“My mind got the better of me after being a half-mile closer to the centre of the earth. An epic rock ‘n’ roll death – what a way to go.” What happened when Queens of the Stone Age played a tiny show deep inside a German salt mine
In 2007, Queens of the Stone Age staged an unusual intimate concert 2,300 feet underground at the Erlebnisbergwerk Glückauf salt mine in Sondershausen, Germany, while touring their album Era Vulgaris. The show stood out from the band’s 115 dates that year because it replaced the conventional venue experience with a highly logistical, industrial setting intended to celebrate miners and create a distinctive rock performance.
Interscope Records gave 300 fans tickets through a competition, with attendees wearing hard hats and high-visibility clothing for the descent. Equipment reportedly took about a day to transport underground and acclimatise, while the band began with a semi-acoustic set that became heavier as excitement grew; footage was filmed but has reportedly remained in a record-label vault.
- Queens of the Stone Age performed 2,300 feet underground in 2007.
- Only 300 competition-winning fans attended the salt-mine show.
- Filmed footage has reportedly never been publicly released.
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Queens of the Stone Age are an American rock band led by singer and guitarist Josh Homme. Known for their heavy, rhythm-driven sound, they were touring their 2007 album Era Vulgaris when they arranged the underground performance.
The concert took place in an operating salt mine in central Germany, far below ground level. Mining sites present practical limits on transport, safety and sound, so staging a full band show there required specialist planning and a small audience.
Such events can give musicians a way to mark a local industry or create a one-off setting for a recording or film. The mine show became part of the band’s wider touring history because relatively few fans could attend and the filmed material has not been widely released.