A war of words has broken out between the manager of the Paris Bataclan theatre and the Eagles Of Death Metal, over claims that singer Jesse Hughes was officially barred from attending the venue’s reopening.
Hughes and his band were playing at the venue on November 13, 2015, when it became the target of a terror attack, as men armed with guns and bombs stormed the building, killing 89 and injuring over 200.
The theatre reopened this weekend with a concert by Sting, but manager Jules Frutos claims that he refused entry to Hughes and his manager, over controversial statements the singer has made in interviews.
In the wake of the attacks, Hughes made (and subsequently apologised for) comments suggesting that the attacks may have been an inside job and certain security guards “had a reason not to show up” on the night.
Speaking to French media, Frutos made the claim that Hughes and his manager showed up to the Sting concert, but that he denied them entry. “They came, I threw them out – there are things you can’t forgive,” he said.
Frutos had earlier commented about Hughes’ remarks: “He makes these incredibly false declarations every two months. It is madness, accusing our security of being complicit with the terrorists … Enough. Zero. This has to stop.”
A representative for Eagles Of Death Metal, Marc Pollack, has since released a statement, angrily refuting the claims that Hughes tried to attend the Sting concert, and calling Frutos a “coward”. Pollack said:
“This day is not about Jesse Hughes or Eagles of Death Metal. In fact, 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.”
Source: Spin.
Photo: Guy Prives / Getty.
