Photo: Press
"Have you ever seen anyone that's really dedicated to fun?" smiles Eagles Of Death Metal's Jesse 'Boots Electric' Hughes as he spoke to us before the band's sold out show at Koko in London in the summer. "That's what our fans are." That shameless joy is what brought together the 120 blameless music fans who lost their lives in Paris at The Bataclan when ISIS attacked on Friday 13 November, 2015. It was a dark day of news that would grip the world. Who are Eagles Of Death Metal? Well, a million miles from the target of such pure hatred.
"The Bataclan - where hundreds of idolaters were together in a party of perversity as well as other targets in the 10th, 11th and 18th arrondissement," say ISIS of their reasons for the killings. Of course, moral, political and cultural divisions had nothing to do with what brought the fans to the Eagles Of Death Metal show - they were enjoying the simple freedom of being music fans, with a band that had no other agenda but to entertain them. The same goes for those who suffered the attacks at a nearby restaurant and the Stade De France.
Eagles Of Death Metal, the baby and labour of love of Hughes and Queens Of The Stone Age's Josh Homme (who was not touring with the band at the time of the attack), are a band that make pure rock n' roll - with no mission but to have a good time, all the time. Having met and seen them live many times throughout 2015 - the latest was at a London screening of upcoming rock-horror movie Gutterdamerung on Thursday evening - you're always left with the unshakeable sense that they live for fun, and for sharing it with their fans. Everything they do is a celebration. It's a simple expression of the liberties we may often take for granted.
These simple pleasures and freedoms are what make life worth living. These atrocities were not only an attack on music and sports fans vulnerably enjoying their leisure, but on our daily liberties. One can not let this tirade of fear and hatred lend itself to a vengeful cycle of more fear and hatred. That would be admitting defeat.
U2, Deftones and more have wisely cancelled their Paris gigs through safety fears, while Foo Fighters have pulled the rest of their tour. A few gigs may be missed, but music and our freedom of expression will prevail.
Homme tells us of the bands' working habits: "Because we've known each other for so long we have a really easy shorthand and things are pursued out of a very rejoiced perspective. He brings in the sketches of these songs, he dumps them all on the table and you pick the one that you're enthusiastic about so you're chasing enthusiasm all the time. It makes it really simple to want to do this.
"It's pretty easy from our side because you're not trying to overcome any big building blocks - you're just chasing something you like."
Amen, long may the same be said for our love of leisure - be it music, sport, dining out or whatever.
Jesse concludes: "The compulsion with Eagles is that it felt like an opportunity to do it the right way, or the way you should, to have fun. Really, what compulsion do you need other than to have a good time?"
The heart of the matter has best been summed up beautifully by Frank Turner, who simply put: "This was an attack on our culture, our spaces, our rock'n'roll. I'm not interested in political commentary on this right now. I think it's important that we take care of each other and keep doing what we do. A little more love, a little less hate, and some good music, please."
Liberté, égalité, fraternité - these are all things that rock n' roll embodies, and can not be destroyed by terror. Do not hide, do not lash out, stand together by what you love.
The British Foreign Office say anyone who is worried about friends or relatives that may have been caught up in the attack can call 0207 0081500 for more information.
