One year ago, Paris venue Le Bataclan was the site of one of the most horrific terror attacks of recent memory, as 90 Eagles of Death Metal fans were executed by jihadists. On Saturday (12), the venue had it’s first show since then, as Sting performed on the eve of the one year anniversary. While it would have been an emotional for EODM to return to the venue where they’d been performing a year ago, that didn’t happen. How and why it didn’t happen, however, is up for debate.
In the aftermath of the slaughter, Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes claimed that Muslims were celebrating in the streets after the massacre, and also said that security was purposely lax the evening of the attack and that several security staff called out that evening knowing that something might be happening. Le Bataclan vigorously denied that any of their staff was implicit in the attacks. The club’s co-director told AFP that Jesse Hughes and another band member turned up at the venue to see Sting and they threw him out
“They came, I threw them out — there are things you can’t forgive,” Bataclan co-director Jules Frutos told AFP, as Sting was wrapping up an emotional reopening show to mark a year since 90 people were massacred there during a gig by the Californian band.
That would certainly be within Le Bataclan’s jursidiction, but the band’s management released a statement to Billboard saying that never happened. Here’s what The MGMT Company’s Marc Pollack said:
“This day is not about Jesse Hughes or Eagles of Death Metal. In fact, Jesse is in Paris to share in remembering the tragic events of a year ago with his friends, family and fans. This is about recalling the tragic loss of life that happened right in front of his eyes during his show, and this coward Jules Frutos feels the need to soil his own club’s reopening by spreading false tales to the press, and tainting a wonderful opportunity that could’ve been used to spread peace and love, to further spread mean spirited words of hate. Jesse never even tried entering the club for Sting’s show tonight.”
Yesterday (13), the actual one-year anniversary of the massacre, Hughes was outside the venue for a plaque dedication to the victims by invitation of the city’s mayor. Billboard also reports that Hughes didn’t try to enter the venue, but was outside on the 12th talking to fans and reflecting on the horrific evening. Eagles of Death Metal will be the subject of a documentary coming next year on HBO. Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) will debut in February.
