One year to the day after terrorist attacks killed more than 100 people in the French capital—many of them during a concert by Eagles Of Death Metal at Paris’ Bataclan concert hall—the theater has reopened, with Sting taking the stage earlier tonight. But despite the solemnity of the anniversary, there was still some controversy surrounding today’s event, with the theater’s co-director telling French news agency AFP that he’d banned EODM frontman Jesse Hughes from the concert, a charge the band’s management has aggressively denied.
“They came, I threw them out—there are things you can’t forgive,” said Jules Frutos, referring to comments that Hughes made, and later retracted, accusing Muslim members of the theater’s staff of helping to orchestrate the attacks. “He makes these incredibly false declarations every two months,” Frutos added. “It is madness, accusing our security of being complicit with the terrorists… Enough. Zero. This has to stop.”
Hughes’ management says he was in the city to reflect on the attacks, but that he made no effort to enter the venue, and wasn’t turned away. Per manager Marc Pollack:
Jesse is in Paris to share in remembering the tragic events of a year ago with his friends, family and fans. This is about recalling the tragic loss of life that happened right in front of his eyes during his show, and this coward Jules Frutos feels the need to soil his own club’s reopening by spreading false tales to the press, and tainting a wonderful opportunity that could’ve been used to spread peace and love, to further spread mean spirited words of hate. Jesse never even tried entering the club for Sting’s show tonight.
According to Billboard, Hughes did spend time outside the Bataclan, talking to fans, but reportedly made no efforts to enter the hall or attend the Sting show itself.