Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes has apologized for suggesting some Bataclan theater security guards may have known in advance about the Paris venue being attacked last November.
The EODM were mid-performance on November 13 when four Islamist militants shot and killed 90 fans.
In a Facebook post, Jesse Hughes apologized for his comments on Fox News last week about six security guards who were not at work on the night of the attack.
The singer said he made “absurd accusations”.
Speaking to Fox News on March 9, Jesse Hughes said he had learned that some guards did not come to work that night and “it seems rather obvious that they had a reason not to show up”.
The Bataclan’s owners were quick to dispute this, saying Jesse Hughes had made “grave and defamatory accusations”.
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Their statement said that a judicial investigation was under way and that “we wish to let justice proceed serenely”.
“All the testimonies gathered to this day demonstrate the professionalism and courage of the security agents who were on the ground on November 13. Hundreds of people were saved thanks to (these agents’) intervention,” they added.
Jesse Hughes responded on March 11, saying: “I humbly beg forgiveness from the people of France, the staff and security of the Bataclan, my fans, my family, friends and anyone else hurt or offended by the absurd accusations I made in my Fox Business Channel interview.”
The singer said his comments were “unfounded and baseless” and that he had been struggling with dealing with the trauma of the massacre. The raid on the concert was one of seven co-ordinated attacks across Paris, killing 130 people.
“I’ve been dealing with non-stop nightmares and struggling through therapy to make sense of this tragedy and insanity,” Jesse Hughes said.
“I haven’t been myself since November 13. I realize there’s no excuse for my words, but for what it’s worth: I am sincerely sorry for having hurt, disrespected or accused anyone.”
The members of the Californian rock band escaped the carnage by hiding in a dressing room backstage and later told how they wanted to return to Paris to finish their performance.
Eagles of Death Metal returned to Paris three months later to finish the gig at another venue, the Olympia, after receiving “overwhelming” support.
The Bataclan survivors were all invited and many attended amid tight security. The show included a silence in memory of the victims.
Eagles Of Death Metal have been forced to cancel the rest of their European tour because frontman Jesse Hughes has torn a tendon in his finger.
They had already postponed the dates following the terrorist attack at the Le Bataclan theater in Paris.
Eighty-nine people were killed and 200 injured during the attack in November 2015.
The band returned to Paris earlier this month for an emotional performance for survivors at the Olympia.
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The remaining eight dates in Europe have now had to be cancelled because of Jesse Hughes’ injury.
In a statement, posted on Facebook, EODM wrote: “Eagles of Death Metal has regrettably been forced to cancel the remainder of their European tour.
“Hughes has tried to play through the injury during the current tour but doctors have advised that the only way to properly heal it is to stop playing now, or risk further injury and having to cancel several weeks worth of shows.”
EODM are due to play Reading and Leeds festivals later in the summer and those gigs are not expected to be affected by Jesse Hughes’ injury.
Speaking about returning to Europe to finish the tour after the Paris attacks, he told the news agency AFP, Jesse Hughes said he thought it was his “sacred duty”.
American rock band Eagles of Death Metal has made an emotional return to the Bataclan concert hall following the Paris terror attacks last month.
The band’s members visited the concert venue to lay flowers in memory of the 90 concert-goers who were killed.
They embraced one another as they read messages in silence, fighting to contain their emotions.
Jesse Hughes, the band’s frontman, wiped away tears before speaking to a small group of fans at the site.
Eagles of Death Metal made a surprise appearance on stage in Paris on December 7 when they took to the stage to perform with U2.
They belted out the Patti Smith anthem People Have The Power at the concert at the AccorHotels Arena.
A total of 130 people were killed on when gunmen attacked bars, cafes and restaurants in co-ordinated attacks on November 13.
Most of the dead were in the Bataclan watching Eagles of Death Metal.
The band escaped the carnage by hiding in a dressing room backstage and later told how they want to return to Paris to finish their performance.
