Ontario-based punk band Sum 41 cancelled their show in Paris after believing an explosive device was detonated outside the venue Le Etoiles, where the band was set to play that Saturday night, according to Consequence of Sound. Owners of the venue, however, confirmed that the noise heard was actually firecrackers being set off.
In a tweet that was later deleted, the band stated, “During load-in for tonight’s performance in Paris, an explosive device was detonated just outside of the venue door. Band, crew, the fans in line are all safe, and there were no injuries. Due to the intimate nature of our ‘Personal Space’ performances, we are unable to guarantee the safety of the fans in attendance. We are deeply saddened to announce that tonight’s show has been canceled.”
When asked to make a statement about the incident, the venue remarked, “There were firecrackers in the street during the strikes. Absolutely no other problems. The group didn’t want to take any risks.” The venue manager added, “We talked for three hours with [the band], but they did not want to do the concert.”
France has seen tragedy in the past take place at music events and concerts; in November of 2015, armed terrorists took the life of 90 innocent fans at Eagles of Death Metal’s show at the Bataclan. After Sum 41’s initial tweet, one fan took to Twitter to write, “Your first statement was not cool guys. France has been through enough pain, no need to add suspicion with such a blurry statement. It would be fair if you published a new one saying that it was a firecracker and that you just got confused. Just saying … words are important.”
Sum 41 is set to continue with the rest of the tour. They are set to play tonight (January 20th) in London.
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