Eagles of Death Metal Return To Paris To ‘Resume’ Paris Gig
Eagles of Death Metal returned to Paris over night to “resume” their gig from November 13 which was stormed by gunmen.
The rock legends hit the stage at the Olympia Theatre in the French capital to “resume” the concert they were playing at the Bataclan concert hall on November 13 which was hit by extremist gunmen, killing 89 fans.
Three month on from the tragic events, frontman Jesse Hughes walked up to the mic and announced: “Bonsoir Paris, we’re ready for this!”
At one stage in between two songs, he shouted: “Peace, love and rock and roll!”
The Bataclan has been closed since the tragic events, but there was an increased security presence for this evening’s gig at the Olympia.
Despite this, some fans had concerns about attending the concert.
One supporter, Alexis Lebrun, admitted he would head to the venue but only go inside if he deemed security to be adequate.
Ahead of the gig, Jesse broke down in tears during an interview on French news TV news channel iTELE.
He said:
“There’s been just such an outpouring of support for us and love for us. It’s overwhelming.
“I just don’t want to let anyone down.
“I don’t know why God picked us to be the band.”
During the interview, Jesse was asked about his membership to America’s National Rifle Association and if his stance on gun control had changed after the incident. Jesse highlighted that gun control “doesn’t have anything to do with it” telling French media,
“Did your French gun control stop a single fucking person from dying at the Bataclan? And if anyone can answer yes, I’d like to hear it, because I don’t think so. I think the only thing that stopped it was some of the bravest men that I’ve ever seen in my life charging head-first into the face of death with their firearms.
“I know people will disagree with me, but it just seems like God made men and women, and that night guns made them equal,” he said. “And I hate it that it’s that way. I think the only way that my mind has been changed is that maybe that until nobody has guns everybody has to have them.
“Because I’ve never seen anyone that’s ever had one dead, and I want everyone to have access to them, and I saw people die that maybe could have lived, I don’t know.”