In a Facebook post, Eagles of Death Metal thanked U2 and said they had “reminded us that the bad guys never take a day off, and therefore we rock ‘n rollers cannot either… and we never will”.
Eagles of Death Metal paid tribute to “everyone in the world who continues to prove that love, joy and music will always overcome terror and evil”.
In his first interview since the Paris attacks, Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes says he wants to be the first person to perform at the Bataclan concert hall when it reopens.
Three gunmen stormed the gig they were playing at the venue in Paris on November 13, killing 89 people.
Speaking to Vice, Jesse Hughes said he “cannot wait to get back to Paris and play”.
“Our friends went to see rock and roll and died. I want to go back there and live.”
Members of the EODM rock band have described – in detail – what happened on the night of the attacks.
Jesse Hughes says he came face to face with one of the gunmen as he was trying to escape.
“I saw the shooter,” he said.
“He turned and brought the gun down on me but the barrel hit the doorframe.”
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In an emotional interview, Jesse Hughes said: “I want to be the first person to play in the Bataclan when it opens up.”
All band members escaped unhurt.
Guitarist Eden Galindo said he initially thought the gunshots were the PA “cracking” but then realized “pretty quick” that it wasn’t.
“Jesse ran towards me and we went into the corner. We weren’t sure if they were targeting us.”
Bassist Matt McJunkins said he found himself trapped in a room with some fans who were also trying to get out.
“As soon as we get there [the room], there’s a few people who’ve been shot and who were bleeding.
“We had some chairs to barricade the door and a mini fridge. Someone had left a bottle of champagne bottle which we could have used… as a weapon.”
He described a woman in the room with him who had been shot.
“This guy was holding her and keeping pressure on her wound. He was trying to keep her comfortable and her blood was running out on the ground.”
Matt McJunkins said the gunfire went on for 10 to 15 minutes and was getting closer to where they were hiding.
He then described an explosion which shook the whole room. It was one of the gunmen’s suicide belts.
Julian Dorio, who was playing drums, said the initial shots were so powerful that he “bailed” off his stool almost immediately.
“The gunpowder hit my nose. I saw two guys up front and they were relentlessly shooting into the audience.
“I stayed on my chin, crawling to the side of the stage.”
Eagles of Death Metal were formed in 1998 by Jesse Hughes and Joshua Homme.
Joshua Homme wasn’t at the Paris gig but showed the interviewer, Shane Smith, one of the texts he received that night.
It said: “Everyone got shot. They took hostages. I’ve got blood all over me.”
Members of Eagles of Death Metal described the horror of the Bataclan concert hall massacre in their first interview since Paris attack.
Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes has recalled the horror he witnessed inside the concert hall as three gunmen opened fire, killing 89 people during the November 13 massacre.
Jesse Hughes said a group of fans who hid in the band’s dressing room were found by the gunmen and killed except for one who hid under Hughes’s leather jacket.
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In a clip from the interview with Vice News to be released in full next week, an emotional Jesse Hughes said: “A great reason why so many were killed was because so many people wouldn’t leave their friends. So many people put themselves in front of people.”
“Several people hid in our dressing room,” Jesse Hughes told Vice.com from Venice, California.
“And the killers were able to get in and killed every one of them – except for a kid who was hiding under my leather jacket.”
The assault on the Bataclan concert hall was the deadliest of six coordinated attacks that left 130 people dead in Paris. Among those killed inside the venue were the band’s merchandise manager and three staffers from its record label.
Following the attacks in Paris, EODM canceled the remainder of its European tour and flew back to California.
Five days after Paris attacks, Eagles of Death Metal said in a statement: “While the band is now home safe, we are horrified and still trying to come to terms with what happened in France. Our thoughts and hearts are first and foremost with our brother Nick Alexander; our record company comrades Thomas Ayad, Marie Mosser, and Manu Perez; and all the friends and fans whose lives were taken in Paris, as well as their friends, families, and loved ones.”
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