Eagles Of Death Metal Frontman Says One Fan Survived Paris Attack At Bataclan By Hiding Under His Jacket
Less than two weeks after the harrowing nightmare of the Paris terror attacks, members of the Eagles of Death Metal are speaking publicly about what transpired inside the Bataclan theater where 89 of their fans and friends were massacred. Lead singer Jesse Hughes and drummer Josh Homme recently sat down with Vice for a discussion about the ordeal. A clip from their interview was released over the weekend and the full video will follow later this week. In a brief statement accompanying the YouTube release of the clip, Vice staff described their conversation with the Eagles of Death Metal members as “incredibly emotional.”
In their discussion, Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme referenced reports that the Bataclan gunmen flowed a throng of fans to the Eagles Of Death Metal dressing room, opening fire on the concertgoers who had packed themselves into the room in hopes they had found refuge. As reported by many news outlets, including Australia’s ABC News, all of the fans who hid in the dressing rooms were killed by the attackers except one.
“The killers were able to get in and kill every one of them except for a kid who was hiding under my leather jacket,” Jesse Hughes said to Vice in an excerpt transcribed by the New York Post. “People were playing dead and they were so scared.”
Hughes also said that casualties were high within the venue because many fans refused to leave their injured friends. He suggested that a number of people were injured shielding others from harm.
Despite the outpouring of grief and sympathy within France and around the world for the Eagles of Death Metal and their fans, a few detractors have proven less than sympathetic. As previously reported by Inquisitr, a pastor in Arizona posted a vitriolic sermon online in which he maintained that the band and their fans had set themselves up for the tragedy because they were “wicked in the eyes of God.”
“You know, there’s something about when you go to a concert of death metal, somebody might get killed,” said Stephen Anderson, head of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona. “You know, you’re worshiping death! And then all the sudden people start dying — ‘Oh wait a minute, what’s going on?’ Well, you love death so much — you bought the ticket! You’re worshiping Satan! Let’s have some of Satan’s religion come in and shoot you!”
In the wake of the violence directed at the Eagles of Death concert attendees, a number of big name acts cancelled shows in France and other destinations in Europe. U2, who were in Paris at the time of the terror attacks, cancelled a show set for the day after the incidents. The Foo Fighters also cancelled shows in Paris as well as the remainder of their European tour due to the tragedy. Metal band Lamb of God also canceled their remaining Eurpoean dates citing “security concerns” and over the weekend, Five Finger Death Punch scrubbed a show in Milan, Italy after hacktivist group Anonymous reported an imminent threat on the city by ISIS agents.
The Eagles of Death Metal had planned a number of shows throughout Europe to round out 2015, including concerts in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and Italy. Online listings for Eagles of Death Metal tickets indicate that all of those events have been canceled.
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
