Eagles Of Death Metal Thrown Out Of Bataclan Reopening

Victor Moriyama

Eagles Of Death Metal Thrown Out Of Bataclan Reopening

Victor Moriyama

Ninety people were killed last year when armed terrorists stormed the Bataclan during an Eagles Of Death Metal concert. Tonight, it reopened, with Sting performing the Paris theater’s first show since the attack. Jesse Hughes and another member of Eagles Of Death Metal tried to attend, but they were denied entry to the event thanks to Hughes’ controversial remarks about the venue, AFP reports.

In an interview this year, Hughes insinuated that the Bataclan’s security staff may have been in on on the attack. Although he issued an apology, he later made a similar comment, prompting multiple French festivals to drop Eagles Of Death Metal from their bills.

Understandably, the Bataclan staff aren’t too happy with him, and they decided to bar him and his bandmate from tonight’s Sting concert. “They came, I threw them out — there are things you can’t forgive,” says Bataclan co-director Jules Frutos. “He makes these incredibly false declarations every two months. It is madness, accusing our security of being complicit with the terrorists… Enough. Zero. This has to stop.”

UPDATE: EODM’s manager Marc Pollack has shared a statement with Billboard saying Hughes did not intend to actually enter the Bataclan and that Frutos is a “coward”:

“This day is not about Jesse Hughes or Eagles of Death Metal. In fact, Jesse is in Paris to share in remembering the tragic events of a year ago with his friends, family and fans. This is about recalling the tragic loss of life that happened right in front of his eyes during his show, and this coward Jules Frutos feels the need to soil his own club’s reopening by spreading false tales to the press, and tainting a wonderful opportunity that could’ve been used to spread peace and love, to further spread mean spirited words of hate. Jesse never even tried entering the club for Sting’s show tonight.”

According to Billboard Hughes was at the venue “to take in the scene.”

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