Thursday marks the 10th anniversary of the tragic attack on the Bataclan venue in Paris during an Eagles of Death Metal concert. On November 13, 2015, terrorists stormed the venue while the band was performing, as part of a larger attack on the city that claimed 130 lives, including 90 at the Bataclan.
The band members—frontman Jesse Hughes, guitarist Eden Galindo, drummer Julian Dorio, and bassist Matt McJunkins—managed to escape, but tragically, their merch manager, Nick Alexander, was among those killed. Josh Homme, the frontman of Queens of the Stone Age and co-founder of EODM, was not performing that night.
The Bataclan attack sent shockwaves through the music community. U2, scheduled to perform in Paris the next day, canceled their live HBO concert. Deftones, who were set to play the Bataclan in the following days and had members at the concert, also canceled their remaining European tour dates, as did Foo Fighters.
U2 returned to Paris in December 2015 and invited EODM on stage during their concerts. The music world showed support for the band by covering their song “I Love You All the Time.”
In 2017, a documentary titled “Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends)” explored the aftermath of the attacks and the bond between Hughes and Homme. Reflecting on the tragedy, Hughes said, “What happened 10 years ago was perhaps the worst thing that ever happened in my life. I lost faith in almost everything… Through the help of U2, our fans, and the strength of the people of France, I have slowly rebuilt my reality.
