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Eagles of Death Metal return to Paris

February 16, 2016

The US rock band Eagles of Death Metal has returned to perform a concert in Paris, three months after a terrorist attack at the Bataclan concert hall killed 90. Survivors and fans of the band had an emotional reunion.

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Frankreich Konzert Eagles of Death Metal in Paris, Olympia
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Saget

Cheers and applause rang out for the Eagles of Death Metal as the group began their performance on Tuesday at the Olympia concert hall. The band members appeared to the playback of an old song by French singer Jacques Dutronc, called "Paris s'eveille," or "Paris Wakes Up."

"Bonsoir Paris," the band's frontman Jesse Hughes shouted. "We are having a good time tonight - amen," he said, adding "Ain't nobody going to stop us!"

The band tweeted this picture a day before their concert.

French cartoonist Herve Baudry tweeted this picture to represent the band's return after the terror attacks.

The concert came three months after jihadist militants stormed the Bataclan concert hall on November 13, killing 90 concertgoers. Earlier in the day, Hughes spoke with French broadcaster iTele: "I look at trying to just finish the set so that everyone can kind of leave some of this bad stuff behind and make more room in here for better stuff," he said, gesturing to his heart.

"I can't let the bad guys win. I have to be with my friends again. We have to finish this, not for anyone else, just for us. Of course, I'm talking about everyone who was at the Bataclan," he added.

A heavy security presence marked the event on Tuesday and attendees had to go through three rounds of body and bag checks before being let into the hall.

A fan of the group welcomed the musicians.

On Monday, band members met with around 60 survivors of the November attack. Among them was Alexis Lebrun, who said he was "very scared" and would attend Tuesday's show only if he thought security was adequate.

The attack at the Bataclan and in other parts of the French capital on November 13 claimed 130 lives, just 10 months after the deadly attacks on French satirical magazine "Charlie Hebdo" and a Jewish supermarket killed 17 people over three days in January.

mg/cmk (AP, AFP)