!Rasen (feat. So Good)
08/15 Biddinghuizen, NET – Lowlands Festival
08/16 Charleville-Merieres, FAR – Cabaret Vert
08/17 Hasselt, BEL – Pukkelpop
08/20 Dublin, IRE – Irish Museum Of Modern Art (feat. Amyl And The Sniffers)
08/22 Portsmouth, UK – Victorious Festival
08/24 Paris, FRA – Rock en Seine
08/27-28 Sheffield, UK – Rock N Roll Circus: Don Valley Bowl
‘The Catacombs Tour‘ with Paris Jackson opening:
10/02 Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
10/03 Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
10/05 Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
10/07 Philadelphia, PA – The Met
10/08 Boston, MA – Boch Center Wang Theatre
10/10 New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
11/08 Santa Barbara, CA – Arlington Theatre
11/10 San Francisco, CA – Davies Symphony Hall
11/11 Los Angeles, CA – Dolby Theatre
11/04 Mexico City, MEX – Corona Capitol (no Paris Jackson)
11/19 Austin, TX – Bass Concert Hall
11/21 New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre
‘The Catacombs Tour‘:
10/18 Milan, ITA – Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber
10/23 Berlin, GER – Theater des Westens
10/24 Copenhagen, DEN – DR Koncerthuset, Koncertsalen
10/26 Amsterdam, NET – Royal Theater Carre
10/27 Antwerp, BEL – Queen Elisabeth Hall
10/29 London, UK – Royal Albert Hall
