Emotional return for ‘Eagles of Death Metal’

American rock band performed to a packed crowd in Paris

PARIS: Eagles of Death Metal, the band which was performing when the deadliest of the Islamic State attacks took place in Paris on Nov 13, made an emotional, powerful appearance at a U2 concert in the city on Monday.

Led by frontman Jesse Hughes dressed in a white suit at a packed AccorHotels Arena, the Californian rock band gave a rendition of Patti Smith’s People have the Power before performing their own I Love You All The Time.

“Nothing left except to introduce you to some people whose lives will be forever part of Paris. These are our brothers, they were robbed of their stage three weeks ago,” U2 frontman Bono said at the end of the last gig of their Innocence and Experience tour after the American band’s remaining European shows were canceled in the wake of the attacks.



Some fans were draped in French flags at Monday’s concert, where security was beefed up as France is under a state of emergency.

A helicopter hovered for two hours above the arena before the show and spectators were told to access the building, which seats up to 20,000 people, through a back entrance. No incidents were reported.



Eagles of Death Metal, whose co-founder and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme rarely tours with them and who was not at the Bataclan concert, said after the shootings they wanted to be the first to perform there when it reopens.

U2, which provided the band with logistical help after the attacks, had denied it would appear on Sunday, when Patti Smith came onto the stage to close the first of two shows. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th,  2015.

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