American rock band Eagles of Death Metal, whose performance was targeted during the Paris attacks on November 13, will return to the stage on Monday, December 7 in the French Capital with U2.
The band that was playing at the Bataclan concert hall, where 89 people were killed in one wave of the attacks on the city, has an inadvertently alarming name: Eagles of Death Metal.
Hordes of people on social media found the name disturbing. Others mistook it as an indication that the group plays death metal — a particularly dark sub-genre of heavy metal — leading to a few insistent corrections on Twitter as well as carefully worded explanations from television news anchors.
In fact, the group mixes driving blues-rock of the 1970s with a heavy dose of humour. For fans of Eagles of Death Metal, the band’s name is part of its irreverent charm.
According to Billboard magazine, the joint performance of the California-based group and the Irish rockers will feature the final song of U2 at AccorHotels Arena, also known as Bercy Arena.
Largely unknown until the attacks, Eagles of Death Metal will resume its halted European tour in February 2016.
Monday’s performance will also feature Eagles of Death Metal co-founder Josh Homme, who seldom tours with the band, and was absent during the November 13 attacks.
U2’s performances on Sunday and Monday was originally scheduled for November 14 and 15, but was postponed after the attacks.
U2 frontman, Bono told The New York Times that his band had helped Eagles of Death Metal in the aftermath of the attacks, including buying the rockers new phones since their phones had been left inside the venue.