The U.S. band Eagles of Death Metal, the group in concert at the Bataclan during the Paris attacks Friday night, are safe, according to family members.
The group, from Palm Desert, California, were playing when masked attackers burst into the 150-year-old theater and opened fire into the audience. At least 80 people are thought to have died.
The band is fronted by Queens of the Stone Age singer Josh Homme and his childhood friend Jesse Hughes, though Homme does not often appear in live shows due to his other band commitments. He was was not at Friday’s concert, according to reports in the music press.
The band have a rolling list of members who play at gigs and on their albums, including Julian Dorio, who is not a permanent member of the band, but joined them for the European tour.
Despite the name, EODM’s genre is blues rock. This apparently was not the first time the band had played the Bataclan. A video on YouTube shows them performing there in 2009.
A message posted on the band’s Facebook page Friday said they were still trying to locate some crew members.
But family members later reported that all the band members are safe.
Julian spoke to his brother, Michael after the incident. Michael told CNN: “He had been performing and heard the gunshots,” Dorio said. “The whole band heard the gunshots before they saw anything and stopped playing, hit the deck and kind of went backstage and exited as fast as they could.”
Julian’s wife, Emily Dorio, posted on her Instagram account: “My heart is actually in Paris tonight. I’m saying a million prayers that my husband comes home safe. I’m saying a million prayers for everyone who won’t. I’ve never been so grateful and so heartbroken in the same breath of air.”
French group Red Lemons, who were the band’s support act, also posted on Facebook that the members of Eagles of Death Metal were safe.
They wrote: ‘For our american and english friends, a terrorist attack happened at the Eagles of death metal concert. We are safe. Mikel Ross, Eric McFadden we were with your mates Jesse, Tuesday, the other musicians outside, they’re safe too, they took a cab.’
Hughes’ partner, former adult star Tuesday Cross, posted a Periscope video of Friday’s concert that appeared to be filmed moments before the attack.
U.S. rock band The Deftones were also at the Bataclan on Friday, but they had left before the attacks occurred. They said on Facebook: “Thank you for all your inquiries on our well being. Band/Crew all safe and accounted for at this time. Prayers for those affected in these tragic events.”
