California Band ‘Eagles of Death Metal’ in Paris Terror Attack

A California-based rock band, Eagles of Death Metal, was performing at the theater in Paris, France that was attacked by gunmen Friday night, and where 100 hostages are reportedly being held.

#BREAKING Hostages taken at Paris Bataclan concert hall, police say

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) November 13, 2015

News reports suggest that at least a dozen people are dead near the Bataclan music venue, where the band was playing. Update: The band reportedly escaped and is unharmed. Second Update: News reports now indicate that over 100 people are dead at the Bataclan, after terrorists began executing hostages inside. French authorities stormed the hall and ended the killing.

There were at least three other attacks in Paris, all apparently coordinated: a mass shooting at a restaurant near the Place de la République, where 18 were reported dead; explosions at the Stade de France, where French President François Hollande was watching a soccer match between France and Germany; and a shooting at Les Halles shopping mall. Update: News agencies now report six separate attacked.

The rising death toll made this the deadliest terror attack in French history. French authorities were reluctant to call the attacks “terrorism.” However, emerging eyewitness reports reported gunmen shooting people with pump-action shotguns, shouting “Allahu Akbar” and mentioning Syria. 

According to BFMTV, one of the gunmen shouted: “It’s for Syria” at Bataclan and Allahu Akbar. — Henry Samuel (@H_E_Samuel) November 13, 2015

Reports from Bataclan: some escaped, describing pools of blood and attackers using pump-action shotgun against crowd inside

— Jeremy Cliffe (@JeremyCliffe) November 13, 2015

UPDATE: Some hostages have escaped from Paris concert hall; described pools of blood & terrorist attackers using shotguns. #ParisShooting — PopWrapped (@PopWrapped) November 13, 2015

Eagles of Death Metal recently released its first studio album in seven years, Zipper Down. In an interview with Rolling Stone, band members Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme joked that the album was their response to the spread of terrorism:

So essentially Zipper Down is the Eagles of Death Metal response to terrorism?
Homme: Yeah. We put out a record and human rights are better, the world feels better, people make more money, there’s less anger, people are more respectful to women and to homosexuals, and they’re generally nicer each other, they’re kinder to each other, and that’s why we really felt like it was time to let the healing begin.

 

The band had previously played the Bataclan venue–for example, in 2009:

Homme apparently did not join the band on its European tour.

Update: The band recently played in Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post, with Hughes vowing that he would “never boycott” the country.