‘I Will Never Stop Rocking and Rolling’: Eagles of Death Metal Make Powerful Return to Paris Stage

Eagles of Death Metal (EODM), the band that were on stage at the Paris Bataclan concert hall when gunmen opened fire and killed 90 people last month, returned to the French capital for an emotional performance with U2 on Monday. 

“I look around and what do I see, nos amis, our friends. I fucking love you guys so hard, and I will never stop rocking and rolling,” EODM’s singer, Jesse Hughes, told the crowd.

Appearing at the last of four concerts by U2 at a packed AccorHotels Arena, the Californian rock band joined their Irish counterparts to give a rendition of Patti Smith’s People Have the Power before performing their own I Love You All The Time.

Just before the band emerged, U2 frontman Bono said there was “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.”

Around 16,000 fans were in the arena, with some draped in French flags. It was EODM’s first public performance since Islamist gunmen and suicide bombers carried out a series of attacks in Paris on Friday 13, killing 130 people, mostly at the Bataclan concert hall.

EODM were on stage playing when the attackers opened fire. The band managed to escape but their merchandise manager, Nick Alexander, as well as three colleagues from their record label, Thomas Ayad, Marie Mosser, and Manu Perez, were killed alongside 87 others.

In the aftermath of the attacks, VICE spoke to EODM’s Jesse Hughes and Joshua Homme about what happened and where to go from here. Watch the interview here:

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