Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes’ experience from the Bataclan attack helped give him perspective on his life and career.
On November 15, 2015 the band performed at the Bataclan Theatre in Paris when terrorists opened fire on the crowd. 89 people were killed in the attack, including the band’s merchandise manager Nick Alexander. Hughes spoke with Billboard about returning to Paris after the attacks and how the horrific night at the Bataclan affects him everyday.
For me, my behavior since (the Bataclan) has been informed by the concept that I don’t want to be haunted by 89 people; I want to be accompanied by 89 souls.
On Feb. 16, 2016, Eagles of Death Metal returned to Paris at the Olympia Hall and the band’s performance that night helped inspire Hughes to live his life with a new sense of meaning.
Normally something like what happened in Paris would make you a little more shy of the world at large, but it’s had the opposite effect. I want to live every day doing something. I want to hone my craft. I love what I do. This is the greatest job I’ve ever had in my life. Even the worst days in my showbiz life are better than the best day I’ve had in my regular life. That show at the Olympia represented a lot, for everybody. It really gave me a whole new life.
The band’s performance was recorded in a special DVD, I Love You All The Time — Live From the Olympia and is set for release Friday, August 4.
Leaving that Paris show, I was reinvigorated completely. Every person showed up for us that night. They were there for rock n’ roll, without fear, having a good time. You can see on that DVD every person in the crowd enjoying themselves to the fullest and consequences be damned. That was rock n’ roll fans saying to me, ‘You don’t get to fall by the wayside. You’ve got to keep entertaining us, so you better do what you’ve got to do to make that possible.’
Hughes went on to talk about the significance of both nights at the Bataclan and Olympia shows and how the band became closer after these experiences.
This is a band now. Before it was Joshua (Homme) and I doing everything and performing (live) has been with a lineup we’d put together. But coming out of the (Batacalan) and the Olympia show there’s some bonds. The idea that every member is equally important as everyone else really started to come forward. We’re all able to see each other as band members. We understand we all need each other. That’s been a critically important side effect that came out of all this. Now we’re a band, and we’re fuckin’ deadly unstoppable.
The Q Awards recently nominated Colin Hanks’ documentary, Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) for Best Film which featured band members’ accounts of the Bataclan attack.
Eagles of Death Metal is currently on tour and their next scheduled date is August 4 at the Del Mar Summer Concert Series in Del Mar, California.