Eagles of Death Metal Reportedly Ejected from Sting's Show at Le Bataclan

Photo: Stephen McGill

BY Alex HudsonPublished Nov 13, 2016

A year ago today (November 13), Parisian concert venue Le Bataclan was targeted in a deadly terrorist attack during an Eagles of Death Metal show. Last night (November 12), the venue reopened with a performance from Sting, and two members of Eagles of Death Metal were reportedly told to leave.

AFP reports that singer Jesse Hughes and another band member were ejected due to controversial comments that Hughes made earlier this year, when he implied that members of the venue's security team were in on the attack. (Hughes subsequently backtracked on those accusations, but then made similar comments a couple of months later, and the band were condemned and removed from festival bills in response.)

"They came, I threw them out — there are things you can't forgive," Bataclan co-director Jules Frutos said. "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."

Eagles of Death Metal's manager Marc Pollack made a statement to Billboard, saying that Hughes wasn't actually planning enter the venue. He said:

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.

Hughes will reportedly return to the outside of the venue today, where French President Francois Hollande and Parisian Mayor Anne Hidalgo will unveil a plaque to honour the victims of the attack.

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