Members of the California rock band Eagles of Death Metal have made a surprise return to a Paris stage, less than a month after suicide bombers stormed the band’s Nov. 13 gig at the Bataclan theater and killed 89 people.
They appeared onstage Monday night during a performance by U2, who were playing the last of four concerts in Paris, the last two of which had been postponed when France announced a state of emergency following the attacks that killed 130 in total.
U2 frontman Bono told the audience they said he wanted to introduce “some people whose lives will forever be a part of this city of Paris. These are our brothers. Our fellow troubadours. They were robbed of their stage three weeks ago, and we would like to offer them ours tonight.”
It was the first time the Eagles of Death Metal had performed since the attacks, which band members escaped under harrowing circumstances. The band, though deeply shaken, had said it wanted to play again in Paris.
The two bands then played the Patti Smith song “People Have the Power.”
The Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes told U2 and the crowd, “We love you too, so much for giving us this opportunity. I look around and what do I see, nos amis, our friends. I f—ing love you guys so hard, and I will never stop rocking and rolling.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
For a supposed Christian like Bono to turn over the stage to these men shows very questionable judgment. Hopefully, this “death metal” group has been properly chastened from their singing of the “devil’s song” just prior to the attack. There was NO hint of love in those lyrics, nor was there in another song of theirs which speaks of murdering an innocent child and his mother. These men are beyond the pale in terms of what they are apparently promoting. As long as it makes money, right? A picture taken of the crowd, moments before the attack, showed the crowd holding up their hands in “devil horns”. There is an old aphorism, “Speak of the devil and he is sure to appear.” And he did that night, in the form of psychotic killers inspired by their anti-Christ religion. Sickening.