Eagles Of Death Metal Give Their First Post Paris Terror Attack Interview

The Eagles of Death Metal have opened up  about the horrific events at the Bataclan concert venue that they were playing on the night of the Paris terror attacks. Visibly traumatized by the ordeal, the heavy metal band gives details on the confusion and panic in the Bataclan and the bravery shown by numerous concert-goers.

Eagles Of Death Metal Give Their First Post Paris Terror Attack Interview

On Nov. 13, armed men affiliated with the ISIS terrorist organization stormed the venue while the group was on stage and opened fire on the crowd. Eighty-nine people were killed and many were left seriously injured. The attack was part of an orchestrated day of terror that included separate shootings and bombings. In total over 130 lives were lost.

Speaking to Vice founder Shane Smith, the group were visibly traumatized by the harrowing experience but vowed to continue playing their music.

“I cannot wait to get back to Paris; I cannot wait to play,” said Jesse Hughes, the bands lead singer and co-founder. “I want to be the first band to play in the Bataclan when it opens back up because I was there when it went silent for a minute.”

They were initially unsure of what was happening when gunshots fired. “At first I thought it was the PA cracking up and then I realized real quick that it wasn’t and I recognized what it was,” guitarist Eden Galindo said. They ran from the stage and escaped out a back entrance, though bassist Matt McJunkins, who was on the opposite side of the stage, was forced to barricade himself along with the band’s tour manager and an injured fan accompanied by friends, in a storage room. They luckily escaped the marauding gunmen.

Band member Joshua Homme revealed how they’d been touched by the bravery of their fans and the support they had received since the attack.

“The one thing that all the guys in the band kept sharing was, it was like a shared heroism,” said Homme. “That people came out of their homes to help. The fans that were in there, even when injured, were attempting to help each other and the band.”

The group remains committed to their music and vowed to keep on performing. “Music is what we do, it’s our lives, and there’s no way we’re not going to keep doing it,” a tearful McJunkins said.