On November thirteenth of 2015, a deadly and coordinated attack shook Paris, France and the world to its bones. Three separate attacks across the city left over a hundred dead, ninety of whom had been at the Bataclan, a venue where the Eagles of Death Metal had been playing a set. Three gunmen burst in, firing indiscriminately until ultimately detonating individual vests.
On Monday night, two members from the group returned to Paris to play a few songs in memory of those who died. This being the second anniversary, the memories are still fresh. Singer Jesse Hughes mentioned that it had been quite an emotional experience for him. He felt “a million different emotions, but all of them good.” With Dave Catching, the group’s guitarist, Hughes played two songs including “Save a Prayer,” which happens to be the last song the band played before the attack began two years ago. The pair closed their set by throwing white flowers toward the audience.
“This is just a testament to the resolve of a community that is determined not to let the bad guys win.”
Hughes managed to meet French President Emmanuel Macron at the event. The two were reported to have an emotional meeting in which Macron told the singer, “We’re here for you.”
Hughes told the President, “the French people have really made it possible for us to come back to life. So thank you very much.”
The event left a mark on every person who attended the concert that evening. The mark they bear is different than those who read about it or watched the news that day, and the days afterward. The band members had been scarred by the attack; to return to Paris takes courage. To play “Save a Prayer” takes courage. We hope to see more from them in the future.
Photography Credit: Boston Lynn Schultz