Eagles of Death Metal from California were on stage at the Bataclan theater for their fateful concert on Friday 13. Playing to an audience of 1,500 young people they were unaware that entertainment would turn to terror in just 21 seconds, as captured by a video posted on Guardian.
The music intertwined with gunshots as the drummer fell behind his instrument in a characteristic moment.
Nick Alexander, who worked Eagles of Death Metal’s merchandise table during the group’s European tour,was among the 118 killed during the terror attack at the concert hall. He died aged 36 doing the job he loved. His family issued the following announcement:
It is with huge sorrow that we can confirm that our beloved Nick lost his life at the Bataclan last night. Nick was not just our brother, son and uncle; he was everyone’s best friend – generous, funny and fiercely loyal,” Alexander’s family said. “Nick died doing the job he loved and we take great comfort in knowing how much he was cherished by his friends around the world. Thank you for your thoughts and respect for our family at this difficult time. Peace and light.
Who are Eagles of Death?
Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998 by Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme, who are the only permanent members of the band, though Homme rarely plays live shows because of commitments to other bands. There are also a wide range of other musicians that play under the Eagles of Death Metal moniker, both on the albums and in live shows, frequently under humorous aliases.
Despite their band name, Eagles of Death Metal are not a death metal band. Hughes stated that a friend was introducing Josh Homme to the death metal genre. When he played a song by the Polish band Vader and made a claim that the song was within the death metal genre, Homme then referred to Vader as “The Eagles of Death Metal”. After hearing this phrase, he wondered what a cross between the Eagles and a death metal band would sound like. In a 2003 interview Homme described the sound of the band as a combination of “bluegrass slide guitar mixed with stripper drum beats and Canned Heat vocals.” Hughes is known for his enthusiastic interaction with audiences at live performances.
